6 Ways to Celebrate a Quarantined Halloween
Written by Yasmin Miranda
October 29, 2020
It’s the Halloween season! Well, kind of. With COVID-19 regulations in place, Halloween is going to look a little different this year than normal. Still, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t find new and creative ways to celebrate! There are still many different things you can do this year to keep up the festive spirit this spooky season.
Photo Credit: sourthernvines.co.za
1. Have a Zoom Costume Party
This one is an obvious choice and will probably be a popular one this Halloween. If you can’t celebrate Halloween with your friends in person, that doesn’t mean you can’t be together virtually. Get your costume ready, pick out a spooky background, make some snacks, and turn on your webcam. During the Zoom party, there are a few activities you can do to keep your spirits up:
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Halloween Scavenger Hunt: Create a list of spooky things to find around the house such as jack-o-lanterns, candles, candy, halloween wreaths, skulls, and headstone decorations! You can either create your own list or go on a variety of websites that allow you to print one out.
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Costume Contest: Who has the best halloween costume? Create your own list of categories such as funniest costume, scariest costume, most extravagant costume, etc. and have everyone cast their votes.
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Ghost Stories: Whether or not you personally believe in them, ghost stories always make for exciting entertainment between friends and family. Ask your guests to share their own paranormal experiences, or share some that you may have had. If not, you can always read ghost stories found online from platforms, such as Reddit subreddits like r/ghoststories, r/paranormal, as well as websites like CreepyPasta.com.
Zoom is one of the most user-friendly online platforms to keep in touch with loved ones, and this Halloween, it is likely your most convenient method to do so.
Photo Credit: escapeexpierence.com
2. Attend a Virtual Escape Room
Completing an escape room is one of the most fun group activities to do during the spooky season. Escape rooms are great for bonding with friends, and many have scary themes that fit with the holiday. Although this option may not always be free, there are a few virtual escape rooms you can try. www.escapology.com/en/@home and https://www.enchambered.com have a variety of escape rooms you and your friends can try out. Virtual escape rooms range from $25 on Enchambered to $29 per person on Escapology. Some games can include finding a killer before they find you, finding an antidote to save the world (very meta!), and escaping from a submarine running out of air.
If you don’t want to pay for a virtual escape room you still have options! Free escape rooms include:
Have fun and be smart!
Photo Credit: Steve Giralt, womansday.com
3. Try your hand at Pumpkin Carving, Decorating, or Painting
Although most people will have their pumpkins decorated before Halloween, you could always save yours for the day of. Get together with your friends virtually through Facetime, Zoom, or Skype and make a night of getting creative with your pumpkins. Carving pumpkins is a classic tradition for Halloween. In fact, Jack-O-Lanterns originate from Ireland, where they were used historically to ward off evil spirits! Everyone can carve their own pumpkins virtually into either funny or scary faces. You can even carve pictures into your pumpkins! Carving may not be for everyone, that’s why you can also try painting pumpkins. All you need are the pumpkins of course, whether you want to get the small ones to save money or splurge on the larger ones. As an alternative suggestion, if you want to create more permanent works of art, you can always purchase fake pumpkins! Acrylic paint is the best way to go, as it will usually stick better to the pumpkins. Make sure to also gather up anything you want to use to decorate your pumpkin aside from just paint; this could include foam stickers, googly eyes, glitter, or cardboard paper. Finally, make sure to keep a hair dryer nearby as it can help dry your art quicker.
Photo Credit: Ben S, blog.abt.com
4. Host a Halloween Movie Marathon
A classic way of celebrating Halloween is through a scary movie marathon. Here are a couple classics you should try out this spooky season.
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A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984): Known as a Halloween staple, this movie tells the story of Freddy Kruger, a child killer that murders people in their dreams, which then kills them in reality as well. The movie follows a group of teenagers trying to stay awake and defeat this evil entity before it kills them. Starring Heather Langenkamp and Johnny Depp, Nightmare on Elm Street is sure to keep you awake long after you’ve finished it.
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The Conjuring (2013): This must-watch film tells the story of a family who moves into a new home that quickly exposes them to paranormal activity. Based in the 1970s, paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren are sent to the house where they discover a dark and ominous history.
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Sinister (2019): Child killers? Sinister follows a true crime writer played by Ethan Hawke who is attempting to write his next best-seller. He moves his family into the home of the victims he is investigating when bizzare videos are found in the attic of the house followed by supernatural occurrences in the house. This film will have you keep a closer eye on the youngest in your family.
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Halloween (1978): How could a classic not be included? Whether you choose to watch the original 1978 film or the 2018 sequel, Michael Meyers steals the spotlight as the crazed killer looking for his next victims. With an iconic soundtrack, Halloween is sure to give you goosebumps and set the perfect mood for Halloween night.
After you’ve watched these movies you can also check out Midsommar, It Follows, and Insidious!
Photo Credit: ASG
5. UCI Students: Participate in the AGS Halloween Costume Contest
For UC Irvine students, the Associate Graduate Students are holding a costume contest with gift cards ranging from $50 for first place to $20 for third place. All you need to do is submit a picture of you, your family, your dog to their Facebook by Halloween at 11:59PM for the chance to win!
Photo Credit: ASUCI