It’s Thursday, October 31, 2019 – Halloween. A debate has engulfed much of social media, and even old fashioned media. To trick-or-treat or not-to-trick or treat. Just to clarify, there will be tricking and treating, it’s a matter of when.
Should children go door to door in costumes tonight, a school night, or should the activity be postponed to tomorrow, Friday is the raging topic. Here in Montreal there is another aspect to add to the equation: a weather warning calling for heavy rain and high winds.
When I was a child we used to go out with our costumes and pillow cases to neighbours’ places. Then that seemed to fizzle out during the seventies and early eighties but has made a resurgence over the past twenty years or so. Now those same streets that I strolled with my buddies are once again chock-a-block with children and attending parents. I think it fair to say Halloween is back.
However, might it not be a good idea to always hold the festivities on the nearest Friday night? Kids (and parents) could stay out later given the next day is Saturday. I realize this does nothing to alleviate the weather problem, but it’s a start.
My wife is a teacher, she teaches Spanish to children from preschool to grade seven. Like many teachers she and her colleagues dread Halloween. Actually not the 31st, but the next day, November 1st, when the little ones arrive at school ready to bounce off the walls with elevated blood sugar levels. This day is often referred to on the sly as sugar-shock day.
It seems to me that Halloween could be, as Ernest Hemingway called Paris, a moveable feast. A winning situation all round: kids and parents have the next day off, teachers don’t see the kids until Monday when sugar levels should be back to normal. Bars have been having Halloween parties on the nearest Saturday for years, I think the time has come to take a jump to the left then a step to the right and move things to Friday.
DCMontreal 
I still think kids should make their own costumes.