Halloween can be traced back as far as the ancient festival of Samhain when, on the 31^st of October, the ghosts of the dead would revisit the mortal world. To ward off any evil spirits in their midst, large bonfires were lit in each village. Druids then walked from house-to-house with embers from the sacred bonfire and lit the hearth fires of the local villagers to ensure their protection. This also served to keep them warm throughout the remaining winter months.

Nowadays, Halloween is a far cry from this ancient ritual. Children wander the streets in costumes intended to scare or amuse, knocking on doors in the hope that they will be rewarded with a handful of sweets or a few coins. Yet despite the innocent nature of this tradition, Halloween night also conceals thieves, vandals and pranksters, giving the term ‘trick or treat’ increasingly malevolent overtones.

When pranks turn ugly
Aviva stated that malicious damage sky-rocketed on Halloween night so we urge people to take precautions for the future. Over the years, popular pranks have involved ‘egging’ where vandals throw raw eggs at a property, ‘teepeeing’, in which they adorn a home with swathes of toilet roll and spraying paint on homes and cars. Whilst these acts are frustrating, they are easily fixed, but the threat of theft, broken windows and fires aren’t as simply resolved.

Lurking in the shadows
Gone are the days of lighting your hearth with sacred bonfire embers. In the present day, you should consider motion sensitive lighting to stop any pesky pranksters hiding in dark corners.

Supernatural security
Ensure you lock up your valuables if you keep them in outbuildings or sheds. Attempt to secure any property which usually lives outdoors but isn’t fixed to anything. There are a lot of people roaming the streets on Halloween and if your valuables are on display this could make them a prime target for thieves. It’s worth investing in high-security locks to make sure your belongings are safe, but just keeping them out of site is a huge deterrent in itself.

If you’re not going to be around this Halloween, make sure to lock all windows and doors and activate any alarms.

If you fall foul to Halloween mischief or worse, Lockyers can help. Insurance can cover you against theft and malicious damage so that you’re protected from the financial repercussions if something were to happen. Get in touch if you have any questions or concerns about your existing policy or to arrange a policy that covers you against risks posed throughout the year.