On just one day a year, we dress up in hair-raising costumes for fun. But is this fun for everybody?

Any other time of the year, dressing up and going around late at night knocking on neighbours’ doors for sweets would seem unthinkable. Yet on 31st October every year it is seen as socially acceptable and fun, for the most of us. However, do we forget that there are those in our communities’ that may sit at home frightened and alone?

There is wide variety of views based around the acceptance of Halloween and whether this is actually enjoyable or not. I found this out by speaking to a range of different aged people in my community. One 10 year old said that ‘It’s very enjoyable running from house to house’ but ‘I only knock on people’s doors that I know’. However an adult believed that it is ‘over commercialised, rude’ and ‘intrusive’. ‘It isn’t good for the vulnerable members of the local communities’.

But on this one-night lots of us take free sweets off of strangers. Are we voluntarily exploiting our vulnerability?

After speaking with an older member of my community, it was mentioned that ‘Some older people can be concerned that if they don’t give a treat, the tricks could be quite scary, so they feel compelled to give treats’.

Based upon the wide variety of responses, it is evident that we need to think about the respect and protection of ourselves as well as others wellbeing

Ellie Gray: Eltham Hill School