Wondering about the rules for Halloween here at Gaithersburg High School? As many students prepared to dress up as their favorite characters for trick-or-treating, the underlying no-face-mask policy remained in effect at GHS. Several students have questioned the necessity of the no-mask policy at GHS and whether it should be a requirement. While Halloween is a fun time for candy, costumes, and scary movies, many students are left wondering if the face mask policy ruins the fun of the holiday.
“I get the concerns for safety with the policy, but our school should have more security for face masks to be worn and for students and staff to feel safe,” mentions a Junior from the class of 2027. But what about the staff? Teachers at GHS seem to have a different view. Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) generally restricts the use of full face masks, especially those that obscure identity, hence the reason why Gaithersburg High School has banned their usage. Restrictions on masks help ensure the safety of all students and staff by maintaining visibility and preventing the concealment of identity.
“I feel the policy is appropriate for students because if we have students wearing masks, we may not know who they are, and that’s a safety problem.”-(Ms Austin, 2025). Although we may not be able to fuel any leniency in the future regarding the seemingly age-old policy due to safety issues, students and staff can still go trick-or-treating, carve out scary pumpkins, and host thrilling costume parties. There has been over a year-long debate among students as to whether the implementation of the no-mask policy should still stand at GHS.
All Hallows’ Eve, or commonly known as Halloween, is a day observed and celebrated annually on October 31st. This holiday consists of dressing up in disguises or as fictional characters, and may include the wearing of masks, and is believed to have originated from ancient Irish and medieval practices. During Samhain, an ancient Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest and the beginning of Winter, people were believed to have worn animal skins and disguises to confuse or hide from spirits of the dead, which were thought to roam the land on that specific night.
This idea of hiding in animal skins and wearing masks may have inspired the modern practice of what we now call Halloween. The options for Halloween costumes are vastly different, ranging from scary to humorous. The holiday is now commonly celebrated by children who dress in costumes and go door-to-door asking for candy, known as Trick-or-Treating.