In a world dealing with COVID-19, what will happen to holidays like Halloween? According to a recent survey by the Harris Poll on behalf of the National Confectioners Association, Halloween could be more important than ever. 

According to Yahoo! Finance:

“The results found that 74% of ‘millennial moms’ and young parents say Halloween is more important than ever this year.”

As usual, Halloween is a time for lots of creativity, and it helps that masks are already commonplace attire. However, how is the tradition of trick-or-treating likely to fare? 

Hershey CEO Michele Buck suggests people will find workarounds. As Hershey stands to make 10% of their annual sales during 10-weeks of pre-Halloween candy sales, the company sure hopes so.

“We think that consumers will find creative and safe ways to trick-or-treat. It is an outdoor event, and it’s an event where a lot of masks are already worn,” said Buck.

Even if trick-or-treating can’t happen safely, people will find ways to enjoy those treats, if only through buying for themselves. After all, who needs an excuse to buy candy? 

Picture all those people buying Halloween candy at your favorite retail store in the past. Now, consider that about half of those people are buying candy to eat themselves, according to Hershey’s findings. In other words, skip right past the trick and get to the treat!

As Americans stock up with supplies at home, it stands to reason that they are also buying more candy. Consequently, Hershey says chocolate sales are up 9% since the pandemic started. And, who doesn’t need chocolate as we face the stresses of COVID-19? 

Virtual Trick-or-Treating

As more of us are experiencing virtual school and work, it may not be surprising that virtual trick-or-treating is also happening. On October 1, the world’s largest candy-maker, Mars Wrigley, introduces the Treat Town free app. 

The app allows families to create profiles and decorate a virtual door with monsters and other Halloween avatars. Then, you can buy virtual candy credits to be redeemed for real candy, including M&M’s, Snickers, Skittles, Twix, and other Mars products.

Now, Halloween will take place all month, not just on Saturday, the 31st. Interestingly, you can virtually visit your friends and relatives anywhere in the country rather than sticking to your usual haunts.

Like Hershey, Mars Wrigley is currently seeing a rise in sales with more purchases of family-sized candy packs to stock pantries. 

According to Mars Wrigley North America president, Anton Vincent:

“We have great beliefs in Halloween at Mars Wrigley,” Vincent said. “It’s a time period when people get excited, and I think we’re in a position to save the ritual and spirit of the holiday.”

Socially Distanced Halloween

So, does virtual Halloween sound exciting to you? If not, how do you feel about socially distanced trick-or-treating? According to Halloween mainstay, Oriental Trading, “the haunt must go on!”

 The party ideas company has introduced eleven ideas for “low contact trick-or-treating.” Ideas include setting up a “candy graveyard” on your lawn that allows you to send one kid at a time through a path where they can safely grab placed pre-wrapped candy and treats. 

Importantly, the goals are staying six feet apart with no sticky hands sharing the same treat bowl. To accomplish this, they suggest Halloween-themed grabbers or gloves or planning a neighborhood drive-through or walking parade experience.

Of course, we’re all familiar with wearing masks of late, so why not choose one with your favorite Halloween characters? In that way, we’re all ready to make Halloween 2020 memorable.

With a little extra planning, the holidays can be more important than ever and a much-needed escape. Stay safe and enjoy yourselves as much as possible. We all deserve it.

See more in the video from Oriental Trading below:


Featured image: Screenshot via YouTube