Conn. lawmaker wants Halloween date change

HARTFORD, Conn., Oct. 24 (UPI) -- A Connecticut lawmaker says he wants to change the traditional Oct. 31 date of Halloween to the last Saturday of the month for safety and other reasons.

The change would make the holiday easier for working parents, safer for trick-or-treaters and would boost the economy as well, state Rep. Tim Larson said.

"Halloween is [a] fun night for the whole family, but not so much when you have to race home from work, get the kids ready for trick or treating, welcome the neighborhood children, and then try to get everyone to bed for an early school and work morning," Larson, a Democrat, told the Hartford Courant Monday.

While Halloween isn't an official state holiday, Larson says his proposal is similar to the government proclamation that Thanksgiving be celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November.

"This would be good for the economy and make Halloween a more family-friendly event every year," he said. "Everyone looks forward to Halloween a little more when it falls on the weekend."