Mapping out Halloween

Have you figured out what you’re doing this year for Halloween? The Map Geek predicts that all is aligned to create a spooky good time. First of all, October 31st lands on a Saturday, which always means a celebration of sorts. Plus, there will be a full moon and a blue moon; the latter means that it’s the second full moon in a calendar month. Both rank as rare occurrences. (How many full moons do you recall on Halloween, let alone a blue one, which typically appears extra large and casts a ghoulish blue glow?) It’s also the night when we “fall back” the clocks. To top that off, 2020 has been so bizarre that who isn’t looking to have fun? We’ve already had the heck scared out of us!

Whether you’re young or old, there are plenty of ways to cut loose and express your creativity on this All Hallow’s Eve. And since many already packed on some COVID pounds, a little more extra candy will likely go unnoticed. The Map Geek has unearthed (uh-oh, doesn’t that already make you think of a graveyard?) a cauldron-sized collection of maps that will help you celebrate this popular holiday in a safe and unique manner.

Hershey’s chocolate bars are synonymous with Halloween. So it’s no surprise that they came out with a sweet and informative way to help us celebrate one of the biggest candy events of the year. Check out their colorful website to find out the level of COVID-19 risk in your area and how to celebrate it depending on its rating. The main focal point of this site is a map that provides coronavirus stats on every state of the union and color codes each area into green, yellow, orange and red zones. Next tab indicates all the recommended ways to celebrate in each zone; kids in the green zones have the green light on trick or treating whereas red zone kids might best celebrate with a Halloween piñata. With oodles of ideas presented on this site, you just might find a new way to celebrate Halloween in the years to come.

Halloween Map is more homespun, which in this case, means that it takes a lot longer to load. Still though, it’s peppered with all kinds of info. about how Halloween is being celebrated throughout. In Plymouth, Massachusetts, for example, ghost icons indicate the addresses of two different houses where you’ll find a decorated yard, candy delivered via a chute and candy prepared with extra care. Also in Plymouth, a witch’s hat in a green ring indicates that the goods are allergy friendly. Here, too, the yard is decorated and it’s highlighted that the candy will be outside in individual bags. Boy, I bet they need to provide quite the supply for this legendary area! Best to use your phone–and your two fingers–for this map rather than your computer.

The word Hallowe’en means Saints’ evening, the night before All Saints Day. Saints and ordinary folk like your dear departed Uncle Al supposedly take the opportunity on this night to float about. If you want to zero in on where to find the most famous or infamous souls, check out Esri’s Cemetery Map. Enjoy creeping yourself out on this cemetery tour that will take you around the world. The music alone will give you the shivers.

Esri is certainly not all about hearts and flowers because they have also created The Geography of Horror. On this map you can check out some of the scariest places of the world, or at least where more than 200 top-rated horror films have taken place. This also serves as a great resource for picking out which Halloween films you want to watch during the season of October 31st.

Any holiday gives us good reason to roll out the decorations and also to do some arts and crafts. You can find all kinds of colorful Halloween maps for decorating or to use as inspiration for your own creations at Pinterest and Shutterstock. Who said way back when that Halloween would be cancelled this year? No way!

Oh, and one more thing: Whatever you do, be sure to follow COVID-19 guidelines and socially distance and wear your mask. Wash your hands a lot, too, to remove germs and sticky, sugary goo. The Map Geek bets you’ve already heard that you can have lots of fun integrating a protective mask into your costume. And if you want to wear one punctuated with pumpkins, spiderwebs, witches and other fun Halloween motifs, check out this link.

Whatever you do, have fun and stay safe!