Another year brings another Halloween, one of the most popular holidays among people of all ages. As COVID-19 is still present in day-to-day life, taking precautions to keep everyone safe is of utmost importance this Halloween season.

Of course, as this is the second consecutive Halloween being celebrated during a pandemic, there are new things to consider when planning a COVID-safe party. The wide availability of the COVID vaccine has allowed for gatherings to be safely held for the first time since the beginning of 2020. 

Many students, such as Aurian Nuchor, a business major at Sonoma State, didn’t end up celebrating Halloween last year due to the pandemic. With no available vaccine for the virus at the time, many felt nervous to attend any party or gathering. 

Nuchor stated that in his opinion, students should be more cautious during this years’ celebrations. Nuchor also adds, “Students can be reckless or sometimes forget to be cautious when meeting with people, but I hope we are mature enough to be cautious this coming Halloween.”

Aside from the health risks, last year’s celebrations were lackluster as trick-or-treaters weren’t as present, as well as a majority of events like parties, corn mazes, and haunted houses were either canceled or switched to a virtual setting.

Sean Lopez, a student at SSU, attests to the events lacking, explaining that most people kept their celebrations for the holiday to themselves. Lopez is ecstatic for this year’s celebration, as he will be, “Around at least a handful more people than last year since I’m fully vaccinated and feel much safer about it.”

Lopez shares this sentiment with many others this Halloween, as most are not only fully vaccinated, but individuals also feel more safe about celebrating holidays and going to events in crowded places. 

Furthermore, it looks like activities such as haunted houses, Halloween-themed amusement parks, and parties are to be coming back with the promise of individuals making up for missing out on last year’s celebrations.

Bela Poljanec, a student from Napa Valley Junior College looking to transfer to Sonoma State this upcoming Spring semester, gives her thoughts about what’s to come with this year’s celebration compared to last year, as she thinks, “Students celebrating Halloween may be less cautious this year about COVID because many restrictions have been lifted.” Poljanec adds, “I think more students will be having bigger parties and we could possibly see a spike of cases in students…”

It is understandable to assume that a spike of COVID cases would arise if students celebrate this Halloween in a crowded place. While the pandemic feels never ending and people are anxious to get back to “normal” life, it is important to remember to stay safe. Students can celebrate this holiday more freely this year, but for the safety of oneself and others, it is wise to be cautious.