Finally it’s time to start dreaming of fall ... those chilly nights, crisp apple cider and, of course, Halloween! Everyone’s favorite, with costumes and candy, scary make-believe (and candy), trick-or-treating (and CANDY), fun decorations and ... Stop. In case you forgot, the coronavirus is still a very real boogeyman, lurking behind every mask.
Halloween hasn’t ghosted us yet. It’s still on the calendar. Halloween candy is hitting the shelves. But as we’re still in the midst of a pandemic, and so it should come as little surprise that Halloween celebrations and trick-or-treating will look different this year.
Will there be trick-or-treating, costumes, parties? Will people even feel comfortable being “scary” during COVID-19? Only time will tell, but in the meantime, we’ve started compiling a list of ideas for how to safely get your spook on in 2020
Go BIG on decorating
This may well be the year to pull out the stops decorating in and outside your home, just for the fun of it. String up some lights. Invest in a fog machine. Stuff some old clothes to make a headless scarecrow ... or invest in something more elaborate at local stores. Decorate or carve multiple pumpkins — have a family contest and ask neighbors to vote on their favorites (just remember that pumpkins don’t last long once they’re carved, especially in California’s balmy fall weather, so hold off on carving until a day or two before Halloween). Or you could grab a marker and draw on gourds for “carvings” with more staying power.
No grab bowls
Ditch the traditional communal Halloween candy bowl and have adults set up decorated tables or booths in their front yards where they can hand out individual bags or cups of candy. This keeps contact to a minimum while also still showcasing decorations and hauntingly good personality.
Dangle treats
CeeAnn T, owner of gift shop in Riverside, has a wrought-iron fence around her home. She ‘s planning to hang candy from the fence for children to grab as they pass. And Pete Van, an orchardist in Wenatchee, Wash., told his Facebook friends he intends to hang candy from the tree near his front porch so children can “pick their treats the way we pick apples.”
Set up a Candy Graveyard.
The concept is extra cool because your yard gets decked out for Halloween and gives kids a way to social distance while trick-or-treating in it. Set up fake tombstones in your yard with prizes and candy piled up next to each tombstone. You could have each kid enter the graveyard one at a time and package up candy and prizes into individual treat bags for extra safety..
Eerie, glowing ... eggs
Host Zoom Costume Parties and Pumpkin-Carving Contests
Host a Halloween-themed costume or dance party on Zoom for friends and family. Create a spooktacular playlist for everyone to shake their boo things to, and have attendees show off their costumes on camera.
You can also gather remotely to decorate and carve pumpkins safely from your own homes. Interact while you craft by sharing spooky stories. At the end, award prizes (virtual prizes or ones you send via snail mail) to the best looks!
Boo someone, sweetly
No, not that kind of ghosting of people, y’all! Spread anonymous cheer by dropping a Halloween goodie bag or pumpkin on the doorsteps of friends and loved ones as a contact-free way to celebrate. This usually works by sneaking to your boo-ing subjects home after dark, ringing the doorbell, leaving the treats on their doorstep and running!
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