How to celebrate Halloween safely during a pandemic
Covid-19 is causing Halloween to be experienced like never before, but there are still a variety of ways to celebrate this spooky holiday with your loved ones while staying safe.
The covid-19 pandemic has caused the CDC to suggest guidelines for Halloween this year.
Oct 22, 2020
Front doors decorated with pumpkins, streets buzzing with excitement, and children in fantastical costumes laughing with full bags of candy in hand.
Halloween is undoubtedly one of the most iconic and festive nights of the year for countless Americans. Sure enough, like with most other significant events throughout the year, the threat of covid-19 is shaping this spooky holiday to be experienced like never before.
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) issued safety guidelines with suggestions as to what sort of seasonal activities are safe to participate in this year, and which festivities are best to be avoided.
Instead of participating in trick-or-treating, the CDC recommends taking part in low-risk activities such as carving pumpkins, watching Halloween-themed movies, or having a scavenger hunt.
It makes me sad that I can’t hang out with friends — Junior Jude Struble
Individuals can also participate in making fall crafts, baking spooky treats, or adding seasonal decorations to their homes.
“For Halloween this year, I’m participating in a socially distanced drive-in movie at one of my friend’s houses,” freshman Gianna Iovino said. “We also just had a zoom pumpkin carving session the other night.”
Unfortunately, popular activities such as trick-or-treating, attending costume parties, and visiting haunted houses have been deemed high-risk activities, and are strongly discouraged by public health officials.
Consequently, some of the season’s biggest events including Six Flags’ Halloween Horror Nights, Knott’s Scary Farm, Walt Disney World’s Oogie Boogie Bash, the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade, and the West Hollywood Halloween Carnival have all been canceled.
Although students are unhappy with the shutdown, many believe that the government has made the right call for the fall season.
“It makes me sad that I can’t hang out with friends but I agree,” junior Jude Struble said. “I think they made the right call.”
“I agree with the government’s decision due to the fact that covid-19 cases have increased severely after protests, holidays and gatherings after they had slowly started getting better,” freshman Amina Ahmed concurred. “I believe that you can have fun and celebrate, but just be cautious of how many people you’re around. I say skip trick-or-treating this year for your own safety.”
Students who do not typically celebrate Halloween also agree with these safety guidelines.
“I agree with the government’s decision about being harsh about Halloween this year due to covid-19. I personally do not celebrate Halloween so this issue will not bother me much, but I understand the anger in many people who look forward to Halloween,” freshman Adiba Rysa explained. “But, I believe that people’s safety is much more important than celebrating.”
Despite the regulations in place, it is entirely possible to still have fun celebrating Halloween this year with loved ones while staying safe.
