Not to state the obvious, but I think we all expected this to be close to over by now. While it’s very easy to let the unprecedented times get to you, Halloween is a time for celebration, spooky sweets, and a whole lot of fun for all age groups. This Halloween I have promised myself I will enjoy all the beautiful elements of the holiday- and I’m here to show you how you can do the same, while still keeping yourself safe and socially distant from others but close to your loved ones.
Let’s start with my favorite part: FOOD! More specifically, CANDY! This year, since trick-or-treating is a little too risky, I’ve decided to host a Halloween themed dinner party (with a small group of friends, family, or even roommates). I’ve made a brainstorm and list of all the fang-tastic side dishes, entrees, and desserts from Pinterest and I’m SO excited to keep myself busy all day by not only cooking, but also decorating. Costumes are mandatory in order to enter! This gives me an opportunity to not only dress up and be with the people I love, but to bake Halloween treats all day. Some of my favorite recipes include these adorable, easy to make spider cookies and these awesome brownies that use all your leftover candy! Additionally, if you’re really crazy about the fall season and Halloween (like me), you can challenge yourself by going to your local grocery store, buying all the seasonal items, and making a super cute, on-trend, and spooky charcuterie board to share with your friends.
If you’re looking for a more adventurous, but safe, Halloween night, you still have options! A great option is to dress up in your craziest costume and have a costume contest with your friends or family. To spice it up, you could create some kind of prize or incentive for winning the contest. Dressing up is also a great excuse to have your friends or family members take Instagram worthy pictures of you with all the spooky decorations in your house or outside. A night sky and a full moon make for fantastic, scary photos, no matter the costume.
For those of you with smaller siblings or even really enthusiastic Halloween-loving friends, a really awesome way to remix the tradition of trick-or-treating is by setting up a Halloween candy hunt in your backyard, living room, or any space! It’s kind of like what some people do on Easter for eggs, but this time with all your favorite Halloween candies. It could also be a good time to have a pumpkin carving contest, or maybe just a pumpkin carving/painting party. Anything pumpkin related guarantees a good time.
Finally, I think it’s important to acknowledge how exhausting life can be nowadays and offer one last remedy for your Quarantine Halloween blues: stay in and watch your favorite Halloween movies. You can literally NEVER go wrong with a spooky movie marathon and it’s the perfect time to watch them! Some of my favorites include Hocus Pocus, Halloweentown, and Coraline. This article includes some awesome, family-friendly suggestions. If you’re a horror movie fan, you can opt for some scarier films to enjoy your Halloween night to the fullest extent.
While Halloween doesn’t usually count as a part of the traditional “holiday season” (Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years) category, I think it’s really important to give it the recognition it deserves and celebrate it to its fullest extent. There’s nothing wrong with coming up with reasons to celebrate, feast on your favorite food, and dress up like anything you could dream of! I hope you have an amazing Quarantine Halloween!