Did you know Halloween began as a way to ward off ghosts? Apparently, two thousand or more years ago, the Celtics and Christians intermixed folklore about ghosts and spirits. And one day a year on Saints’ Evening, the ancestors visited the living. And the spirits of the dead roamed the earth. Some believed the visits enabled priests to tell fortunes and prophesy about the future.
People wore costumes and lit bonfires to guide the spirits back to the world of the dead. Halloween or Hallowe’en (a contraction of Hallows’ Even or Hallows’ Evening) means Saints’ Evening. All Saints’ Day— also known as All Hallows’ Day—was designated by Pope Gregory III to honor saints and martyrs. Hallows’ Eve or Saints’ Evening was the eve or day before All Saints’ Day. After many years, the day before All Hallows’ Day became Hallows’ Eve or Evening, which eventually became Halloween.
Today sweet and adorable elves, fairies, witches, and goons are all about filling their bags and baskets with treats on Halloween. This year’s Halloween festivities and celebrations will look very different. There’s not a phase of our lives that the novel coronavirus hasn’t affected.
And now, Halloween celebrations are no different. Based on the Halloween activity and social distancing, many of the trick-or-treaters may also adorn a protective mask.
In the past, safety concerns for our children have been an essential part of Halloween. Parents inspected treats and tricks weren’t encouraged. You can’t be footloose or care-free when celebrating a holiday like Halloween. There are some crazies out there, and the children’s safety and well-being are at stake. Halloween 2020 precautions now include preventing the contracting of COVID-19.
Parents must consider and add the extra touches and precautions for a safe Halloween celebration.
And the kids will still have fun, fun, fun because
They won’t let COVID take the kids’ treats away.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) outlined various activities based on the following ratings: lower risk activities, moderate risk activities, and higher risk activities.
Many traditional Halloween activities have the potential to spread the virus. Activities listed in the higher risk category include door-to-door trick a treating, indoor haunted houses, crowded indoor costume parties, trunk-a-treating in parking lots, and several other activities.
In addition to the risk categories, the CDC site includes several safer alternatives, which include indoor or outdoor household activities such as pumpkin carving and decorating.
Neighbors can leave bowls or baskets of treats on their porch for trick-or-treaters to avoid person-to-person contact.
What about a Halloween scavenger hunt? I like the suggestion about a virtual Halloween costume contest. This sounds like a lot of fun!
Finding safe options to celebrate one of the favorite holidays of the year isn’t that difficult, even during a pandemic.
Check out the CDC website about Halloween activities.
Have a safe and happy Halloween 2020!