Sunday Scaries: Pandemic Friendly Halloween Party Alternatives

It’s official: we are approaching our second COVID-19 Halloween, folks. While much has changed since then—including vaccinations—the pandemic is still overstaying its welcome and concerns are still relevant. Halloween is one of my top three favorite holidays and Halloween 2020 being a very low-key day was disappointing to me, as it was to many others. That being said, I tried to think of some fun pandemic friendly ideas for Halloween 2021 based on the ways I maintained my own sanity in the thick of quarantine. In hopes that some of you can utilize these ideas as well, here they are:

Host a Murder Mystery Party

If you have a small group of people that are within your bubble but none of you are sure what to do or what to wear this Halloween, this option may be for you. Masters of Mystery has a myriad of options for murder mysteries, escape rooms, and cold case files that can be played in the comfort of your own home. The best part? They do all of the work for you. When you purchase a game, you have access to character lists, evidence, scripts, and many other additional resources that lay out the mystery for you and your friends. You need a minimum of four people to play each game, but you can play with up to 30 people. You also don’t need to worry about buying a game that doesn’t interest you, as they offer multiple notes on the game, including the plot, character names, length of play, and more. Personally, a few friends of mine that have been vaccinated and myself are planning on playing the 1920’s Murder Mystery Game and the Exorcism & Asylum Halloween Murder Mystery Game this Halloween. For some additional inspiration, I bought our group name tags, we’ve all picked our characters, we’re coming dressed as said characters, and I am making cocktails and appetizers that relate to each game. It’s sure to be a fun way to celebrate while not having to put much thought into our costumes and enjoy some fun drinks and snacks. And of course, it allows us to stay in the comfort and safety of our own home while doing so. Furthermore, they have murder mystery games to spice up other holidays, including Christmas and the Fourth of July. To find games of your own, visit http://www.mastersofmystery.com.

Teleparty and Chill

My best friends and I are very movie oriented. Most of our nights spent inside involve watching movies, sometimes making drinking games for them, and enjoying plenty of snacks together. When it was too dangerous to do this last year, we all struggled. Luckily, at the time, Netflix Party existed, and we were able to watch Netflix movies together while still apart. Since then, the browser extension is now called Teleparty, and it’s improved, now including Hulu, Disney, and HBO. Across these apps, multiple horror and Halloween movies can be found, including The Conjuring, The Addams Family, and A Nightmare on Elm Street among others. There are also numerous fun spooky TV shows, including Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Haunting of Hill House, and American Horror Story. If you’re not yet comfortable being in person with others, that’s totally fine, and this app could allow you a way to have a virtual Halloween party with loved ones and friends. To build off of this idea, you could pick a few scary movies, and make your own drinking games for each one. Some inspiration includes drinking every time someone dies, or whenever the killer lurks in the background unbeknownst to everyone else. Furthermore, you could each improvise fun eulogies for every character that succumbs to the murderer or demonic entity based on what you learned about them in the film or show. A socially distanced binge can sometimes be exactly what you need, so why not try one this Halloween with Teleparty?

Spooky Bar Crawl Around Your House

In the thick of quarantine last year, I came up with a crazy idea for my sister and I to pass the time and gain some sense of normalcy. I ordered groceries and some fun alcohol to our place, and I decided that I would cook all day and research interesting cocktails. When all was said and done, I had created a bar crawl throughout our apartment. Each room had its own appetizers and cocktails, and for a little while, it felt like we were visiting different bars. While we had so much fun doing this, I can’t help but think that adding Halloween into the mix would make this so much more fun. Why not put some fun costumes on and make appetizers and drinks that have creepy vibes? You can even make each room a different theme. For example: a vampire room with bats on the walls and blood red drinks. Or a Nightmare Before Christmas themed room with Jack Skellington décor, Christmas cookies, and a bright orange Aperol spritz or cinnamon cocktail? The possibilities are endless, and if you feel comfortable enough to be in close quarters with a few people, it could make for a very entertaining night.

When all is said and done, Halloween is right around the corner, and it’s sad to picture spending another one not celebrating. My wish for all of you this spooky season is that you find something fall or Halloween related that you feel comfortable taking part in this year, and that even for a moment, you find some semblance of normalcy. Stay spooky. But most of all, stay safe, friends.