If you’re anything like me, you spent the majority of the calendar year looking forward to Halloween. October 31 is basically a holy day for freaks and weirdos, a day to celebrate the creepy-crawly things that go bump in the night. Forget Christmas or Thanksgiving or other joy-inspiring celebrations. Halloween is a time to embrace your inner demon or witch and enjoy the evil delights the world has to offer.
But because this planet Earth, where apparently we can’t have nice things, there’s a current petition going around that’s hoping to change the date we celebrate Halloween. According to CNN, almost 60,000 people have signed a petition created by a nonprofit called the Halloween & Costume Association that would move the holiday from October 31 to a fixed date: the last Saturday of the month, whatever the numerical date may be. Their argument? That this would create a “safer, longer, stress-free celebration.”
Let’s consider this for a moment. Currently, Halloween falls on the 31st and doesn’t take into consideration the actual day of the week. Because it’s not a national holiday, and is instead a day families may choose at will to celebrate, this allows a certain freedom. Most towns set their own rules for trick-or-treating–including start and cutoff times–so there’s a sense of informality to the holiday already. The Halloween & Costume Association is arguing that by changing the holiday to a set date, it can allow longer times and more fun for dressed up kids.
Unfortunately, those good intentions come with a cost. Mostly, that Halloween on October 31 is a longstanding tradition most folks won’t be eager to just ignore. It also ignores All Hallows Eve, a pagan tradition originated by the Celts and honored for thousands of years. Moving the holiday would ignore that religion and those customs in favor of a more homogenized version of the holiday, which is certainly a problem.
The Halloween & Costume Association has stayed mostly mum on their end, refusing to reply to CNN for a comment. Hopefully this petition amounts to nothing, and we can continue our countdowns. Less than 100 days until Halloween!
Images: Universal Pictures