For those who don't fully appreciate what happened. Mars, Incorporated effectively tried to destroy Halloween They created the petition to "move Halloween to the last Saturday in October." Then they changed it, saying "Oh, we don't want to get rid of Halloween. We just want to create a separate Trick or treat day." But that would systematically destroy Halloween / Samhain for the mainstream.
Most places in America (save for some tiny hick towns. - So please don't comment with "In my town we always do it on..." You have my pity but that doesn't change anything. - ) allow for trick or treating on the actual Halloween Night.
With more and more towns in America putting in curfews and age restrictions this has also crippled what should be a fun time for all. It also ignores that original Trick or treating was intended to bribe teens (Let me emphasize: TEENS) into not pulling pranks. That's what "Trick or treat" was. It was threat.
"Give me a treat or I'll pull a trick on you."
What Mars has attempted, for two years now, was to essentially erase the mainstream celebration of Halloween. They were trying to replace it with "Trick or treat Day."
Think how Christians would feel if you took Christmas and decided "Naw, that's too close to New Years. Let's move it to December 10th and call it "Gift exchange day." I know many countries do have a Saint Nicholas Day but that's not quite the same thing. They get celebrations on Christmas too and it isn't
blatantly secular, stripping all magick and wonder from it.
What would be left if "Trick or treat day" became the norm? Halloween would be nothing more than a day for adult parties. And the sacred history for Wiccans and other Neo-Pagans, and even Catholics from various cultural background, would be lost in America.
Instead of just making a petition to turn Halloween into a national holiday so kids would have off of school, they tried to create "Trick or treat day." They tried to take away and replace our holiday with something secular and literally created by the candy companies. Draining Halloween of all it's childhood magick.
So what candies does Mars make you might ask? Here are the candies I once loved but will never buy again:
Milky Way
Three Musketeers
Snickers
Twix
M&Ms
Skittles
I already was avoiding Hershey because the chocolate has taken on a chalky, artificial taste but now I must avoid Mars out of principle and respect for other religions. People talk about War on Christmas but a Candy Company declared war on Halloween / Samhain.
Stick with Nestle, Reeses, and Cadbury. But don't give Mars your business. They crossed a line in literally trying to replace Halloween with something corporate and shallow and pretending it was for the "Safety" of kids.
