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State Rep. Wants Halloween Moved to Last Saturday in October ... Do You Agree?

The proposal, he says, would make the popular holiday more family-friendly and would be a boon to the economy.

State Rep. Tim Larson, a Democrat who represents East Hartford and South Windsor, has proposed designating the last Saturday of each October as Halloween in Connecticut instead of the traditional Oct. 31, citing both parents' concerns and economic issues.

Larson said in a news release that he doesn't expect the General Assembly to take up the issue this year, when Halloween falls on a Monday. But, he said, he would like to have his proposal considered in 2012.

"Halloween is a fun night for the whole family, but not so much when you have to race home from work, get the kids ready for trick or treating, welcome the neighborhood children, and then try to get everyone in bed for an early school and work morning," Larson said. "Halloween has also become one of the top holidays for retailers selling candy, decorations, costumes and general party supplies. Jobs are created by this holiday, so let's make it a little more fun and safe for everyone, and create some jobs too."

While Halloween is not an official state or federal holiday, Larson said that parents of young children have complained to him about weeknight trick or treating and would prefer a weekend day. Saturday allows for events during the day as well as an earlier start to trick or treating, Larson said.

"This would be good for the economy and make Halloween a more family-friendly event every year," he said. "Everyone looks forward to Halloween a little more when it falls on the weekend."

