Why Do We Carve Pumpkins at Halloween?

The jack-o’-lantern has a long history with Halloween, although our favorite demonic faces haven’t always been carved out of pumpkins.   But how did jack-o’-lanterns become associated with Halloween? Halloween is based on the Celtic festival Samhain, a celebration in ancient Britain and Ireland that marked the end of summer and the beginning of the new year on November[…]

Fall Activities During COVID-19: What’s Safe, and What Might Be Risky

How to safely go apple picking, enjoy a hayride, take a woodsy hike, hold a tailgate, and do other fall favorites.   Fall is here, and that means there’s a range of fun activities you can enjoy with family and friends—in any normal year, that is. But 2020 has brought us a global pandemic, and[…]

Make Halloween Safer for Your Pet

    1. Don’t feed your pets Halloween candy, especially if it contains chocolate or xylitol (a common sugar substitute found in sugar-free candies and gum);   2. Make sure your pet is properly identified (microchip, collar and ID tag) in case s/he escapes through the open door while you’re distracted with trick-or-treaters;   3.[…]

Spooky Truths Regarding Halloween Safety On and Off the Road

Kids love the magic of Halloween: Trick-or-treating, classroom parties and trips to a neighborhood haunted house.   But for moms and dads, often there is a fine line between Halloween fun and safety concerns, especially when it comes to road and pedestrian safety.   In 2015, about 6,700 pedestrian deaths and 160,000 medically consulted injuries[…]