While many kids (and grown-ups!) may find Halloween just another good excuse to dress up and attend parties, others may find the whole thing quite scary. Stephanie Fsadni talks to some mothers to see what they think of Halloween and whether they think it’s safe for children to take part in all the celebrations.

Halloween has grown in popularity in Malta in the last decade or so. Reasons may be many, including the higher exposure to celebrations abroad even through social media, more foreigners settling in Malta, more acceptance, even at school level of this celebration, more availability of Halloween goodies and costumes in local shops. Children are growing up in this holiday culture and may like it... or may not.

Mother-of-two Ruth Spiteri Longhurst of Attard believes Halloween celebrations have caught on considerably among Maltese children, even though not as much as in the US yet.

She does not see Halloween as too scary for kids and her children Julia, 9, and Krista, 5, love it.

“My daughters love creepy and spooky stories. We view it as harmless fun, and try to keep it like that!”

Her children occasionally attend Halloween parties or activities. The dressing -up part is what they like most.

“Also, on Halloween we get ready with a large bag of sweets and other goodies, decorate our front windows with carved pumpkins and eagerly wait for children to come trick-or-treating in our street.

“Over the past few years this has become a sort of tradition at our home, and we have noticed an increase in the number of children who come knocking at our door.”

However, Ruth does not let her children go trick or treating and, if she had to allow them to, she would accompany them and make sure they go around a safe neighbourhood.

“I do not consider the whole thing of knocking at other people’s houses as a very safe thing and am not one to encourage it,” she says.

I do not consider the whole thing of knocking at other people’s houses as a very safe thing

Jocelyn Galea believes Halloween is another excuse for people to have fun and attend parties in funny, weird costumes.

“I think media has got a lot to do with it. Our kids are growing up watching American films and programmes. They obviously love the idea of dressing up and businesses take advantage of this as they know Halloween sells,” she says.

Like Ruth, she sees Halloween as a fun thing, where children dress up and go to parties where they meet other children, play and eat goodies. She also does not approve of trick-or-treating.

“I try to teach my daughter not to accept treats from strangers, so I don’t take her to knock on strangers’ doors and ask for sweets!”

Her daughter Kristina, 6, loves dressing up and looks forward to themed parties. She also likes carving pumpkins with her father.

Daniel Mallia (centre) is too scared to dress up at Halloween, yet he does not want to miss out on activities.

Cute and dark decorations

“They play games, are given a goodie bag... and the venue will normally be decorated with sweet, cute bats and spiders, and friendly witches,” says Jocelyn.

Indeed the celebration can be associated with sweet things such as carved pumpkins and creative costumes and cakes, but it may also be associated with darker stuff such as skeletons, coffins, vampires, fangs and blood, which may scare off the little ones.

My son is very scared, yet still wants to take part in activities

Noreen Attard Mallia of St Paul’s Bay says schools have been giving Halloween a lot of exposure in recent years.

“My children always bring some crafts they prepared at school,” she points out.

Kristina Galea looks forward to dress up and attend Halloween-themed parties.

But even though Daniel, 8, and Victoria, 3, like these crafts and are attracted to shop decorations, they are quite afraid of some Halloween aspects.

Noreen is understanding: “I do think certain things related to Halloween are quite frightening for children.

“My son is very scared, yet still wants to take part in activities. And when my daughter was still two years old, she spent a whole week after Halloween waking up screaming during the night.”

Contrary to the other mothers, however, Noreen is not against trick-or-treating; she does not take her children as they scared but she would accompany them if they wanted to go.

On Halloween, the Mallia family is usually invited at a friend’s house, which is always decorated to the nines. But they have to remove some items, like scary masks, when Daniel and Victoria come round.

“She just leaves the pumpkins and other decorations which are not very realistic. My friends’ children dress up in Halloween costumes while my children are so scared they don’t even want to dress up!

“Yet we go, cos the children enjoy each other’s company.”

So scary or not, children may not be willling to miss out on any fun. And who blames them?