I’m A Doctor, These Are The Best (And Worst) Sweets To Give Trick-Or-Treaters

Posted on 29/10/2025 by Boris Clair

Halloween is nearly here – meaning dozens of kids are headed to a front door near you very soon.

If you live in an area where trick-or-treating is a pretty big deal, you’ll probably want to buy in some sweet treats to hand out to tiny ghouls and monsters – unless you opt to turn off your lights and pretend nobody’s home (in which case: no judgement, save yourself some cash).

If you are planning to hand out treats however, a doctor has issued a word of warning.

Paediatrician Dr Arindam Das spoke to Totalkare about some specific Halloween dangers that can lead to an increase in “blue light” callouts during spooky season.

One of them is pumpkin carving, he said, due to the obvious risk of cutting themselves.

“Young children are also at risk of choking on hard sweets,” he added.

So what are the safest sweets to give then?

The main takeaway is that hard or boiled sweets should be avoided at all costs for kids under the age of five (so it’s probably a wise move to forego them completely).

Whole nuts, popcorn kernels, chewing gum and small jelly sweets “all are high choking risks”, he added. Nuts are also problematic for those with allergies.

Popcorn might be a surprising one to some parents. However, they are problematic for a few reasons: the kernels are so lightweight they can be sucked up back into a child’s oesophagus, where children can either breathe them in, called aspiration, or they can choke – which is where the airway is blocked.

Dr Das said older children (over-fives) can “usually manage chewy or gummy sweets, but parents should still be cautious with very hard or sticky items”.

The safest alternatives, he noted, are “soft, melt-in-the-mouth treats”, like chocolate buttons, mini muffins or soft jelly.

Little boxes of raisins or dried fruit snacks (like BEAR Paws) can be a decent option for younger children, too – and are free of common allergens like gluten, dairy and nuts.

I’m also a big fan of Soreen lunchbox loaves as children with an egg and/or milk allergy can have them.

And if your little one does get to enjoy a treat (or three) this Halloween, the paediatrician added that having water or milk alongside these sweets can help “reduce dental risk”.

Nightmare Before Christmas’ Director Has Settled The Debate Of Whether It Is A Halloween Film

Posted on 14/10/2024 by Boris Clair

If you’re from a certain generation, you’ve likely spent the final months of the year in an ongoing debate about whether the 1993 flick The Nightmare Before Christmas counts as a Halloween or Christmas film.

No, you can’t say both.

Unlike most silly debates, there are two healthy points of view here — the film is exploring the themes of Christmas and what it means to families and communties.

However, crucially… It’s set in a place called Halloween Town which is inhabited by traditionally scary creatures that count down to Halloween every year.

However, the director of The Nightmare Before Christmas weighed in on this debate and I’m sorry to all the Christmas fans but you might be disappointed…

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If you’ve ever found yourself embroiled in this debate, we have exactly the bit of trivia you need.

When the director was asked whether he considers it to be a Christmas or Halloween film at a 2015 Q&A at Colorado’s Telluride Horror Show film festival, he said: “Oh, boy, it’s a Halloween movie.”

So that’s that. We can debate over other things this festive season, like whether Love Actually is good, actually.

While we’re on the topic of The Nightmare Before Christmas…

It was Henry Sellick that directed the film and not Tim Burton, as many people believe. Tim wrote the story but the direction was all down to Henry, who also directed Coraline.

Speaking about this common misconception in 2022, Henry said: ”[It] was a little unfair because it wasn’t called Tim Burton’s [The Nightmare Before Christmas] until three weeks before the film came out.

“And I would have been fine with that, if that’s what I signed up for. But Tim was in LA making two features while I directed that film.”

Let’s consider the record straight: it’s a Halloween film, directed by Henry Sellick.

Happy Halloween!

Halloween: Why Do We Really Celebrate Spooky Season?

Posted on 28/10/2023 by Boris Clair

Love it or hate it, Halloween has a long rich history – and has been a significant celebration in our culture for more than a thousands years.

While its religious connotations have now faded, and the event is associated with dressing up, pumpkins, and everything eerie, the occasion is still full of references to its pagan roots.

Here’s why we celebrate October 31, and why some curious traditions (bobbing for apples, anyone?) have stood the test of time.

What does paganism have to do with Halloween?

A lot, really. The whole event comes from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, a religious, pagan celebration which was meant to mark the official end of summer and welcome the harvest.

Of course, if you live in the UK, by the end of October, summer feels like a lifetime ago.

But, for the pagans in the Celtic regions of Ireland, the UK and northern France, who lived around 2,000 years ago, lighting bonfires and wearing costumes to ward off ghosts was the best way to ring in the special occasion.

And because the dark, cold winter, is often linked to death, they believed the line between the world of the living and the dead blurred around this time – so the ghosts of the dead could return to the living world.

These spirits not only caused mischief and damaged crops, but they made it “easier for the Druids or Celtic priests to make predictions about the future”, according to History.com.

Pagans would burn crops and animals as sacrifices to their gods, and would wear costumes usually made out of animal heads and skins, to tell each other’s fortunes.

History.com said it was their way of ringing in the new year.

