Despite all the effort to keep people indoors and strip any modicum of fun from the lives of children, Halloween is tomorrow and people will be out, living their lives to the best of their abilities.

After all, Halloween is a perfect holiday for a pandemic! Masks are involved! Door-to-door trick-or-treating takes place outside! The candy is already wrapped! And the best part… PARTICIPATION IS OPTIONAL. You don’t want your kids going out? Don’t send them out. You don’t want kids coming to your door? Turn off your lights, maybe hang up a sign as well if you’re so concerned. I have a feeling that no one’s house is going to get TP’d this year for not handing out candy – not with the way we were all hunting down and hoarding toilet paper just a few short months ago.

Of course, there will always be the killjoys among us who can’t bear to give kids even a shred of normalcy right now. From California to Seattle to Iowa, health officials are busy trying to shame people into staying inside instead of being responsible while still having fun.

You know who disagreed?

It was a pleasure to welcome all of the costumed trick-or-treaters, frontline workers, military families & schoolchildren this year for the annual #Halloween festivities at the @WhiteHouse! pic.twitter.com/I90eXWXxcr

— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) October 26, 2020

Yes, the White House held their annual event, and it was FUN.

Thank you to everyone at the @WhiteHouse for a truly memorable Halloween. It’s tough not to have traditional trick or treating this year but tonight made up for it I think. Appreciate everyone’s hard work to make it an enjoyable and safe experience! pic.twitter.com/HTWPW4rWjB

— Bethany S. Mandel (@bethanyshondark) October 26, 2020

2020 has taken so much of normal life away. The holidays are going to be a stark reminder of just how not-normal things still are, with the insanity of California rules regarding Thanksgiving only being the tip of the iceberg.

So, let’s make the most of Halloween. We can even call it a nonviolent protest! After all, anyone who participates is willingly giving candy away, not having it looted from them!

With that in mind, here are my Top 5 Halloween costume ideas that only make sense, or make practical sense, in 2020.

1) Among Us characters
It’s not just the hottest game the kids are playing out there (it’s so cool that even AOC played it for voter outreach), it is arguably one of the hottest costume ideas for kids this year as well. And how often does the hottest costume of the year perfectly line up with masking requirements? After all, the Among Us characters are wearing spacesuits and helmets in different colors. In 2020, it’s absolutely perfect!

2) Star Wars characters with face masks
Darth Vader. Kylo Ren. Stormtroopers. Boba Fett. The Mandalorian. No one sees their faces unless the mask comes off. Don’t take the mask off. This is the way. (Full disclosure: my oldest son is going as the Mandalorian this year. The face mask is basically a face shield – it’s a solid piece of plastic. Ain’t no COVID getting through that.)

3) Doctor or Nurse
While this costume is not a new one, it gives anyone dressing up in scrubs the perfect reason to wear a plain surgical mask. Add a lab coat, and you too will have the authority to tell people to stay 6 feet away from you and your candy.

4) Joe Biden In His Basement
What would 2020 be without politics? All you have to do to be Joe Biden for Halloween is to get a large box – appliance sized would be best, but you still need to carry it around with you, so be mindful of just how big a box it is – and then cut a tiny little window in the box so you can see. Then carry the box around with you, keeping everyone away, taking no questions from the press, demand candy and then “forget” to tell your parents just how much you have in your “basement” so you can keep collecting more. When people ask you “how much candy do you have in there?”, call a lid and go home. Joe Biden mask optional, but it might be handy if you go out for milkshakes and the press asks what flavor you got.

5) Walter Reed Car Parade Donald Trump
This one is easy. A Donald Trump mask, worn with a surgical mask on top. Get in the backseat of the car and have your masked “Secret Service” agents drive you up and down your chosen Halloween route, collecting candy and waving to people along the way while watching other trick-or-treaters freak out like the press, because you are the Bad Orange Man who beat COVID.

Even if none of your costumes this year fit the above list, we here at Victory Girls wish you and yours a fun and safe Halloween. Be kind to the kids – they’ve been through a lot this year. If you can, be generous to those who come to your door seeking a treat. And if you can’t, then don’t begrudge anyone who chooses to enjoy Halloween a different way than you are.

Featured image via Pixabay, cropped, Pixabay license