For many adults who have experienced many Halloween seasons, it is easy to forget that this festival is actually scary and can be confusing for young children.
Studies have shown that seeing masked faces, hearing screams, and witnessing people dressed as ghosts or zombies can really scare children and lead to lasting fears.
Parents should not assume that children enjoy Halloween.
According to SCMP, Halloween originated thousands of years ago, originating from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain.
It is believed that on November 1, the souls of the dead will return to roam among the living. To ward off these spirits, the living will dress up as scary characters the night before.
The modern practice of trick-or-treating also has sinister origins. It is said to have begun with the practice of souling—going from house to house begging for “soul cakes” in exchange for prayers for the dead in custody.
Sharing with SCMP, according to Dr. Quratulain Zaidi, a clinical psychologist and founder of MindNLife in Hong Kong (China), fear affects adults and children differently because the brain of adults is much more fully developed than that of children.
According to the doctor, the amygdala in the brain detects whether the fear is real or not. The hippocampus manages short-term memory and is associated with the fear response. Both play an important role in releasing stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline.
These hormones act on the prefrontal cortex to produce a response - be it an emotion or an action.
Statistics show that about 1 in 100 children suffer from masklophobia. Nearly 50% of children are or have been afraid of the dark (nyctophobia).
According to Dr. Zaidi, traumatic memories formed after a frightening experience can have lasting effects if not processed properly. Children are especially vulnerable to fear because their brains are still developing, their understanding of the world is limited and they cannot clearly distinguish between reality and fantasy.
Faced with this psychological state, SCMP suggests some ways to help children prepare for the upcoming Halloween season.
First, parents need to explain to children that feeling scared is normal, even though Halloween is just "pretend".
Parents need to let children know that they can opt out if they feel too scared.
Try on costumes before the festival day - both the child's and the parent's costumes, including the scary makeup.
Look at books and pictures together to mentally prepare children for the types of masks and costumes they might encounter.
If your child is very young, finish trick-or-treating before dark.
