The “Water Cooler” is a feature on Claycord.com where we ask you a question or provide a topic, and you talk about it!
The “Water Cooler” will be up Monday-Friday at noon!
QUESTION: Would you be in favor of permanently moving Halloween to the last Friday or Saturday in October?
Talk about it!
last Sat in the month. I thought we already tried this?
As I remember it, that was when the adults always had their Halloween parties.
No, leave holidays, traditions, and celebrations
alone. I’ve never been in favor of making changes
to our American culture and traditions to please a
few. I remember when Lincoln’s birthday was on
February 12, and Washington’s birthday was
celebrated on February 22. Then congress
enacted the Uniform Monday Holiday Act and
moved most federal holidays to Monday,
combing Lincoln and Washington’s birthdays
into one holiday, and calling it Presidents’ Day.
Halloween is not a federal holiday, so if any
change is made, it will come from the state.
Genuinely curious how changing Halloween “please[s] a few”? Moving holiday’s to Monday is amazing for everyone who gets a 3-day weekend and it’s movement didn’t change the way people (don’t) celebrate those holidays at all. Every parent I know, and most educators I know, are all for a weekend Halloween . Not sure what harm it does at all. Curious when you celebrate Christmas.
@jessica
You know people who are for it and I know people who are against it. I agree 100% with Dawg and Domo. And Christmas on December 25th, always.
I’m a parent
keep this and all other holidays on the original days. There is zero need to change it. The three day weekend argument is such a weak argument … how many companies are going to pay us for 3 day weekends everywhere … yeah, exactly
Jessica,
.
Changing Halloween to weekends “pleases a few” because our entire population isn’t for changing the day that Halloween is celebrated. Did you really need that explained to you?
.
The purpose of holidays isn’t to give a portion of the population 3-day weekends. Congress moved federal holidays to Monday and created some newer holidays to fall on a Monday as a benefit for government employees and as an economic boon for the hospitality industry. If the population isn’t celebrating holidays for the purpose they were intended, then we should probably just eliminate those “holidays.”
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The harm created by moving holidays and other non-holidays that we celebrate is that it further removes the population from the reasons why and how we celebrate recognized holidays and recognized non-holidays. These days just become your “amazing 3-day weekends.” Your comment comes across as selfish and makes it appear as though “you only look out for #1.”
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I know many teachers, but no educators. A majority of the teachers that I know and almost all of the parents I know are for keeping Halloween on October 31st, whichever day that it falls on.
.
When do you celebrate Christmas? Only on weekends? I celebrate Christmas Eve on December 24th, Christmas Day on December 25th, the 12 Days of Christmas from December 26th thru January 6th culminating with the Feast of the Epiphany, whichever days they may happen to fall on.
The 3 day weekends seem to mess up commerce because banks are still stuck in the 20th century even though we have 24-hour online banking. I guess they have stayed that way to collect late fees. We just had a month long Halloween anyway.
DAWG,
.
Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday was never a federal holiday, but it was/is a state holiday in a majority of the states.
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Sure. Why not?
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And let’s make the Monday after Super Bowl Sunday a national holiday.
College football is over by that weekend. Just move the Superbowl to Saturday and call it good!
Agree superbowl on Saturday would be better. However, I think the NFL and the cities that host the superbowl want it left on Sunday as more money is spent by people traveling and also partying.
Would devils night remain the night before?
-asking for an arsonist
No …leave as is .. they already combined Washington’s and Lincoln’s birthdays…. then created a bunch of other “stuff” What happened to Columbus day? yeah I know….
No, October 31 is the date, and October 31 it should remain.
There are certain holidays, including Christmas, 4th of July, and Veterans Day, that I would strenuously object to moving.
On the other hand, I am somewhat ambivalent about changing Halloween. The festival that once was All Hallow’s Eve has evolved into an annual playtime event for children, and as such, it might be better suited for a night that wasn’t in the middle of the school week.
COWELLIAN,
.
The Uniform Monday Holiday Act did move Veterans Day from November 11th to the fourth Monday in October from 1971 thru 1977. In 1978, Veterans Day was moved back to November 11th.
Black Knight,
Thanks, I had forgotten about that, but I was also underwater for several of those Veterans Days.
….do away with it entirely….who needs it?….do some fact checking….is this really what you want to school your children about?
No!