How to still celebrate Halloween in lockdown

You can definitely still dress up!

3 years ago

COVID might’ve stolen those summer holidays and festivals from us, but don’t fear – Halloween is still very much ON. Usually you’d be heading to Talbot Street for the Crisis All Frighter and then Goose Gate later in the week for Shapes Underground, but this year Lenton is the hub of all activity and your student house is the newest venue in town.

While new restrictions mean you can’t invite over all your pals, you can still have a spooky day of festivities with your housemates and here’s how:

Horror movie night in

Grab all your favourite snacks (popcorn is a MUST), half a dozen blankets, turn out all the lights, get comfy on the sofas and put a horror movie on. Netflix has a good selection for both the hardcore horror fans and the faint-hearted, just don’t waste your time on Friday 13^th like our house did.

Wollaton Outdoor Cinema

Head over to Wollaton Park to experience their outdoor cinema – just don’t forget a torch and a flask of hot chocolate (with a splash of Baileys)! The only downside is the price tag of £17.97 per person. Bookings are for a minimum of two people and you’ll be provided with deck chairs to sit on (socially distanced from other groups). There are multiple film options: on the Friday you can watch The Shining, Halloween has a choice of Hocus Pocus or The Lost Boys, and finally on the Sunday they’re showing Ghost Busters.

Pumpkin carving

Yes, I’m scraping the barrel here… but you can pick up a carving pumpkin for just £2 from Sainsbury’s and you’re never too old for this one! Carve in your scariest design (even if it is Microsoft Teams)!

Halloween baking

A wholesome option for the daytime. There’s plenty of internet recipes that you can head to the shops with for ingredients (not forgetting a whole lot of decorative icing).

Halloween themed dinner

With wine of course. Get dressed up, take those essential photos for the gram and then sit down for a meal with your house. Turn out the lights and grab some candles – not in a romantic way, in a spooky way! To help you out, here’s a provisional menu: pumpkin soup, followed by spaghetti and meatballs (we’ll pretend they’re eyeballs just for the day) and then those cupcakes you all baked earlier following my previous suggestion!

Trick or treat (in the house)

One housemate gets the short straw here of setting the entire thing up, but it’ll be fun for the rest of you! You’re definitely too old to trick or treat at the neighbours’ doorsteps, but what happens in a student house, stays in the student house, right? One person writes a series of clues for where the treats can be found within the house. Then the rest of the housemates go on a hunt, picking up the clues as they go, searching for the hidden treats. There’s one catch – it’s got to be done in darkness. You never know who might jump out…

Though the news Tier 3 might have put a dampener on the week, the chance to celebrate Halloween has not been ruined yet, as you can do all of the above within the restrictions!