Back in July, Hershey’s Co. predicted that its sales would take a hit this Halloween due to the coronavirus pandemic. It seems they were right. Hundreds of towns across the country are discouraging people from trick-or-treating, and some have canceled planned Halloween festivities altogether.
Already, local governments in 37 states have announced that public Halloween events will not take place this year. Some towns have even pressured private businesses to follow suit. In Booneville, Arkansas, for example, the Scantling Haunted House, which typically offers tours for people of all ages, said it would not open this year due to coronavirus restrictions. Even Disney had to cancel its Oogie Boogie Bash at its California park due to the state’s regulations (as well as its famous Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at its Florida location).
But that doesn’t mean the holiday itself is canceled.
“Consumers will find creative and safe ways to trick-or-treat,” Michele Buck, the chief executive of Hershey, told investors this summer, according to the Wall Street Journal. “It is an outdoor event, and it’s an event where a lot of masks are already worn.”
Buck was right: One father in Ohio went viral last month for creating a six-foot candy chute so children in his neighborhood can trick-or-treat safely. And Reese’s unveiled a robotic trick-or-treat door that will roam around certain neighborhoods and hand out candy via remote control.
In some towns, however, families are not even allowed to find creative and safe ways to celebrate Halloween. Officials in Lowell, Massachusetts, announced last week that door-to-door trick-or-treating would be prohibited since it “would pose a substantial public health risk to the community,” the police department said. Indoor gatherings, such as costume parties, are also strongly discouraged and will be treated as high-risk activities by law enforcement, the city said.
At a certain point, it’s worth asking what purpose these restrictions serve and whether they will actually help children. This year has already been incredibly difficult for young children unable to socialize with their friends or attend school in-person. And given the relatively low transmission rate among children, canceling trick-or-treating (which can easily be done in a socially distanced manner) seems over-the-top.
One New York parent put it this way: “Trick or treating is no more ‘unsafe’ than picking food up at a drive-thru window or buying something from a cashier. Children’s mental health has been seriously impacted by all the cancellations and changes. We need to preserve their childhood as much as we can.”
