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Happy Halloween!

By Albert Lee

John Wall made an Instagram video on Monday wishing everyone a Happy Halloween. Or is it Walloween?

#Walloween2017 #FinnaBeABreeze #BigFella s/o to @hahadavis | makeup by @ditidevi

A post shared by johnwall (@johnwall) on

Tips for Trick or Treaters

Anyway, for those of you going Trick or Treating, here are some tips I have from the time I was a little boy:

  1. Go out in groups if at all possible. Only go trick or treating out in a local neighborhood that is safe.
  2. Make sure a trusted grown up is with you at all times. Mom or dad or Mr. Jake doesn’t have to be right at the door every single time you knock the door and yell “TRICK OR TREAT!” But it’s a better idea that they are able to see you nevertheless. It’s going to be dark if you’re out and about at 6 or 7 p.m. If you are going trick or treating without other children, you have to have Mom or Dad or another adult you trust with you.
  3. After you’re finished trick or treating, give the candy to Mom or Dad. They’ll check the candy out to make sure it’s safe to eat. Trust me, they don’t want to eat all that candy you just got.
  4. Finally, if you’re in high school wondering if you can go trick or treating, just don’t. I have refused to give candy and said some not so nice words when I saw teenagers driving to my house, knocking on the door, and saying “Trick or Treat.” My advice for high schoolers and Halloween candy is this: Buy your own.

Tips for those giving candy

Many, if not most parents in neighborhoods are ready to give candy tonight. But what if you don’t have kids or are an empty nester?

Here are some tips I have for those of you giving out candy tonight. Or tips for those of you wondering if you should give out candy. These are the things I’ve learned over the years about it:

  1. If you’re in a suburban single family residential neighborhood that’s filled with kids, don’t think about skipping. Don’t even think about leaving in the early evening (6 p.m. to 8 p.m. tonight). Give candy out, even if you don’t want to. It may be one of the very few times where you actually interact with your neighbors, meaning the kids’ parents! You never know when your neighbors are willing to help you out with something in the near future.
  2. If you live in a community of older adults, chances are that you won’t need to give out candy. Same goes for all high rise condos and apartments, because some of their residential associations have rules against trick or treating. That said, buy a bag of candy just in case. There’s no need to be Oscar the Grouch/the Grinch/Gargamel/Cruella Deville if some young children knock on your door and didn’t know there was a rule against Trick or Treating.
  3. My unofficial hours for trick or treating are from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. as mentioned before. Make sure you space out your candy distribution so children who come to your place can still get candy between those times.
  4. I usually buy some of the regular fun size candy bars at Costco and mix in a box of full size ones with it. I let the toddlers and kindergartners grab one handful of candy since they’re small. For older children, I hand the candy out.
  5. If you only have fancier chocolate to give out (after giving out all your fun size chocolate bars), then give out the Italian Ghirardelli tiny wafers first, followed by the Godiva bars that are American-made, and then the Ferrero Rochers. Even though Belgian soccer stars like Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku can afford to give a 1-kilogram ballotin to each British trick or treater (since they play in the UK), never give up your Neuhaus chocolates under any circumstances. Hazard and Lukaku act like the world has ended when they find out one Neuhaus praline they didn’t eat is missing. On that note, Emma Meesseman is the same way. In other words, keep something for yourself!
  6. Also, don’t give out home made cookies or cake. You may be the best baker in town, but it’s the first thing that the children's parents are throwing away.
  7. Don’t flat out refuse to give candy to a boy whose voice is cracking. Puberty can start in children who are in the fourth or fifth grade.
  8. That said, If you see a high schooler — and driving is a giveaway — I wouldn’t give them candy. Don’t be discouraged doing this either if a kid is truly being a jerk to you.

Anyway, that’s enough tips on trick or treating. The ones to the kids are for real. Follow them. And though I was a bit light hearted with the tips for candy-givers, most of it is also stuff you should keep in mind.

Stay safe out there and Happy Halloween!