Blazing white porch lights are dimmed across neighborhoods, now overpowered by glowing orange pumpkin shaped luminosities. Cobwebs steadily make appearances across once summer themed decor, offering a spooky ambience on homes everywhere. The quest for flawless yet spine-chilling costumes begins, as strolls are taken through pumpkin patches in search of the most carvable one. It’s Halloween time. 

   Irreplaceable smiles and endless laughter shared amongst friends and family who beam with joy emerge with the falling leaves of autumn, making this a one of a kind time of year for all who celebrate. September comes to a close as the back to school shelves are empty, fading into pumpkins, ghosts and countless other Halloween themed items. With slight accommodations made to satisfy Covid-19 precautions, this ghostly holiday remains worth it. Picking up where we left off after a year full of stress, quarantines, masks, and Zoom, Halloween fanatics are wondering how exactly this year’s holiday will be any different than the one that preceded it. Natalia Klatt, tenth grader at PPCHS makes it clear that the show must go on. Currently, “there’s no reason why children shouldn’t be able to celebrate this fun holiday” Klatt claims, as long as “you’re vaccinated, you wear masks, and you’re in an outdoor setting, you should be relatively safe.”

   No matter what circumstances we are in, Halloween is always worth it. It doesn’t have to be a wildy themed party with large groups of people. Amidst the chaos 2020 brought, it was still feasible to “have a lot of fun decorating the house and handing out candy” as Natalia reiterates. Even dressing up, watching your favorite horror movies surrounded in a midnight-dark atmosphere with your favorite candy, curled up cozily on the couch with a close group of people can make it just as fun. 

   Flashback to October 31, 2020, a time when the simplest activities were perceived as a threat more so than ever, only one group of children showed up with a bucket not even half full of candy. Even if parents thought it was safe to participate, closed doors hindered the possibility of getting a treat. Agreeing with this decision, many people “didn’t think it was safe enough to go trick or treating, or go to any Halloween parties at the time,” as sophomore student Janessa Montilla confirms. Any type of celebration this year is bound to be better than last year’s with its empty, soundless streets deprived of scurrying children overflowing with elation to reach the next door to knock on. 

   A simple way to ensure the safety of children and adults is by gathering outside for the majority of the night. For any lovers of sugary sweets, trick or treating doesn’t have to be a thing of the past. Instead of directly handing a treat to everyone, people “should hand out individual bags to each child,” pediatrician Melissa Held writes in her article on making Covid adjustments to Halloween activities (Connecticut Children). She advises that another way to minimize the spread of Covid is to “set up a one-way route.” This prevents a line of children from huddling in one setting for too long, keeping safety at all times and the fun can go on. 

   October is recognized as a time for not only horror themed masks but also gleaming smiles. Cherishing time with loved ones, walking through breezy neighborhoods together while chattering and trading candy is an incomparable memory that everyone should continue to experience. By the looks of it, Halloween decorations won’t be collecting dust in a bin this year, whether or not slight changes are made to the traditional way of celebrating.