Online petition to change the date of Halloween.

[Stranger36147]

https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/25/us/halloween-date-petition-trnd/index.html


I'm sure some Christians aren't really fans of Halloween, but I still thought this is interesting and worth sharing. Wonder if this petition will actually work? It's hard to imagine Halloween being on any day besides October 31....

 

[7seasrekeyed]

it's a bid for longer daylight time which means more candy being given out which means buy more candy to give out

 

[tanakh]

The date of Halloween is part of the Catholic Church calendar when they pray for the Souls of the dead. Trick and treating and all the rest is commercial exploitation. It is also a Pagan festival marking the winter solstice. Changing the date wouldn't make any difference
The Easter date changes from year to year but the Eggs and Bunnies still manage to turn up regardless.

 

[Kavik]

The article has a lot of inaccuracies concerning the origin of the modern holiday, but that aside.....many towns around my area don't actually "celebrate" it on the 31st.

Trick-or-Treat is oftentimes done on a weekend evening or even in the afternoon, so I don't see as how changing the date will really accomplish anything - the day it's celebrated already changes from town to town. Just another way for businesses to try and make a buck.

 

[Kavik]

It is also a Pagan festival marking the winter solstice.

The Winter Solstice is 'Yule' - Samhain ("summer's end") is the 3rd and final harvest of the year and marks the beginning of 'winter' - the dark time of the year.

 

[Lisann]

We hand out candy but we also tell everyone Happy Reformation Day.

 

[Whispered]

The date of Halloween is part of the Catholic Church calendar when they pray for the Souls of the dead. Trick and treating and all the rest is commercial exploitation. It is also a Pagan festival marking the winter solstice. Changing the date wouldn't make any difference
The Easter date changes from year to year but the Eggs and Bunnies still manage to turn up regardless.

One slight correction here if I may brother.
The pagan festival that we call Halloween today was known as Samhain in earlier times. It fell on Mabon also known as the Autumn Equinox.

Winter solstice celebration is today called Christmas, though it falls on December 25. Whereas Winter Solstice, from December 20th to 23rd in earlier times and today in our calendar, was called Yule.

Meanwhile, as to the OP article and petition reported, I think if nothing else it hearkens to the old saying, everyone needs a hobby. Likelihood of success in changing the date is zero.

 

[Kavik]

The pagan festival that we call Halloween today was known as Samhain in earlier times. It fell on Mabon also known as the Autumn Equinox.

Samhain and Mabon are two completely different things - Mabon is a quarter celebration (Autumnal Equinox), whilst Samhain is a cross-quarter day exactly between Mabon and Yule. Sahmain is the old Celtic New Year.

 

[Whispered]

Samhain and Mabon are two completely different things - Mabon is a quarter celebration (Autumnal Equinox), whilst Samhain is a cross-quarter day exactly between Mabon and Yule. Sahmain is the old Celtic New Year.

That's likely news to the pagans. Autumn equinox was also known as Hallows and November eve.
They are two different things in that not all who celebrate Mabon, or Autumn equinox, celebrate Samhain.

 

[Kavik]

That's likely news to the pagans. Autumn equinox was also known as Hallows and November eve.

No, I think you may have it confused - Autumnal equinox ('Mabon') is around 21.September. "Hallows" (i.e. All Hallow's Eve), November Eve are 31.October - Samhain.

 

[tourist]

Exactly who is the petition to be addressed to?

 

[ArtsieSteph]

I don't care what day it's on, that's more a tradition than anything. The fact that it would be on a weekend (I'm guessing?) would definitely be a good idea for safety though. I think? Because there would arguably be more adult chaperoning. I just wonder if the parents that get a break on the weekend and use the most out of it would be a bit annoyed...

 

[Whispered]

No, I think you may have it confused - Autumnal equinox ('Mabon') is around 21.September. "Hallows" (i.e. All Hallow's Eve), November Eve are 31.October - Samhain.

No, I do not have it confused.

 

[Whispered]

Exactly who is the petition to be addressed to?

https://www.hiaonline.org/page/about_hca
The Halloween and Costume Association.

 

[Kavik]

No, I do not have it confused.

Why would the Fall Equinox (or "Mabon" to some), which takes place around 21. September, be referred to as "November Eve", or "(All) Hallow's (Eve)"?? These latter two are names associated with modern Halloween (a/k/a All Hallow's Eve).

The two equinoxes (Ostara and Mabon), and the two solstices (Litha and Yule) make up the four quarter days; Samhain (31.OCT), Imbolg (2. FEB), Bealtaine (1. MAY), and Lughnasadh (1. AUG) are the four cross quarter days - their dates are now more or less 'fixed', but traditionally they were 'movable' as they fell exactly between the quarter days. So, Samhain, for example, didn't always fall on what is now 31.October; it could be +/- a few days.

 

[Desdichado]

Haha. Funny how people work.

I'm inclined to defend the date because it is a tradition. It's messy. It's imperfect. But it's an old practice.

I don't care what day it's on, that's more a tradition than anything. The fact that it would be on a weekend (I'm guessing?) would definitely be a good idea for safety though. I think? Because there would arguably be more adult chaperoning. I just wonder if the parents that get a break on the weekend and use the most out of it would be a bit annoyed...