Police share advice around Halloween and Trick-or-Treating

Local police officers have shared advice for people celebrating Halloween, to be considerate of those who may not wish to take part. 

Halloween has become a time when children often dress up in costumes and trick-or-treat at houses and get sweets or treats. 

Kingsbridge Police have posted to remind people that "your idea of Halloween fun might not be someone else’s".

They said: "Avoid calling at people’s houses when trick-or-treating if you aren’t sure they’d like to join in with Halloween. Lots of people will be celebrating Halloween next week, but there are also lots of people who won’t be.

"Please be considerate and kind to those who might be distressed by strangers knocking at their door during the evening. 

"If you want visitors, visit our website where you can download a poster to print and colour in."

You can find more advice or download posters on the Devon and Cornwall Police website: www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/halloween

Halloween has its origins in the UK in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain *SAH-win*, a pagan religious celebration to welcome the harvest at the end of summer, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts.

The Celts believed that on the night of 31st of October, the spirits of their dead would revisit the mortal world and large bonfires were lit in each village in order to ward off any evil spirits that may also be at large.

When Christianity came to the UK in around the Sixth Century, it brought with it “All Hallows’ Day”, also known as “All Saints Day”, a day to remember those who had died for their beliefs.

The All Hallow's Feast was originally celebrated on 13 May, but Pope Gregory moved the date to 1 November. It is thought that this was intended to either replace or assimilate the Celtic Samhain festival of the dead with a related but church-approved celebration.

The night or evening of Samhein therefore became known as All-Hallows-Eve, then Hallow Eve, and then Hallowe'en, a special time of the year when many believe that the spirit world can make contact with the physical world, and a night when magic is at its most potent.

However you celebrate, or not, Halloween, we hope you all have an amazing time on Tuesday.