The leaves are turning brilliant shades of warm colors, pumpkins are perched in front yards along with spooky decorations, and stores now have an abundance of sweets. Halloween is right around the corner! With Halloween comes many fun festivities, such as spine-chilling haunted houses and greeting trick-or-treaters from around the neighborhood. However this year, Halloween sparks a great deal of uncertainties and questions, as typical festivities present a high-risk of COVID-19 transmission. Some of those high-risk activities include indoor parties, crowds for haunted houses, and even hayrides with a large group of people from outside one’s household. However, while many aspects of Halloween have been deemed unsafe, there are still fun and socially-distant ways to celebrate.

Traditional trick-or-treating presents a high risk of COVID-19 transmission, but there are still ways to allow kids to enjoy the thrills of trick-or-treating in a safe manner. Some neighborhood homes intend to utilize “candy chutes” — long tubes that extend six feet or more and allow for a trick-or-treater to receive candy in a socially-distant way. Cincinnati resident, Andrew Beattie came up with this fun idea, saying that his motivation was for “people to see that we can come together safely and come together in a civilized manner.” In addition to the “candy chute”, other households plan to prepare individual goodie bags to place in their yards, rather than having children come up to the door to receive treats. Both present fun alternatives to conventional trick-or-treating, as long as people intend to wash their hands thoroughly before handling the candy and making goodie bags. 

In addition to traditional trick-or-treating, there are a number of other Halloween festivities that have been determined to be unsafe this year. However, there are still socially distant and enjoyable ways to celebrate Halloween. If weather permits, outdoor activities are a safer alternative to conventional Halloween celebrations, assuming one is mindful of social distance and precautions. Some outdoor celebration ideas include going to a pumpkin patch with friends, apple picking, or even an outdoor movie party.  These activities present a safer way to celebrate Halloween, as long as one uses hand sanitizer, practices social distancing, and wears a mask while around others. 

With all things considered, Halloween of 2020 will certainly be one like never before, but there’s still a great deal of fun ways to celebrate. Remember to celebrate in a safe manner, wear a mask, and practice social distancing!

Sources:

Wamsley, Laurel. “CDC’s Halloween Guidelines Warn Against Typical Trick-Or-Treating.” NPR, NPR, 22 Sept. 2020, https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/09/22/915689646/cdcs-halloween-guidelines-warn-against-typical-trick-or-treating-boo

“Holidays.” cdc.gov, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 19 Oct. 2020, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html#halloween

Piepenburg, Erik. “Halloween’s Not Canceled: Here’s How to Make It Spooky but Safe.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 22, Oct. 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/22/arts/celebrate-halloween-horror-movies.html

Errigo, Michael. “Hoping for a safe Halloween, this Cincinnati dad created a candy chute.” The Washington Post, The Washington Post, 28, Sept. 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/09/28/halloween-candy-chute-trick-or-treat/