Halloween will be different this year, but we can still enjoy and have fun. The safest way to celebrate Halloween this year — which is also the safest way to do most things during a pandemic — remains at home, with your own household.
The state on Friday released holiday safety guidelines prohibiting gatherings among more than three households and urging residents who choose to socialize with other families to do so with a consistent group in order to reduce the risk of transmission. The guidelines also note that interacting at multiple gatherings with different households or groups is “strongly discouraged.”
Following are some of the most important things to remember along with some fun ideas on how to enjoy Halloween at home this year.
Safer Alternatives for Halloween
The safest way to celebrate Halloween is to spend time with people in the same household or to celebrate virtually. Some specific alternatives that are low risk but still capture the holiday fun include:
- Creating a haunted house or candy scavenger hunt in your home.
- Having a scary movie night and Halloween-themed activities (pumpkin carving, face painting) at home
- Participating in online parties/contests (e.g. costume or pumpkin carvings)
- Attending car-based outings where people do not leave their car including drive-in events or contests or movies; driving through an area with Halloween displays.
- Eating a Halloween-themed meal with your household (alone or with up to 2 other households, not including your own, for a meal outside following all other gathering guidelines)
- Enjoying a Halloween-themed art installation at an outdoor museum with your household.
- Dressing up homes and yards with Halloween-themed decorations.
- Giving treats at home only to those in your household.
- Send a curated playlist and/or themed treats (or tricks) to your friends ahead of time.
- Designing face masks that reflect your child/ren’s Halloween costumes.
- Prepare a Halloween basket for your children or Halloween hunt in your backyard.
Safer Alternatives for Día de los Muertos
The safest way to celebrate Día de los Muertos is to spend time with people in the same household or to celebrate virtually. Some specific alternatives that are low risk but still capture the cultural celebration include:
- Altars: Consider placing and creating your altar in a front window or outside so others can view from a safe social distance.
- Virtual Altar: Create a virtual space to honor lost loved ones. Share with family and friends via email or social media.
- Cemetery Visits: If you visit the cemetery, only visit with those you live with, wear masks and maintain appropriate social distancing. Limit time spent to minimum necessary.
Trick-or-Treating
In general, the more people from different households with whom a person interacts, the closer the physical interaction is, and the longer the interaction lasts, the higher the risk that a person with COVID-19 infection –symptomatic or asymptomatic — may spread it to others. Trick-or-treating without necessary modifications promotes congregating and mixing of many households, particularly on crowded doorsteps, which can increase the spread of COVID-19. That type of mixing is not currently permitted in California. Additionally, if there is a positive case discovered, it is very challenging to do appropriate contact tracing to identify all those who have been potentially exposed.
To protect yourself and your community, you should not go trick-or-treating or mix with others outside allowed private gatherings this Halloween season.
We wish you a wonderful Halloween celebration. Stay safe and enjoy!
