“Why is it changing from a decade on?”: More municipalities are moving Halloween

The last Friday of the month, the first Saturday after October 31, or a Sunday in the middle of the afternoon… Many cities in Quebec no longer celebrate Halloween on October 31. This trend, aimed at making life easier for parents, is not unanimous.

“Halloween is the 31st, whether it's sunny, cold or snowing, we've already had Halloween in 10cm of snow!” Pulling out all the stops to accommodate children on D-Day, Sofia Prince is delighted that her municipality is organizing a candy collection for October 31.

In 2019, cities such as Montreal changed the date of Halloween due to inclement weather, sparking a strong reaction.

For families

Since then, many mayors have chosen the day as flexible. However, the reason given by many in 2024 is the desire to simplify the daily lives of families.

“Most of the parents who live in our area work outside of it, which means that when they come back home they are not in a hurry (to prepare dinner, homework, disguise),” explains Daniel Provencher, mayor of the small municipality of Estrie. , Audet, the candy collection was held on Sunday, October 27.

Other municipalities in the eastern townships, such as Scotstown and La Patrie, celebrated Halloween the day before on October 26.

Amos, in Abitibi, Halloween now falls on the Friday closest to October 31st. “By celebrating Friday, students can fully enjoy their day and evening without fear of being tired the next day,” the municipality explained in writing.

Halloween enthusiasts we surveyed found these changes hilarious.

“Halloween was always October 31st, why did that change in the last decade?” M asks.^me the prince

“Everybody wants October 31st, everybody I've talked to, that's what they're saying. It's Labor Day; If the weather isn't great on Labor Day, are we going to postpone it for another week so the world can enjoy the beauty of the sun? Adds Claude Tremblay, conducting an extensive horror trial at Charlemagne on October 31.

Photo Agency QMI, Mary-Laurence Delaney

The municipalities of Chibougamau in Nord-du-Québec and Saint-Jean-d'Arc in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean said the date was changed to meet the wishes of the population. “We simply surveyed our fellow citizens […] With the daily family frenzy, families seem to want to take time out to pick up candy and enjoy the activities better,” explained a spokesperson for the municipality of Saint-Jean-d'.

An exception is an exception

In Dolbeau-Mistassini, Halloween has been celebrated on a Friday for six years, but this year will be an exception. “Usually, it's the last Friday in October. However, this year, considering the distance from the actual date, we opted to do it on the 1st^er November,” said municipality spokeswoman Christine Savago.