COVID-19 has ruined all kinds of plans, from summer vacations to weddings and everything in between.
With no clear end in sight to the pandemic in the United States, we had one very important question: What about Halloween?
America’s favorite fright night isn’t far away and with traditions like trick-or-treating and costume parties presenting a risk of exposure, we wanted to know how people plan to celebrate, if at all. We used Google Surveys to analyze data from over 3,000 respondents to find out how COVID-19 is impacting Halloween plans this fall. The survey ran in August 2020.
Don’t be too afraid though, as there are plenty of ways to celebrate Halloween from your home or apartment if you’re one of the 16 percent who plans to forgo traditional trick-or-treating.
To help you keep Halloween frighteningly fun for you and your family, be sure to check out the printable activities we created below. Jump to them by clicking here.
Are Americans too afraid to open the door this Halloween?
COVID-19 seems to have spooked most people when it comes to the idea of close contact with neighbors this Halloween. Nearly half of respondents polled said they have no plans to interact with trick-or-treaters in any way and only 24 percent plan to leave a bowl of candy outside, likely due to perceived risks around COVID-19.
While there’s a large population who won’t be handing out candy this year, one in three Americans still plans to observe the tradition. Even more surprising, older adults were more likely to say they’ll be handing out candy to each-trick or treater. In fact, a whopping 35 percent of adults aged 55+ say they will hand out candy this Halloween. That presents a problem, given the fact that older adults are at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 and experiencing more severe symptoms.
Even if some of your neighbors decide to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters normally, be prepared for everyone’s favorite Halloween tradition to look a bit different this fall. With that in mind, we wanted to see exactly how Americans plan to celebrate the most ghostly of holidays.
Surprisingly, 34 percent of respondents said they still plan to go trick-or-treating in their neighborhoods, even though 46 percent say they won’t be handing out candy. If this is true, you may see trick-or-treaters coming home empty-handed this Halloween.
Despite COVID-19, 34% plan to go trick-or-treating this year
A small population of Americans has plans to adapt their usual Halloween celebrations to follow social distancing guidelines —16 percent said they will celebrate at home and adapt for COVID-19. It’s important to note that among survey respondents, approximately 50 percent claimed they never celebrate Halloween.
If you want to celebrate Halloween but are wary of going trick-or-treating, there’s no need to worry! You can have just as much fun from home with a bit of creativity and a good supply of Halloween candy. To help you, we’ve created some printable activities you can use to safely celebrate Halloween with your friends and family.
How to adapt your Halloween celebrations for COVID-19
If your blood runs cold at the idea of trick-or-treating in your neighborhood this Halloween, you might be part of the 16 percent who said they plan to adapt their usual Halloween celebrations for COVID-19.
For families with kids, finding an alternative to traditional trick-or-treating could seem like a ghoul’s errand. That’s why we’ve put together some fun activities you can do without leaving the house. Check them out below!
Halloween candy scavenger hunt
The “treat” is often the best part of trick-or-treating! If your little ones are worried about missing out on their usual bucket of candy this year, there’s nothing to fear! Use this Halloween candy scavenger hunt activity to keep them busy all night.
Scavenger hunt instructions:
- Print out the scavenger hunt clues using the button below.
- Follow the instructions on the “Clue-Hiding Tips for Parents” page.
- Give your kids the first clue to begin the scavenger hunt.
- Help them find clues if they get stuck!
Virtual Halloween costume party and contest
Getting dressed up in a costume on Halloween is always so exciting — don’t let anything stop you from donning your best disguise this year!
Instead of wearing a costume to go trick-or-treating, why not host a virtual party instead? Whether it’s for your kids or for you, celebrating virtually with friends, family and coworkers can help to make Halloween feel a bit more normal this year, even if you’re staying at home!
We created a printable invitation you can use to host a virtual costume party. After downloading the invitation, you can edit it directly on your computer. Fill in the date, time, and your email address before sending it out to party guests. If snail mail is more your style, you can print out a version of the invitation here and fill in the blanks by hand. Once all the invitations are sent, don’t forget to text or email your guests the link to the virtual meeting once you have it!
We also made a fun scorecard you can use to have a costume contest during the party! If you plan to have a costume contest during the party, assign two or three impartial judges. Have them each print out a scorecard and follow the instructions on the page to assign winners. Don’t forget to choose a reward for each of the winners — a gift card, delivery of treats or simple bragging rights will do!
Click the button below to download the grey version of the invitation, or click here to get the green!
Celebrating Halloween during COVID-19
Don’t let the pandemic take a vampire bite out of your plans this Halloween — there are plenty of fun ways to celebrate safely. Deck out your home or apartment with spooky decorations, stock up on tasty treats and don your best costume!
Survey Methodology
This study was conducted for Apartment Guide using Google Consumer Surveys. The sample consisted of no less than 1,500 completed responses per question. Post-stratification weighting has been applied to ensure an accurate and reliable representation of the total population. This survey was conducted in August 2020.
