Is Halloween 2020 Canceled?
An Unsure Question Worth Asking
Halloween in 2020. Is Halloween Canceled This Year?
With all of the recent events in the world; between the pandemic, craziness, and violence that fills our cities and towns, we have to seriously ask this question. That question is, will we even have a Halloween this year? Obviously; the day itself will still roll around, but will October 31st still look like the holiday that many of us so love? Will there be kids trick or treating? Will people leave their houses to buy candy to give out? Can we even trust anything that is given by strangers? I hope so.
What It May Look Like
If it is decided in our town or city to move forward and allow Halloween to be what it is meant to be, what might that look like? An obvious aspect of trick or treating this year, will be kids and adults wearing masks; this is now a normal every day part of life. Of course, we have no full proof way of knowing if everyone wearing masks would be enough to adequately protect the population from endangering their health. This would also bring up the issue of the elderly persons in a location being at greater risk if they decide to give out candy as well. After all; the two most vulnerable groups in society, when it comes to the virus, are the elderly and children. These two groups happen to be the most involved in trick or treating in most areas.
Perhaps bowls of candy can be left outside doors and maybe even with a bottle of hand sanitizer next to the bowl. Inevitably; there would be those who simply take all of the candy and maybe even the bottle of sanitizer as well. It’s a grim judgement and look on society behavior, but would need to be considered. Given that real possibility, plus the fact that part of the fun of Halloween is seeing the kids’ faces as you hand out candy; perhaps the situation would call for masks and latex gloves to be worn. This practice along with keeping distance while walking around with those who are seeking candy, may be safe enough to allow this holiday to still occur in 2020. I am not a doctor, so honestly; I am not sure. This post is to raise the questions and to get us thinking about it, so that we each may decide what to do. In the end it may come down to the city, town, or even the state mandating if Halloween is canceled or how to go about it if not.
In many locations, the door to door trick or treating was ended years ago. Instead these locations now allow parents to walk their kids around the town square or similar area to collect candy from businesses and such. In these locations; the danger would be even greater if done this way. This would force people to gather in larger numbers than allowed or is safe; and with children in tow. Areas where this practice has been the case in recent years, may be in even greater danger of having the holiday canceled all together.
Could Virtual Halloween Be a Thing for 2020?
A crazy idea- though less crazy than it would have been in years past- is perhaps Halloween for 2020 could become a virtual holiday. People may dress up and meet via video chat to laugh and celebrate together. This would obviously remove giving out candy as part of the holiday, but parents could always turn this into a game for children. Buy the candy yourself and hide it around the house and yard. Allow the kids to walk around and gather it. No need to even hide it; just place it around the house so that they must go to each room and collect it.
As the holiday approaches, just remember that it is the connections that matter most. Be sure to reach out to family and friends and have a catch up and to say, “Happy Halloween” to one another. Dress up and have fun on video chat; just for the laughs and the memories that can be made. It is important and should never be over looked.
In Conclusion
Like so many other factors of our lives during 2020, we are just going to have to be creative this Halloween. Perhaps it’s best to say that the usual events of a typical Halloween may be canceled or vastly altered this year, but that the spirit (no pun intended) of Halloween should still be recognized and celebrated. We should still find the best and most creative- yet safe- way to make connections and to create memories. So; I’ll be first to say it… Happy Halloween, Everyone. It’s early, but it will be here sooner than you realize.