There’s a Boston-area parent who is frustrated by Halloween being on a fixed date and suggests that Halloween always move every year so that it always falls on Saturday. He enumerates a list of ways that Halloween on other days of the weeks inconveniences him and his family: rushing home from work to trick-or-treat, sugar rushes and early wakeups for school, homework neglect, and so on.
As someone whose birthday falls on Halloween, I say, “Feh!” to that idea. Maybe the problem isn’t the day of the week; maybe it the distortion of holidays by a commercialized and secularized culture. First, let’s be clear. The name itself tells you what day Halloween falls on: “Hallows e’en” or “the evening before the Feast of All Hallows.” Halloween is connected All Saints Day, just like Christmas Eve is connected to Christmas and New Year’s Eve is connected to New Year’s Day. What’s next? Moving New Year’s Eve to a Saturday night so all the party hounds can start boozing at 9 am? Should we move St. Patrick’s Day to a fixed Saturday for the same reason? Having Christmas move about is inconvenient too. Maybe it should always be on a Sunday so we don’t have to feel guilty about trooping out to Mass only once that week, plus we can shop all day on Saturday. You see what I’m getting at.
Halloween is October 31 for a reason. You don’t start messing with that for no good reason. And he doesn’t offer any good reasons.
Photo by ecstaticist - http://flic.kr/p/3KFmwv
Happy Birthday
While I would not be able to attend with James out of town, the origin of Halloween is why I was disappointed my parish cancelled their usual first Sunday evening Eucharist Adoration solely so as to not conflict with “Halloween” and the trick-or-treating. I would think the eve of all Saints Day, not to mention a holiday some people tend to be more tempted to do things they shouldn’t, would be the perfect occasion for Eucharistic Adoration.
Some locations already move Halloween. I have the same reaction as you—Halloween is a fixed date, the day before November 1.
But in little towns like Altoona, PA, Trick or Treat is always Thursday before Halloween, so as to not conflict with the high school and college football.
Happy Birthday and Happy Halloween!