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That is a rhetorical question. I can only assume the date change was made so a bunch of little kids ringing doorbells won't interrupt their vile and wicked Halloween rituals. And if someone arrived with horns and a tail, they'd know for sure it was the Dark Prince and not some kid in a $19.98 Wal-Mart getup.
Sure, they might try to make the excuse that Thursday will see less dangerous street traffic for the kids. Some might even claim our city leaders just wanted to watch "America's Next Top Model: Petitie Ninja Warriors" without being distracted by tiny Spidermen or Snow Whites. But I suspect a darker motivation.
Ancient Celts in England and Ireland believed Oct. 31 was when the division between two worlds weakened to the point that hostile forces and ghosts could slip into our world. This time was called Samhain.
Celtic priests called druids performed their rituals at this time to placate the gods so that the sun would return after winter, as well as to frighten away evil spirits. The rituals included the sacrifice of animals and sometimes humans.
To keep the roaming dead and evil spirits from bothering the living, villagers would place food and bits of treats on their doorsteps as bribes against mischief.
Another way to avoid being harassed by spooks and goblins was masquerade as one of them. The pheasants would go about that night with soot-blackened faces or wearing masks. This has come down to us as people giving treats to costumed kids.
In Ireland, turnips and beats were carved into jack-o-lanterns to frighten away the evil spirits. Finding pumpkins made cooler jack-o-lanterns, the native American gourd was soon adopted.
To supercede the original significance of this date, the Catholic Church switched all Saints Day ( a time to honor saints and martyrs) from May 13 to Nov. 1 - making Oct. 31 All Hallows' (Saints) Eve.
Observing Halloween never really took off in the U.S. until the middle of the 1800s. That's when millions of starving Irish emigrants began arriving to escape the potato famine. Hanging on to their Celtic roots, they called Halloween "Oidche Shamhna" (Night of Samhain).
And now with the kids kept from the streets on a night long associated with demonic rituals, our city leaders are free to practice whatever creepy ceremonies they want. I can only hope that concerned citizens will arise next year to protest this shameful deceit.
I may take the law into my own hands this weekend and call our Kalona City Coven members every 15 minutes just to throw off their demonic practices - or at least when the advertisements come on during "America's Next Top Model: Petitie Ninja Warriors."
