Every October, our neighborhood goes all out: pumpkins adorn front porch steps, spiderwebs encase the bushes and hedges, and there’s magic in the air as orange and purple lights glow from every home.
But not this year. A few houses have a lone pumpkin by the door, but that signature October feeling just isn’t there this year.
Is Halloween canceled?
2020 has been a challenging year for everyone. Everything was canceled this year: movies, backyard barbecues, family vacations… Did we really think Halloween was safe?
At a time where the world has suffered so much and communities are divided about so many issues, can’t we all agree on one thing: Halloween is awesome and should not be canceled!
“Somebody think of the children!”
We don’t have kids, but I remember the heartbreak of missing a Halloween as a child. When I was younger, I got chickenpox 2 days before Halloween. I was devastated that I couldn’t trick or treat and thought Halloween was going to be completely ruined. My mom got creative though and found other ways to make the holiday special. (Go Mom!) I remember it fondly now as one of the best Halloweens of my life!
Don’t get me wrong. We strongly encourage everyone to make safer choices – and October 31st should be no exception!
While mass gatherings and close contact with others might be excluded from this year’s celebrations, many Halloween traditions can be modified and adapted with health and safety in mind.
Grab your mask and get in, witches! We’re headed to Rite Aid to Save Halloween!
We’re longtime Rite Aid shoppers and always look forward to that time of year when Halloween decorations appear on their shelves. One of my earliest childhood Halloween memories is looking at the decorations with my nana at Rite Aid.
We love that Rite Aid is a one-stop shop too. We’re not walking across football field-sized stores packed with people or going to multiple stores for what we need. It’s convenient to only stop once and get everything (hygiene products, medicine, snack foods, and decor) – all in one place.
That’s why we’re proud to partner with Rite Aid this year to spark your imagination with 10 ideas for safer Halloween celebration alternatives!
- Find out what makes Halloween special for you
Take a few moments to think about what your favorite part of the season is. Is it dressing up in costumes? Tasty foods? The crisp night air as you stroll under the moonlight?
How can you modify your favorite traditions to spark the same feelings and emotions while keeping safety in mind?
If your favorite thing about Halloween is trick or treating, you could adapt the tradition by packing a bag of your favorite candies and taking a nighttime walk (in costume!) with your sweetheart.
With a little creative effort, almost all of your favorite annual traditions can be modified to be a bit safer this year!
- Mail Halloween greetings
Everyone sends holiday cards in December, but why not beat the rush and connect with loved ones across the miles by sending a Halloween greeting via USPS this October?
It’s a quick, affordable, and socially-distanced way to let your loved ones know you’re thinking of them this season. Those little orange envelopes always spark joy when they show up in our mailbox!
- Decorate your home and yard
I understand not going door-to-door interacting with strangers, but decorating your home and yard hurts no one! The activity of putting up familiar Halloween decor is by far one of my favorite experiences of the season. Aside from the personal joy it sparks, decorating outside your home brings a smile to everyone who passes by.
Halloween decorations have the power to turn the mundane into something magical. When you see whimsical Halloween decorations in someone’s yard, it’s a symbol of the resourcefulness of humanity and the resilience of the human spirit to persevere even through difficult times.
- Add a Halloween touch to meals
For this Halloween dinner, we added black food coloring to Ocean’s Halo instant vegan noodles from Rite Aid before topping with carrots, orange bell pepper slices, red onion, and fresh basil.
With a black and orange color palette in mind, we paired the noodles with sweet potato fries, root vegetable chips (Terra Vegetable Chips), and blue corn tortilla chips (Tostitos Simply Organic Blue Corn Tortilla Chips with Sea Salt) topped with fresh mango salsa.
Author Gretchen Rubin treats her family to a special breakfast every Valentine’s Day and always loved the idea – but for Halloween, of course! Why not make an ordinary breakfast or family dinner a bit more magical with a few Halloween touches?
Using cookie cutters or baking molds, you can easily transform familiar foods into Halloween shapes. Adding a splash of food coloring or a dash of sprinkles to a dish helps make an everyday meal feel more like a special occasion.
With Halloween cookie cutters, even simple foods become a special treat. Doesn’t all food taste better when it’s shaped like ghosts and pumpkins?
We made a few homemade Halloween chips by cutting flour tortillas into black cat, cauldron, broomstick, and tombstone shapes before brushing lightly with olive oil and baking at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Have someone special you’re looking to wow this Halloween? Surprise your sweetheart with breakfast in bed.
Make the most important meal of the day exceptionally spooky for your loved one by decorating the tray with plastic spiders and ghoulish tableware.
If they sleep in, treat your beloved to a Halloween brunch complete with “Halloween Mimosas”! Just add a few splashes of apple cider to a chilled glass of champagne.
