Why NJ should have Halloween weekend instead of changing the day

Halloween is almost upon us in New Jersey. That one night when we get to dress up any way we want and go door-to-door collecting enough candy that'll last us into the new year.

Every year, however, there seems to be some debate regarding the exact date of Halloween. Maybe not so much about the date of October 31, but when precisely it should be celebrated.

There have been talks lately about some New Jersey towns hosting Halloween on a day other than October 31. Trick-or-treating, to be more precise.

Toms River already does this and has for a good number of years. But talks of other New Jersey towns moving the big trick-or-treating night have also emerged in recent days.

Some of us simply don't want to have Halloween on the traditional night of October 31. And there are quite a few reasons for this.

Safety is always cited as right at the top, but it goes beyond that. Simply put, some towns don't want to host Halloween on October 31 if it's a weeknight, it's as simple as that.

Some have proposed just moving the day out of the work week and into the weekend. Perhaps the last Saturday of October makes more sense?

Yes, there is logic to some of this reasoning, no question there. But if we're going to move the holiday itself, why not also expand the number of days while we're at it?

If we're going to make such a change, New Jersey should just declare the final weekend of October Halloween weekend. We're already celebrating before the big day even arrives, so why not go all out?

Here's why it's at least worth considering making that final weekend of October the most spooktacular of them all.

The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 Sunday morning host Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.