When asked to think of a famous holiday in October, you are most likely to think of Halloween. Many people, especially children, look forward to this holiday, hoping to wear costumes or go trick-or-treating. Pumpkin carving is also another popular tradition of Halloween, where people carve pumpkins to create decorations with frightening expressions.
However, this famous holiday that has been continuing for generations has now been forced to undergo an unexpected change due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the pandemic has currently calmed down in South Korea, the dangers of trick-or-treating, or large gatherings such as parties or festivals still remain. This means that these traditions will not be as safe this year when compared to the years before the pandemic started. Trick-or-treating and parties with a large number of people can lead to the spread of the virus if one is not careful enough, especially if people don’t wear masks or aren’t cautious of social distancing measures. What was originally intended to be a fun gathering on Halloween could possibly turn out to be a complete nightmare.
Being aware of this risk, KISJ has also canceled one of the largest and most significant events for the Halloween season, the fall festival. Students will not be able to wear costumes or enjoy the different food, drinks, or games from the fall festival booths this year. The Halloween party has also been delayed, causing disappointment in many of the students. However, students will still be able to dress up in costumes and participate in the KISJ Halloween costume contest on Friday, October 30th. In order to join the contest, upload a photo of the costume the student is wearing in the Google Form that STUCO will be sending out.
Although many large events that celebrate Halloween at KISJ were canceled, there are still many ways to spend a fun and safe Halloween at home with your family and friends. Watching horror movies is one of the ways to enjoy the excitement of Halloween. Some of the most popular and best horror movies that are recommended are The Train to Busan, Us, and It. In the movie, The Train to Busan, a zombie virus breaks out in South Korea, and the passengers that are trapped on the train from Seoul to Busan struggle to survive without being infected with the zombie virus. The zombies in this film feel highly realistic and the well-crafted storyline builds up the tension in the movie as well. The second recommended horror movie, Us, begins in the year 1986 where a young girl and her parents wander through the Santa Cruz boardwalk, but, unexpectedly, the girl finds a doppelgänger that looks exactly like herself. The movie then shifts to present day where the little girl is a grown woman, and when her family returns home, they find a group of unwelcome trespassers lined up across the driveway, who strangely resemble the family. The movie, It, is set in the summer of 1989. In the Town of Derry, there is suddenly an endless continuation of violence, murder, and mysterious child disappearances. A group of bullied kids band together to destroy a shape-shifting monster that disguises itself as a clown to target little children in its crimes.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Halloween this year may seem boring and unexciting compared to the past. However, please remember that there are still many ways to enjoy yourself if you look beyond the negative aspects of Halloween this year.
Stay safe, and have a happy Halloween!
Work Cited
“Halloween.” British Council, 19 Oct. 2020, learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/general-english/magazine/halloween.
History.com Editors. “Halloween 2020.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 18 Nov. 2009, www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween.
Thomas, R. Eric. “The 47 Best Halloween Movies of All Time.” ELLE, ELLE, 28 Sept. 2020, www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/g12118747/best-halloween-movies/.
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