Hey there boys and girls, this is a Public Service Announcement from the people at Eritas Daily. Every spooky season, we take it upon ourselves to spread the word about a very important tradition that some people are trying to get rid of, but that we hold very close to our hearts. We are of course talking about the classic Halloween tradition of leaving out a snack for the Babadook, the creature we all pretend not to see standing in the corner of our rooms at night. Leaving him a little something to munch on is just the least we can do for someone who means so much to us as American citizens.

The first Halloween that I observed the sacred tradition of feeding the Babadook, I was only seven years old. You see, my parents believed in educating us on all relevant religious traditions to give us the most well-rounded experience possible. While this was idealistic of them and could have gone poorly, I don’t regret this part of my upbringing. In fact, if it wasn’t for their passion for experiencing other cultures, I likely wouldn’t be telling you about this today.

So there I was, seven years old, ready to go out and collect candy from people in the neighborhood. I was so impatient that I almost left without my parents, but my Mom sat me down and forced me to prepare the snack. It was a small offering, only a deer, but we knew that it would be enough to satiate the Babadook. We had seen our neighbors bring home a college student earlier, so he’ll be well fed. For sure.

As an adult, I know now that a deer is the common fair and our neighbors back then were just showing off, but nonetheless I admire their dedication. Ever since that first feed, I’ve made sure to make the Babadook a large part of my Halloween tradition. I even once dressed up at him for a party, only to discover they had a very non-costume theme. It was quite pitiful.

If you have further questions about how to appease the Babadook, you are more than welcome to write us a letter. We don’t have a postal address, so it’s doubtful that we will see it, but it’s the thought is what counts. I’m sure we’ll get the gist.

And if you doubt his existence, well, just try not leaving out some snacks this year and see what happens.

This article was written by Nathan Ellwood, who goes way back with the Dook. Follow him on Twitter.