What Day Is Halloween?

As the month of October draws to a close, kids are setting out their costumes and getting ready for trick-or-treating. but what day is Halloween 2019? Celebrated on the evening before the Christian holy day of All Hallows’ Day or All Saints Day (Nov. 1), Halloween is always celebrated on Oct. 31, or All Hallows’ Eve, with the annual holiday landing on a Thursday this year.

The fact that Halloween is falling on a weekday didn’t settle well with some, however, and a petition first created in 2018 once again began to circulate online in July. Calling to move the beloved holiday to the last Saturday of October, the petition was launched last year by the nonprofit Halloween & Costume Association, arguing that the switch would lead to a “safer, longer, stress-free celebration.”

“It’s time for a Safer, Longer, Stress-Free Celebration! Let’s ADD a Halloween celebration to the last Saturday of October!” the petition reads. “3,800 Halloween-related injuries each year… 82 percent of parents don’t use high visibility aids on their costume… 63 percent of children don’t carry a flashlight while they are trick-or-treating.”

Although the petition quickly reached more than 100,000 signatures, the organization announced in an update that they had chosen to move away from the push to officially change the date of Halloween.

“While we still believe an end-of-October Saturday observance will promote safety and increase the fun, this year we will be launching a national initiative designed to enhance the Halloween that we all know and love,” the petition now reads, explaining that, “Instead of changing the date that American’s celebrate Halloween, we will be adding an additional day of festivities in partnership with Party City and other brands. National Trick or Treat Day will take place annually on the last Saturday of October so families across the country can participate in community parades, throw neighborhood parties and opt for daytime Trick or Treating.”

For those preferring a more lowkey celebration from the comfort of their couch, multiple streaming platforms have stocked their libraries with spooky additions, meaning that you can fill your bag with movies and series rather than candy.

Beginning at the start of October, Netflix began to debut a slate of new Halloween-themed titles. Meanwhile, Hulu got in on the action with Huluween, customized hub for a “bone-chilling” selection of popular Halloween-themed movies and TV episodes.

As is tradition, Freeform will conclude the month of October with a marathon of the 1993 cult classic Hocus Pocus. Airing a total of 30 times this month, the film will be available for viewing on the network beginning at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 31, with the final airing beginning at 8:50 p.m.