Will You Trick-Or-Treat In PA? Parents Weigh In

PENNSYLVANIA —Many local residents have missed out on a lot of things thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. This includes parties, local events and festivals, birthdays, weddings, dinners out, sports and even in-person school.

With several holidays — including the kid-favorite Halloween holiday — many parents are left wondering how they'll safely celebrate amid the pandemic.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently discourged traditional trick-or-treating, saying it's a high-risk activity. The agency has offered suggestions for low- or at least lower-risk Halloween celebrations.

But some local health officials in suburban Philadelphia have said trick-or-treating doesn't have to be canceled if some precautions are followed. Officials in both Montgomery and Bucks counties have released guidance for residents to follow as they celebrate the Halloween holiday.

Meanwhile, over at Patch we were curious about what local parents are feeling about the holiday. Will you allow your child to trick-or-treat? Will you welcome trick-or-treaters? And if the answer is yes, how do you plan to make sure it is done safely?

Last week, we put out an informal survey. More than 1,270 people responded to the survey and here's what they said:

Will your kids trick-or-treat this year?

More than half — 53 — of those who responded to this question said their children would be trick-or-treating this year. Thirty-three percent of respondents said no, and 13 percent said they were not sure yet.

The next question we asked was about masks. We asked: Will your kids wear a mask (other than a costume mask) if they trick-or-treat this year?

Of those who responded, about 63 percent said their children would wear a mask. About 23 percent said no, and just shy of 13 percent said they were not sure yet.

Then, we asked parents about their level of concern. The question was: How concerned are you about allowing trick-or-treating during the pandemic?

Nearly 39 percent said they were "very concerned" while about 30 percent said they were "slightly concerned." About 31 percent said they were "not concerned at all."

We also wanted to know if people planned to partake in the usual Halloween tradition of handing out treats to costumed children. We asked: Whether you have kids or not, do you plan to pass out candy on Halloween this year?

Of those who responded, more than 54 percent said they planned to pass out candy.

Thirty-three percent said no they would not, and 12 percent said they were not sure yet.

In terms of general celebrations, we wanted to know if Pennsylvanians were planning significant changes in how they celebrate.

We asked: Are you changing the way your family celebrates Halloween this year?

More than half (50.7 percent) of those who responded said yes, they will change how they celebrate. Forty-three percent said no, and 6 percent said they don't usually celebrate the holiday — pandemic or not.

Finally, we wanted residents to share with us their thoughts on how they'll celebrate the holiday.

Here's what they said:

• Carving pumpkins, horror movies and lots of candy (for us).
• Halloween-themed games, movies, snacks, and baking cookies with family. Spreading it out over Oct 30-31.
• When I pass out candy I will be wearing a mask. I will have my hand sanitizer visible for not only the kids but the parents to see I'm using it. Other than that, no other precautions I can think of.
• We're having an outdoor Halloween party instead of an indoor one, and our kids are trick or treating. Outdoor gatherings are limited to 250 people so we should be fine.
• I will be putting candy in a plastic sandwich bag at the end of the driveway. Kids will take their own bag. From a distance I will shoot them with a water pistol if he/she takes more than one bag.
• Inside trick or treating; very limited family members at one house; decorate inside doors (bedrooms, bathroom doors) with grandparent, aunt or uncle behind each to hand out treats to grandchildren.
• Keep hand sanitizer out near the candy bowl; wear masks; practice social distance recommendations (using a tube to distribute candy).