As we near the end of the year, we finally get around to the holiday season! Halloween is a very special holiday for many people, and most people celebrate it in some form throughout their whole life. You trick-or-treat as a kid, you go to parties and hang out with friends as an adolescent, and you typically take your kids trick-or-treating as an adult. Halloween is a huge social event overall for many people, and many people can’t imagine an October without it. But as we continue this crazy year of 2020, the things that were so normal in life before need to be changed in order to function properly. It seems this year that regardless of the current pandemic, most people have found ways to celebrate every typical holiday, Halloween seeming to be no exception. With the stress of school and other upcoming events, teenagers all around are doing their best to kick back and have fun this Halloween, while also making sure to stay safe with COVID-19 guidelines. While teenagers aren’t the highest at risk for death of COVID-19, they still should do their part to stop the spread to make sure people are safe and healthy.
A poll was conducted among BV students about Halloween related questions. The results showed that about roughly 71% of the students participating are planning to celebrate Halloween in some form this year. Most students who voted yes elaborated by saying that the ways they were celebrating were safe in relation to COVID-19 guidelines. BV Freshman Katie Hedrick talked about her plans for Halloween, as well as how she feels about celebrating during quarantine.
“On halloween I’m having about five of my close girl friends come over to watch a movie and make treats and come in costume so we can still have the experience of halloween with still being safe...personally i feel comfortable with my plans. I think we were able to make a good compromise. I love Halloween and it’s one of my favorite holidays to celebrate with people, however I think it’s most important to stay safe and try to get over this situation before gathering in large groups again.”
Most students also gave similar responses, saying that you can celebrate Halloween easily while still remaining safe. Students were planning to eat candy at home, or hang out with a low number of friends outside to watch a movie. According to John Hopkins School of Public Health, low risk Halloween activities include carving pumpkins outside, and holding an outdoor movie night. High risk activities include crowded indoor parties, and traditional large-scale trick-or-treating. Trick-or-treating is placed in the “moderate risk activities” category. Experts say that if you plan to go trick-or-treating, to wash hands before handling treats and to wear a mask, even if your Halloween costume also has one..The CDC also put out a guide to Halloween this year, recommending that if you plan to take part in festivities, to lower the risk by avoiding direct contact with trick-or-treaters, keeping hand sanitizer nearby for use, and wearing a mask.
There’s been an eternal question about Halloween: “Are teenagers too old to trick-or-treat?” While most parents typically don’t like it when teenagers show up to ask for candy, the idea of trick-or-treating has slowly made its way back into teenagers’ lives as a fun hobby. BV Sophomore Ethan Harvery gave his opinion on the question if teenagers are too old to trick-or-treat: “Absolutely not. I believe that no matter what age you are you should be able to trick or treat. If you are 90, grab a bag and your walker and go out and have fun with your great grandchild. So I believe you should be able to no matter what age you are.”
Even as murky as our future may seem, BV students are making sure to maintain their mental health during school with Halloween, while also making sure to stop the spread of COVID-19. Halloween is supposed to be a fun break to celebrate the fall, while also putting on fun costumes and eating treats with way too much sugar. BV Newsroom wishes all Bella Vista Broncos a happy Halloween!