Resumption Of Halloween Traditions Supported: Virginia Survey

VIRGINIA — A majority of respondents in a Virginia Patch survey support trick or treating and some other Halloween activities as the COVID-19 situation looks different from last year's Halloween season.

Heading into Halloween weekend, we wanted to ask readers about their willingness to participate in common Halloween traditions compared to last year. While last year's Halloween season came before the arrival of the first COVID-19 vaccines, anyone 12 and up had the opportunity to get vaccinated in 2021 as a protection against the virus. Children younger than 12 cannot yet be vaccinated yet, but federal authorization for ages 5 to 11 is possible in early November.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance has also changed since 2020. While trick or treat was considered a high-risk activity in 2020, CDC now says it can be done with precautions. Suggested precautions are getting vaccinated if eligible, wearing a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial to high transmission, avoiding crowded and poorly ventilated spaces, staying home when sick, or getting tested if you have symptoms or are a close contact.

Our survey was open to the public until the morning of Friday, Oct. 29. The survey is not meant to be a scientific poll, with random sampling and margins of error, but is meant only to gauge the sentiments of our readers in an informal way. There were just over 350 individual responses.

An overwhelming 73.6 percent of survey respondents believe children should trick or treat this year. A total of 19.1 percent said they shouldn't trick or treat, and the remaining 9.2 percent were unsure.

Despite the support for the Halloween tradition, 57.6 percent say children should wear a face mask (not a Halloween costume mask) while trick or treating. There were 31.8 percent who said they shouldn't wear a mask, and 10.6 percent were unsure.

A total of 72 percent indicated they would give out candy to trick-or-treaters this year. Some respondents shared the ways they will hand out candy:

• My husband and I have both been vaccinated and we’ll sit outside and pass out candy again this year.
• Table outside with candy spaced out (thinking about doing this every year! It allowed us to trick or treat together as a family. I think everyone should do this!!)
• wearing a mask while giving out candy
• Individually wrapping candy for trick or treaters to take without a person handing them out to be safer
• Put a sign out that says, "See you next year for 3 times the candy."
• Having kids come to the door vs having tables at the end of the driveway
• We’ll be using a candy chute to give out candy
• Not handing out candy physically, but putting little bags around the yard for kiddos to grab.
• Same as last year. We will hand out candy outside around a fire pit using our socially distant candy delivery device we made last year.
• Back to answering the door and giving out candy, but no kiddos get to reach into the bowl - - I will hand out all treats, in their original wrappers, wearing skeleton hand gloves.

We also asked respondents what kinds of Halloween activities they feel safe attending. Many indicated they would participate in outdoor events, but a small share would join indoor activities:

• Trick or treat: 67.1 percent
• Outdoor Halloween parade: 68.2 percent
• Outdoor Halloween party: 64.4 percent
• Indoor Halloween party: 20.4 percent
• Outdoor Halloween haunts: 57.9 percent
• Indoor Halloween haunts: 18.8 percent
• Outdoor pumpkin patch or fall festival: 74.2 percent
• None of the activities: 13.6 percent

Support for some Halloween traditions was seen as a majority of respondents feel safe or at least safer compared to last Halloween. The majority — 59.2 percent — feel safer to join trick or treat and other activities than last Halloween. Another 14.9 percent feel safe this Halloween and last Halloween. There's still 17.7 percent who don't feel safer and 8.2 percent who are unsure.

Lastly, here are some of the comments readers left about their Halloween plans:

• The only people who should feel unsafe being out in public are those who are unvaccinated and who do not currently have antibodies from having had COVID and who are in the high-risk category (elderly, diabetic, obese, etc.). Only people who can check off all three of those simultaneously.
• Delta variant is still lethal and faster spreading; kids trick or treating are NOT yet vaccinated. I am super concerned that they will become ill or take home Covid 19 to their compromised family members or school mates/teachers the next day. Sadly, some carriers never appear sick.
• I would love to see a new tradition started where tables outside was the norm as well as the creative ways to distribute the candy such as candy shoots.
• Kids do not need to wear masks except the traditional Halloween type.
• Be safe and I think that all children need the feel of getting out as well as adults. Just please be safe and careful.
• As long as it isn't raining, I think all activities should be outdoors.
• People need to get on with their life and activities and stop living in fear.
• Back to normal - - well, maybe 90% normal. I will wear a mask, which I never did for trick-or-treaters before. (There was no trick-or-treating last year.)