Is October 31 and November 1 a holiday in the US?

34 comments

1. It is not a holiday. Adults will have their festivities on the nearest weekend before the 31st instead, so they can party but not have it affect their ability to go to work.

2. Most people celebrate Halloween. It’s not a federal holiday. All the festivities happen after sundown. November 1st is not a holiday for the U.S. Depending on where you work, people will come to work in costumes. Schools might let children wear costumes too.

3. No, neither day is a public holiday here

   The kid festivities wrap up pretty early. My kids were up a bit later than usual but not really all that much overall.

   I’m not a partier, but I suspect the adult parties are either on the closest weekend or attended by people who are willing to deal with work after a night of partying.

   I suspect absenteeism is higher on the 1st, but that’s just how things go.

4. Halloween falling on a Friday or Saturday is always a great time.

   But otherwise it’s just celebrated on the closest weekend.

   And no, October 31st or November 1st is not a federal holiday. I guess it is a “public holiday” but no one really gets time off nor are certain businesses closed.

5. When I attended catholic school as a kid we got November 1st off as all saints day.

6. TIL from my swiss colleagues that nov 1st is a holiday. I had no idea. I grew up Catholic, all saints day is technically a feast day, but in reality it has always been just another day.

7. Yes, the 31st is generally recognized as a holiday, though it isn’t a federal holiday. People generally don’t get the 31st off. November 1st isn’t seen as a holiday at all.

   >How do you prepare for Halloween night if you have work on October 31?

   What preparation are you talking about? I put up my Halloween decorations weeks before hand, around the start of October. All I have to do is change into a costume and hand out treats in a bowl, or walk my kids around the block. Not much preparation needed. Yeah, most celebrate it.

8. If you want a big late night heavy drinking party you do it on the Saturday preceding Halloween if Halloween is on a school night/work night.

9. We’re Americans, we just go to work hungover as fuck

10. Halloween festivities involved taking my son trick or treating, and we were home by 7. (Actually, by 6:30 — he’s only 3.) This isn’t a holiday recognized as such by school or work, but celebrated anyway.

11. Kids go trick or treating early-ish in the day. When I was a kid I was back home by like 8:30 at the latest – enough time to have a couple of pieces of candy before getting ready for bed so I could go to school in the morning.

    For adults, parties are generally held on the weekends leading up to/right after Halloween, so it doesn’t interfere with the work week.

12. We are tired the next day.

13. my kid’s high school had senior skip day on Nov 1 which I thought was a good idea.

14. Neither day are a holiday where people get off from work/school.

15. “holiday” is an interesting word for Halloween. I don’t know anyone that gets off from work like you would for Christmas, the 4th of July, or even labor day. However, it is probably one of the most widely celebrated holidays of the year.

16. I observe them, and my obligations somewhat observed them too. I work from home, so I get dinner prepped and candy in the bowl during lunch, go to All Hallows Eve Mass at 5 (dinner is already in the oven and I’ll have it out at around 6) and eat dinner/drink beer/hand out candy when I get home from Mass. On November 1, my manager/peers were kind enough not to schedule any meetings so I could make All Saints Day observances throughout the workday (I make sure to do the same for my non-Catholic co-workers on their observed religious feast days).

17. Halloween is a holiday, but not Nov 1st. It’s not the kind of holiday where you get off work and stuff – just like Valentines Day or St Patrick’s Day.

    There’s no real prep for Halloween. Most people have already decorated and bought candy beforehand.

    I worked yesterday, got home at about 530, made dinner, then got my kid in his costume and went trick-or-treating. When we were done, I handed out candy at home.

18. It’s only a holiday for schools, and even then it depends on the school. My nephew’s Catholic school had today off, my boyfriend’s school (he works in education) had Halloween off.

19. The wife and I got drunk as shit at a party last weekend. Yesterday the boss gave me an hour off at the end of the day so I went and got the kids early. The kids were fed, dressed and out the door by 6pm. We put out decorations and bought candy beforehand. The whole neighborhood was done by 8:30 (not sure what that translates to in metric). This morning we all did our normal routine.

20. October 31st is Halloween. That’s it.

21. There is no federal holiday on the 31st, but we get a wonderful state holiday, Nevada day. So we get the last Friday off in October so we basically get a 3 day Halloween weekend

22. We just plan events on the weekend closest to the holiday, so most people had their parties this past weekend.

23. The last Friday of October is a public holiday in Nevada observing statehood on October 31, so it sometimes coincides.

