FILE PHOTO.

(BEN BULMER / iNFOnews.ca)

A large number of Canadians think Halloween would be better celebrated on the last Saturday of October rather than on Oct. 31.

A recent poll from Research Co. found that 44 per cent of Canadians believe it would be more suitable to celebrate Halloween on the last Saturday of October, while 39 per cent disagreed with the idea.

Seventeen per cent were undecided on which day was better.

And the support for moving Halloween to Saturday has grown in the last three years and is up four percentage points since a similar poll was conducted in 2019.

In B.C. 44 per cent of residents want Halloween changed to Saturday while 48 per cent of Ontario residents would also like to see it changed, the highest of all provinces.

Saskatchewan and Manitoba were less enthusiastic about the idea with only 33 per cent of residents wanting to see Halloween on a Saturday.

More than half of Canadians also think that some Halloween costumes are out of the question.

Sixty per cent believe it's inappropriate for a child to wear a costume that represents an ethnic stereotype, and 57 per cent think a costume that changes the colour of the child's skin is inappropriate.

A further 51 per cent don't believe it's appropriate for a child to carry a toy or replica weapon.

At least two-in-five Canadians also believe it's inappropriate for a child to wear a costume that refers to a culture that is not their own, and 40 per cent believe kids shouldn't wear a costume that represents a social stereotype such as a jailbird or a vagabond.

“Canadians of all backgrounds appear dissatisfied with the existence of Halloween children’s costumes that feature ethnic stereotypes," Research Co. president Mario Canseco said in a press release. "This includes Canadians whose ancestries are Indigenous (68 per cent), South Asian (65 per cent), East Asian (63 per cent) and European (52 per cent)."

The poll also found that while businesses are eager to promote pumpkin-spiced drinks, 47 per cent of Canadians don't like them, while 44 per cent do.

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