Harsh rays of sunshine slowly fade into a chilly breeze. Leaves on trees take on bright oranges and yellows. The summer passion fruit teas lose popularity as pumpkin spiced lattes take charge. Fall is creeping up on us and people around the world begin to prepare for the typical festivities. Pumpkin patches open throughout cities and younglings giggle through corn mazes. Parents help their kids carve the silliest faces on their pumpkins, ensuring the best-carved pumpkin on the block.

Fall is filled with joyous celebrations, and arguably the most quintessential of them all is trick-or-treating. Children of various ages spend each October 31st running from house-to-house, ringing doorbells, and gathering every candy known to man. From witches to superheroes to princesses, kids across the globe dress up to celebrate the Halloween holiday. 

Although, this year, the Halloween filled with candy and close-knit groups may not be possible. Due to the dangers of COVID-19, the trick-or-treating we know and love is, unfortunately, a health risk. Recently, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health released a guide explaining how to remain safe while trick-or-treating during these unusual circumstances. 

In this guide, the idea of traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating has been entirely ruled out, as “it can be very difficult to maintain proper social distancing on porches and at front doors, ensure that everyone answering or coming to the door is appropriately masked to prevent disease spread, and because sharing food is risky.” Even driving to each home is considered unsafe.

Instead of celebrating Halloween in the traditional way, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has come up with alternative ideas that will hopefully allow children to make the most out of this holiday. Kids can connect with their friends through online gatherings or competitions, decorate their homes to lift the fall spirit, eat at Halloween-themed outdoor restaurants, and even watch spooky movies at drive-in theaters.

Day-to-day life has entirely changed because of the coronavirus, and Halloween is no exception to that. Children will have a very unique Halloween this year, but that does not mean it can’t be fun. Birthdays celebrated in quarantine were exciting because of decorative car parades, which would work perfectly for this Halloween season as well. Kaitlyn Kame (12) explained that her mom has “already started planning safe fall activities for [her] younger sister.” While it may not be conventional, this Halloween will force creativity, hopefully forming life-long memories for children.

Regardless of how individuals celebrate Halloween this year, it is essential to still follow the guidelines in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Wearing a mask and remaining socially distant is still required. Through following the protocol, hopefully this abnormal Halloween will be the last of its kind, and children can spend the next October 31st with pillowcases filled with candy as they approach the next door, hollering “trick-or-treat!”