celebration itself. In 1912, the Boy Scouts of
America put out a declaration encouraging safe
practices and discouraging vandalism for all on
Halloween night. Today, smashing pumpkins,
toilet papering, and destroying decorations are
just some of the “tricks” that often occur on the
holiday. Some places even celebrate “Mischief
Night” on October 30 (also known as “Gate
Night” in BC) during which pranks are common
and encouraged. The practice of tricking the
night before the treating is very regional,
being common in some areas and almost
unheard of in others. Communities often
encourage controlled and harm-reducing
Halloween activities for increased safety,
and generally, it is adults and teenagers
who are more likely to be injured than
children. In addition, the concept of
poisoned or razor-blade Halloween
candy is widely regarded to be a myth.

The Halloween season is also
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but celebrated. October is a time for
scary movies to be widely shown and
remembered. Horror figures like Freddy
Krueger, Dracula, and Halloween killer
Michael Meyers contribute to the pop
culture importance of Halloween today.

The huge holiday of Halloween is a
wide amalgamation of cultural, religious,
and traditional practices combined with pop
culture and capitalism. While many of its more
traditional aspects have been forgotten or
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likely that Western influence and the promise
of money in the industry will lead Halloween to
become only bigger in the years ahead, after all,
it seems like the Halloween decorations show
up in stores just a little bit earlier every year.