Students Enjoy COVID-19 Safe Halloween Activities

Grace Liu and Sophia Luo

Halloween is typically a fun-filled night full of sugary candy, creative costumes, fun parties, and lots of trick-or-treating. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Halloween was different from past years. Despite the turn of events, many students still found ways to celebrate the holiday with friends and family while following safety regulations. 

“I had a small outdoor gathering with seven friends. We watched a movie and played some games on an outdoor projector while mostly distancing and wearing masks except to eat or drink,” junior James Guymon said. 

Many students hung out in groups outside to decrease the risk of spreading the virus. “On Halloween, my friends and I had a small party outdoors. To be safe because of COVID-19, we stayed outdoors and did not have more than 11 people at the party,” freshman Sophie Wampler said. 

Other students chose to do something more community-focused such as junior Bridget Meagher. “On Halloween, I and a couple of friends set up a completely COVID-19 safe haunted house for younger kids! My mom used to be a teacher, so we know a lot of families with younger kids and wanted to create a safe space for them on Halloween,” Meagher said. Everyone wore masks, and families came in one at a time to ensure that everyone was socially distant the entire time. “We ran it Friday and Saturday from 6 to 9:30 p.m., and it was really fun!” Meagher added. 

Sophomore Hanna Nguyen dressed up as a witch and watched a movie on a projector with her friends in the backyard so they could social distance. “It’s important to stay safe and distanced from one another because we are still in the middle of a pandemic,” Nguyen said. A press release from the Contra Costa Health Services on November 4 stated that since the slight reopening of activities in the county, the average daily number of cases has risen substantially. The continuing of this trend upwards sent the county moving backward into red territory once again on November 10, halting many reopening plans. 

“It’s also incredibly selfish if you go to a party because you are risking not only your health but potentially exposing others and your loved ones,” Nguyen said.