Halloween this year was pretty insane. Not only were people trick-or-treating in the middle of an international pandemic, but the other events occurring the same weekend were spooky as well.

   The holiday this year fell on a Saturday. The last time Halloween happened to fall on a Saturday was 2015, five years ago. Many parents and families are happy that Halloween fell on a Saturday, because they could have a day of fun events if they were not working, like pumpkin carving and throwing small parties. The ability to carve pumpkins the day of Halloween prevents them from rotting from sitting out before the night they truly need to glow.

   Speaking of parties, many students here at Newsome High School threw parties with their families and friends. While Halloween parties are really fun, throwing them in the middle of a pandemic only ended in the result of more students getting sick by becoming exposed to other students that may be sick without realizing. This not only required more students in brick and mortar to get quarantined but also raised our count of COVID-19 cases to 43 students.

   This spooky day is special also because Halloween had a blue moon, meaning it was the second full moon of the single calendar month. The last time there was a blue moon was March of 2018, and the next time there will be a blue moon is August of 2021, according to EarthSky, a science based website that provides information on the Earth and the cosmos. The last time there was a full moon on Halloween was 1944, 76 years ago. The next full moon on Halloween will not occur until 2039, in 19 years, making this year extra special.

   On top of those crazy instances, daylight savings ended this past weekend. Time “fell” back, meaning the clocks turned back an hour. This makes it lighter in the morning and darker in the evening according to time as we know it. However, many people like the end of daylight savings because getting up early and leaving to go to work or to school is easier when it is lighter outside.

    These unique events have made Halloween a crazy holiday this year. From the pumpkin carving to the moon, this Halloween has been truly extraordinary.