As the days countdown to October 31, the annual excitement of Halloween has begun. Children of all ages have planned their costumes for months in advance to try and have the perfect look. This year, though, COVID-19 has thrown a wrench into many people’s plans.

The CDC has announced guidelines for trick-or-treating, depending on where people live. Washington, Pennsylvania, is considered to be in the yellow area, meaning that trick-or-treating is allowed, but children and adults should still adhere by safety measures. The CDC also recommends that people handing out candy should throw the treats to the children from a safe distance away or they should set up a drive-by trick-or-treat. Instead of engaging in typical Halloween activities, the CDC suggests participating in other activities such as a pet parade, a fairytale forest, or a mask decorating party. 

Sophomore Sierra Craig stated that she felt the guidelines were, “Very reasonable for the situation at hand.”  

Mr. Swarrow, one of Trinity’s English teachers, believes that social distancing can be maintained since students live in rural areas, but that bigger populated cities will be more affected.  

Even though many events have been canceled this year due to COVID-19, there are still many ways students can keep the spirit of Halloween alive. In Smithfield, Pennsylvania, there is a haunted house attraction called Fright Farm that is open Thursday to Sunday for all of October. Fright Farm is one of Pennsylvania’s top-rated professional haunted houses and they use many kinds of special effects to make a frightening experience not like any other. Fright Farm expects masks to be worn by both staff and customers while they go through the haunted house and have also put in place social distancing guidelines so that everyone can enjoy a nice haunting.

Halloween is very important to many people and there are plenty of ways to have a great time, despite the current situation. Be safe and make sure to wear masks and social distance so that everyone can have a great Halloween and an awesome fall season. Stay safe Hiller Nation and Happy Halloween!