Tricks to Safely Give Halloween Treats In Your Neighborhood

by Patrick Burgan

I love a good candy bar just as much as the next person, so the thought of trick or treating being put on hold because of Covid-19 has me looking for a Snickers.  This year has been a little too heavily favored in the “trick” category for my taste.  

With every day feeling like Halloween as people run around in masks, we definitely deserve some treats – and I’m not talking about a few pennies or an apple and a toothbrush.  I’m talking about a stash of candy that when you open the bag, an aroma of sugary goodness bellows into your face, instantly causing you to close your eyes and smile from the confectionary cloud you just absorbed.  You can smell the sugar already can’t you?

Just like with everything else this year, we’ve had to “pivot” in order to enjoy the normal things in life and Halloween should not be the same.  So, if you’re wondering how to safely handle the ghouls and ghosts looking for gummy goodies, here are three different ways your neighborhood can celebrate Halloween.  Oh, one thing, no matter which option you look at using, always remember to wear your protective mask, stay six feet from one another and be sure to wash your hands or use an FDA approved hand sanitizer.

Drive Thru Trick or Treating

Why not?  Everything else is drive thru these days!   This option, in the opinion of Public Health, is one of the safest methods to leverage for trick or treating.  While it removes the walking fun for kids, parents will rejoice.  Individuals would not get out of their vehicles.  Rather, they would drive to a select home(s)/location(s), chosen by their subdivision or local government, where treats would be distributed by volunteers.   Look, it’s an option and if your little vampire or witch wants to get some free candy, this is probably the safest, easiest and fastest way to make that happen.

Trunk or Treat

Probably the least appealing option is the Trunk or Treat, because you have to limit this to the state mandate of no more than 10 people to a gathering.  In this scenario, you and you closest confidants would host a small, quaint trick or treat day out of the trunk of your cars.  Kids would walk to each trunk where an individual will pass out the treats.  Look, I’m just giving you the recommended options, I am not calling the shots here.  

Old Fashioned, Door-to-Door Trick or Treating

Now this is what I’m talking about! The anticipation of knocking on someone’s door, the excitement to see what candy you would get and trying to find out which house gave the best candy this year.  THAT is trick or treating.  

While guidelines highly recommend all candy be distributed outside by staying 6 feet from one another, at least normalcy in the most abnormal holiday we have is present.  If you’re one of those houses that like to leave a bowl of candy for the “honor system,” let me first say, “Thank You,” and, “I’m sorry,” for when I was younger.  You shouldn’t do that this year, unless all of your candy is in individual bags for someone to take one.  Did you hear me kids…JUST TAKE ONE!

Though the tricks seemed to have started months ago due to Covid-19, the treats of Halloween can still be done safely in your neighborhood.  Observing the state guidelines and your local Public Health tips for conducting a safe and successful Halloween, will ensure every kid will smell the sweet sugary aroma from this spooky ritual.

Patrick Burgan is President of Youngstown Columbiana Area Realtors®.

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