I didn’t know about Switch Witch until our daughter was born. Switch Witch, like any Magical Visitor, is probably very different in each household who invites her, but basically she is a Halloween visitor who collects candy and replaces it with a small gift.
I’m not a fan of the ingredients in many name-brand candy bars, and we also try not to allow much sugar-y food in the first place. For the first several years, we avoided the trick-or-treating thing altogether. It helped that we lived in a very small town and that many of our friends held a similar opposition to candy. Instead our daughter wore her costume on small outings or when visiting our neighbors in October. We had a couple of very simple Halloween parties so the kids could have a chance to wear their costumes together. But, somehow, every year, at least a few pieces of candy found their way into our home, and so Switch Witch has been visiting our house for a few years now. This year, her visit will be especially helpful since we have had way more opportunities for trick-or-treating events.
As with all our other Magical Visitors, the visits started out simply, but with time it’s become a bit more. If you’re considering inviting SW visit your home (which you can do at ANY point in your kid’s life–simply write to her), here is a little about our Switch Witch:
-Her name is Duff, which is a long story, but that’s what she’s been called for years.
-Her font looks like this, and she writes on cute Halloween paper.
-When switching out the candy, she has left things like small Lego cars (which she found at a yard sale and keeps on hand for this time of year), a small wooden toolset, and a toy wind-up car.
-She cleans up ALL our Halloween decorations on Halloween night and puts them in our closet, which is why she’s one of my favorite visitors! This is so nice to have out of the way as we roll into November.
-Her background is this:
–Our Switch Witch lives just west of the moors in the Back of Beyond in a cozy, thatched cottage in the wood.
–She sleeps during the day, since she does most of her switching at night.
–Her spells are always good ones, like helping people fall in love or find things they’ve lost.
–She addresses the kids as “my dearies” or “my sweets.”
I’m sure Switch Witch Duff’s story will continue to grow, but this is our SW as of now. I love that Switch Witch can either collect all the candy or just some of it. Being opposed to the over-consumerist culture our society has created, I really try to remind Switch Witch to keep it simple and set that precedent. Hope you all have a fun and safe Halloween!
