Is Halloween cancelled? No way! But it may be wise to think beyond some of our traditional celebrations this year. Here’s how our family is getting into the spirit from home.
Haunted Candy Hunt
Our kids are pretty united in what they consider to be the most important elements of Halloween: costumes and candy. So we’ll plan and get excited about our costumes (which they are only allowed to wear outside in the yard on Halloween), set up a spooky “haunted house” with creepy music and decorations, and will hide candy all over for them to find after dark with flashlights. You can go one step further by hiding candy inside of glow-in-the-dark plastic eggs. Honestly, this sounds so fun that we might add it to our celebration every year.
Zombie Piñata
I’ve been teasing my husband about hanging onto a busted unicorn piñata for the past two years — he hates to toss anything that can be repurposed. But the joke’s on me because this is the year of the ZOMBIE PIÑATA. And any piñata can be a zombie (or mummy) piñata; just give your kids a roll of toilet paper and some paint and put them to work. Making it might even be more fun than smashing it.
Movies and Pizza
Ah, good old pizza and movie night. A timeless combination that not even a global pandemic can take from us. The beauty of this celebration is that it’s cozy, easy, and can feel special if you approach it that way. Our kids have never experienced pizza delivery, so it’ll be a major treat!
Pumpkin Carving
A classic for a reason! We grew our own this year, but there are also a few great pumpkin patches in town. Borchard is our favorite. And pro-tip: mist the outside of your uncut pumpkin with 1 teaspoon bleach per 1 quart of water, then spray down the inside when you’re done carving. As an extra layer of protection, wipe down the carved edges with petroleum jelly. Even with this extra TLC, California’s warm autumns are pretty hard on carved pumpkins, so you may want to make yours right before Halloween.
Dia De Los Muertos
If you’re not feeling some of the “spookier” elements of Halloween this year, I can totally relate. We’ve had some losses in our family that make certain decorations feel uncomfortably close-to-home and even disrespectful. Exploring Dia De Los Muertos as a family may be a great alternative that allows you to create space to celebrate and honor your loved ones. Dia De Los Muertos is celebrated on November 1st and 2nd, and the centerpiece of the celebrations are altars for deceased family members that feature photos, favorite foods, flowers, and other mementos. This is another shift that could create new traditions and meaning for your family.
“Boo” Your Friends and Family
Spread some spooky holiday cheer by sending a surprise treat or note to your loved ones. We could all use a little reminder that our people are still out there thinking of us and random acts of kindness are a timeless way to make any season or holiday more meaningful. (Beenbooed.com even has posters and notes that you can print out!)
What to do about trick-or-treaters?
Some have suggested individually wrapped goodie bags left out on a table in your driveway, but since candy is already individually wrapped and COVID is far less likely to spread through contact surfaces, I’m gonna make it real easy on myself and just leave out a big ole’ bowl of candy that can be refreshed throughout the night. We’ll turn on our porch light and creepy music, leave a spirited message on the door, and wish everyone a safe and happy night, no matter how they choose to celebrate.
Katie Raquel is the founder of Katie’s Coldpress, a Realtor with Over the Moon Realty and the author of SQUEEZED: The Raw Truth About Work-Life Balance. She lives with her family in Monterey County.