Halloween: Quarantine Edition

Before we start basting our turkeys and setting up Christmas Trees, there’s candy to be eaten and costumes to be made. Halloween will look very different to others this year but who’s to say it will be any less fun? Sure, we can’t go door to door trick-or-treating or go to a costume party, but there are so many innovative ways to make Halloween a holiday worth celebrating. 

This is the year to go all out on decorations. Even though people might not be walking the streets this year, lawn decorations can be enjoyed by people driving by. Some easy decorations to spice up any yard could be tombstones in the lawn, string (spiderwebs) on windows, a Halloween wreath on a door and, of course, a pumpkin or two on the front stoop. A fun tablecloth and indoor decorations are also a great way of embracing the season. Decorations don’t have to be elaborate and even the simple things can make the holiday feel special.

The challenge of this holiday season will be figuring out how to have some fun with friends and family while being safe. One way to do that is a pumpkin carving party. Everyone brings a pumpkin and outside, on a driveway, in a backyard or in a cul-de-sac you carve and decorates the pumpkins. If there are any competitive friends, pick a theme and the best pumpkin gets a prize! Afterwards, bake the seeds and enjoy a Halloween snack. Similarly, a mask decorating party is also a great way to get creative and to involve friends. It’s also easy and less messy than carving pumpkins. 

If you’re away from home this season, an online costume party is great fun. Madi McIntyre ’23 plans on dressing up with her friends, watching a horror movie and eating candy. Another virtual idea is to swap recipes (it could be a drink or a baked item) with friends, make the dish and celebrate that way since food brings everyone together. The online format isn’t ideal but opens up new possibilities for entertainment. An additional source of entertainment might be coming up with a few riddles and set you and your friends off on a driving scavenger hunt around your neighborhood and make them take pictures of themselves completing the tasks or solving the riddles. 

Halloween is a time for fun and for everyone to let loose, which is very important after this crazy year. Thanksgiving and Christmas tend to be high stress and not to mention expensive, so embrace Halloween this year and use it as an opportunity to smile, or scream–that’s totally up to you.