Halloween, a holiday we all know and most of us love, has traditionally always occurred on the 31st of October. For both adults and children, months of costume planning, and hours of decorating and candy shopping go into this one-night event. When it falls on a weekend, some parents and party goers believe Halloween can be even more fun, as there are no worries of getting the kids up for school the next day or struggling with the aftermath of a sugar-induced euphoria.
The non-profit Halloween & Costume Association concurs with this theory and has set in motion a movement to change the date of Halloween to the last Saturday of October, and their cause is gaining ground rapidly.
According to CNN, nearly 100,000 signatures have graced the pages of the organizations “Join the Saturday Halloween Movement,” and more are coming in. This surge of supporters has the non-profit pledging to send it straight to the desk of President Donald Trump.
What are the reasons behind this Hallows Eve date change? According to the Halloween and Costume Association, moving the night of Halloween will promote a “safer, longer, stress-free celebration,” and not interfere with parent’s work hours or school schedules. The organization says that each year, 3,000 Halloween-related injuries occur, and most children don’t carry the necessary safety equipment such as flashlights, leading to dangerous encounters with traffic.
If the organization accomplishes its goal, Halloween will always be on the weekend, which would provide more “room to move” for parents and trick or treaters. Purists would have to get over the loss of that one particular date on the calendar and roll with this new time slot. As long as this famed and fabulous holiday isn’t taken away completely, Halloween will still be there to celebrate as it has for centuries.
