How to have a safe and happy Halloween in this pandemic year
“Halloween is on a Saturday. It’s a full moon and it’s a time change. What more could you ask for?” asks Pattie Walker.
The owner of Nanaimo’s Pattie’s Party Palace is looking forward to an old-fashioned Halloween with traditional costumes and children trick-or-treating in small groups at homes in their neighbourhood.
“It’s not the Halloween we envisioned, by any means. We’re hoping it’s going to be a really good Halloween. For the kids’ sakes, we need it to be. The children are so excited and the parents are thinking it through and they are realizing there’s no reason for it not to happen,” Walker said.
On Monday, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, talked about the new guidelines for keeping safe during Thanksgiving, Halloween celebrations and Remembrance Day, encouraging a new twist on some traditions.
“This year, I encourage everybody: Make our celebration large in thanks, large in gratitude, but small in size,” Henry said. She recommends small groups celebrate outside on Halloween and that people avoid having
children reach into a bucket for individually wrapped candy.
“Have it outside where they can pick it up individually, something like that,” she said.
Some people might not feel safe to have trick-or-treating during the pandemic. Seniors may feel vulnerable.
“And I think we need to respect that. We need to realize that this is another one of those things that’s going to be different this year and we have to do it in small numbers,” Henry said. “Let’s be respectful of each other and mindful that not everybody wants to participate in that
celebration this year.
Walker and her husband plan to put a table in the driveway and make up individual candy bags so the children can easily pick them up and put them in their treat bag themselves.
“That will make parents more at ease and the children more comfortable,” she said. “It’s all outdoors. A lot of the parents I’ve spoken to are not going into the malls. They’re keeping it in their community or in their backyard.”
Business has been steady at her costume shop with Walker outfitting a vampires, warlocks and a coven of witches.
This year, entire families are getting dressed up, right down to the dog.
“We did one where everyone is going as a member of the Addams family. Instead of 40, they’re just going to 15 houses. We had another family that went as a family of werewolves, right down to the baby. It’s awesome.”
The B.C. Centre for Disease Control suggests trying to include a non-medical mask as part of your costume, but warns against wearing a costume mask over a non-medical mask “as that may make it difficult to breathe.”
Walker said people are making masks and gloves part of their costumes.
“Everyone is finding a way to make it work. People are coming up with amazing creative ways to distribute the candy and they are really doing their yards up this year, too,” she said.