It’s that time of year, when all the ghosts and goblins come out, ring your doorbell, and hope to get one of their favorite candies.
And they eat a lot of it. Americans purchase nearly 600 million pounds of candy a year for Halloween. During Halloween week, 90 million pounds of chocolate candy is sold. The focus is clearly on sweets.
Several years ago I wrote a song called Healthy Halloween for Dr. Mehmet Oz’s childhood obesity HealthCorp program. The goal was to focus on the fun of the holiday, eating healthy and having a good time. It’s a hard sell, but given the limitations created by Covid-19, this may be just the right message to be sending out.
Click Here to listen to Healthy Halloween.
If you do go out trick or treating, here’s what the CDC recommends to keep in mind when you celebrate Halloween this year:
Halloween activity guidance released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
- Enjoy Halloween outside rather than attending indoor events.
- Place candy on a platter instead of a bowl
- Instead of traditional trick or treating, opt for one-way trick-or-treating, with treats placed outside of the home for trick-or-treaters as a “grab and go” while keeping distance from others.
- Consider leaving hand sanitizer by any treats left out for trick-or-treaters to use.
- Wear a face mask or face covering. For more information on face masks and face coverings, please see the state’s Mask Up MA webpage.
- A costume mask is not a substitute for a face mask or face covering. To protect yourself and others, ensure you are wearing a protective face mask or covering instead of or in addition to a costume mask.
- Observe good hand hygiene, including hand washing and use of alcohol-based sanitizers with at least 60% alcohol. Carry hand sanitizer and use it often, especially after coming into contact with frequently touched surfaces and before eating candy.
- Refrain from touching your face.
- Decorate your yard for others to enjoy from their car or while on a socially-distanced walk.
- Hold virtual costume contests or pumpkin carving events.
- Celebrate with members of your household with a Halloween-themed meal, Halloween movie night, or by preparing a Halloween scavenger hunt.
- Maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet of physical distance from all other participants who are not members of the same household.
- Avoid:
- Attending crowded costume parties held indoors, or any gatherings that exceed indoor or outdoor gathering limits;
- Going to an indoor haunted house where people may be crowded together and screaming; and
- Going on hayrides or tractor rides with people who are not in your household.
- Indoor haunted houses; and
- Hayrides or tractor rides with people who are not in your household.
- Stay home and refrain from Halloween activities, including handing out Halloween treats, if:
- you feel unwell;
- you have tested positive for COVID-19;
- you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19; or
- you have traveled to or from a state that is not classified as lower risk within the last 14 days. For more information on lower risk states, please see the state’s COVID-19 Travel Order webpage.
