HALLOWEEN CHANGES TO LAST SATURDAY IN OCTOBER, ‘IF’ PETITION GETS ENOUGH NAMES
Everyone loves Halloween — except when it falls on a weekday night.
The after-school homework routine is tricky enough, even without a kid who just wants to put on a costume and eat candy; early bedtimes curtail what could be hours of trick-or-treating. Even older fans of the holiday are disappointed — it’s hard to have a fun time when you know you need to be back at the office in the morning.
One group is petitioning for a Halloween update to change the date of the holiday.
“It’s time for a Safer, Longer, Stress-Free Celebration!” wrote the organization, the Halloween & Costume Association, on their Change.org petition, which was started last year. “Let’s move Halloween to the last Saturday of October!”
As of Friday morning, more than 70,000 Halloween enthusiasts have signed the petition. At 100,000 signatures, it’s passed on to the White House.
Others suggested that instead of moving the holiday, people should just extend it — and celebrate for the entire month of October or longer.
ONe Twitter user pointed out that many towns have celebrated Halloween on different days, to ensure safety and a good time for any children who participate. Some on the petition called for a similar compromise, which would allow children to trick-or-treat during weekend daylight hours.
While it’s unlikely that the petition will really change the holiday, there’s no way to be certain — so make sure to double-check your calendars before trick-or-treating this October.
The petition itself was filled with positive comments from various signatories.
“As a child, I always wished that Halloween was on weekends,” wrote one. “As a mother, I still believe that would be best.”
Another said that as both a parent and a teacher, they’d prefer a weekend celebration.
“It’s a good idea,” wrote a third. “Saturday will be easier for kids and their parents. And we won’t have sugared-up kids on the school bus.”
The petition mainly focuses on safety issues that can arise during Halloween. More kids are hit by cars on this night than any other night of the year, and according to the petition most parents don’t use visibility aids, making it harder for drivers to see children.
The petition also accounts for older fans of Halloween, saying that 51% of millennials have called Halloween their “favorite holiday” and asks “why cram it into two rushed weekday hours when it deserves a full day!?!”
Halloween is a lucrative holiday for retailers, which may be another reason for the push to move the date from the traditional All Hallows’ Eve on October 31. Halloween spending on candy, decorations and costumes tops $9 billion in the U.S., according to the National Retail federation.
Social media users responded to the petition almost immediately, many arguing that Halloween should stay put.
