BOO! Spooky Season During the Pandemic

As Halloween approaches, pandemic uncertainty has prompted some people to change their regular plans for the holiday.

Halloween during a pandemic will be very different than usual.

Public Health Insider

Halloween during a pandemic will be very different than usual.

Ty Larsen, Columnist

Many people around the country are wondering what to do for Halloween during the pandemic. Countless people are frightened of contracting COVID-19, supposedly meaning that a lot of people won’t be going trick-or-treating. Actually, many people are going trick-or-treating around the country. Because of these varying conclusions, I decided to survey some Horizon Honors students to see what their plans are this year.

Some kids who are concerned about coronavirus are not going trick or treating, but just hanging out with friends. Kayli Taylor (seventh grade) said  “I am going to dress up and hand out and eat candy. But before I do that, I’ll take my nephews out to houses so they can trick-or-treat.” AJ Freithoffer (senior) said “I’m hanging out with my friends, just not going trick-or-treating.” Kalyn McLeod (eighth grade) said “I’m hanging out with friends, but I’m not leaving because I don’t want to spread germs to other people.”

However, many people aren’t fazed by the pandemic and want to continue trick-or-treating normally, albeit with some safety measures like masks and sanitizer (Related: learn how to make your own Halloween-themed mask). Luke O’Brien (seventh grade) said “I am going to dress up and go trick or treating, but not with anybody, maybe because I have no friends in my neighborhood.”

All in all, about every one in five kids are going trick-or-treating at Horizon Honors, based on the survey. In the end, it depends on each person’s preference or risk level. But no matter what you do, you should make sure to take proper safety precautions—keep your distance from others, and don’t forget to bring a mask and hand sanitizer or gloves.