And, just to quell any misconceptions, it’s not the same as Mexico’s well-known Day of the Dead celebration, which is about the afterlife and the continuation of life – not about death and ghosts, like Halloween.

As Britannica explains: “Although often linked to Halloween, the Day of the Dead is a time when death is celebrated, not feared.”

The sixth annual Broadway Halloween Parade

How did Samhain become Halloween?

The Pagan event evolved over time as Celtic culture faded.

After the Roman invasion in 43 AD, two other festivals were incorporated into Samhain.

History.com claims one was called Feralia, a day in late October when Romans honoured the passing of the dead, and the second was a day when Romans, honoured the goddess of fruit and trees, Pomona.

But it really started to change when, according to the US government’s Library of Congress, Pope Gregory III decided to make November 1 the time to honour both known and unknown saints who have attained heaven, in the eighth century.

History.com claimed: “It’s widely believed today that the church was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, church-sanctioned holiday.”

The online encyclopedia, Britannica, explained that All Saints Day – also called All Hallows’ Day – then started to weave in some of the Samhain traditions from the day before.

That meant Samhain started to be called All Hallows’ Eve, which is how we now know it as Halloween.

And once the occasion moved to the US and trick or treat became increasingly common at the start of the 20th Century, History.com claims parents were “encouraged by newspapers and community leaders to take anything ‘frightening or grotesque’ out of the celebrations”.

That’s probably how the event ended up losing its superstitious and religious overtones.

Why do we carve pumpkins?

This tradition actually comes from Ireland, where turnips were used instead of pumpkins.

According to the Library of Congress, the myth comes down to a man called Stingy Jack who supposedly fought with the devil, was rejected by Heaven and refused to go to Hell – so he ended up wandering the world as a ghost.

All he had was just a gift from the devil, a burning lump of coal with a turnip as a source of light – and that’s why we call carved pumpkins called Jack o’Lanterns.

Over time, it became associated with a means to banish evil spirits.

Why do we talk about ghosts so often around Halloween?

Ghosts are often associated with this time of year, because the pagans believed spirits walked the Earth during the festival – a belief reinforced by Christian missionaries who introduced All Souls’ Day.

That’s why we wear scary costumes to repel the spirits.

What about bats?

As bonfires were said to light the way for souls looking into the afterlife – and keep away the evil spirits – the light would attract insects, and therefore draw in bats, which is how spotting bats became part of the festival.

Where did trick or treat come from?

There are several different theories floating around.

One potential explanation is that Celtic people would leave food to appear the spirits travelling the Earth at night – and then people started to try and get in on the trend themselves.

Another suggests people may have been collecting food and money from local homes in return for prayers for the dead on All Souls Day, and it then evolved into trick or treat.

The US Library of Congress said it may have come from the German-American Christmas tradition of “belsnickeling” where children call on their neighbours to see if they can guess who they are. They were rewarded with food or other treats if no one could identify them.

Britannica also pointed out that this custom became popular in the early 20th century as Irish and Scottish communities revived the Old World tradition of “guising”. Someone would dress up, tell a joke, or perform, in exchange for fruit or a treat.

Why do we go bobbing for apples?

It was allegedly a courting ritual that was part of a Roman festival honouring Pomona, who was the goddess of agriculture and abundance.

Essentially, those who played would predict their future relationships based on their performance in the game.

Strictly Come Dancing Result Sees EastEnders Star James Bye Become The Fifth Celeb Voted Off

Posted on 30/10/2022 by Boris Clair

Both couples performed their routines again, with James and his dance partner Amy Dowden performing their Charleston and Fleur and her dance partner Vito Coppola performing their Salsa in a bid to impress the judges and remain in the competition.

After both couples had danced a second time, the judges were unanimous in their choices, with all four choosing to save Fleur.

When asked by host Tess Daly about his time on the show, James said: “I’ve said this from the very beginning, all I can do is go out there and do my very best. I am dancing against Fleur East, I went and did my best but she is phenomenal.

“I’ve had the best time on this show and I have a friend for life [in Amy], all I can do is thank the family, and I have a new family now. It’s a competition but you don’t feel like that backstage, you honestly feel like everyone has each other’s backs and everyone is just willing everyone to do their best.”

Amy then told James: “You came on here to show your boys they can throw themselves into any challenge in life, and you are the best role model they could ever have as their daddy! I am so proud of you!”

The remaining ten couples will take to the dancefloor next Saturday when Strictly Come Dancing returns on 5 November at 7pm, with the results show following on Sunday 6 November at 7:15pm on BBC One.

The Best Celebrity Halloween Costumes Of 2022… So Far

Posted on 29/10/2022 by Boris Clair

Just when you thought the news cycle couldn’t get any scarier – it’s Halloween!

This year our favourite celebs have really got into the spirit of things with some truly inspired looks.

While some went for ghoulish glam, others were terrifyingly traditional.

Here’s our round-up of the best celebrity looks from Halloween 2022.

3 Delicious Pumpkin Recipes That Aren’t In The Least Bit Spooky

Posted on 11/10/2021 by Boris Clair

We’re finally in the autumn season which means it’s the perfect time to try out some new food and recipes. And when we think of pumpkins, we usually associate them with Halloween.

