Thread: Should Halloween be the last Saturday of October?

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I personally would love it if Halloween was the last Saturday of October.

It'd be good for kids, because they get to have their fun trick-or-treating and parties.
It's good for parents because they won't have to go to bed early or have work the same
time so they'll be better motivated to watch over their kids. It's good for adults who want to party...

I can't think of any decent BAD reason, that can stand up to any of the GOOD reasons to make it the last Saturday of October.

What're your thoughts?

No. Halloween isn't just a fun holiday for kids and parties. It's also an ancient tradition that would lose some of its magic if it was just set on a certain day for convenience. It's great when Halloween falls on a Friday or Saturday but I would hate if thw date was changed. October 31st should forever be Halloween.

No. Halloween is October 31st and I can't think of one good reason to move it. Kids have been trick or treating on school nights since the beginning of trick or treating. No harm done. Schools hold sporting events, plays, and plenty of other functions on school nights and no one seems to mind that.
Hold parties on the weekends if that works out better for you, but Halloween should be left alone.

I'm going to disagree with the suggestion to move halloween. The past few years that have had halloween fall on a weekend, Sat or Sun didn't matter, we had way fewer ToTers to the house. Families went to parties or whatever instead of staying close to home and ToTing. I love seeing the kids come to the house in their costumes, so the more kids the better. Plus when you decorate for them, much better to have more kids see your efforts. Nope, I'd much rather have a fluctuating holiday.

Halloween IS October 31st. That's all there is to it.

Growing up I loved when Halloween was on a school day - fun parties, and a perfect excuse to stay up late! I actually don't like when it falls on a Saturday because I love my annual party and I love trick-or-treating and I wouldn't want one to interfere with the other. Also, there is someone special and traditional about the 31st and it just wouldn't be the same to me if it changed every year like Thanksgiving! Can you imagine thinking in April "what day is Halloween this year?", "hmm, I don't know yet".

Real interesting responses!

I think my personal perspective growing up might have been a little different.

For me, in elemtary school, I didn't mind so much having Halloween on a weekday, and I can say I even enjoyed it. And as a younger child, we went trick or treating earlier and went to bed earlier.

But in middle and high school, I remember everybody dreading Halloween on a weekday, because we would want to be trick or treating from about sun-down up until about almost midnight, then hang around until midnight or later. This, of course, was a bit harder to do with school the next day, because we'd be exhausted.

And as for Halloween parties when growing up, I think we generally only did them on Halloween night, without a weekend party.

So I think maybe it's just different ways of growing up.

That said... I'm older now, roommates and I are doing a party tomorrow, and we hope we get a lot of trick or treators on Monday!

- Hernan

Absolutely not. Halloween is October 31st.

The day they decide that it's okay to shift Christmas around from the 25th as well, I might see doing the same with Halloween.. which will never happen.

Given our current forecast I'd like to see it moved to September.....don't worry I'm just kidding!

I voted no for the same reasons mentioned above - However...

I would support November the 1st being made a National Holiday, with schools closed and businesses shut.

It is All Saints Day, a big day for Catholics.
It allows all-night activities on Halloween.
It allows for more Samhain evening festivities for the pagan community.
It could quickly become a major holiday shopping day if marketed right.
When it falls on a weekend, we could treat it just like Christmas or the Fourth of July, a 3-day weekend.
I wouldn't have to use the already limited vacation time I get as an American.