This year is like no other; that means we need creative social-distancing Halloween ideas. Fortunately, the 31st of October already means many older adults stay home, people are outside, and – bonus – everyone’s wearing masks!
Order some Twisted Wine for your All Hallow’s Eve plans!
Because we’ve got some experience getting Twisted, we’re well-prepared for these Twisted times. Z&M’s got the Halloween social-distancing tips so you have all the ingredients for a bone-chilling fright night.
Creative Social-Distancing Halloween Ideas Have Existed From the Beginning
Now, it may seem like recent shelter-in-place and social distancing guidelines will make this a Halloween like no other. However, that’s actually not the case.
Let’s take a quick look at the history of Halloween’s origins, and why it’s the perfect celebration for these times.
WHAT IS ALL HALLOWS EVE?
First and foremost, there’s the name “Halloween” itself. It’s a contraction of “All Hallows Eve,” or the night before All Saints’ Day (“hallow” being another word for “saint”).
All Saints’ Day, or All Hallows, is a traditional day on the Roman Catholic Calendar. On November 1st, the Church requires the faithful to attend Mass to commemorate the dead in Heaven. November 2nd is All Souls Day, a day in which the Church remembers all the dead (let’s face it, not everyone’s Heaven material).
That’s why different cultures have similar holidays around the same time of year, like Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos.
The night before November 1st, then, evolved as religious people began to contemplate the last things of death and judgement. Since Christians believe they’re going to be resurrected after death, they used skeleton and ghost imagery to mock their own mortality. At the same time, the images we associate with this time of year also serve to remind of our own deaths, and of heaven and hell.
AN AMERICAN HOLIDAY
Halloween as we know it in the US is a uniquely American celebration.
Although there’s evidence that New England colonists celebrated something spooky, autumn-y, and harvest-y, things really kicked off in the 1800s. That’s when the Irish Catholic immigrants began showing up in America, and bringing their customs and traditions with them. The Irish are the ones who brought trick-or-treating to our shores.
Trick-or-treating also has its roots in a Catholic All Hallows Eve tradition. Groups of people would travel from house-to-house, asking for “Soul cakes”; think of it as Halloween carolling. These groups would sing songs asking for these sweet treats, in return for praying for the souls of the dead.
The Irish helped popularize this Halloween custom – including the wearing of costumes – which wasn’t widespread in the predominantly-Protestant country. Tricks used to be more prevalent in the trick-or-treating tradition than they are today. By the 1920s, widespread vandalism was a persistent problem with Halloween celebrations, which tended to be large events held by an entire town.
A large campaign to discourage vandalizing and remove the more macabre elements of Halloween helped diminish this issue. With large numbers of young families in the 1950s, the holiday became more domesticized. Halloween became something people celebrated at school and at home, where individual families gave out treats from their homes.
HALLOWEEN IN KANSAS
According to the Kansas Historical Society, Halloween was getting pretty out of hand by the late 19th century. Significant public and private property damage and theft were hallmarks of the celebration. Like other locations in the US, towns and cities in Kansas responded with public celebrations including parades and costume contests.
The early 20th century saw the return of smaller private Halloween gatherings, including costume parties with seasonal food, drinks, and activities.
SOCIALLY-DISTANCED FROM THE BEGINNING
Therefore, Halloween as we know it has always been something that encourages folks to stay at home. Rather than throngs of people gathering in the town square, Halloween became something small and domestic.
Fun Ideas for Halloween 2020
Halloween safety has always been a concern since civic officials sought to put an end to holiday-related vandalism 100 years ago. To find fun Halloween ideas, we only have to look to the past.
Here are some fun ideas for Halloween that allow you to social distance while still having a memorable holiday:
- Pod Trunk-or-Treating: Long a staple of schools, churches, and non-profit organizations, why not get the folks in your Covid pod together for a trunk-or-treat event? Find a place to park your cars, decorate your trunks, and let the kids get their trick-or-treat fix while they show off their costumes and blow off steam.
- “Boo!” Your Neighbors: Put together a couple of gift baskets with Halloween treats from the dollar bin at your favorite store. Print out a template explaining the game, asking recipients to post a sign on their door letting people know they’ve been “Boo’d,” and nicely asking them to pay it forward. Leave your treats anonymously, and watch as your neighbors pay it forward!
- Halloween Pod Party: If your social distance squad is too old for trick-or-treating, you could bring back the traditional Halloween party. Before trick-or-treating, Halloween was a small affair celebrated in the home with ghost stories and fortune-telling. Even in the 1930s, Halloween dinner parties persisted. Bring it home and keep the Halloween spirit alive!
- Zoom Costume Contest: If getting out and about aren’t in the cards this year, why not consider a Zoom costume contest? The fun part about this option is you can include friends from around the country (and world)! Pick someone to be the judge, and get creative with the prizes!
- Wear a mask. Yes, the safe kind that the authorities ask us to wear. But why not make it part of your costume? There are plenty of ways to make your mask part of your Halloween mask; it could be as simple as going as a doctor. You’ll find plenty of creative ideas online; check it out!
Celebrate Halloween in Kansas 2020-Style with Z&M Twisted Vines Winery & Vineyard
Z&M loves to celebrate holidays in Kansas in authentic Kansas style. This year, we encourage you to celebrate Halloween – safely.
Forget pumpkin spice; stop by our winery in Leavenworth, Kansas for seasonal-favorite mulled wine. Keep up with us on social media, subscribe to our newsletter, and visit our website so you can stay in-the-know about all of our events and into the upcoming holiday season.