It's that time of the year again - celebration season. Kick starting the proceedings is Halloween on 31 October.

The growth of Halloween over the last few years has been phenomenal. Considering its success and popularity, an appetite for embracing traditional Halloween rituals such as dressing-up in themed costumes and trick-or-treating is particularly popular with children.

Stingy Vs Generous: Halloween UK Cities

Focusing on one of the most fundamental aspects, OnBuy surveyed households from 38 UK cities to find out who is the stingiest and most generous when it comes to treating trick or treaters on Halloween.

The research revealed that Brighton was the most generous Halloween city in the UK, with residents spending an average of £18.60 on sweets specifically for trick or treaters. In second place was Lincoln, where households on average spend just £17.80. Lincoln was closely followed by Bristol, where residents splash out an average of £17.10.

Sweets

Credit: Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock

On the other end of the spectrum, Hull was crowned as the UK's stingiest Halloween city, with residents only spending an average of £1.70 on sweet goodies - astonishingly £16.90 less than Brighton. Just slightly above Hull, is Coventry, where households spend an average of £2.10 on sweets. Blackpool was one of the bottom three spenders, where residents ghoulishly fork out an average of just £2.50 for sweet treats.

OnBuy's research also found that 66% of UK households enjoy trick or treaters visiting them on Halloween. Moreover, 30% self-confessed to handing out more sweets to those children who made a real effort to dress-up in costumes for the occasion. Mischievously, 22% of UK households stated they switch off their lights on Halloween, to deter trick or treaters by making them think they are not at home.

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OnBuy Top Five Tips for Trick or Treating on Halloween 2017

Plan

Take the time out to map out your route before setting off. Aim to choose residential areas that are well lit and generally considered safe. Stick to pavements and always aim to use zebra or pelican crossings when wanting to across any road or turning.

Timing

With the clocks going back in a matter of days, it will be dark by 4pm when Halloween comes around. Don't go out too late, therefore establish an appropriate time to be back home. Usually a couple of hours is sufficient.

Costumes

There is no real issue in getting creative and adventurous with your choice of costume but if you are integrating garments which are either long or drag on the floor such as capes, then be very careful around any candles placed outside people's houses for Halloween as they can be highly flammable.

Children in halloween costumes

Credit: YanLev/Shutterstock

Contingencies

Just for extra precaution, take a torch in case you end up on a street with low visibility. Also take a water bottle or two, to stay hydrated whilst binging out on gummy sweets. Additionally, ensure your mobile is fully charged in case of an emergency.

Sweets

It should go without saying that you shouldn't eat any sweets or chocolates given to you that have already been open. And if you are given some, throw them away. It won't be worth the aggravation if you become ill due to expired goodies.