"From ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties and things that go bump in the night, Good Lord deliver us!" runs an old Scottish prayer.
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But the most frightening thing this Hallowe'en could be COVID-19. Fortunately, families can enjoy all the haunts and horrors of the season - without worrying about their health.
NSW Health has provided guidelines to keep coronavirus and other evil spirits at bay. Hopefully, they'll work like a charm.
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If you plan to hand out treats:
- If you have any symptoms of COVID-19 over Hallowe'en, stay home; don't receive visitors; and get tested immediately
- If you are self-isolating, don't open the door to trick-or-treaters
- Make it a front-yard event, not at the front door of your house. Keep your celebrations outdoors, and get creative in decorating the front yard.
- Only hand out individually wrapped treats.
- Don't use communal sweets bowls. Consider other ways of distributing treats such as hanging them individually on your fence, front gate, or up your driveway.
- Offer hand sanitiser at your front gate or fence.
- You may wish to avoid people knocking on your door by putting up a sign that says: "We are home but due to COVID-19, we are distancing. Please take one, Happy Hallowe'en!"
- Remember: You can only have 20 people on your property at one time.
If you plan to trick-or-treat:
- If you have any symptoms of COVID-19 this Halloween, stay home and give trick-or-treating a miss this year. Get tested immediately.
- Keep it local. Stay in your suburb rather than going to well-known "treat streets" that attract crowds.
- Celebrate outside. Don't go to people's front doors.
- Stay in small household groups (for example, a supervising adult and children from the same household), rather than groups Remember: no more than 30 people can gather outside in a public place.
- Stay 1.5 metres away from people you don't live with.
- Only take treats that are individually wrapped.
- Use a disposable bag to collect your treats, and dispose of it appropriately afterwards.
- Don't share your treats with others from different households.
- Don't share costumes or costume face masks.
- Carry hand sanitiser with you and use it often, especially after touching common surfaces.
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