Halloween is a special holiday for many that enjoy the spooky season. Getting dressed up in the costume you’ve spent all month prepping for the big night, enjoying the king-sized Snickers bar that you managed to get while trick-or-treating or even getting to finally watch your favorite slasher series that you’ve been dying to show your friends. 

No matter what you’ve got planned, whether it be with others or alone, it is important to have fun and, of course, stay safe with the pandemic.

Staying safe, however, doesn’t have to mean not celebrating Halloween. There are plenty of alternatives and precautions that can be made into the holiday itinerary that keeps you safe while also still having fun. 

For those who are social butterflies who aren’t up for the trick-or-treating or big party scene this year, having a small get-together with your social circle can make for a great time and still give you the social outlet that previous Halloween celebrations have brought.

If you have the space to invite people over, decorating your dorm room, apartment or home can be a great way to get into the spirit. Black and orange balloons, streamers and window decals can be a great and rather inexpensive way to spruce up your space. 

Target, Meijer and Walmart typically have sections for the upcoming holidays. While decorations can run rather expensive, most stores do have dollar sections that keep you from splurging too much and still being able to decorate, though splurging isn’t always bad. 

I like to get most of my decorations from Target as their $5 and under items are pretty good. During my junior year of college, I got a pack of string lights for Halloween to hang up in my dorm room and they ended up lasting me all year. 

Window decals are also great for decorating and leave little to no mess once it comes time to take them down, or if you’re like me they’ll stay up all year round. These might run a little more than a dollar depending on where you get them but they usually can be reused more than once.

Of course, having a small party also means having the perfect opportunity to experiment with cooking and baking. For those who are into baking, decorating cookies together and eating them during a scary movie can be a great way to get into the holiday.

Growing up, my favorite thing about Halloween was Papa Murphy’s jack-o-lantern-shaped pizzas. For pizza lovers like myself, stop by Papa Murphy’s on Halloween and grab yourself a jack-o-lantern pizza to enjoy with your friends, or by yourself… nobody is judging.

Depending on how large your social circle is, dressing up together can make for a fun time while staying in. Or, if wearing costumes aren’t your thing, many stores have Halloween-themed pajamas that would be just as festive to wear for staying in and watching horror movies.

As a horror film fanatic, Halloween is my favorite time of year to show friends and family horror movies. Whether it be a series, stand-alone film or even a TV series, there is something for everyone. 

Kevin Williamson and Wes Craven’s American slasher film series, Scream, is my favorite to watch during Halloween. While it is still a slasher film, it is far less frightening than other slasher series like Saw or the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, both of which are also good if that’s up your alley. 

The series follows our main protagonist, Sidney Prescott, as she is stalked and attacked during the anniversary of her mother’s death by a mysterious killer named Ghostface. Each film delves deeper into Sidney’s mother’s past which deepens the plot of the story and makes for it to not feel so repetitive. 

Those who have seen or plan on watching the movies and enjoying them can look forward to January of 2022 when the fifth installment of the film will be released. 

A stand-alone film I recommend that I just recently have watched for the first time is the 1981 Canadian slasher film, My Bloody Valentine, by John Beaird and George Mihalka. 

The movie follows a group of young adults in a Canadian mining town who plan on throwing a party on Valentine’s Day for the first time in 20 years after two supervisors left the mine with miners still inside to attend the Valentine’s Day dance. 

Due to the supervisors forgetting to check methane gas levels before leaving, an explosion occurred inside the mine that trapped the miners. The only survivor is Harry Warden, who resorted to cannibalism to survive before going insane. 

The following year, Warden murders the two supervisors who left him trapped and declared more attacks to come if Valentine’s Day dances ever occurred. 

So, 20 years later, when the group of young adults reinstates the Valentine’s Day Dance, it’s only a matter of time before the killings begin again. 

While the film is extremely cheesy at times, having the story be set in a mining town similar to Marquette can be of interest to those who are looking for something new. I’d say this is one of the more tamer slasher films I have seen and can be a good movie to watch for those who are not entirely into scary films. 

But if movies aren’t your things, there are plenty of TV series that are just as good. 

Shows on the scarier side are Twin Peaks, The X-Files and the popular series that is still running, American Horror Story. Though, if you’re looking for something less scary, The Munsters, The Addams Family and Scooby-Doo are great tame spooky shows to watch. 

With all that being said, however, for those who are looking to still go out and trick-or-treat or to parties, remembering to be safe is important. 

Whether at a party or trick-or-treating, wearing a mask can help prevent the spread or catching any sickness, whether COVID-19 or not, on Halloween. If you are trick-or-treating, social distancing when you can will help from feeling overwhelmed surrounded by others. Carrying your favorite fall scented hand sanitizer and using it after each home will also help keep you and others germ-free.

So whatever you end up doing, remember to be safe, dress up, light that pumpkin-scented candle and have a great spooky season, Wildcats.