A hot debate in local mom groups on Facebook recently was over how parents plan to let their kids celebrate Halloween this year. Will trick-or-treating be yet another tradition upended by the pandemic?
Public health officials say it doesn鈥檛 have to be.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as state and local health departments have issued recommendations in recent weeks about how to minimize risks of contracting or spreading the coronavirus while trick-or-treating.
Some parents, like Shanna Niewig, say they are determined to find ways to celebrate this scary season. She and her neighbors in O鈥橣allon, Missouri, typically go all out for the holiday with hayrides, spookily decorated yards and loads of candy.
鈥淧eople bring carloads of kids to the neighborhood,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t's a huge deal for us.鈥�
But this year, Halloween will look different on Niewig鈥檚 block as she and her neighbors take recommended steps to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
Public health guidance
last month included leaving individually wrapped bags of candy for trick-or-treaters to pick up rather than allowing kids to ring doorbells and take fistfuls of candy from bowls.
Personally handing out candy to trick-or-treaters puts people at high risk for being exposed to the coronavirus, the CDC said. But even goodie bags, the agency noted, present a moderate risk for being exposed to the coronavirus.
The Illinois Department of Public Health that discouraged trick-or-treating but conceded that many still plan on participating in the holiday tradition. The department said that if people do go out, they should wash their hands before eating their bounty of Halloween candy.
Trick-or-treaters also should bring hand sanitizer, practice social distancing and wear face coverings, Dr. Fred Echols, St. Louis Department of Health director, said Thursday.
鈥淐OVID-19 has been really stressful for us all, so this can be a break to really take a breather from the stresses of the pandemic, but we have to do so safely,鈥� Echols said.
and St. Louis County also includes having all block parties and haunted houses submit safety plans to their respective health departments.
People should avoid large gatherings and trick-or-treat in groups with their household members only, said Dr. Alex Garza, head of the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force.
鈥淎s long as people follow the rules with social distancing, wearing masks, things like that. I mean, it鈥檚 no different than people sort of walking around the park or any other place outdoors,鈥� he said.
Parents consider risks
Granite City resident Sarah Anne Rennie said she expects trick-or-treaters to show up on Halloween night and is comfortable with the risk of handing out candy.
鈥淚鈥檓 trying to put myself from the point of view of the parents who are going out with kids, going around and finding a lot of dark porches and a lot of disappointment,鈥� she said.
For other parents, celebrating this year just isn鈥檛 worth the chance of catching the coronavirus. Middle school teacher Emily Hardee says her 3-year-old son won鈥檛 be going trick-or-treating at all this year.
鈥淚 don't think he'll be scarred for life missing one Halloween,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o we just kind of want to limit our exposure, I see approximately 120 students. So I think about that a lot, if I were to test positive.鈥�
A lot of adults seem to be weighing those risks.
Johnnie Brock Dungeon Party Warehouse owner Ed Brock has seen a 25% decrease in sales at his Halloween store this year compared to last year. The biggest drop has been in adult costume sales, since many people are canceling their Halloween parties, he said. Adult costumes typically make up the bulk of Brock鈥檚 sales.
But he says business is slowly picking back up as the holiday nears. He鈥檚 seen upticks in sales of decorations and children鈥檚 costumes in recent weeks.
鈥淎ny way I slice it or dice it, it鈥檚 not going to add up to last year's sales numbers,鈥� Brock said. More than half of Brock鈥檚 Halloween sales are in the week before Oct. 31 in a normal year.
鈥淧eople, I think, they are really wanting Halloween,鈥� Brock said.
Are events safe?
Traditional Halloween events, including trunk-or-treat events and parades, have largely been altered or canceled. Edwardsville canceled its nearly , but St. Charles is still hosting its annual .
For small organizations, scheduling safe holiday events during the pandemic can be overwhelming.
鈥淲e just weren't sure how to safely handle something with like a bunch of kids,鈥� said Brittany Nelson, event chair of the Benton Park neighborhood association. The group called off its trunk-or-treat event in recent weeks.
Instead, Nelson is planning a neighborhood house decorating contest.
鈥淲e don't need to cancel Halloween by any means,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut I think the events that we do have need to be safe for everyone.鈥�
鈥楯ust want to keep something normal鈥�
A survey from the National Retail Federation this year. That鈥檚 nearly 24 million fewer adults than last year.
Some, like Rashida Williams, still don鈥檛 know what they鈥檙e going to do this year. The Ferguson resident is undecided if she will take her three school-age kids trick-or-treating. Regardless of what she settles on, she鈥檚 hoping to salvage what traditions she can this year.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been rough for these kids being at home and not really being able to go on vacation and stuff like that," she said. "And I kind of just want to keep something normal, even if it鈥檚 just us dressing up in the house and having our own little Halloween party.鈥�
Williams鈥� daughter, Mackenzie is 11 years old and plans on dressing up as the Disney character Maleficent. She said she wasn鈥檛 too bummed when her parents suggested she stay in.
鈥淚t will be disappointing, like getting your reactions from people,鈥� she said of showing off her outfit. 鈥淏ut I could still post on social media.鈥�
In this frightening year, showing off a costume to friends is at least one tradition left intact.
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