Guest Author - Sherrie Knoller
So are you ready for your little ones to put on their spooky costumes and parade the streets going door to door for candy? This is defiantly a fun time of the year for kids to dress up as their favorite character and get loads of candy to get the biggest sugar high that they ever had. I admit that this is my favorite time of the year. I love to see the kids getting exciting and dress all up.
If you live on a military installation or you live off base there is never a short of fun things to do. Many military bases do a haunted trial or haunted house and they go all out to get the best scare out of you. They have many fun things for kids to do such as contest and parties.
So how does Halloween work if you live overseas? Some don’t realize that it is a challenge for military and dependants who live overseas because many cultures do not celebrate this Holiday.
What I find very interesting is that some cultures are interested in US holidays such as Halloween. Since I live in Japan they do not celebrate Halloween but they are very interested in learning about Halloween. The military base I live on allows us to sponsor a Japanese Family to come on base and learn about how Americans celebrate Halloween. The military and dependants get to enjoy many festivals and holidays in different countries. That is a great perk of living overseas. That gives military and dependants an opportunity to show how we celebrate our holidays.
So if you do live overseas check out Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) to see what kind of events are for Halloween. The base may have contests and even pet contests - which are the funniest. The military base may offer a Halloween party for the kids.
When it comes to holidays such as Halloween safety should always be a priority. Costumes should not get in the way of walking. Keeping costumes from dragging on the ground will keep them from tripping and falling. If your child has sensitive skin check before hand to make sure that the makeup used does not irritate their skin.
As kids get older they want to be more independent and do things on their own without their parents. Always stay with your group and never go to houses that do not have lights on. Just because you live on a military installation always take precautions. Still follow the same safety measure as if you were Trick or Treating outside the military base. We can still be safe and have fun at the same time. So enjoy and have fun with your little ghosts, goblins, and little witches. Have a Hauntingly Halloween!
