Our lives have all changed drastically over the last six months. The outbreak of coronavirus cases in Idaho has caused most people’s lives to feel anything but normal. Celebrating birthdays, graduations, and other holidays has been a lot different from what we’re used to, and can oftentimes be difficult to plan because of all the precautions that are necessary to take. Halloween is not an exception to this. A lot of people look forward to the Halloween season for many reasons, trick or treating, haunted houses, pumpkin patches or Halloween parties are the most common, but with the current events, it’s unsafe to partake in these sorts of activities.

According to the CDC (Centers For Disease Control and Prevention) some high risk activities to avoid are; trick or treating door to door, trunk or treating, crowded indoor parties, haunted houses that are indoors with people close together or screaming, hayrides or tractor rides with people other than those in your household. Of course these restrictions can be disappointing to some, especially where Halloween is on a Saturday this year, but there are still plenty of fun ways to celebrate Halloween while still keeping yourself and others safe. 

Some traditional ways of celebrating Halloween while still being safe are things like carving pumpkins. Gathering together with family or a small group of friends to carve pumpkins is a very fun and Covid safe activity. An alternative challenge would be to try and carve something that isn’t a pumpkin. Find an obscure item of produce, such as a potato or pineapple and try your best to carve it. 

Having a movie night is also a great way to celebrate while still being safe. Have some friends over, or host a FaceTime or Zoom meeting and watch some classic Halloween movies. Some personal favorites like The Nightmare Before Christmas, Hocus Pocus, Coraline, and The Corpse Bride are sure to bring up the Halloween spirit. 

Baking is a big part of many holidays including Halloween. Try baking a pumpkin pie, or go for something a bit easier but just as festive like Halloween shaped sugar cookies. Invite a friend over and have a cookie decorating competition.

Celebrate through the world of gaming. Find a horror game you’ve never played before and play with friends online. Games like ‘Little Nightmares’ have an ambiance similar to that of a Tim Burton movie. An eerie game is a perfect way to stay in touch with friends while still partaking in the Halloween spirit.

Having an online costume competition, or just dressing up with your friends is a great way to celebrate. Show off your costumes online or in person. A fun challenge to do would be to try and find household items and see how they could be incorporated into a costume. Dress up as a family or with your friends and post the pictures on Instagram or Snapchat.

While Halloween will certainly be different, and there are many traditions that will be missed this year, there are still so many fun and safe ways to celebrate. New traditions could be created, and there are still fun memories to be made with family and friends.