Scottish Government officially calls for no guising on Halloween

Families across Scotland are being urged to avoid door-to-door guising for this year’s Halloween celebrations due to the risks of spreading Covid-19.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Deputy First Minister John Swinney says the move is necessary to protect public safety and to ensure residents stay within the current restrictions on indoor and outdoor gatherings.

Mr Swinney said: “Under the current restrictions it is not possible to meet up indoors or in large groups outdoors, so the safest thing to do this year is to stay at home.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I know guising is a big part of Halloween and children will be sad to miss out, but as door-to-door guising brings an additional and avoidable risk of spreading the virus, our clear advice for families is to avoid it.

Children guising door-to-door, which the Scottish Government has called to cancel this year due to Covid-19 risks picture: ShutterstockChildren guising door-to-door, which the Scottish Government has called to cancel this year due to Covid-19 risks picture: Shutterstock
Children guising door-to-door, which the Scottish Government has called to cancel this year due to Covid-19 risks picture: Shutterstock

“Children can still get dressed up and share jokes with their families, and our Parent Club guidance has lots of fun and creative ideas for families to enjoy a safe celebration at home."

Mr Swinney also warned families must follow the rules during this year’s Bonfire Night in a bid to prevent further spread of Covid-19.

He added: “On Bonfire Night it is vital the public adhere to the rules on meeting up with other households to help stop the spread of the virus.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"We know that some people may consider using fireworks in their back gardens If you do plan on using fireworks this Bonfire Night, please do so responsibly and safely.

“Adapting alternative celebrations and sticking to the rules in place can go a huge way to ensuring everyone’s safety.”

Advice on the government’s Parent Club website suggests ways for families to have a safe Halloween at home including ideas around party games, fancy dress and storytelling.

For Bonfire Night, the advice includes guidelines around group sizes, distancing and FACTS precautions to reduce the temptation for people to hold gatherings and firework displays in their back gardens.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.