Kate Couch/ The Broadside

With COVID-19 trying to ruin Halloween this year, many might be pleasantly surprised with the fun and cool Halloween activities that are still around. The first notable thing is that Halloween is going to be on a full moon—but not just any full moon, a blue moon. A blue moon is when a full moon comes twice in one calendar month-which is extra spooky!

It’s also daylight savings—which means that there will be an extra hour on Halloween night. (Oregon has not announced that they will not be participating, so it is assumed that everyone will be practicing daylight savings unless further notified.) The icing on the cake is that Halloween this year falls on a Saturday. It’s safe to say a fun night is ahead.

But how will the night be safe while still having fun?

The most obvious and important thing is making sure to wear a mask. The CDC gave a couple of tips for masks this Halloween. Their recommendation is to get a Halloween-themed mask, which includes ghost or pumpkins on it like these ones here. Making sure to not replace a face mask with a mask that is not up to code is important to remember. A recommended face mask would be one that covers the mouth and nose and has at least two layers of cloth.

There are many characters who wear masks that could be easily incorporated into the costume without ruining it. If one is not at risk for breathing problems, a mask under a decorative mask works as well.

Characters like:

Darth Vader, Batman, V for Vendetta, Scream, Scorpion, Jason, Spiderman, Deadpool, Iron Man, Antman, the Wasp and politician masks, just to list a few.

If one doesn’t want to wear a face mask under another mask there are a couple of other options as well.

• Wearing a mask that matches the tone of one’s face, so it doesn’t ruin the costume.
• Attaching facial hair to a mask i.e. gluing a beard to a mask or drawing one on.
• Drawing a red nose over the face mask and becoming a clown.
• Slipping on a sheet over a face mask and becoming a ghost.
• Pumpkinhead Dwight from the Office.

There are many more fun masks ideas! Pinterest has good ideas for costumes as well.

The CDC also recommends to keep in mind these few things when throwing or attending Halloween gatherings.

• Smaller groups present, less risk of spreading the virus.
• Keeping in large rooms, open areas, and outdoors is best.
• The less time spent with people the less risk one has of spreading the virus, so considering to have progressive parties that are moving around or having multiple small parties throughout the night is a good practice.
• Have bottled drinks instead of communal drinks, the same goes for snacks as well. Avoiding serving things like chips where lots of people’s hands are going into the same bowl is advisable.
  

By following these tips everyone can still have a fun Halloween while staying safe. Happy Halloween!

To read the full CDC article click here.