COVID-19 rules still apply this Halloween. Will trick-or-treaters be at risk of getting sick not just from eating too much candy?

Approaching the holiday season, coronavirus cases nationwide are lower than the peak in July, although most states are still seeing increases, so it’s questionable if participants in the upcoming holidays will proceed with their regular traditions. Standard festivities might be altered this Halloween, as social distancing and facial mask-wearing will be required, according to the current mandate.

Some cities have already decided to advise people to skip trick-or-treating this year, although neither Tigard nor Tualatin has mentioned whether trick-or-treating will be an option for families this Halloween. 

Reconsidering trick-or-treating leads us to accept the unsanitary, and therefore unsafe, aspects of the tradition. Contact with neighbors door-to-door might pass germs and possibly the virus, and also breaks social distancing standards. 

Whether you and your family should go trick-or-treating this year depends on the case numbers by the time Halloween rolls around and your family’s decision whether or not to take the risk of catching the virus. 

Although it might be hard to accept that trick-or-treating may be less popular this year due to the requirements of distance and mask wearing, there are alternative ways to spend Oct. 31. 

Exhibit A: If you choose to celebrate outside the neighborhood, you may choose to visit a local pumpkin patch such as Lee Farms to pick out the best-fitting pumpkin to carve or decorate. Orchards and farms such as Lee Farms are open with fall activities such as corn mazes and tractor rides. 

Exhibit B: If you’d rather not leave home, spend the day decorating your house or apartment! Set out a bowl of candy corn for your household members, buy a spooky wreath to hang on the front door, switch out the welcome mat or bake Halloween treats! This holiday season is hard for everyone, and without being able to travel to see extended family, we unfortunately must break some traditions, but with that we are also starting new ones.

If you and your family have decided to celebrate the 31st outside, you could possibly invite friends and family members to an outdoor costume parade. Much like the viral early-quarantine birthday celebrations, arrange a time and meeting place where kids may dress up and stand on either side of the road – following six feet social distancing – while people in their cars toss candy. 

Another alternative to celebrate outdoors is a ‘Halloween scavenger hunt.’ If you’re familiar with Easter egg hunts, a Halloween scavenger hunt would be very similar. Parents can hide candies around for trick-or-treaters to search for. 

Now you’re probably expecting an alternative for the most important part of the holiday, trick-or-treating! Some people have planned to send their kids trick-or-treating like normal. 

“I’ll let my kids trick-or-treat but with extra precautions – like wiping down all the candy wrappers before they eat it. I’ll make them wear masks when trick-or-treating, also,” Tigard mother of four Shannon Porter said. 

Some people have chosen to keep their kids from trick-or-treating this year. If your family has decided to skip traditional trick-or-treating, there are different options that still give you the thrill of scavenging for candy. An internet search shows talk of ‘one-way trick-or-treating. This could look like goodie bags lined up on the sidewalk in front of homes. Instead of goodie bags, you could place a bowl of candy and hand sanitizer out in front of your home. Minimal contact is key! Home-owners may sit on their porches or by their front doors to greet trick-or-treaters and advise them to take from the bowl. 

Another internet idea is ‘trunk-or-treating.’ Parents can pull up their cars and fill the trunk with candies. Trick-or-treaters may walk amongst the cars and take candy. These ideas follow social distancing rules and can be just as fun! 

No matter the circumstances, nobody can cancel Halloween. There are plenty of contactless ways to celebrate the upcoming holiday season. We will continue to live-it-up, even through the pandemic!