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danni October 30, 2012 at 10:21 pm
Nooooooo that's soo not fair!!!
Jay Gatsby October 30, 2012 at 10:45 pm
Thank you, Corey. You're right. The poor guy makes a proposal to take a wonderful holiday and reschedule it so that it will be safer, more enjoyable, and easier for all, and now others are demanding he is not re-elected. This is a truly bizarre and unwarranted reaction.
Ernie October 30, 2012 at 10:59 pm
How about the old adage 'leave well enough alone'
Think about it - or just think in general!
Darrell Lucas October 31, 2012 at 01:07 am
If you ask people virtually nobody knows what all Hallows Eve is.. especially some Christians who think the Holiday is devil worship. What is important is that TODAY Halloween is about people and children having fun dressing up in costumes and trick or treating.
To argue that moving the day is a 'detachment' from its roots is a weak point since Dec 25th is the day many of us celebrate the birth of Jesus but Dec 25th IS NOT the day Jesus was born. MLK day is a variable holiday. So is Columbus day. What happened on Feb 14th for it to be St. Valentines day? He died right. Which saint? There was more than one St. Valentine.. In 1789 President George Washington named November 26th as Thanksgiving Day. Then came President Abraham Lincoln's Proclamation of 1863, which declared that the last Thursday of November should be celebrated as a day of thanksgiving.
Darrell Lucas October 31, 2012 at 01:07 am
So you see the point that I am making is that things change and our culture changes our holiday. State Representative Larson is doing the right thing by listening to the people he represents. Moving the holiday to the last Saturday is good for a majority of people. It will help business and isn't that one thing everyone complains that representatives should be working on?
There are so many items in the PRO column for the move and the only reasons not to do it is because of hallows eve... and tradition.. BOTH of which nobody knows anything about or observes. The last Saturday of the month doesn't give any extra days off for work its just making its easier for everyone to have a good time. And isn't a good time what we all want?
Darrell Lucas October 31, 2012 at 01:10 am
So you see the point that I am making is that things change and our culture changes our holiday. State Representative Larson is doing the right thing by listening to the people he represents. Moving the holiday to the last Saturday is good for a majority of people. It will help business and isn't that one thing everyone complains that representatives should be working on?
There are so many items in the PRO column for the move and the only reasons not to do it is because of hallows eve... and tradition.. BOTH of which nobody knows anything about or observes.
Darrell Lucas October 31, 2012 at 01:12 am
If you ask people virtually nobody knows what all Hallows Eve is.. especially some Christians who think the Holiday is devil worship. What is important is that TODAY Halloween is about people and children having fun dressing up in costumes and trick or treating.
To argue that moving the day is a 'detachment' from its roots is a weak point since Dec 25th is the day many of us celebrate the birth of Jesus but Dec 25th IS NOT the day Jesus was born. MLK day is a variable holiday. So is Columbus day. What happened on Feb. 14th for it to be St. Valentines day? He died right. Which saint? There was more than one St. Valentine.. In 1789 President George Washington named November 26th as Thanksgiving Day. Then came President Abraham Lincoln's Proclamation of 1863, which declared that the last Thursday of November should be celebrated as a day of thanksgiving.
Robin Hood October 31, 2012 at 01:23 pm
I dunno Darryl, as you point out Dec 25th is not Christs birth, its not even his Mass, get it ? Christ's Mass? Christmas.
I think we need to get closer to reality and not further from it. I was born on Mischief Night and I like it, millions were born on Halloween and they like it, now we're going to tell everyone that because some namby pambys want to move a Holiday so that it will be more accomodating to THEIR schedule that we should all just obey and move along with the sheep. First off this is just a "re elect me" BS scam, "ooohhh look what he did, he got Halloween moved to Saturdays forever, OUR HERO, NOW ALL IS RIGHT WITH THE WORLD" Never mind that it won't help the economy and the other cry that if its good for business its good is also BS and I for one am sick of it, all we did from 2000-2008 was whatever is good for business and it destroyed the economy. We don't even get 9/11 off, PATRIOTS DAY. Why? Because U.S. corporations are bastards that think everyday off is a day they lose money, when in fact other countries have more time off and their workers are more productive because they are not burned out. Making all Holidays on all weekends just takes away from our time, July 4th is July 4th is it not?? We can have just as good a time if Holidays are on the day they are supposed to be and workers get the time off to enjoy them and not pander to either corporations, parents, or both.
Darrell Lucas October 31, 2012 at 02:17 pm
Were not talking about making all holidays on weekends. In this situation Halloween isn't a federal holiday so nobody gets a day off. If your business allows you to do that then thats nice of them. Halloween has become popular culturally and ESPECIALLY with family's with children. They are the ones who celebrate this the most.
Robin Hood October 31, 2012 at 03:35 pm
We're getting there. I mean c'mon we don't get Patriot Day off?? 9/11?
