It may sound a strange thing to warn you about. After all, this is one of those holiday times when everyone is just having fun. The children are out and about trick-or-treating, while the more sensible adults have applied make-up and prosthetics suggesting they are the living dead or something equally hilarious. Yet, ignoring all the supernatural atmosphere, this is actually a time of considerable danger. The statistics don’t lie.

Let’s start off with the ever popular fires. Some people feel those lights powered by electricity are so 1980′s. I mean who would be seen dead with those? Well, actually, quite a lot of people do end up dead because many of those electric lights are not made with any care and short-circuits are a common way to create sparks. But if you’re one for tradition, you use real candles. They do give off those spooky flickering flames and, if anyone happens to knock one over, they can really liven up the party as other decorations catch the flame. Fortunately, almost all home policies cover damage by fire, including those where you rent out your home. Renters policies also include fire damage as a standard part of the cover. If it’s your own home, check whether you’re covered for hotel or alternative accommodation while repairs are under way.

Then we come to all those visitors, big and small. There’s a general rule of law that if you invite people on to your land or you give them implied permission to be there, you’re responsible if they are injured. It being Halloween, there’s a general expectation local children will come trick-or-treating. You invite people to parties. If people fall over in the dark or something goes wrong with your attempts to frighten and amuse, then your insurance cover had better be generous enough to cover all the medical bills. Before the “day”, walk through your home, the porch and any other part of your property where people might go. Clear away anything that might be a danger in poorly lighted conditions. Children, being children, put matches or anything else tempting out of reach. If you have a dog, keep it indoors. If it were to get excited and bite someone, this could be expensive.

Then we come to what you do outside the home. Because you know large numbers of excitable children are going to be running around, you drive slowly. The mandatory liability policy on your vehicle will cover medical treatment for light injuries should you be unable to avoid the child who magically appears in front of you. If in doubt, swerve and hit a tree. This is often cheaper and easier to explain to the neighbors. Put all this together and you have a two or three day window when you can destroy your own home, or maim children and friends of the family. It’s seriously worth your while to pull out the home insurance policy and read it through. At the very least, you will see whether there are any limitations or exclusions that might affect your planned entertainment. It will also speed up the claims process if you see exactly what the home insurance claims adjuster will want as evidence to support your claim.