All week long, the Eco Women will be sharing their ideas for making this Halloween your GREENEST and MOST FUN Halloween ever!

Relax!  Halloween has got a bad rap as an “unsafe” holiday, but most of what we try to protect ourselves from is the stuff of Urban Legend.  Check out Snopes.com to read why you’re probably more apt to be struck by lightning or win your state’s lottery than bite into a razor blade when eating a miniature Snickers bar.

The reality is this:  Halloween is a pretty safe holiday.  The streets are busy with pedestrians during Trick-or-Treating hours and in many communities the local police or National Guard patrol the streets in a show of tax dollars at work.  People who enjoy giving fistfuls of candy to little ghosts and goblins turn on their porch lights and wait by the door.  Those who don’t pull their shades and darken their houses accordingly.  Kids and adults both behave well under so much supervision!
To keep your Trick-or-Treaters safe is easy:

*  Stick to familiar neighborhoods.

*  Go out during designated hours.

*  Only approach houses with a porch/yard light on.

*  Double check costumes for visibility (put reflective tape on a black witch’s costume, make sure little Johnny can see through his Power Ranger mask, hand each child a flashlight if you’re trick-or-treating at night) .

*  Double check costumes for ease of movement (have Billy run across the back yard in his zombie costume — if he trips, his costume  may need some adjustment).

*  Let your kids eat the candy — if it’s wrapped and a familiar brand (Kit Kat, Dum Dum, M&M) it’s safe.  The only real danger at Halloween is overindulgence leading to stomachaches.

*  If you’re really uncomforatable with city trick-or-treating, take your family to a “safe” Halloween event hosted by a local library, children’s museum, zoo or community organization — most places have several options to choose from.

Honestly?  According to Enviro-Girl’s research, the most dangerous place to be on Halloween is Madison, Wisconsin where excessive drinking and debauchery leads to trouble.
Relax, and enjoy your Halloween.  There are plenty of other, truly threatening things to worry abou t– but we’ll save those posts for another time!