Background Halloween is typically the perfect holiday for young people. It’s full of mischief, goofing around and candy galore. But this year, the annual October 31 festivities will probably look quite a bit different thanks to corona. Social distancing precautions will force many to alter their Halloween traditions in 2020. But that doesn’t mean they won’t find new ways to keep it spooky.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a list of classic Halloween activities ranked by risk levels. The agency says classic, door-to-door trick-or-treating is a high-risk activity during the pandemic. As an alternative, the agency suggests hosting “a scavenger hunt-style trick-or-treat search” around the house. If you do still plan to go venture out to collect candy, The Washington Post recommends taking precautions. Its recommendations include: using hand sanitizer frequently, avoiding gathering in groups and not eating candy while trick-or-treating. Also, make sure your costume includes a cloth mask. Your average costume mask might not offer the same protection against the corona virus, the CDC warns.
Haunted attractions have been forced to adapt to the scary realities of 2020, as well. Salt Lake City’s Fear Factory haunted house is usually an up-close-and-personal experience. It features terrifying actors who swoop in close for a scare. This year, it will offer socially distanced frights. “The scare has been completely redesigned,” says Fear Factory COO Rob Dun field. “We used to have animations draw customers’ attention so actors could pop out and startle them up close. Now, that’s reversed. The costumed actors draw attention from farther away, then trigger an animation, loud noise, or air blast to go off right next to a person.” In addition, drive-through haunted houses are popping up in cities around the world, including San Diego, Orlando, Houston and Tokyo.
Every year has its costume trends, and 2020 will be no different. Undoubtedly, there will be many corona-themed costumes. But costume companies like Party City have also seen a jump in nurse, doctor and firefighter costumes. “I think people are turning to the people who helped during the pandemic every day,” says Julie Roehm, Party City’s chief marketing and experience officer.
If you want a more low key and spook-free Halloween, you still have plenty of options. Sam Dominguez, a pediatrician specializing in infectious diseases, says that small groups of friends can gather outside to carve pumpkins or watch Halloween movies. But they should still wear masks and stay socially distanced.
Thankfully, Halloween revelers will be able to depend on candy. This year, candy companies are preparing to sell more treats online. They are also focusing on candy that can be eaten at home, rather than passed out to trick-or-tr eaters. Already, supermarket analysts say the sale of chocolate and candy is up 13 percent
from 2019. “Everyone’s been cooped up in the house, so people are looking for something to celebrate,” says Katie Thomas, a consumer trends analyst at the Barney Consumer Institute.

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