4 Bizarre Reasons Your Kids Might Not Be Trick-or-Treating on Halloween
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Strange things are known to happen around Halloween, and this season is no exception. Here are a few weird reasons your child might not be trick-or-treating on October 31 this year:
Polar Bears
The community of Arviat, on the Hudson Bay in far northern Canada, has decided it's too dangerous for children to go trick-or-treating door to door because of the increased presence of polar bears in the area in late autumn. Kids are welcomed to visit the community hall instead on Halloween for face painting and a haunted house. Before assuming that one Halloween costume must be particularly popular up there, take note that no one in the area dresses in polar bear outfits because patrols on watch are instructed to scare bears off with rubber bullets. “Nobody dresses up as seals" either, one local political leader explained, because they're what polar bears hunt and eat.
Alleged Cop Killer
Trick or treating has also been cancelled due to safety concerns in Barrett Township, Pa. In this instance, it's because of worries about Eric Frein, who is suspected of killing one police officer and wounding another in a September ambush, and who is believed to be hiding in the woods outside town.
High School Football
This year, October 31 falls on a Friday—the day of the week that's dominated by high school football in many parts of the country. To avoid a conflict, communities all over states including Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and New Mexico have rescheduled trick-or-treating to a day other than Friday. Most towns pushed up trick-or-treating to Thursday, October 30, but some have postponed it until Saturday—meaning trick-or-treating in November.
They're Too Old
Apparently, the arrival of teens demanding candy at strangers' doors was enough to scare communities around the U.S.—notably, several in and around Virginia Beach, Va.—to put an age limit on when kids are too old for trick-or-treating. In most cases, laws allow only children ages 12 and under to go door-to-door in costume begging for candy, and it's a class four misdemeanor if you break the rules.