IT'S THE WEEKEND: The people who will be having some spooky fun in Gwent this Halloween

ON FRIDAY night, thousands of children across Gwent will smear on the face paint, fine tune their costumes, and knock on an unsuspecting neighbour’s door – all in the name of Halloween.

Far from a new practice, the modern-day trick-or-treating resembles the late medieval art of souling in Britain and Ireland, when poor people would go door to door on Hallowmas on November 1.

In return for prayers for the dead on All Souls Day, callers would receive food. However, outside of North America, this ritual only became commonly known as trick-or-treating in the 1980s.

Yet, even in the decades since, Halloween and the custom of trick-or-treating have become even more popular in Wales.

One person who will be ensuring her children make the most of the traditional fun is Emma Evans.

Mrs Evans, 34, is the mother of Mia, 11, Hugo, two and Oakley, seven months. She said that compared to her childhood, the selection and variety of costumes on offer for children now is much better.

She said: “We always dressed up when we were children so it felt right to carry on the tradition. It was just the usual stuff back then, like witches, and it was all pretty basic. But, there’s such a choice now with the internet and it’s fabulous.

“My two-year-old, Hugo, is going as Dracula; my seven-month old is going as a bat; and my 11-year-old is going as a Harlequin doll. It’s got much bigger as an occasion, but I think I’ll still leave the dressing up to the kids.”

Mrs Evans, who lives in Waunddu, said Halloween and trick-or-treating is an important annual event for her family and that it is a crucial part of her children’s childhood.

She added: “It’s a great occasion for kids, instead of having them stuck on a computer. They have a pumpkin each and you won’t want to see my kitchen floor by the end of that.

“It’s a bit of fun and I’ve always found people are happy to give the kids a little treat when they’re trick-or-treating, and usually they make a fuss of them. They generally turn the lights off if they don’t want anyone knocking.

“For the past couple of years, we have also taken the kids to Cwmbran for a charity photo shoot in their costumes and then we go down to my mum’s for trick-or-treating. It’s great to have the photos as mementos.”

But it's not just the youngsters and the people dressing up who enjoy the fun of Halloween.

One person who is benefitting from the renewed popularity of Halloween is Aimee Jones, 19, who is in the second year of a two-year course in theatrical make-up and design at Coleg Gwent. She is already booked out for Halloween night - something which she said doesn't surprise her.

She said: “Between 2pm and 9pm, I’ll be readying one person every hour and that‘s still being careful with time. I’ve been putting notices on Facebook over the past few months and zombies have proved the most popular thing this year. Luckily, they’re my favourite thing to do.

“We’re usually covered in latex for testing at college and it’s quite painful to take off and a lot of people are allergic. Instead, I use sculpt gel and prosthetics to have teeth showing. I also use a skin illustrator palette, which really makes it realistic.

“You do take your work home with you and I have to practice two or three times per week. I put the photos on Facebook and it’s great to get feedback. It’s a very competitive industry, so practice is important. It’s your own business and you soon learn that.”

It's not just dressing up and trick-or-treating that will be keeping the youngsters entertained though this Halloween.

A number of spooky events are taking place across Gwent for children including at Greenmeadow Community Farm which is hosting its annual day of activities for children on October 31.

Sally Partridge is the director of the farm and she said Halloween has been a key feature of the farm’s annual programme for the past 20 years.

She said: “We’ll hold pumpkin carving and games for the younger kids, under five, during the day, In the evening, we’ll have our Spooktacular with a murder mystery and haunted tractor ride. It’s not too terrifying, but we like to add something different every year.

“The murder mystery is in its third or fourth year. We stage a murder scene and there are various characters and exhibits around the farm who need to be quizzed. After talking to them, the kids fill in their answer sheets.

“The staff love getting involved and we’ve found that Halloween is so popular that we needed to split the day into two age groups. There’s been a lot of excitement and Halloween is different by theme. It’s separate from the farm, so it’s a big challenge and a lot of effort to get it ready.”

Although Halloween is set to be a memorable event for thousands of children, Gwent Police are running a community safety campaign to help residents stay safe and to remind people to have fun but to stay safe and responsible.

This forms part of Operation Bang (Be A Nice Guy), an all-Wales initiative to keep levels of anti-social disturbance to a minimum across the Halloween and Bonfire Night period.

Residents, especially the elderly and vulnerable, will be encouraged to use the Gwent Police ‘no callers please’ pumpkin posters to deter unwanted callers and shopkeepers will be displaying posters regarding the appropriate use and sale of flour and eggs.

Schools community police officers will be delivering messages in assemblies and posters have been displayed in local schools to show pupils what the ‘no callers please’ posters look like.

A spokesman for Gwent police said: “If you are planning to go out trick-or-treating this year, then please don’t call at houses where you see one of the signs on display. Only go to houses where you or your friends know the people and know you are welcome.

“Always go with an adult and don’t talk to strangers. Stay safe and keep to areas that you know and are well lit. Do not take short cuts through gardens, alleyways or parks."