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Little ghosts and witches who say “Trick or treat!” call: Because of Corona, this is not appropriate, warn pediatricians and Family Minister Giffey. You can celebrate Halloween differently.
Federal Minister for Family Franziska Giffey advises against children going door-to-door on Halloween and picking up candy. “Even if that is very sad for children and young people, but Halloween as they know is not possible this year,” said the SPD politician of the newspaper “Welt”. The risk of infection is too great.
“I am sure that if we explain this well to the children, they will understand it too.” However, one does not have to do without the horror festival on the night of October 31. “At home in a small group, dressing up and snacking can also be fun.”
Pediatricians are also concerned
Giffey thus joined a lawsuit from pediatricians who had asked for the ringing to be stopped. “The very clear recommendation is to stop the custom this year,” says Jakob Maske, Berlin spokesman for the professional association of pediatricians. “You don’t even know who will open the door there. It could be someone from the at-risk group.”
The original American custom has also spread widely in Germany. The night before All Saints’ Day, houses are now crawling with grim reapers, zombies, and skeletons. Many children go from house to house, dressed up in groups, reciting sayings to get candy.
The US army in Wiesbaden closes the entrances
The US military in Wiesbaden is now even taking drastic measures to prevent infection at Halloween celebrations. The European army headquarters is in the capital of the state of Hesse, with large residential areas for American soldiers, where many American and German children are often away from home on Halloween. As announced by the United States Army, the entrances will be completely closed the night of October 31.
Nurseries also recommend a lot of caution on Halloween. According to the deputy city spokesman Hansjörg Wittern, kindergartens in the Hanseatic city of Lübeck will advise parents not to go looking for sweets. The Kita Berlin State Parent Committee also followed this recommendation. As an alternative for young children, President Corinna Balkow suggested, “Children dress up, then knock on their parents’ door, for example, and receive candy.”
Less toy sales expected
The crisis of the crown not only ruins the horror festival for many children, but also affects the business of the toy industry. According to the German Association of the Toy Industry, annual sales on Halloween are usually between 50 and 100 million euros. “The level of recent years will be difficult to achieve”, predicts the managing director of the association, Ulrich Brobeil.
Many online costume retailers, on the other hand, didn’t show big fluctuations, says Felix Schirl, managing director of trbo. According to the company, the tech company’s customers include several online costume distributors. “Families with children in particular are looking forward to Halloween, they don’t want to do without it.”
