A Different Kind of Halloween Celebration at Home

Halloween in 2020 was a decidedly at-home affair. We still put up the usual decorations — signs for the 'Salem Broom Co.' and pumpkin garlands — to make the house feel festive. Getting into costume was the main event. There were elaborate outfits this year with pink hair, red horns, and striped ones, and we took a few photos in the mirror before heading out.

The younger kids were masked up and ready to go, trick-or-treat bags in hand. The neighborhood was quieter than usual, but a few houses had decorations out, including an inflatable scarecrow and treats set up on a table by the front steps. It was a subdued version of trick-or-treating, but it was something.

The evening ended as the sun went down. It was one of those brilliant sunsets, casting an intense orange and red light over the hillside houses and the distant line of the ocean. A calm and quiet end to a strange Halloween.