By Briana Bizier
It was shaping up to be the best Halloween ever. This year,
Oct. 31 falls on a Saturday, which means no arguing with overtired, costumed
children about going to bed instead of eating another five pounds of candy, and
no sending bleary-eyed children to school after a late night of running through
the streets with their friends.
What’s
more, this year there is also a full moon on Halloween night. It’s October’s
second full moon, making it a Halloween blue moon. Perhaps best of all, the day
after Halloween, Sunday, Nov. 1, is the return of Eastern Standard Time, giving
all the little monsters and their parents an extra hour of sleep.
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| One socially distant way to celebrate with your children is to drive around local neighborhoods and view creative homes decorated for Halloween. No matter what you do this Halloween, don't ditch the fun. There are plenty of ways to enjoy the occasion safely. COURTESY PHOTO |
Then came COVID-19.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention list
traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating, that perennial favorite of
Halloween traditions, as a higher risk activity. The town of Raymond, following
that advice, scrapped their traditional Main Street Halloween celebration, and
Windham offered a drive-through Trunk or Treat last weekend for their residents
as an alternative to door-to-door trick-or-treating.
Losing the activity that makes Halloween so special for many
children, and even some parents, is a tough blow. While there are alternatives
to make this holiday feel special, it’s
important to be honest with your children: This is a loss. It’s the latest loss
in a long string of loss that dates all the way back to March, when most of us
thought this whole pandemic thing would blow over in time to see the
grandparents for Easter.
If your children are upset over losing their night of
trick-or-treating, it might help to remind them why it’s important that we keep avoiding
large crowds and close contact with lots of other people. As awful as it is to
cancel celebrations, COVID-19 is worse. Even a mild case of COVID is
unpleasant, and scientists and doctors still don’t know what long-term health
effects some COVID patients might face over the coming years.
It might also help to remind your children that they are
part of something larger. Mainers have done a tremendous job following public
health recommendations and controlling this outbreak, and keeping our distance
from one another, even on Halloween night, is an important part of our success.
We will all miss trick-or-treating this year, but by staying home, we’re protecting the vulnerable and
watching out for our community — just like a superhero. Hey, we’re all even
wearing masks.
However, as my 10-year-old points out, you can’t just cancel Halloween. Most
of our beloved Halloween rituals, such as decorating the house and yard with
creepy, funny, or just plain weird decorations, are still perfectly safe.
Pumpkins can still be carved into jack-o-lanterns, skeletons can still dance in
the windows, and you can still craft that perfect costume.
When it comes to that Saturday night, full moon, Halloween
2020 celebration, families have lots of alternative options. One friend told me
she is planning on making Halloween baskets this year as a spooky riff on
Easter baskets. Another friend will make a candy scavenger hunt for her older
children, leaving them a trail of clues to unravel in order to find their
treats. My sister, who lives several states away in a neighborhood with no
resident bears, plans on hiding candy in the backyard for her young children to
find with flashlights.
If you have older children, it might be fun to take a full
moon Halloween hike on a well-known trail, perhaps even while wearing your
costumes. Younger children might enjoy a similar hike before the sun goes down,
and parents can always offer candy as a reward, or as a bribe, for a hike well
done.
Additionally, it is still possible to plan socially
distanced trick-or-treating drop-offs with friends and family in town. The CDC
recommends giving individual bags of treats instead of letting children paw
through an enormous bowl of candies. If you coordinate beforehand, you could
drive to houses where family and friends have set out tables of individually
wrapped Halloween treats. Just be sure to wash your hands before you dive into
those peanut butter cups!
Finally, as we navigate yet another seasonal holiday that
has changed dramatically due to COVID, be sure to remind your children - and
yourself - that this too shall pass. Pandemics don’t last forever, and someday, we will
all trick-or-treat beneath the rising moon once again. <
