Halloween is a memory that many will cherish for the rest of their lives.  After years of tradition, one last trick-or-treating outing is destined to be a significant and memorable time for students as they become young adults.  However, this privilege was taken away from students across the nation this year, as well as previous years.  

While there is no definitive age restriction, it is an unspoken rule that eventually teens stop engaging in the yearly door-to-door candy seeking ritual that they’ve cherished in years past.  Students will eventually reach an age where they feel like it’s time to retire the plastic orange jack o’lanterns that have carried their sugary riches time and time again. When this time comes, a last hurrah is commonly had.  They no longer experience the fulfillment of running through the streets in search of king-size candy bars and the best house decorations.

There is just one problem, though.  This year, Halloween was on a Thursday.  Whether it be a long reading assignment or a massive set of textbook notes, many students find their endeavors limited by homework and assignments.  If nothing else, the reality of an early morning wake-up the next day is a limiting consideration in students’ Halloween plans.

Gina Liu (‘23) said she realized that a lot of her classmates didn’t go trick or treating “because of the workload they had.”  She added, “One of my classmates didn’t even eat breakfast.”

Liu, who did get to go trick-or-treating this year, kept a bit of the candy she acquired for herself and then gave the rest away.  Liu wanted to make things a bit better for those who might’ve been disappointed to have missed out. As a result, she decided to give treats to those at East that couldn’t trick or treat because of school work.  

“It would be kind of a shame” if kids can’t go trick or treating, she said.  While she plans to keep trick or treating, she recognized that “for a lot of other kids it would be their last year,” so she didn’t want them to totally miss out.

While Liu’s gestures are incredibly kind and an awesome thing to see at East, they shouldn’t be necessary.  No student should miss out on what may be their last chance at a childhood Halloween experience. Students also should not have to receive candy from someone else just because of schoolwork.

There is an easy solution to this problem.  A change.org petition started by the Halloween & Costume Association has garnered over 156,000 signatures in support of moving Halloween to the last Saturday of October.  By moving Halloween such that it would never be on a school night, Halloween and academic assignments will no longer be conflicting forces. Teachers could stop worrying about moving assignments around to help their kids, and students could enjoy celebrating without the cloud of the following day’s work hanging over them.

A lot of younger kids especially enjoy school Halloween parades, so Friday evening may be a better choice than Saturday.  However, no matter the details, rescheduling Halloween festivities just make perfect sense.  

There are really no drawbacks, as the date of the holiday has little to do with the associated celebrations.  The benefits are clear. And with tens of thousands of supporters across the country, moving the date of Halloween is a legitimate possibility.  For the love of candy and all that is spooky, we should move Halloween away from school nights. This will allow all students to have a better Halloween experience.