My first real encounter with Halloween festivities ritual was in my early teens, when the English neigbour invited my brothers and sisters to their house to participate in their 'toffee apple' making sessions using a thick burnt sugar syrup, which was so hard even to crunch. On reflection, i am surprised our teeth remained intact. The neighbour informed us when they were children, their mothers made toffee apples on the evening of Halloween. Since that session, I have never pursued any regularity of the season of Halloween with any more toffee apple making session.

I have never taken part in the 'trick or treat' knocking of doors Halloween ritual, but during my late teens, kids would knock on the door, and shout out 'trick or treat, and my parents would give them a few pennies. As a youngster, I thought I was hearing, 'treacle treat' or 'trickle treat', it was much later I understood it to be 'trick or treat'. I am aware from colleagues that this Autumn festival is a 'big thing'in the USA.

I would like to know if Halloween, is gaining momentum or popularity in the Caribbean islands. Are the islands kids tropically 'treating' or tropically 'tricking'?