Halloween on the Horizon

Yes, even in Miami, October brings thoughts of faraway autumn leaves and Halloween. As we dodge late-season named storms and hurricanes, I think about hot apple cider while dragging decorations out of the garage and make the obligatory visit to Michael’s for bales of hay to augment my front door display. The three-wick Bath & Body Works candle that smells like pumpkin pie will get another season of use.

Several of my neighbors have already bested me with their Halloween displays, but I wonder how many will open doors for trick-or-treaters. Even more importantly, how many parents will accompany their children to knock on doors this year?

Retailers are behaving as if nothing has changed. The Spirit pop-up store in my nearby mall has appeared and online costume deals fill my email inbox daily. My children are grown, but if they were little I would be fretting about how to celebrate Halloween so another holiday tradition – another joyful part of growing up – doesn’t go poof in the night thanks to COVID-19.

I firmly believe parents should push forward to find ways to keep these customs alive, no matter how bleak the environment. It’s going to take some creativity. Even in good times, some adults don’t engage with trick-or-treaters, leaving the little ones feeling dejected and asking why people don’t answer the door. I always did my best to find some acceptable response and felt relieved when more people answered joyfully than not.

This year is different. Most major local attractions that usually hold big Halloween events, such as Jungle Island and Zoo Miami, are not doing so this year. There are major cities across the country that have already “cancelled Halloween” by prohibiting trick-or-treating. The Miami-Dade County Mayor’s office says Mayor Giménez will chime in on the subject in mid-October. 

Meanwhile, the CDC says costume masks are no substitute for a cloth mask unless it is made of two or more layers of breathable fabric that covers the mouth and nose. Leaving individual, presorted bags of candy at the door are recommended for trick-or-treaters over the personal interaction the holiday is all about. What’s the point of dressing up if nobody tells you how great you look? Here’s my compromise. I intend to pre-make those individual candy bags, but I will put on a mask and gloves to answer the door so I can tell every princess how beautiful her dress is and every Batman how cool he looks.

Parents should consider having small, open-air, backyard Halloween parties so children can have their fun. Come up with creative games (not bobbing for apples) that follow social distancing rules with plenty of hand sanitizer standing by. I remember an adaptation of “pin the tail on the donkey” I created in 2005 when Halloween was practically cancelled in Miami-Dade by Hurricane Wilma. I call it the year of the Chupacabra because I drew a giant, colorful, figure of the legendary creature for a church Halloween party held to make sure kids didn’t lose out because of extended power outages, downed trees and other widespread damage caused by the storm. Needless to say, "pin the tail on the Chupacabra” was a big hit.

Perhaps malls will rise to the occasion to give parents with young children an excuse to dress up, run around and collect candy from merchants. Maybe schools will allow children to come to class in costume. I’m hoping neighborhoods and families will find ways to make Halloween happen. Count me in.