Almost everyone knows the history of Samhain, the day of the dead celebrated by the ancient Celts, which we now know as Halloween.

It is the evening before All Saints Day when all kinds of evil spirits are supposed to arise and roam the earth.

Mainly we see this in the form of children — and some adults — dressing up in costumes. Not all the costumes are of a ghoulish nature, though. Little girls want to be princesses, most boys want to be a super hero and adults like to impersonate their favorite movie or television character (generally speaking).

Throughout history, the old Celtic beliefs would raise up and get crushed again by the Catholic/Christian religion. The Church had put a new twist on All Hallows Eve trying to at least demising it, if not crush it altogether by substituting Christian events such as All Saints Day on Nov. 1 and All Souls Day on Nov. 2. The object was to pray for the dead, not impersonate them.

The questions that arise are: Is letting children dress up in costumes and run around trick-or-treating bad for them? Why can’t we throw All Saints Day parties instead?

Concerns other than spiritual are also up for debate every year.

Too much sugar from the treats is bad for them.

Too much freedom at night could be a temptation do do pranks.

What if they encounter a real evil spirit?

The historical answer is to offer an alternative.

Holy Redeemer is holding a Trunk or Treat party where the kids can stay safe while having fun.

Trunk or Treat is from 3-4:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29, at the Holy Redeemer Education Center parking lot. A food shelf item is appreciated, the notice said. The event is sponsored by Catholic Daughters, Catholic United Financial and Council of Catholic Women.

Other answers could include: Party favors and game prizes like decorated pencils and erasers, pocket notebooks, apples, dried fruit as well as stuffed or plastic animals and other healthy treats to thin out all the sugary alternatives. There are also sugarfree candies and sugarfree soft drinks, even sugarfree cookies and bars! Have you ever tried an applesauce cake? It’s good!

Eventually, however, it all boils down to your personal beliefs and values. What do you believe about evil spirits, witches and haunted houses? What fears are you passing down to your children? Did you teach them what to fear or what to disregard? Whom to respect and whom to simply walk away from?

“Train up a child in the way he should go. Even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

Giving your children and grandchildren a firm spiritual foundation is the best treat of all.