Environmental charity Hubbub found that around 12.8 million pumpkins were set to be carved out but not eaten, as one in seven people who celebrate Halloween said they don’t even think of pumpkins as food. Only 42% (two in five) realised you can eat a carving pumpkin from the supermarket.

In 2015, only 31% of pumpkins were actually eaten, rising to 46% in 2019 and 59% in 2020. However, more people are celebrating Halloween than ever before (up to 56% in 2020 from 50% in 2019), and those households which celebrate tend to carve an average of just over two pumpkins each.

There’s so much you can do with pumpkins outside of Halloween and we’ve got three recipes to highlight how versatile they are.

For The Soup Lovers

Soups were made for autumn time, especially this creamy pumpkin soup recipe created by the environmental charity Hubbub. This recipe is all pumpkin with some ginger and honey to add to the flavour.

Ingredients for the pumpkin soup:

250g butter
1 small onion, diced finely
800g pumpkin, peeled and cut into chunk
1-2 tsp runny honey
15g grated root ginger
1 vegetable stock cube or 1l of home made veg stock
100ml single cream
black pepper, to taste
2 tbsp freshly chopped coriander (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Lay foil on an oven safe dish and spread the
pumpkin seeds, add a splash of olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste. Put in
oven to toast for 40 minutes.
2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onions and pumpkin and
cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes until the vegetables soften but do
not brown.
3. Add the honey, ginger, and vegetable stock and bring to the boil.
Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the pumpkin is soft.
4. Stir in most of the single cream and place in a food processor. Blend
until smooth. Season to taste with black pepper.
5. Serve garnished with a swirl of the remaining single cream, a sprinkle of
coriander if desired, and the toasted pumpkin seeds.

For the fries lovers

Who said chips have to be potato-based? These loaded pumpkin fries from the Primula cheese team will make you forget about your favorite junk food fries. Add in some cheese and jalapenos so you can add to the experience.

Ingredients for the loaded pumpkin fries:

1 medium-sized pumpkin
2 tsp cornflour
2 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp fajita seasoning
150g Primula Cheese ‘n’ Jalapenos
Handful of fresh coriander, to garnish

Method:

Using a sharp knife, slice the pumpkin in half. Scoop out the seeds and pulp.
Remove the ends from the pumpkin, peel and slice into fries.
Place the pumpkin fries in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Let the fries soak for at least 30 minutes, but preferably overnight.
When the fries have finished soaking, pre-heat your oven to 220°C.
Drain the fries and pat dry with paper towels.
Fill a large zip-lock bag with the fries. Add the cornflour, seal the bag and shake to cover the fries. Add the oil and fajita seasoning to the fries and shake well, covering them evenly.
Spread the fries in a single layer on a lined baking tray. Allow the fries plenty of space to ensure they’re perfectly crisp. You may need a couple of trays.
Place in the oven for 10 – 15 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the fries are crisp and golden.
Remove from the oven. Squeeze over the Primula Cheese and scatter the coriander.
Serve immediately.

For the toast lovers

Another yummy recipe from the Primula team is this Roasted Sourdough Pumpkin recipe. Sourdough took off during the first lockdown and it might be time to go back to it with a twist. This roasted pumpkins sourdough recipe will be your guilty pleasure this autumn.

Ingredients for roasted pumpkin sourdough:

Ingredients

500g pumpkin, peeled and diced
2 tbsp olive oil
Pinch of chilli flakes
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp honey
1 loaf of sourdough bread, sliced
1 garlic clove, peeled
100g Primula Cheese ‘n’ Ham

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
Arrange the pumpkin in a large, shallow baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and scatter over chilli flakes. Add the chopped garlic cloves.
Roast for 25 – 30 minutes, or until tender and lightly charred. Remove from the oven, add a tablespoon of honey and mix well to coat the pumpkin. Set aside.
Toast the sourdough until golden. Remove from the toaster and gently rub with the remaining garlic clove. Top with Primula Cheese ‘n’ Ham.
Serve immediately.

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Category Archives: Halloween

I’m A Doctor, These Are The Best (And Worst) Sweets To Give Trick-Or-Treaters

So what are the safest sweets to give then?

Nightmare Before Christmas’ Director Has Settled The Debate Of Whether It Is A Halloween Film

While we’re on the topic of The Nightmare Before Christmas…

Halloween: Why Do We Really Celebrate Spooky Season?

What does paganism have to do with Halloween?

How did Samhain become Halloween?

Why do we carve pumpkins?

Why do we talk about ghosts so often around Halloween?

What about bats?

Where did trick or treat come from?

Why do we go bobbing for apples?

Strictly Come Dancing Result Sees EastEnders Star James Bye Become The Fifth Celeb Voted Off

The Best Celebrity Halloween Costumes Of 2022… So Far

3 Delicious Pumpkin Recipes That Aren’t In The Least Bit Spooky

For The Soup Lovers

Ingredients for the pumpkin soup:

Method:

For the fries lovers

Ingredients for the loaded pumpkin fries:

Method:

For the toast lovers

Ingredients for roasted pumpkin sourdough:

Method: