Other than church, I mean.
The mayor of Carlsbad, New Mexico, published a "progress report" in the local newspaper several days ago, in which he stated (among other things):
I will make an announcement in the near future that the city of Carlsbad is encouraging our residents to celebrate Halloween on Saturday, Oct. 30. This will allow the children to enjoy trick or treat without interfering with church services and a school night. It also gives parents another day to check candies and treats that the children may have received prior to going to school on Monday.
Well, now isn't that special. Look at all the built-in assumptions, lined up like Jack O' Lanterns.
- We can move holidays around at the whim of the churches. Hey, Mayor; what happens when July 4 falls on a Sunday? Going to go around and ticket people setting off fireworks? Or, how about Ramadan? Yom Kippur? They gonna be shoved off Sundays, too?
- You can't go to church in the morning and trick or treat in the evening. Several hours is just insufficient for putting on your costume (well, changing your costume, so to speak) and locating your pillowcase.
- When Halloween falls on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, there will magically be plenty of time to check candies and treats that the children have received, prior to their going to school the next day.
- Going to school and possessing Halloween candy are related in some unclear, doubtless demonic manner. The parents must have sufficient time to exorcise the candy prior to it being somehow exposed to the pernicious school influence, peoples! Think of the children. Please.
I understand that Halloween has gotten to be way too much about junk candy. But still, there are many fine pagans and wiccans out there who respect the day as celebratory...and do not, er, engage in blood sacrifices.
It was interesting to note that the Topix locals who responded to this were mostly pretty pissed off. I wound up suggesting to the children (we must think of the children) that they go out both days, Saturday and Sunday, but in different neighborhoods, and play dumb. What do they have to lose? Some kid did that to me, I'd give them something.
In fact, I vaguely remember being that kid...who decided, 40-odd years ago, to go trick-or-treating the wrong time of year.
Born bad.
Anyway, I personally have no intention of changing my plans for doing my annual spell-casting on Sunday.
Oh, and also; I'm changing every Friday to a holiday, since everybody pretty much hates working on Fridays.
I'm also changing my birthday to every Friday, so we can name the holiday after me.
I will expect presents.