- Throw a mini themed party for your family or those you live with
For the “Tootsie Roll Float” (left), rim a chilled glass in melted white chocolate dyed orange with a few drops of red and yellow food coloring. Then add scoops of chocolate ice cream and orange sherbet to the glass before pouring in chilled orange soda. Garnish with whipped topping and Halloween sprinkles. Tastes like trick or treating!
For the “Apple Pie in a Glass“, line the inside of a chilled glass with caramel sauce before filling the glass with fresh apple slices. Add fresh apple cider and cream soda before garnishing with whipped topping and pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves). This crisp and sweet brew is decadent and delicious!
We have been throwing mini Halloween parties for just the two of us for years. Smaller soirées are more friendly on the budget and provide just as much fun as an event with a long guest list. This year, cut the guests, but keep the celebration with a mini party for the loved ones you live with.
Whip up some traditional party foods, coordinate a few fun games for a small group, and crank Halloween tunes from your favorite Halloween playlist.
- Trick or treat scavenger hunt
One of the elements that makes Trick or Treating so much fun is embarking on a challenge on Halloween night with a tasty reward at the end.
Instead of sending your kids through your neighborhood, add a spooky seasonal twist to the Easter tradition of hunting for eggs. Hide small toys and candy in strategic places throughout your home and yard, and let your family seek out Halloween treats from the comfort of home.
- Conjure up a romantic horror movie night for you and your boo
Halloween parties can be to-die-for, but isn’t there something nostalgic about staying home and watching scary movies on Halloween night?
Add a romantic twist to the evening by whipping up a dark yet delicious Halloween dinner for your boo. Light candles, let the blood red wine flow, and snuggle up together under a blanket on the couch for a horror movie marathon.
- Dress up!
Let’s be real, half the reason we get all dressed up on Halloween is to share our costumes with everyone on social media. This is your one chance a year to be someone (or something!) you’re not! Don’t be afraid to don those costumes and show them off from the comfort of your home!
Make a game of it and invite your family to a last-minute costume challenge: Gather boxes of clothing, makeup, and wigs. Give everyone 30 minutes to select pieces from each box and assemble their look. Prizes for those who concoct the most creative costume! You can also take this challenge to the web and make it a virtual event with friends anywhere!
- Ice Cream Sundae Bar with Halloween Candies
Toppings include butterscotch and white chocolate chips, crumbled Halloween Oreos, chocolate candies, sprinkles, caramel kettle corn, candy corn, butter toffee roasted peanuts, chocolate covered pretzels, caramel sauce, strawberry or chocolate syrup, crushed pineapple or fresh berries.
If you’re worried Halloween won’t be as sweet this year without trick or treating, take matters into your own hands with a ‘Create Your Own Sundae’ bar complete with all your favorite Halloween candies.
Load up bowls with candy corn, chocolates, and sour candies to top your favorite ice cream flavors. Experiment with new candy you’ve always been curious about or stick to the familiar flavors that flood your brain with Halloween nostalgia.
Isn’t the only fun thing about being an adult the privilege to buy and eat your own Halloween candy?
- 13 Nights of Halloween Treats
Gifts can be large or small, depending on your budget, and can include Halloween decorations, masks or makeup accessories, Halloween socks, Halloween coloring books, or candy.
Inspired by traditions from holidays like Christmas and Hanukkah, make someone’s Halloween special this year by spoiling them with small gifts. We love the idea of presenting a small gift each night leading up to Halloween. Maybe, like Santa Claus or Elf on the Shelf at Christmastime, the nightly treats are delivered by ghosts or The Great Pumpkin!
If 13 gifts sounds expensive, I get it! These gifts don’t have to be grand, costly investments. Even a small trinket, presented with love and a spooky touch, can make someone’s Halloween more special. For creepier spin on wrapping, hide the gifts in paper coffins or inside of Jack-O’-Lanterns.
If gifts aren’t the right fit for you, make each night leading up to October 31st more magical in whatever way best suits your family.
Or break out the scoop and saw and get messy! Give your gourd a realistic glow with a Pumpkin Flame Insert that works much better than those small tealights.
Roasting the pumpkin seeds on Halloween night is an essential annual tradition you don’t have to skip this year.
You only experience so many Halloweens in a lifetime. Whether it’s watching scary movies, carving pumpkins, or planning a Halloween craft night together – don’t let this Halloween pass without creating memories with those you love.
It’s been an impactful year. We all deserve a touch of whimsy and a sweet treat. It takes a bit of extra creativity sometimes, but we have to fight to preserve the little moments of joy sprinkled throughout our lives.
We must adapt the traditions of the past, but rest assured, the spirit of Halloween lives on!
As you light the flame inside your Jack-O’-Lantern this year, watch as it casts its orange glow over the night and remember that you too must continue to shine – no matter how dark the world around you.
To find a Rite Aid near you, click HERE!
For this post, we partnered with Rite Aid. All opinions expressed are our own.