24. Is it a federal holiday with some workplaces being closed? No.

    Do we not care and get wasted anyway? Yes.

25. Halloween is celebrated by kids, mostly in costumes, “Trick or Treating” door to door “begging” for treats from neighbors, or in areas safe to walk. Some communities celebrate Trick or Treat on a certain night/day prior to the 31 of October, the Thursday prior seems to be popular. Some communities have “Beggars Night” on the 30th for Trick or Treat and term the 31st and “ Mischief Night”.

    People who decorate elaborately begin as early as September, others wait until October. Those who carve pumpkins – a tradition that might include a trip to a farm market or “pumpkin patch” to collect the prized pumpkins a week or so beforehand. The longer you wait to carve the better the pumpkins look on Halloween. The weather is still fluctuating and a carved pumpkin starts to deteriorate rapidly in the heat or sun.

    For the older crowd- think middle school and up, by this time most have given up T or T and opted for a scare. Haunted Hayrides, Haunted Houses, Haunted Trails and Corn Mazes abound. These may start in September and run through October. The entire point is to have fun while people in costume try to scare the pumpkin seeds out of you. Inevitably there will be a chainsaw, no actual chain, toting freak buzzing up close to you in creepy clothes, and mask or makeup. Freddy Kruger, zombies, werewolves, vampires and witches, and ghouls of every description abound. For some a right of passage, a must or bust situation, and a scary good time. Word of warning; scream, cringe or cry upon seeing these monsters will only make you a target.

    The night of Trick or Treat many families put out the chili or soup, sandwiches or, my favorite, Pizza. This will either be eaten prior to Treating, especially if kids are young, or consumed upon returning with the sweet plunder.

    Some schools still have Halloween parties, even with costumes, but mostly these have changed to Harvest or Fall parties with more “harvest themed” costumes, if there are costumes at all.

    Adult parties are usually held on the weekend prior to 31st unless, wonder if wonders, the 31st falls on the weekend. Bars celebrate with costume contests.

    Dude, if you work the next day you tough it out or take the day off in preparation of an Uber imbibing night of witches brew. November 1st is mainly a day to recover, score half-price Halloween candy, and take down scary decorations for a Harvest Wreath. Some people even put up Christmas lights at this time, not necessarily to light them up, except to test, prior to Thanksgiving night.

    I hope this answers your questions and gives you a glimpse of what October brings in the U.S.A.

    AGAPE 💕💕💕

26. Not a federal holiday

27. Halloween and All Saints Day aren’t government holidays.

    > do people show up for work/school on November 1 after a night of Halloween festivities?

    Yeah. If you’re an adult, you usually organize Halloween parties on the latter weekends of October, especially the last Saturday before the night itself. If you have kids, then you’re taking the kids trick or treating on Halloween itself, not getting smashed at a party.

    >How do you prepare for Halloween night if you have work on October 31

    There’s nothing to prepare. We treat Halloween like Christmas in the sense that it’s essentially the entire month. It’s not just a day, it’s a holiday season. Most people’s decorations go up during the 1st week of October.

    >Do most people celebrate Halloween over there?

    Yeah. It’s a major holiday, especially for families.

28. Most of the fun stuff is done the Saturday before Halloween. Most teachers in elementary school were easy on Halloween night, once I got to middle school, a certain amount of studying had to be done Halloween night because teachers would give pop quizes.

29. It is if I have enough vacation left;)

30. Halloween is October 31st. It’s not a holiday anyone gets time off for or anything, but we party and wear costumes if we want. I always wear a costume even if I’m at work or in class, but I don’t have a job that’s particularly picky about what i wear and I’m not the type to do “sexy” costumes anyway lol.

    Like yesterday i wore my vampire costume including like, a wig, face paint, fangs, fake ears, etc and we gave candy out to kids at a couple spots in the store. It was fun when we weren’t so budy i felt like i was gonna scream XD regulars and coworkers loved my costume.

    With November 1st I don’t think anyone does anything unless they have to call out of work hungover or something?

31. Unofficially. We don’t get a day off for Halloween, All Saints Day, or Dia de los Muertos.

32. Neither are holidays here. Halloween festivities for adults and parties are on the weekend before Halloween.

33. Halloweekend is when the adults party, kids treat-or-treat on monday

34. Most people I know party on the closest weekend. While there’s always things to do on the 31st, a lot of people also request the 1st off or call in sick.