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Lakewood Times

Lakewood Times

Lakewood Times

    Let’s Drop the October 31 Trick-or-Treating

    Lets Drop the October 31 Trick-or-Treating

    Each year, October 31 brings with it an evening of candy, costumes, and scare–and, nearly every year, it is celebrated on a school night.

    That’s why changing the observation of Halloween to the last Friday or Saturday of October would mean a lot less stress and a lot more fun for all involved: the parents who have work the next day and must calm down their sugar-high children before getting to bed, the youngsters for which a nine-o’clock bedtimes is late, the teenagers who have homework to stress over for the next day.

    Many agree with the idea; a change.org petition with over 20,500 signatures claims that Halloween on a Saturday would be “more fun for children and easier on parents.” Another petition with over 155,000 names started off with a similar goal of changing Halloween’s date of observation, but now hopes to establish a “National Trick or Treat Day…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.”

    While the sentiment of a National Trick or Treat Day is a nice once, celebrating a holiday twice takes away its excitement and meaning. It is fine to keep October 31 marked as “Halloween” on calendars (it is, after all, a traditionally religious holiday), but “Halloween: Observed” on the last Friday or Saturday of October would be great for so many individuals, including Lakewood High School students.

    “I think it’s a great idea,” says senior Halle Sullenberger. “It’s a lot safer for people…it would make [Halloween] more enjoyable.”

    “It’s better for people to have that next day off,” agrees fellow student Christina Auck.

    There is a concern about the partying that may occur if Halloween were celebrated on a non-school night, but the fact of the matter is that people will party anyways, postponing their gatherings or scheduling them for the weekend before. A more effective approach might be to make Halloween safety tips more publicized.

    Overall, observing Halloween on a Friday or a Saturday would be a great relief to many parents and students, as the work can be put off and the celebrations can commence in full force; the sugared-up kids could get a good night’s rest, the homework could be completed, the parents could relax. Hopefully, this change will be made in the near future.

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