Ah, Halloween. A night when we rush home from work after waiting forever in the drive-thru line at Sonic, dress our kids from head-to-toe in their very specially chosen Halloween costumes that we paid too much money for, only to cover them up completely with winter parkas, hats, and gloves.
Every parent knows the dreaded drill. Every year, Halloween is a night where we spend two hours at the end of every neighbor’s driveway only to spend another two hours at home, bargaining with sugar-buzzed kids to go to bed because there’s school tomorrow.
Parents and kids alike suffer year-in and year-out from post-Halloween sugar-hangovers, and it’s all just something that could be completely avoided if Halloween was simply on a Saturday.
That was the idea behind the Halloween & Costume Association’s official petition to change the date of Halloween to the last Saturday in October.
After launching the campaign in 2018, the Change.org petition garnered more than 150,000 signatures in support of the “Saturday Halloween Movement.”
However, after evaluating all of the feedback the Halloween & Costume Association says they no longer seek to change the date of Halloween but instead honor Halloween for what it is: “a celebration of self-expression and unity.”
While the association still believes that an end-of-October Saturday observance of the spooky holiday would promote safety and increase fun, this year they are launching a national initiative designed to enhance the Halloween that we all know and love.
The National Trick or Treat Day Petition
“Instead of changing the date that American’s celebrate Halloween, we will be adding an additional day of festivities in partnership with Party City and other brands,” The association wrote on the petition. “National Trick or Treat Day will take place annually on the last Saturday of October so families across the country can participate in community parades, throw neighborhood parties and opt for daytime Trick or Treating.”
The new campaign, dubbed #ALLoween will support the all-day celebrations of National Trick or Treat Day, as well as the Halloween traditions of October 31st.
For many of us, the final weekend in October often already looks like this. After all, having the kids dress up in their costumes more than once at the very least means you’re getting your money’s worth. But by petitioning to make National Trick or Treat Day official, we can expect to see more events, more partnerships, and more promotion of a safer, more family-friendly holiday in the future.
The National Trick or Treat Day petition offers these statistics along with tips for staying safe this Halloween:
