Photo courtesy of Pexel
Premise Data surveyed over 1,300 U.S. residents about their upcoming Halloween plans and how the pandemic might affect their decisions. Last year, 39 percent of respondents reported that they dressed up for the holiday, and the trend continues this year as 39 percent reported that they plan on dressing up again this year. However, all other Halloween activities will not be as popular this year.
The percentage of respondents who will decorate their homes decreased from 46 percent to 44 percent. Similarly, many are opting to forgo any sort of Halloween festivities this year, with the response option “none” climbing to number four on the list of Halloween activities compared to last year’s sixth place.
In light of the CDC’s recommendations, the percentage of people planning on attending Halloween events dropped five percent from last year’s 21 percent, to this year’s 16 percent. Of those who answered that they will be attending an event, nearly 64 percent plan to attend a friend or family party, 45 percent intend to visit a haunted house, a 39 percent aim to engage in a community event. Visiting a corn maze, most likely deemed a “moderate risk activity,” jumped from 30 percent to 33 percent.
Trick-or-treat is also taking a hit this year. While 78 percent of parents went trick-or-treating with their children last year, only 52 percent of parents plan on doing so this year. Of the parents allowing their children to go trick-or-treating, 63 percent will require them to wear a protective face mask; not to be confused with decorative Halloween costume masks. Another 23 percent do not plan on their children wearing masks, while the remaining 14 percent are unsure. The top three reasons for not going out this year are for general safety concerns regarding the pandemic (52 percent), local social distancing policies (18 percent), and no interest (13 percent). Only two percent said they were not going trick-or-treating due to local mask-wearing policies respectively.
Only 6 percent of respondents plan to partake in virtual celebration, but those who do share many creative ideas. Common plans were to connect with friends and family over Zoom or Facebook and throw virtual costume contests, eat candy, or tell ghost stories. Other ideas include hosting an online Halloween movie marathon watch party or online murder trivia.
Whether celebrating virtually, taking a break from celebrations, or celebrating in person, CityScene encourages you to follow CDC guidelines to have a safe and fun holiday.
Alex Moreno is a social media coordinator. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscene.com.
