This year Halloween falls on a Sunday and the time when many children will be trick or treating conflicts with a nationally televised game between the Saints and the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the marquee matchups on this year’s schedule.
Jefferson Parish councilman Tom Capella said he’s even had some people calling to ask if Halloween can be rescheduled to Saturday night.
“I’ve never seen it before, but we’ve never had the defending Super Bowl Champions,” he said.
“We have to ride with our football team all the way,” said Kendra Muse, a mom pondering her choices. “We have to ride with our kids too but they have a million more Halloweens.”
Muse apparently isn’t alone, as many parents on the Northshore and in New Orleans have decided to make the switch in their neighborhoods, having their children go out for candy and treats on Saturday night.
In some parishes it is elected officials and not the Saints forcing a change in the trick or treating schedule.
In Livingston Parish there is an ordinance on the books that makes it a crime to go trick or treating on Halloween when the date falls on a Sunday.
The Livingston Parish Council voted this week to move the date for Halloween activities to Saturday, but Marjorie Esman of the ACLU says it is a violation of people’s rights. She says it is especially egregious that the penalty for violating the ordinance can be a fine of up to $500 and 30 days in jail.
“This is a free society and the government is not supposed to be in the business of telling people where they can go, when they can go and what they can say when they get there,” she said.
The ACLU on Friday delivered a letter to Livingston Parish leaders urging them to repeal the ordinance, saying it violates the First Amendment rights of people.
“Official Halloween is official Halloween,” said New Orleans City Councilwoman Jackie Clarkson. “I don’t believe there’s any way to make a declaration and certainly no way to write a law and change Halloween.”
“I think Halloween is Halloween and should be left on Halloween,” said parent Crystal Baker.
Capella said you should expect children to be on the streets both Saturday and Sunday.