Anyway it's stupid to be the only state in the nation celebrating a Holiday on a completely different schedule. This is another example of spoiled rotten parents reinventing the world so that it revolves around them, Halloween is October 31, deal with it. Parents and children do not celebrate Halloween in the traditional sense, they turned it into a candy fest, just like Easter is now a time to get candy and Christmas is a time to get spoiled on gifts, the real meaning for many holidays has been watered down into a selfish spectacle. I started a tradition in my family where we GIVE for Christmas, I ask people to give to charity in the amount they would have spent on me and then tell me about it in a card. Many towns have their little kid parades on the weekend anyway and bars and resaurants schedule their parties on the weekends that are closest so it is of no consequence. The actual meaning of Halloween is Celtic and originally called Samhain, celebrated between the autumn equinox and winter solstice from Oct 31 - Nov 1, they thought that with all the crops dying back for winter and the slaughter of animals for winter food opened a doorway to the other side with some good and bad spirits crossing over, carved turnip lanterns and costumes (disguises) were used for protection from the bad spirits......
Robin Hood October 31, 2012 at 03:40 pm
...this was of course altered by Christianity a few hundred years later @600 with the introduction of All Saints Day.
Originally the Celtics had spent the 2 days feasting and building bonfires, it was basically a huge party, huge with lots of drinking and tall tales. We had our huge party Saturday Oct 27 and we survived, that it wasn't on the weekend hurt no one, we may just another this weekend for good measure. ; )
Robin Hood October 31, 2012 at 04:04 pm
Fauxnews fans may find this amusing as will others, a Halloween Cult Classic
Robin Hood October 31, 2012 at 04:04 pm
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-october-31-2007/halloween-costumes
Bill October 31, 2012 at 06:42 pm
Robin "the Celtics had spent the 2 days feasting" really? Now that's a basketball team I really want to be a fan of. Leave it to you to try to turn this conversation into an anti-corporation meme, and then screw it up by referring to the celts as a NBA basketball team. Rofl
Robin Hood October 31, 2012 at 07:15 pm
Celtic (kel-tik) as in Gaelic, the Celts or Kelts were an ethno-linguistic group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Medieval Europe who spoke Celtic languages and had a similar culture. It actually included most of Europe at one time going back about 800 years before Christ. Most people are only familiar with the touring show Celtic Woman.
They would start on the 31th going door to door collecting food, booze and firewood for the feast and offerings to the spirits, this evolved into Trick or Treat. They believed that this time ( Autumn- time of dying as opposed to Spring, Eoster, then Easter- rebirth) allowed dead relatives to return and they had these great feasts and set places at tables for them, they also believed that when the door opened it allowed evil dead or whatever you want to call it to come through as well, some people would wear their clothes inside out or create disguises to fool the spirits. Mischief Night evolved out of the belief that pranks were played by the spirits and people started playing along, eventually we in America and elsewhere altered it and celebrate Halloween in the 31st with Mischief Night the 30th.
Robin Hood October 31, 2012 at 07:23 pm
You would aslo call them Pagan,they pre-date Christianity.
Those beliefs were altered by the church to All Saints Day, All Hallows Eve, Halloween, with bells being rung for souls in pergatory and children went to collect Soul Cakes at homes for these souls. This was later altered again when the Irish immigrants came here, America did not observe Halloween until then, late 1800's, by that time it had been altered in England and Irleand to be more of what we do now, except there were no candy corporations looking to make billions.
Christine O'Grady October 31, 2012 at 07:43 pm
Glad you clarified Robin, not just Celts, they were Pagan Irish... the costumes were an attemp to disguise oneself from the devil.
Bill October 31, 2012 at 08:15 pm
The Celts were/are a people, the Celtics are a basketball team.
Robin Hood October 31, 2012 at 08:26 pm
Right, the Celtics, or Pagans were made up of many different groups slightly different, the Irish and Scottish were one.
But the devil or Satan didn't come until Christianity reinvented it, prior to that it was spirits or fairies, like I said they believed because it was the time of dying that a door opened that allowed their relatives, etc to return for a visit, which is why they set places for them at the feast, but the door allowed unfriendly spirits to cross over as well, hence the disguises, that was later known as "guising". It's interesting how it's evolved for almost 3000 years, it dates back almost 1000 years before Christ. Ancient history is facinating. It's one of the few holidays that holds some resemblance to its roots and date.
Robin Hood October 31, 2012 at 08:43 pm
Depends on how you pronounce it.
