The leaves have fallen, the Thanksgiving dinner has been consumed, and tiny chocolate bars litter the aisles of grocery stores all over town. It’s finally spooky season!
The best holiday of the year is coming up fast, and I’ve been working tirelessly on my annual “I put way too much effort into this” costume. I love putting together an outfit, eating pumpkin scones, and drowning in candy on the big day. Halloween is and always has been my favourite holiday; my friends, who have to listen to me getting excited about it when it’s literally months away, can attest to this.
But, despite everything I’ve just said, I think that Halloween should be cancelled this year.
It breaks my heart to say it—it really does—but Halloween isn’t something that’s COVID-19 safe. It doesn’t always feel like it, but we are in the middle of a pandemic. Why would anyone think it’s a good idea to go visit the houses of complete strangers? Not only do you have to go up to people’s houses and breathe the same air as them, but also odds are that you’ll have to touch a doorbell or 60 throughout the night. Even if you don’t go trick or treating, there’s still a higher risk of catching or spreading germs. Even Halloween parties and other spooky events are going to be risky this year.
I know lots of news sites are saying things like “people can wash their hands before going out, and carry hand sanitizer,” but there will still be people who won’t listen. There’s always going to be a Karen who refuses to wear a mask around others or parents who are still convinced that COVID-19 is a complete hoax. People will forget or not bother to take any safety measures for others; unfortunately, it’s because of these people that COVID-19 has stuck around this long in the first place.
Like I said, Halloween is my absolute favourite holiday; I wouldn’t want to miss it for anything. But if we really want a COVID-19-free Halloween next year, we need to cancel it this year. If you have kids you wanted to take trick or treating, consider buying a box of their favourite treats and having an at-home celebration instead. If you’re going to a Halloween party, make sure the group is small and healthy before you arrive… or think twice about going at all.
I know it’s not quite as festive as it was in previous years, but you can still have a fun night with the people you love. This year looks different in pretty much every aspect of life, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still have fun on Halloween. So go ahead and celebrate spooky day, but, for the fate of next year’s Halloween, much of this year’s celebrations—trick or treating, big parties—needs to be cancelled.