Halloween: a day of costumes, cobwebs, and candy; the holiday traditionally takes place on Oct.31. However, some people are trying to change the day on which Halloween is celebrated. The Halloween and Costume Association has created a Change.org petition to promote moving the spooky holiday to the last Saturday of October in order to give students and workers an evening of fun without having to worry about the stress that the next day will bring. 

The petition was started a year ago and has only recently gained traction, as Halloween is on a Thursday this year. The Halloween and Costume Association’s goal is to promote safety on Halloween. They created the petition because the circumstance of Halloween being on weekend nights allows the parents to be more aware of their children’s whereabouts. 

Changing the day Halloween is celebrated provides students a day of rest after a long night of celebrating. The day after Halloween is always one that is difficult to get through when the following day consists of multiple tests and lectures. Furthermore, it is challenging to study for a test or do homework on a night that is dedicated to parties and fun. 

While some may argue that it is the student’s responsibility to be prepared for class regardless of the previous night’s activities, Halloween is traditionally celebrated in the United States, and it should be recognized that students deserve a stress-free night. Teachers can also benefit from a day of rest after a Halloween night if taking their children trick-or-treating or going out to have fun themselves.  

Due to the stress that the day after Halloween usually brings, students across the country, including District 204, have created similar petitions to take the Friday this year after Halloween off. While some of these petitions have gained a lot of attention, having Halloween permanently on the last Saturday of October would eliminate the need for these petitions altogether.