As a Mom of 5, I'll Feel Relieved If Halloween Is Canceled This Year
When I consider the very real possibility that Halloween may be canceled this year, all I feel is relief.
No fighting to find a parking spot at my kids school for the annual costume parade only for it to be moved to the gym at the last minute because, inevitably, it always rains on October 31.
No arguing with my kids when they try to coax me into spending $50 on a last-minute costume change because their previous choice is now "so lame."
No dealing with the next-day sugar hangover, and then trying to convince my kids that a plate full of Kit-Kats and Nerds doesn't count as breakfast.
In my eyes, a year without Halloween doesn’t sound half bad.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand that Halloween is a tradition loved by many, including my own family. I'm simply choosing to embrace our current reality this year, as sad as it may be. And while it's unclear if Halloween will be canceled this year, there's a good chance local governments may follow the lead of places like Salem, Massachusetts and Disneyland who are doing away with their annual festivities due to the coronavirus outbreak. At least that's what Los Angeles County is doing — they are one of the first major areas to forbid trick-or-treating and trunk-or-treating this year.
Some, like Jonathan Kruk, the writer of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, think that canceling Halloween is proof that we're "frightened by our own panic attack" — but I strongly disagree. The way I see it, October 31 is merely one day out of one year—a year in which we have the opportunity to rethink the way things have always been and discern what actually brings joy to our life, from how we work to where we travel to how we celebrate.
Sure, you can choose to sit at home in the darkness wallowing about what could've been. Or you can realize that it's possible to enjoy Halloween without a public celebration and neighborhood trick-or-treating. Even if you're holed up at home, there are so many ways to celebrate: costumes can still be worn, candy can still be eaten, socially-distanced parties can still be held, and perhaps most important of all, Hocus Pocus can still be watched. Heck, we can even take this opportunity to throw back to the original roots of Halloween by making our kids perform a song or dance for their "trick" before graciously giving them their fruit or nut "treat."
The point is, instead of mourning the changes, my family plans to embrace the cards we've been dealt. Because the truth is, as a mom of 5 kids, Halloween has always been an exhausting blur for me. While I have fun decking my minivan out for trunk-or-treat events or turning my baby's carrier into a Starbucks drink (some of my proudest work yet), I'm actually excited to celebrate a slower-paced Halloween this year.
Whether you are completely down with an at-home Halloween like me, or sad to see the spooky celebrations change, let's focus on the positive: Halloween is the one day everyone can agree that wearing a mask is definitely a good thing.
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