Snickers pledge to give away 1 million chocolate bars if the date of Halloween is changed

With the distraction of a political Pennywise ascending to the highest elected office in the United Kingdom, it’s been difficult to keep track of the many other important news stories from around the world. This is a shame, since buried between the countless tragedies that justifiably dominate the headlines, there have been some genuinely quirky and exhilarating goings on. Case in point, the campaign to change Halloween.

Thanks to a petition started by the Halloween & Costume Association, there is growing pressure on American politicians to consider turning the festival from an evening-long frightfest into an entire weekend spent celebrating the macabre. The argument goes that, since Halloween is observed almost universally across America, it makes much more sense for the event to fall on the final Saturday in October, rather than on any random weekday. Though this might sound like the last thing that should be on the American political agenda, the idea has managed to garner some powerful supporters. 

Wading into the debate, world famous chocolate brand Snickers have decided to ally themselves with the campaigners, stating that should the government agree to change the date, the company will give away a whopping one million chocolate bars. In a press release accompanying the announcement, Snickers’ brand director Josh Olken said, “Snickers is all in on celebration Halloween to the fullest. If the federal government makes this thing official, we’re offering up to one million free Snickers to America. No tricks, only treats.” Suddenly, it doesn’t seem like such a mad idea after all. 

Clearly, as one of the largest candy producers on the planet, Snickers have an ulterior motive in wanting to see Halloween celebrations extended for as long as possible. However, it seems highly unlikely whether even their support can make enough of an impact to change our calendar. At the time of writing, the petition itself had gained a little over 110,000 signatures – a fairly insignificant number in the scheme of things. For now then, it seems that the Halloween & Costume Association and Snickers’ plans are doomed to failure. Still, it’s certainly something worth keeping an eye on.