Petition to move Halloween date to a weekend gets 155K signatures
It's Halloween day and while boys and ghouls have their costumes ready to go, a few people are considering moving the spooky day to the weekend.
Tens of thousands of people are signing up to show their support for changing when kids in the U.S. celebrate Halloween.
The annual festival currently takes place on Oct. 31, bringing children of all ages out of their houses and into the streets as the sun goes down.
But that tradition can be dangerous, and that's why more than 155,000 people have signed a petition on Change.org to celebrate Halloween on the last Saturday of October.
The petition was first posted more than a year ago, but it has picked up steam in recent days as it nears its goal of 200,000 signatures.
The petition, which was created by The Halloween & Costume Association, is addressed to President Donald Trump. It's unclear how the federal government would go about officially moving the celebration, as Halloween is not a federal holiday.
In their petition, supporters suggest that instead of changing the date, they will add an additional day of festivities in partnership with Party City and other brands.
"National Trick or Treat Day will take place annually on the last Saturday of October so families across the country can participate in community parades, throw neighborhood parties and opt for daytime Trick or Treating," they wrote.
While supporters of the petition argue that the move would be convenient and less stressful to parents than celebrating on a weeknight, they have also cited safety as a major factor.
According to the non-profit industry group that started the petition, 3,800 children suffer Halloween-related injuries every year. Supporters say changing the holiday to a weekend will allow trick-or-treaters to get their ghoulish kicks in while the sun is still shining. Plus, traffic should be less of a concern since the festivities will not interfere with work or school schedules.
