Last weekend was our first Halloween since COVID-19 has impacted our lives.
I am a big fan of Halloween. Each year I am moved to see how so many people in our community come together to create a fun evening for children that have probably never even met otherwise.
Treat-or-treating is something that parents need to count on the kindness of strangers to pull off. I grew up trick-or-treating and it is pretty incredible that this old-fashioned practice has stood the test of time.
I am a single parent and there are many things that fall on my shoulders to ensure my daughter has all of the childhood experiences. Halloween experiences really come from the generosity of others.
This year, I was worried about how Halloween would be different. I wasn’t comfortable taking my daughter trick-or-treating this year, partially for my family’s safety but I was also worried about putting expectations on others to participate.
At this time, we all need to operate in our own comfort levels and give people space to operate in theirs.
I was thrilled to see photos and hear from families who did go trick-or-treating. There were many creative and innovative solutions to accommodate trick-or-treaters in ways that adhered to, and supported, physically distancing. There were chutes, buckets on strings, long tongs, and many other great ideas.
A few days before Halloween, my daughter and I drove all over Greater Victoria searching for wonderfully decorated homes. We found some through exploring the streets and also using the map that the Times Colonist had online.
We had a great time doing this and I want to thank all of the people who took the time to decorate their homes for people like us to enjoy. Even without trick-or-treating, we still enjoyed the assistance of the community for taking the time to brighten up the dark nights with spooky displays.
My daughter and I volunteered with the Metchosin Fire Department in assisting with its drive-through haunted house.
We hung decorations, carved pumpkins, and my daughter got a kick out of putting on a creepy mask and scaring cars for two hours as they drove through the display. It was a great opportunity for her to become one of the givers of Halloween instead of being a receiver.
The drive-through haunted house had many volunteers, mostly from the fire department, who spend many hours planning, executing, and cleaning up.
I sought out pumpkins at the 11th hour to create a row of lit jack-o-lanterns. Grocery stores were sold out and I visited some local farms to source them. When I mentioned they were for the fire department, I was either given pumpkins for free or at a very minimal cost.
I wanted to share this story because when this Halloween ended, my heart was full of the community spirit that I really love about Halloween. No matter how different things needed to be and with some traditions changed, people were still doing their part to bring a smile to children’s faces all over the region.
As we move into the next stage of our winter holiday season, I am excited to see the creative ways we can come together, and work together, to still feel connected and keep the holiday magic alive for everyone.
Charla Huber is the Director of Communications and Indigenous Relations of M’akola Housing Society.
