The cheerful games, inventive costumes, and candy, makes Halloween a favorite holiday among kids. A mixture of rituals from Pagan and Christian traditions over the centuries stems from modern celebrations. Samhain was the original holiday that was derived from the ancient Druids of Ireland. November 1st marked the beginning of winter in their belief system, and Pagans started their Samhain celebrations on October 31, at sunset.
Classic Halloween Celebrations
For Halloween, children and adults love to dress up, and this practice stems from the ancient belief in spirits. The souls of the deceased have reached the mortal realm from sunset on October 31 until sunrise on November 1st. Some spirits were gentle and only wished to cross over to the afterlife, while others harbored malice and trickery with evil intentions. Pagans wore masks and concealed themselves so that they could be misunderstood by the sinister souls as other spirits.
To please the spirits, families left food and drink outside their doors. In Europe, with the rise of Christianity, the church encouraged its members to give beggars money and food. The beggars will, in return, promise to pray for the family’s departed loved ones. These rituals gradually contributed to the introduction of modern customs where, when circling the neighborhood, children dressed up and collected candy from their neighbors.
Braces-Friendly Goodies
It is common to get carried away on a sugar high with all of the fun and free candy on Halloween. Parents advise their kids to prevent tummy aches and cavities by not eating too much candy in one night. In particular, our team at GSO Orthodontics needs to remind kids with braces to be extra careful about the snacks they eat because certain varieties can get trapped between the brackets and damage the devices. When wearing braces, sticky sweets should be avoided, such as caramels, fruit chews, and gum. To get only safe candies, children can trade with their friends and siblings. The following list provides several alternate treats that can be easily enjoyed by kids with braces.
Hershey’s Plain Milk Chocolate
Cookies ‘n’ Cream
Mounds & Kit-Kat
Nestle Crunch and M&M’s
Hershey Cookies ‘n Cream
Milky Way candy bars
Mounds
Children should ask their parents or our team at GSO Orthodontics whether a particular candy is acceptable when in doubt. Halloween is a fun holiday for kids, and there is no reason to take away any of the joy from delicious treats as long as you follow these tips!
