COLORADO SPRINGS — We are looking at the debate over observing Halloween on the weekends in this 360° Perspective.
This year Halloween falls on Thursday and for years people have thought about moving the Halloween fun to the last Saturday of every October.
Halloween was traditionally called All Hallow's Eve, celebrated on the evening before the Christian holy day of All Hallow's Day or All Saint's Day, that's why Halloween is always on the 31st.
"For the 99.99% of the people who go trick or treating it’s not really a religious event they’re just out there to get the candy," Farmer's Almanac Editor Pete Geiger said.
Geiger has pushed for moving Halloween since 1999, writing several articles along the way. He thinks in the long run it would be better for kids and their parents. By moving it to Saturday you could have a full day of family activities.
"If you do it on a Saturday it kind of eliminates the traffic, the business traffic, people don’t leave work early to get home get the costumes, get the children out," Gieger said.
For mom Sandra Lee, there's no reason to cancel the fun on October 31st, "I think it's silly to be honest, it's tradition to have it on the 31st. I feel like there's already so many alternatives to trick or treating on other days, with churches and schools and shopping centers that its not really necessary."
"I want it to be on the 31st, because it's a school night and I get to stay up late," one child said.
But that sugar buzz can turn into the next school day blues. Emily Blake is a third grade teacher who deals with kids the day after Halloween and would be for moving trick or treating to the final weekend of the month.
"The day after, it's a little bit rough. Kids come in tired after being out all night," Blake said.
One Colorado Springs teenager wants to make the school day after Halloween a holiday. Nolan Taft and his friends at Fountain-Fort Carson HS got a change.org petition going to make that happen. It got more than 1,200 signatures in less than a day.
"I think they should give us the day off after Halloween i think it's unfair thinking kids will not have fun and enjoy their life because they have to go to school the next morning," Taft said.
Unfortunately, it looks like the petition got in too late, but he hopes they'll consider it for future school years. Despite a petition here and there, officially moving trick or treating to a permanent weekend spot doesn't seem to be happening any time soon. Halloween in 2020 falls on a Saturday.
