New Treat Map helps Halloween trick-or-treaters find welcoming homes in Latvia
Two residents of Jelgava, Krišjānis Dzalbe and Rihards Edels, created the free website saldumukarte.lv, where households can mark that they will welcome trick-or-treaters on 31 October. More than 2,000 households across Latvia signed up within a week.
Ahead of Halloween on 31 October, which some people in Latvia now celebrate, an online Treat Map has been created in Jelgava. Households can list their address on it if they want costumed children to knock on their door for sweets. The idea is to avoid children knocking where nobody expects them, or hosts preparing treats while few visitors come.
The website saldumukarte.lv was built by Jelgava residents Krišjānis Dzalbe and Rihards Edels. They first planned a map only for Jelgava, but the solution works anywhere, so they opened it to all of Latvia. Dzalbe, a father of three, says he has accompanied his children on Halloween and knows how hard it is to find homes where they are welcome. The map is free and has no advertisements.
The map was launched last week, and more than 2,000 households have already registered. Several addresses have been marked in the Smiltene and Valka municipalities, both in towns and in rural areas. Some homes added notes such as “treats at the gate” or “extra spooky”.
How the map works
Hosts click “Add a house” and enter their address. Trick-or-treaters choose their neighbourhood, see which homes expect them, and can mark places they have already visited. The number beside a pumpkin icon shows how many homes in that area are taking part.
Full address details are visible within about seven kilometres of the user’s current location; homes farther away appear grouped or at approximate locations. Comments on homes are hidden until 31 October because they sometimes include entry codes for apartment buildings. Edels stresses that the map lets children take part in Halloween more safely.
The site also includes safety tips: wear reflectors in the dark and walk in groups along an agreed route. It lists emergency service contacts in case something serious happens or a child feels threatened. All addresses will be deleted on 2 November.
A mother of three from Valka backs the initiative, saying the map lets children go where they are genuinely expected.
