Has New York Banned Candles in Halloween Pumpkins?
Candles and pumpkins just go together this time of year, right? But is it legal to leave a candle burning in your Jack-o-lantern?
You've spent hours carving out your pumpkin for Halloween this year, and it's come out perfect!! All that's left to do now is find a candle to light and put it outside of your house to show off to everyone!!! WAIT!!! Not so fast!
Halloween Saftey
Earlier this month the New York State’s Division of Consumer Protection and the New York State Department of Health shared numerous tips and ways for parents to make sure that their children are safe this Halloween. The tips have all of the things you might expect to see like, kids under 12 should be accompanied by an adult while trick-or-treating, make sure costumes are "flame resistant", and check candy be letting kids consume it.
Most parents are well aware of most of these tips but there was one suggestion they shared that has led to a bit of confusion.
New York Bans Candles in Pumpkins?
To encourage a safe Halloween, New York is asking everyone to keep their candles out of pumpkins this year and "use battery-operated tea lights, LED lights, or glow sticks instead of an open flame candle for your Jack-o-Lanterns." They also recommend that "everyone keeps their Jack-o-Lanterns away from curtains, decorations, or other flammable objects that could be ignited. Do not leave an open flame candle unattended."
So NO ban, but a strong recommendation to not use candles anymore. I totally understand the reasoning behind it but will say that the carved pumpkins at my house will have lit candles in them for a little while. The flame color inside the pumpkin is something that can't be recreated with any sort of battery light! I will promise and so should you if you are going the candle route to keep them away from any place that anyone could brush up against them and will be sure to have it on something sturdy so they don't fall over.