Halloween is just around the corner, which means spooky costumes, horror movies and lots of candy are almost here. This year will run a bit differently than what most are used to as COVID-19 is still around, but that won’t stop the Halloween-fanatics from celebrating during this time of year.
Trick-or-treating is not too safe right now. However, if the right precautions are taken, it might be a possibility.
“I believe that since the majority of trick-or-treaters are underage, if the necessary precautionary measures were in place… it should be considered safe,” senior Erika Mogelvang said. “Now, that doesn’t mean it will be safe for everyone. Make sure to stay away from trick-or-treating if it can harm you in any way.”
If all participants take the right measures, it might be safe enough to trick-or-treat. Everyone can always wear a mask, apply hand sanitizer often, and keep their distance. However, there is no guarantee that this will keep everyone 100% safe. Staying home will always be the safest option.
“I don’t think trick-or-treating is safe as of right now because it is spread between people who are within 6 feet of each other,” freshman Avery Faith Rautenkranz said. “There could be ways to try and prevent anyone from getting sick, but I know people who got sick when they interacted with someone and that person was not showing any symptoms at all.”
There are also some trick-or-treating alternatives for those who want to stay safe.
“I think it would be pretty cool if Party City or another Halloween store could let families buy a scavenger hunt kit,” Rautenkranz said. “Kind of like an Easter egg hunt, but it could be Halloween based.”
There are also some ways to trick-or-treat without having to physically interact with others.
“I would say houses can just leave some candy outside their homes in order to avoid contact,” junior Sophie Nocera said. “However, if someone is worried about getting COVID, they could buy their own candy to enjoy.”
“You could also go to outdoor events that the community puts together since their top priority is to keep you safe,” Rautenkranz said. “Like a trunk-or-treat sort of thing where they load candy into your car. They could get the volunteers to wear masks, take a COVID test and wash their hands.”
Although all of this is possible, trick-or-treating may not be the safest option, but there are plenty of other ways to enjoy Halloween.
“COVID isn’t going to stop me from celebrating,” Rautenkranz said. “Instead of going trick-or-treating with everyone like I usually do, I’m just going to have a small party with a few of my close friends and watch some movies.”
Spending time with loved ones is one way to enjoy the spooky season as one can still enjoy others’ company while staying safe.
“Maybe family Halloween parties would be the best way to celebrate since it’s in your own home and with a small group of close friends,” Mogelvang said.
Watching lots of scary and Halloween-related movies is another fun way to enjoy this time of year. It’s a nice way to sit back, relax, eat lots of candy and enjoy some films.
“Some good movies to watch are Hocus Pocus, The Addams Family, Casper, E.T., and Ghostbusters,” Rautenkranz said. “I’ve always enjoyed these because they are not too scary and are movies that you can watch with the whole family.”
“I always enjoy watching Halloween movies,” Nocera said. “Scary movies like Halloween and The Conjuring are good. Any Blumhouse movies are always great too. Sad movies make me cry, so I try my best to avoid those!”
Halloween is going to be very different this year, but we can still have fun with all these activities.
“This year has been tough,” Mogelvang said. “But I’m excited for Halloween! I can’t wait to eat candy, watch movies and hang out with friends. I’m not going to let COVID keep me from having a good time.”
