Dear Abby on Trick-or-Treating

[Diane AKA Traska]

Actually, originally the Celts held Samhain "on or around" the 31st of October, and it's only when it was absorbed and linked to All Saints Day that it was given a specific day on the calendar.

That said, if there was a blizzard that snowed in my family for Christmas, and we couldn't get together for gift giving until the 5th of January, my Christmas would be January 5th that year.  Because holidays aren't about the calendar, they're about community.

Granted.  But would you go trick-or-treating on November 10th?

If the city got shut down until then, and that's the day that the community agreed it would be moved to?  Yeah, I would. I certainly wouldn't go wading door to door, asking for candy while people are trying to get their power restored so they could call their insurance agents.

[Mikayla]

My roomie and I were talking about this just last night.  I grew up outside Chitown, and I'm positive we did our ToT-ing on the 30th in some cases.  I don't remember what decided it.  It might have been to avoid a Saturday night, for example.  But when I asked her what night they trick or treat here, she looked at me as if I was nuts!

[Betelnut]

Actually, originally the Celts held Samhain "on or around" the 31st of October, and it's only when it was absorbed and linked to All Saints Day that it was given a specific day on the calendar.

That said, if there was a blizzard that snowed in my family for Christmas, and we couldn't get together for gift giving until the 5th of January, my Christmas would be January 5th that year.  Because holidays aren't about the calendar, they're about community.

Granted.  But would you go trick-or-treating on November 10th?

If the city got shut down until then, and that's the day that the community agreed it would be moved to?  Yeah, I would. I certainly wouldn't go wading door to door, asking for candy while people are trying to get their power restored so they could call their insurance agents.

Eh, I wouldn't.  By then, I'm ready to move on to Thanksgiving.

[SiotehCat]

I also don't agree with changing the day for trick or treating. I give out candy one day of the year and thats on Halloween.

[Diane AKA Traska]

So in the case of a natural disaster like this, the kids lose out on Halloween on top of the upheaval of the disaster?

[snowdragon]

So in the case of a natural disaster like this, the kids lose out on Halloween on top of the upheaval of the disaster?

Sorry but yes.  The adults who lived through the natural disaster are likely also traumatized and need to worry about things like food, shelter, dealing with insurance and governmental agencies rather than passing on candies to tots. It's too bad that Sandy interfered with Halloween for the kids but sometimes bigger concerns take precedence. 

[Diane AKA Traska]

So in the case of a natural disaster like this, the kids lose out on Halloween on top of the upheaval of the disaster?

Sorry but yes.  The adults who lived through the natural disaster are likely also traumatized and need to worry about things like food, shelter, dealing with insurance and governmental agencies rather than passing on candies to tots. It's too bad that Sandy interfered with Halloween for the kids but sometimes bigger concerns take precedence.

Which is why you postpone it.

[Betelnut]

So in the case of a natural disaster like this, the kids lose out on Halloween on top of the upheaval of the disaster?

Yes, basically.  You can do a lot of things to celebrate it outside of trick or treating.  Carve a pumpkin, make decorations and decorate the house, make cookies, dress up and walk around the house or the neighborhood or stores.  I was even thinking of trick or treating at our house (she would go room to room with a flashlight and I would give her candy in each room) but it looks like trick or treating is a go here as the weather is going to be okay tomorrow and destruction not too bad (southern Maryland).

(Frankly, I don't consider Halloween THAT big of a deal, at least emotionally.  To me it isn't really a family holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas so "missing" it would be a drag but not a huge emotional loss either.  Kids adapt well and take their cues from their parents about these things too.)

But anyway, yes to your question. I would not like to participate in a postponed Halloween trick or treating even because I consider trick or treating legit only on the one day.  Kind of like when people shoot off fireworks on July 3rd or July 5th--that is just wrong.

I know I sound very rigid and, in reality, if ever confronted with the situation, I probably WOULD go along--but mentally, I'd be protesting.

The idea of towns/people actually scheduling trick or treating to be any day other than the 31st (for no reason at all) is just beyond the pale.

[SiotehCat]

So in the case of a natural disaster like this, the kids lose out on Halloween on top of the upheaval of the disaster?

Sorry but yes.  The adults who lived through the natural disaster are likely also traumatized and need to worry about things like food, shelter, dealing with insurance and governmental agencies rather than passing on candies to tots. It's too bad that Sandy interfered with Halloween for the kids but sometimes bigger concerns take precedence.

Which is why you postpone it.

