(CT) State Lawmaker Wants to Change the Date of Halloween to Ensure it Always Falls on a Saturday

Hartford Courant ^

[matt04]

Everyone knows Halloween in celebrated on Oct. 31 but a state lawmaker wants to tamper with tradition to ensure the holiday is always marked on a weekend.

State Rep. Tim Larson is proposing that the legislature designate the last Saturday in October as Halloween. He says it would make the holiday less harried for working parents, safer for trick-or-treaters and boost the economy as well.

"Halloween is fun night for the whole family, but not so much when you have to race home from work, get the kids ready for trick or treating, welcome the neighborhood children, and then try to get everyone to bed for an early school and work morning,” Larson, a Democrat who represents East Hartford and South Windsor, said in a statement outlining his proposal.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy doesn't support the idea, said his press secretary, Juliet Manalan.

"The Governor is worried about confusing the ghosts, goblins, and witches - so he thinks leaving Halloween on Oct. 31st is the right thing to do,'' Manalan said via email. "No disrespect intended toward Rep. Larson, of course."

A Republican lawmaker said Larson's proposal, while well-intentioned, symbolizes what's wrong with state government. "Less government is the answer to our fiscal problems,'' said state Sen. Rob Kane, a Republican from Watertown.

[matt04]

Because CT isn't facing any other problems that need to be addressed.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Church and State? Halloween takes it’s name from All Hallows Eve — the night before All Saints Day. That would be like changing the date of Christmas so that it always falls on a Saturday.

[Not A Snowbird]

"The Governor is worried about confusing the ghosts, goblins, and witches - so he thinks leaving Halloween on Oct. 31st is the right thing to do,'' Manalan said via email.

I don't know where to start with this comment...

[Repeal The 17th]

Just pass a bill requiring the Pope to change the date for All Saint’s Day...
...problem solved; I should hire myself out.

[swain_forkbeard]

Leave it the eve of All Hallows.

[GraceG]

[ Church and State? Halloween takes it’s name from All Hallows Eve — the night before All Saints Day. That would be like changing the date of Christmas so that it always falls on a Saturday. ]

Don;t give them ideas, they might say that since Christmas is a “secular holiday” they can move it around all willy nilly....

[shoff]

So Tim I guess you got that budget problem licked so now onto other things

[x_plus_one]

Just wait till the muzzies control any legislature. Say good bye to Christmas.

[tsowellfan]

What they’ll probably do is just rearrange the calender so that the 31st always falls on a saturday.

[Newton]

hmmmm wonder why I always called CT the nutmeg nuthead state....(and got the hell out of there 21 years ago....)..yup... it's a mystery....

[Rippin]

Grew up in Connecticut. Halloween was bad-scary bad. Now live in PA. Those German’s love to decorate and do so about 2 months ahead of time but no murder and mayhem on the big day, just candy. These PA towns decide when Halloween is and everyone seems to go along with it. In CT, when I was young, nobody would have cared what the gov said. The M-80s, eggs, fires seemed to know when it was the 31st.

[Aroostook25]

Thanksgiving and Halloween have common harvest themes.

Move Thanksgiving to the second Monday in October,
Then Halloween to the Saturday before Thanksgiving.

That way kids don’t need long underwear under their costumes
and people don’t have to deal with snow going to Thanksgiving dinners.
AND
It gives us a two month break between those harvest holidays and Christmas.

[I still care]

I grew up on Long Island. Kids started trick or treating as soon as they came home from school, and when street lights started to come it, it was pretty much time to go home. The dark was for the older kids, and I was glad when it was NOT on a Fri or Sat, because they didn’t go too late then.

There was always the bad kid or two, but it wasn’t too bad. Most kids just loved the candy.

Here in FL they don’t start till after dark. Maybe it’s the weather - a fall afternoon on LI is great brisk walk, but here the sun is still beating down in the afternoon.

[DJ MacWoW]

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[Beowulf9]

Just make it manditory to have the day after Halloween off.

[Jewbacca]

This guy is an idiot, but it tells you about what a major holiday Halloween is in the USA; bigger than Thanksgiving and others.

We’ve had discussions whether it is appropriate for kids in our shul to participate in Halloween, given it’s origin as a Christian festival.

We’ve decided that it is secular (in the USA) and OK.