Halloween a time to uphold traditions

Before it became such a popular holiday among adults - more greeting cards are sent in the days leading up to Oct. 31 than any other time of the year except Christmas - Halloween was special for children. There was the candy, of course. But Halloween is also the night when kids can dress up as ghosts, pirates, or superheroes, going door-to-door and trying to scare adults into giving them a "treat" or two.
For the past few years, adults are scared enough already, for reasons most children can't begin to understand. But Halloween will go on as scheduled on week from this Saturday, for the enjoyment of children, and for their parents who are willing to put aside their earthly woes for a few hours.
Westport's children's Halloween Parade will be held on Main Street on Wednesday, Oct. 28, the Parks and Recreation Department announced.
The parade, scheduled to kick off at 3 p.m., is sponsored by the Parks and Recreation Department, the Westport Downtown Merchants Association and the Westport P.A.L.
Children and parents are to meet in front of the Westport/Weston Family Y on the corner of Main Street and Post Road East at 3 p.m. The parade route goes up Main Street, along Avery Place and then on to Veterans Green (across from Town Hall). Entertainment, refreshments and a small gift will be provided at 3:45 p.m. The event is for children age 7 and under.
We hope this event is very well attended, and that children and parents will also take the opportunity for the usual trick-or-treating, as well as Halloween parades at school and so on. (We also hope the weather gives us a break - Halloween costumes lose some of their allure if they're soaked with rain.)
For as long as we can remember, some of society's sickies have put a negative stamp on Halloween. There have been sporadic reports over the years of pins found in candy apples and chocolate bars, for example.
Obviously, parents must take precautions for the safety of their children. Children should never eat candy that is given to them unwrapped, and should have their parents see the treats before eating. Parents should also make sure their children's costumes are visible at night, and accompany the younger kids as they make their Halloween rounds.
Beyond those rather routine precautions, our only advice, to children and adults alike, is to enjoy Halloween as they have in years past.
Halloween is a holiday with a long tradition in America. We continue to celebrate it, this year as in many decades past, as we seek to uphold all of our American traditions, resolving that we will not be stampeded into abandoning them, or bewildered by the falsehoods of those who would mock them.