I am fine for people postponing any holiday on their own. I am not okay with anyone, in most cases The City, telling me that I must also postpone my holiday.

Giving out candy is completely voluntary for anyone participating. I choose to only give it out on Halloween.

[Diane AKA Traska]

See now, this is a situation that makes my brain hurt.  You've already said (a lot of you, anyway), that the city dictates the times fro ToTing.  But designating an alternate day would be wrong?

I guess to me, a date on a calendar is just a number that, as a society, we've given weight to.  If we, as a society (which a governing body represents) decides on a rain delay for that, what's the real difference?

To use the Independence Day example above... if a hurricane had swept through and made landfall at 5PM on July 4, I would be fine with a rain delay.  But then, if we all saw things exactly the same way, this site wouldn't even exist.

[snowdragon]

Trick or treat is not a right or even a need.  It does not need to have more than one day. the difference between Halloween and most other holidays is that the entire neighborhood is not held hostage to it. If you move your family Christmas, my family is not affected. If the trick or treating gets moved...we are, even if we have lights off and no decorations, we get t-o-t'ers.
  And how far out are we supposed to move halloween? In my state there are entire communities underwater, one area of Brooklyn has an tired neighborhood of 80 homes burned to the ground - when are they supposed to hold Halloween?  And what about the areas that are not affected...do they have to wait or is everyone supposed to be holding T-or-T twice?
  Sorry, but I think that moving it is just a bit much. 

On the October 30th T-or-Ting it's called beggars night, devil's night or mischief night here...kids in some communities like to extend the holiday. It''s part of the reason why communities started setting hours when I was a kid and why some people take a hard line with regards to it.

[kareng57]

See now, this is a situation that makes my brain hurt.  You've already said (a lot of you, anyway), that the city dictates the times fro ToTing.  But designating an alternate day would be wrong?

I guess to me, a date on a calendar is just a number that, as a society, we've given weight to.  If we, as a society (which a governing body represents) decides on a rain delay for that, what's the real difference?

To use the Independence Day example above... if a hurricane had swept through and made landfall at 5PM on July 4, I would be fine with a rain delay.  But then, if we all saw things exactly the same way, this site wouldn't even exist.

To start with, I'm kind of perplexed as to why a community would move the celebration from the 31st to the 30th.  Of course we all know that sometimes celebrations are moved so that they won't be on a Sunday, or the need to be on a long weekend - but why move it from a mid-weekday to another mid-weekday?

But to answer later PPs - yes, I wouldn't think it would be wrong for a town to designate a postponed-Halloween for a couple of weeks later, due to the storms  Obviously this is not a situation that would be happening every few years.  Sometimes it's good for kids to regain a sense of "normalcy".  Naturally no one who declines to participate has no obligation in the postponed celebration either.

[jellyjar]

I would assume that in some communities, that they move Halloween to another night than Wednesday due to church services on Wednesday night.  I am sure there could be other reasons, but that is why I would guess that Wednesday night Halloween would be moved to another weeknight. If a large part of the community attends church that night, then it is a scheduling conflict.  I know our service is cancelled tonight in lieu of a community festival. 

I think if you don't want to hand out candy on any other night than Oct. 31st, it is fine and well within your rights.  It isn't a requirement to hand out candy at all.  But if I lived in a community that moved the date, then I would want to celebrate on the night the community does.  Because I am a part of the community.  Especially in areas that have been devastated by the hurricane.  The holiday was truly created by and for children and if it helps some normalcy for kids in something that was scary, disruptive and traumatic in their lives, I would love to hand out candy on whatever night the community decided on.  Children do bounce back, but if a little candy will help make life a little more normal and happy for them, then I don't see the harm in changing the date.  As long as I know what date it is.

[Giggity]

Don't offices hold their Christmas parties on days other than Christmas?  Same situation here.

Christmas parties aren't ever held on December 25. Halloween is always October 31. Call it what you want, but if it doesn't happen on October 31, it's not trick-or-treating.

[Sharnita]

Don't offices hold their Christmas parties on days other than Christmas?  Same situation here.

Christmas parties aren't ever held on December 25. Halloween is always October 31. Call it what you want, but if it doesn't happen on October 31, it's not trick-or-treating.

Sure it is. Even it is on Halloween a lot of places offer trick or treating at other times as well. I doubt the entire country recognizes the authority of Hotdish of e-hell so if some community somewhere offers trick or treating tomorrow instead of tonight, it will be trick or treating no matter how you or I feel about the term or the date.