Spooky, Scary, Covid: The State of Halloween 2020

Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat, 6 feet apart. Halloween is upon us, and as we are only a week away a question lingers in my mind. How will it “work’?

I mean the focus of Halloween is trick or treating (or at least in my opinion) and that involves going door to door asking for candy, which will include a form of physical contact and cross-contamination. Our country has been in a state of turmoil ever since the Covid-19 outbreak in March of this year.

Remember when we thought it was going to be over in a few weeks? Ahhh, good times. Since then, masks are the new norm and large group gatherings are merely outdated.

The new state of living has ruled out a lot of things that made Halloween special. No “traditional “haunted houses were open this year, or if they were it was restricted use with masks or outdoors even (New York Times, Halloween’s Not Canceled…). Parties are advised against, with the highly likely possibility of contracting Covid, and the old-fashioned bobbing for apples is a no go. So, what is the plan?

There are alternatives to a lot of activities as we have come to know. School is now over zoom entirely, so why couldn’t parties be over zoom? Yes, that would be “mega lame” as the kids might say, but at least it is some form of social interaction.

Drive-in Movies have made a HUGE comeback since the outbreak. I did not know that they still even existed, but I am so glad they do! It is a safe form of being safe and having fun, so this could easily be done for scary movies. In fact, Westfield just had one this past Thursday! You are socially distanced from people, and you can even bring masks, putting people at ease.

The big-ticket question is whether trick or treating is allowed. I know that in my town, parents may just hand out candy to their own kids, but there are ways to make the traditional way work in our trying times.

The New York Times reports that the CDC recommends leaving bowls of candy on your porch, and having children carry handsaintizer; all while being socially distanced. There is the possibility that a rude child may take the who bowl for themselves, but that is a risk you will need to take if you are participating in the festivities.

Anyway, you celebrate it this year, it is still a holiday. So, make sure to have fun the best way for you, whether it is watching a scary movie or socially distanced trick or treating.

Have a fun yet safe Halloween!

https://www.nytimes.com/article/halloween-cdc-guidelines-coronavirus.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/22/arts/celebrate-halloween-horror-movies.html?auth=login-email&login=email