The Celtics, ( sell- tix) are a basketball team that based their name on the Irish heritage and pronounce it wrong. The Celtics ( kel-tix) are an ancient people that were throughout Europe although many people only associate the name with the Irish. My understanding is that the Romans pushed the Celts or Gaelics back into England/Ireland/Scotland, later Christian monks changed the pronunciation to the see sound becaue in latin if it was followed by an i or e it was a soft c, not a kha sound. This went on for hundreds of years and I don't think it was until after the team was formed that people started using the original sound, due to research or something, thats what I seem to remember, and now both sounds are considered ok but it seems they use the soft c for teams, there are/were others and the hard c is for the pagan people and associated references so that you know when someone says selltics they mean the team, and Keltic they mean the ancient people. If anyone has additional or different info I'd love to hear it. For example the Romans pronounced the word we know as Caesar like the German "Kaiser". All Hail Kaiser.
Bill October 31, 2012 at 10:26 pm
Nope, a Celt is a Celt, now that Celt might have Celtic clothes or Celtic beliefs, but he is not a Celtic. So to say the celtics were partying, could only refer to the NBA team.
Bill October 31, 2012 at 10:29 pm
It would be like saying the democratics held a convention where everyone lied, the proper way would be to say the democrats had a convention where everyone lied ;)
Robin Hood November 1, 2012 at 12:13 pm
Wow Bill, you really need help.
If Robme is elected due to the fact that 40% of the American people are dim and he cuts S/S, Medicare, slashes Education and regulations all to give to the rich what is it you think will happen Bill? The rich are currently in a huge upward trend, 750% raises, huge corporate profits, we're just talking large corporations, the ones that own the politicians from both parties. You and other repubs have avoided this question many times because you can't answer it, WHY DO THE RICH NEED MORE TO CREATE JOBS????? THEY ARE ALREADY BILLIONAIRES. And if you think Dems lie a lot and repubs don't you are in LA LA Land, Robme lied 80-90% through the debates and has completely flip flopped several times, especially in abortion, he said he was for it to become Gov of Mass and now he isn't to become Prez, he is therefore a born-n-bred lie to get whatever you want punk. Dude, I am Independant, I was never a registered Dem or Repub, I vote for whoever is the least FOS, I voted for Foley for Gov of Ct, I have to vote for Obama not because he is great, but because he is the least FOS. That is what we are down to in this country. But after 2000-2008 anyone who still holds the repub flag and did not hold their elected idiots feet to the fire after what they did is not Patriotic or even American in my eyes.
Bill November 1, 2012 at 03:42 pm
Gee, I thought we were talking about Halloween, ok some of the time you kept confusing the celts with a basketball team, but really..... I'm not sure why you're turning this into a political discussion. Ok I apologize for correcting you on the celtics thing, just having a little fun, lighten up already dude or your gonna stroke out. Btw in some parts they refer to an independent as a mugwump.
Robin Hood November 2, 2012 at 12:22 pm
avoiding the question again
whatever
LB November 2, 2012 at 01:32 pm
Yeah, ya know what? I think Christmas is misplaced, instead of celebrating it on the December 25th let's move it to the closest Saturday. Nobody will mind, right? While we're at it, I also think that New Year's Day is misplaced. I think we should only celebrate New Year's Day on a Saturday. Yeah, that might mean we don't get to ring in the New Year until January 7th and we'll be a few days behind the rest of the year but so what? It's better this way.
(Jerks)
Robin Hood November 2, 2012 at 03:56 pm
We're a nation that seems to enjoy going in circles, we can't pick a course and just run it.
Darryl pointed out that Lincoln changed Thanksgiving, that is just one very small event in the history of that Holiday. Giving Thanks goes way back in Europe, the first Thanksgiving service known in North America occurred on May 27, 1578 in Newfoundland, they held several in Jamestown, the Pilgrims story is just that, a story that some corporation wrote into our history books to sell them to our nations schools. It did happen, but it wasn't the first by far. They help several but the one in question happened in June. Many followed over 150 years most centering on Autumn, a time to give thanks for the crops. George Washington proclaimed Thursday Nov 26 as Thanksgiving, it changed almost yearly with each President sometimes declaring 2, it was all over the map until Lincoln was inspired by a woman named Sarah Josepha Hale, editor of Ladies Magazine and Godey's Lady's Book who began her quest in 1827 by printing articles in the magazines with recipes, etc. Lincoln declared it would be the 4th Thursday of every November. Then during the Depression in 1939 FDR was pressured by corporations to move it up a week to get more sales earlier for Christmas. Many people did not like this because of rescheduling games, parades, etc so in 1941 it reverted back to the 4th Thursday of November.
Robin Hood November 2, 2012 at 04:01 pm
Exactly, we should just bend over for corporations and move all Holidays to the closest weekend so that we have less time off and their profits rise, after all whatevers good for business is just plain 'ol good---sarcasm
Actually more time off is good for business, people spend money on their days off and more days off means refreshed workers who are not burned out and they produce more, having a body chained to a cubicle does not mean you get more work out of them.
Bill November 2, 2012 at 04:56 pm
Robin, lighten up Francis.
Robin Hood November 2, 2012 at 06:18 pm
Bill if you do not want to learn anything...don't.
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