Halloween sucks. Great idea, miserable execution. I can't count how many of my childhood costumes were ruined by a heavy winter parka. In most respects it's a perfect holiday: Kids dress up and collect candy from neighbors. The only wrench is the weather; this weekend, we had our first snowfall. You can't march kids through New England winter dressed like ninja turtles.

Simple solution: Move Halloween to August. Forget the legacy of Samhain and All Hallow's Eve; that's like saying Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny have their roots in Christianity. It's a secular holiday that centers on costumes and candy. Stop ruining it with runny noses in the name of tradition.