Horowhenua StarThe last day of October is Halloween, the day when kids dress up as ghouls and witches, and go door-to-door to gather sweets.
Some residents get annoyed, and others are concerned about the safety of children on streets after dark.
An alternative is Operation Halloween. Homeowners happy to join in can dress up, decorate their gardens and homes, and indicate with an orange balloon on the letterbox or gate whether kids and others are welcome to knock.
Gay Leahy of One Realty has been supplying orange balloons to willing homeowners and has compiled a list of houses where halloweeners are welcome. It all started with an idea by Gemma Petit in 2016, with Gay and Kirsten Manclark taking over the programme.
Halloween is a commercialisation of All Hallow’s Eve, the night before All Saints, when those who have died are remembered. The tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts.
Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31 they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed the ghosts of the dead returned to earth.
• If you’re happy to join Operation Halloween and allow youngsters to knock on your door on Halloween, get an orange balloon and go on the list by visiting operationhalloweenhorowhenua on Facebook.
Janine Baalbergen is senior reporter for the Horowhenua Star
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