6 rules for a better Halloween

Trick-or-treating and dressing in costume have been Halloween traditions for a good long time now, but it seems we're still struggling to get it right. 

So here are a few Halloween PSAs, six not-so-gentle reminders of how to keep in the holiday spirit alive and sugared up. Read them, memorize them, share them and have your happiest Halloween yet.

Give goodies to any child who shows up at the door

Halloween night is not the time to quibble over the quality of trick-or-treaters' costumes or whether some kids are too old to ask for free candy. And don't even bother questioning whether they're from your neighborhood, as if visitors don't deserve your Snickers.

Too cool for a costume? Don't go to a costume party.

You don't have to like Halloween. You don't have to welcome trick-or-treaters. You don't have to pretend to enjoy parties where the main courses are caramel apples and candy corn.

If you truly can't be bothered and can't wait till plainclothes parties return next weekend, at least keep the snark to a minimum. Everyone is just trying to have a little fun.

It's a culture, not a costume

No blackface, no whiteface, no religious symbols, no American Indian garb ... shall we go on? Every year on Halloween, an insensitive or ignorant few fail miserably in their attempts to be edgy or clever or funny. 

Costumes don't have to be sexy

Halloween can be the perfect time for adults to show off a little something saucy. If that's your aim, go ahead. But don't do it because it seems easy or like it's the only option. After all, showing up as a barely clothed version of a not-even-kind-of-sexy thing isn't hot. It's ... awkward and, at this point, not surprising -- all the supposedly sexy gerbils, crayons and Girl Scouts of Halloweens past beat you to it.

On this dark and stormy night, look for the light

It's a very simple bit of Halloween communication, more powerful than all the trick-or-treating apps and maps out there: the porch light.

Spooky decor expires on November 1

Unless you're committing to a haunted look all year long, there's a clear expiration date on your Halloween decorations: November 1. 

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