If there's one thing about Northern Ohioans, it's that we love our sports teams. Pro, college and yes, even high school. A fact that I didn't even think about until reading a story in the Akron Beacon Journal entitled, Area Mayors Tackle Debate On Halloween, written by Kathy Antoniotti.
My heart sank as I read through the story. Local area mayors have begun weighing in on this year's trick-or-treat festivities, and some have decided to change the time to the following day, November 1, so that it won't interfere with Friday night high school football games...
Every year I read that local officials are tinkering with their trick-or-treat times. Changing it to the Saturday before Halloween or blocking off ridiculous times like 4-6 pm. And now we have to change it again so that we can go enjoy our most-beloved high school football games.
You can probably guess my stance on the subject (c'mon, you ARE reading this in a HALLOWEN blog!), but my real concern comes from the fact that for the past 4 years, I have been the "Keeper of the Sign," the one who possesses the official neighborhood Trick-or-Treat sign that lets everyone in the area know when our Trick-or-Treat will be held. And for the past 4 years, as well as the 9 years before that, the neighborhood Trick-or-Treat has always been on Halloween night: October 31, from 6 to 8 pm, regardless of what day of the week it falls upon. I now have to step back and think about this new concern when putting up the sign for this year. For the past two years, we have been hampered by rain with one year having to be rescheduled. I really don't want to have to reschedule again.
Personally, I think Trick-or-Treat should always been on the 31st. It is a tradition in our neighborhood, even as other parts of the city continue to tinker with (and water down) Halloween. At this point, I'm going to keep it as is. October 31. But I will start to talk to some of the neighbors to get their opinions on the matter, as I don't want to get anyone all up in arms.
So what do you think? Keep it on the 31st or change it to November 1st? Drop a comment below and let's get a non-inflammatory dialog going on the subject.
2 comments:
Halloween is one of a number of European mummery traditions that span the breadth of the fall and winter seasons. There are numerous holidays that revolve around disguising oneself and going out to extort food from neighbors in order to get through the cold season. There's Trick or Treat, mummery, guiseing, wassailing, all serving the same basic function.
So I suppose it's alright to switch nights, it's not heretical exactly.
Does seem kind of lame to move it in order to accommodate a sporting event though. I mean college football teams seem to be so entitled overall, and Halloween is such an Anarchic holiday, it seems like if anything the trick or treaters should push the sports fans aside, heh heh!
Screw football. Keep it 31!!! Hail Samhain!
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