Saturday Halloween Movement

Submission 4,967

Part of a series on Halloween. [View Related Entries]

Overview

Saturday Halloween Movement refers to a petition to make Halloween the last Saturday of October instead of October 31st, as is tradition. The petition started Change.org argues that having Halloween only on Saturday would allow for longer celebrations, safer trick-or-treating, and more opportunity for parental bonding.

Background

The petition was started on Change.org by the Halloween & Costume Association on August 9th, 2018.^[1] The petition states:

It's time for a Safer, Longer, Stress-Free Celebration! Let's move Halloween to the last Saturday of October!
3,800 Halloween-related injuries each year. Talk to your kids about safety before they head out!
82% of parents don’t use high visibility aids on their costume, be sure to incorporate reflective tape, glow sticks, finger lights or light up accessories
63% of children don’t carry a flashlight while they are tick-or-treating. Grab a clip-on light if they don’t want to carry one! Children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween. Discuss safety, pre-plan a route, stay on sidewalks and use crosswalks
65% of parents don’t discuss Halloween safety with their children. Talk with your kids and offer ways to ensure a fun and safe experience
70%of parents don’t accompany their children trick-or-treating. You’re never too old to trick-or-treat! Grab a costume and take advantage of some good ol' fashioned family bonding!
51% Of Millennials say Halloween is their favorite holiday, why cram it into 2 rushed evening weekday hours when it deserves a full day!?!
Sign the Petition Today!

Developments

The petition was covered in Forbes^[6] on October 26th, 2018, but it did not begin receiving more widespread national attention until nearly a full year later, as it approached 75,000 signatures, the benchmark that means the petition will be sent to the President.^[2] On July 25th, 2019 USA Today^[2] covered the petition as it hit 63,000 signatures. Over the following several days, other publications covered the petition, including CBS,^[3] People,^[4] and CBS.^[5] As of July 30th, the amount of signatures had nearly doubled, and the petition had over 113,000 signatures.