I don't get why Hallowe'en can't 'happen' this year

[BabyLlamaZen]

I know a lot of people hate halloween, so this isn't about that!

For those who find it a bit of fun, especially with kids, I dont get why everyone is going on about how it's ruined and cancelled?

Isn't the whole point doing up your house all creatively and spooky then going for walks around your neighbourhood to have a look? I.e. your daily walk. Ok so we won't be going inside other houses, but did you ever? My plan was to leave individual paper bags of sweets in a basket on the front step with some sanitizer. People take them at their own risk, like every year? 🤷‍♀️

How is it worse than going to eat in a cafe next to strangers? We know it's mostly airborne. Am I crazy?

Decorate your house, dress up, and go for a walk, by all means but I’d leave the sweets (sanitiser or not) well alone.

Not mostly airborne, rather it’s spread by droplets. So, child sneezes into hand, puts hand into your bowl of sweets for a good rummage. Your bowl is now Haribo and COVID (or cold, or flu, or norovirus) soup. Yum.

My son is dressing up, we’re decorating the inside of the house and having “spooky” movies and sweeties. But I’m not taking him trick or treating or opening the door to them this year. Son is gutted about missing out on that side of things (no school disco either) but I promised him it’s not cancelled or ruined this year, just different.

Also it would be yet another mixed message if trick or treating was encouraged...I.e. limit social contact but it’s ok to go around random houses.Yes it’s a disappointment but there’s a lot of those going on at the moment! You can still “ do “ Halloween just without that bit.

There are lots of fun things you can do that don’t involve trick or treating. Lots of kids grabbing sweets from a bowl at the moment? No thanks.

By all means decorate the house, dress up, watch a scary movie, ear special food erc. Nothing is ruined or cancelled. It is just different this year.

The best thing my DC like about Halloween is asking for sweets. We live in an area where Halloween is a big thing. Lots of kids dressed up, lots of houses decorated, so lots of doors to knock on. It’s not the same just having sweets at home.

I saw a good idea for the sweets. Packets Taped to skewers an plunged into the front lawn. That way kids can take one from there. I have mulled over the sharp point stick aspect so I’m still unsure whether to do it

No it’s not the same, but they’ll cope. It’s really minor in the grand scheme of things isn’t it and kids are very adaptable. There’s lots of different ways to give them sweets too... you could do a Halloween quiz, a treasure hunt around the house, a pumpkin piñata...all sorts of ways to have fun.

I also dont get it. We can go to get a takeout where people hand us bags of burgers, we can go shopping and pick up dozens of items and bring them home, I can eat in a cafe where people prepare my food, but a kid cant pick a packet of sweets out of a bowl? I am decorating my house and doing lolly pumpkins (lollies stuck in the head of a pumpkin with a painted face on it) and sweets pegged to my gate which will be covered in decorative spider web. My local area is organizing a 'pumpkin trail' where houses put pictures of pumpkins in their windows and parents can give kids a sweet for each pumpkin they see.

IMO, it's fun for the kids, kids who have had a tough year. It should be adjusted for them. They deserve some fun.

Decorate and dress up as much as you like but I think trick or treating is a non starter this year. For a start when trick or treating, most kids(plus parents) end up going round in large groups instead of just as a family.

If kids love the sweets then just buy your own this year.

And isn't half the fun of Halloween wearing a mask?
Our house will be decorated and will leave bags of sweets, that are made up, outside on a table.

I don't think trick or treating is a good idea this year.
DD is going to have a couple of friends over (unless rules change) and they can still dress up/face paint. We're going to do some pumpkin carving, decorate some cakes/biscuits and maybe some gross "what's in the box" type game and get some sparklers as there'll be no firework events. May have a walk out to see of anyone has done any Halloween decorations.

Dependent on weather i think well just get the burner going in the garden, toast some marshmallows and tell ghost stories a la torch up the face stylee.

And sweets.

@HerRoyalNotness

I saw a good idea for the sweets. Packets Taped to skewers an plunged into the front lawn. That way kids can take one from there. I have mulled over the sharp point stick aspect so I’m still unsure whether to do it

Skewers don't seem the safest option tbh. You could peg them to a washing line or tie them on a tree?

I'll have a tub of sweets just in case anyone comes, we barely get any anyway but I dont see how picking a few sweets out of a tub is that big of a deal

Your bowl is now Haribo and COVID

Trick or Treat?

If I had kids I'd do a campfire party in the garden with a fire and scary stories though

Halloween is huge in my town.
I noticed a jack'o'lantern last night

My prediction is some people will be out T&Ting this year locally (low low case count around here). Good on 'em.

Tubs of sweets would be like a Covid buffet.

@FourTeaFallOut

Your bowl is now Haribo and COVID

Trick or Treat?

"Do ya feel lucky?"

A Halloween Trail is being arranged in my neighbourhood. The children get a map of the houses participating and try to spot spooky creatures. They can win sweets and toys.

It is not going to be the same but just need to find some different activities to do. My children are going to do-
Make spooky decorations/ decorate house
Pumpkin carving
Spooky cake/ biscuit making
Dressing up
Spooky movie
Sweet treasure hunt (in the garden) by torchlight
Halloween Trail around neighbourhood.

As it is on a Saturday this year, we are going to make a day of it. Normally it would just be a couple of hours after school 'trick or treating'.

Suggestion here is to go for a walk, mum or dad take a large bag of sweets and every time they pass a decorated house the child gets a sweet from mum or dads bag into their bag (ie - you provide your own child's treat and you do not provide any for other children - their own parents do.). I thought it sounded twee but DS (8) agreed that it was better than no going out at Halloween.

Also, I adore decorating my house (I live in Halloween central where we all go "all out" with our decor and this year is no different) so I will have the full show ready for anyone who walks by (but no sweets).

Genuinely surprised people would put a whole pile out at once - don't you think the first gang of kids without a parent is going to take the lot?

If we can't see our friends and neighbours (waves to other Northerners in grim sympathy) how on earth can we go door to door collecting sweets that total strangers have handled? One C19 kid sneezes on his hand and uses the same hand to choose which bag of Haribo and the whole bowl's contaminated.

Celebrate at home, surely.

But DS was all upset again when he found out he could not go for the walk with all of his friends .