Most People Plan To Celebrate Halloween Despite COVID Concerns

LOS ANGELES, CA — Most American say they plan to celebrate Halloween this year even though they're spooked by the pandemic, a survey released this week by Goodwill Southern California found.

This second Halloween of the COVID-19 pandemic, three-quarters of Americans plan to celebrate whether by decorating, handing out candy or going to a party. However, most Americans said their plans will be impacted due to concerns about the vaccination status of relatives, friends, neighbors and trick-or-treaters. According to the survey, 73% of Americans believe safety issues due to the pandemic will impact their Halloween plans and about two- thirds said their plans will likely be impacted due to concerns about others being unvaccinated.

Halloween celebrations were largely put on hold last year as signs of a surge emerged. Goodwill's survey found that many people are ready to dress up again and celebrate with friends and neighbors.

In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has given the go-ahead to trick-or-treating this year unlike last year.

"I wouldn't necessarily go to a crowded Halloween party, but I think we should be able to let our kids go trick-or-treating in small groups," Rochelle Walensky, director of the CDC, told CBS News.

Coronavirus numbers are falling across the nation, and California currently has the lowest case rate. However, health officials do expect the cool weather to bring an uptick in cases not unlike cold and flu season.

Overall, 74% of Americans plan to celebrate Halloween, according to Goodwill, with 41% saying they plan to pass out candy to trick-or-treaters and 34% saying they plan to dress up. According to the survey, 34% of people plan to decorate their homes for the holiday, and 24% plan to attend either an in- person or virtual party.

"Halloween is Goodwill SoCal's busiest season as customers embrace do- it-yourself costume and decor shopping at Goodwill stores," Marla Eby of Goodwill Southern California said in a statement. "There are many ways to celebrate Halloween while taking safety precautions during the pandemic."

But what will people be dressing up as this year? According to the survey, 28% of respondents said they'll base their costumes on pop-culture trends or TV/movie/book/videogame characters, while 25% are planning traditional costumes such as ghosts, witches, zombies or werewolves.

City News Service contributed to this report.