Halloween 2020
by Maj (ret'd) CORNELIU E. CHISU, CD, PMSC,
FEC, CET, P. Eng.
Former Member of Parliament Pickering-Scarborough East
Halloween, is a holiday celebrated each year on October 31, and Halloween 2020 will occur this upcoming Saturday. It is a holiday that brings Canadians together over a shared love for candy and costumes, especially enjoyed by kids.
The tradition originated with the ancient Celtic festival when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints. Soon, All Saints Day incorporated some of the Celtic traditions. The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a day of activities like trick-or-treating, carving jack-o-lanterns, festive gatherings, donning costumes and eating treats.
Halloween will look very different during the actual Covid-19 pandemic. The coronavirus pandemic is putting a damper on traditional trick-or-treating this year, a disappointment for kids and candy and party lovers alike.
Though celebrations might be different, a beleaguered nation hopefully will be able to find some holiday joy whether from behind a webcam or in a socially-distanced holiday attraction. But even though the coronavirus's easily transmissible nature has made many Canadians wary of traditional holiday activities, even shopping, Halloween is indeed happening.
The uniquely Canadian adoration for Halloween will push many people to find new and responsible ways to celebrate. Virtual activities like drive-thru haunted houses, pumpkin carving and home decorating will see increased participation.
With each passing year since Halloween's popularization in North America during the late 19th Century, participation in trick-or-treating, pumpkin carving and costume contests has become further woven into the Canadian way of life. Seemingly even before the summer is out, store shelves are stocked with sweets and decorations, supermarkets offer pumpkins for purchase and seasonal costume shops reopen.
Halloween is a holiday that revolves around hordes of children marching from house to house, sharing germs as they reach sticky hands into buckets of sweets - seems like an underdog against a global health pandemic. But as the month of October nears its end, businesses such as candy retailers, costume shops, pumpkin patches and tourism centers say they've found a way to celebrate safely. It's good timing, especially when the world is desperately craving something to celebrate in this sad times.
As families reconsider Halloween traditions in this particular setting, companies that usually rely on Halloween for sales have been struggling to adapt.
If people aren't trick-or-treating in droves, what happens to the industries that are dependent on families around the country stocking up on sweets and chocolates and other Halloween specific goods?
For candy companies, for example, Halloween is the biggest season for sales, and the pandemic threw them a curveball.
Halloween celebrations are unpredictable this year, but candy companies should still be optimistic, consumers will continue to shop for candy for reasons that don't include trick-or-treating: For example, candy sales increased in April, at the start of the pandemic, indicating that "people are viewing candy as comfort" while they are staying at home and social distancing.
But not all Halloween-reliant industries have fared quite as well. Without the resources to make major adjustments to their own products, it's essential for smaller businesses that Halloween isn't cancelled - especially costume retailers who depend on foot traffic inside their stores to stay afloat. However in keeping with Covid-19 safety, many shops are benefiting from selling new masks that are smartly designed to fit an outfit's theme while also providing protection.
Of course, like most small businesses caught in the pandemic's wake, Halloween shops are struggling as well. This is why it is important that governments find proper ways to protect both the public and the livelihood of many small businesses.
Families really want to do something that lets off some steam, and
finding any way to keep the doors open is important for business owners whose livelihoods centre on Halloween.
For this shared passion for the spirit of 31 October public and businesses alike need to think even more creatively about how best to adapt to such grim circumstances induced by the coronavirus pandemic.
It is important to respect the safety of the public as recommended by the authorities and at the same time enjoy the spirit of Halloween.
So where it is possible, trick-or-treaters should only go outside with members of their own household and only collect candy given to them outdoors.
Those handing out candy should use tongs or other implements to drop the item into children's satchels, without anyone touching it.
In addition, everyone out for Halloween in regions that allow it should wear a mask at all times.
Those handling candy should use hand sanitizer or wash their hands often.
So have a safe Halloween and enjoy it with family.
Happy Halloween!
