Saturday picked for Trick-or-Treating in Chatham County

Chatham County and municipal leaders demonstrated on Monday a united front against Halloween confusion.

During an early evening press conference, Chatham Commission Chairman Pete Liakakis and the county's mayors endorsed Saturday as the day for trick-or-treaters to hit the streets, since the holiday falls on Sunday this year.

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"We're interested in the safety of our children," Liakakis said. "The police will be out in force."

Liakakis said the change is meant to address the concerns some parents had about celebrating Halloween on their day of worship. And, while the public schools will be closed for a planning day on Monday, many private school students will still need to get up early for their classes, Liakakis said.

Acknowledging the members of Chatham's Jewish community, Mayor Otis Johnson noted their Saturday Sabbath ends at sunset, which allows for trick-or-treating that night.

"I think we will all have a safe and happy Halloween," Johnson said.

Sunday Halloweens have traditionally led to uncertainty.

The last time it occurred was in 2004. That year, Tybee Island celebrated on a Saturday, while children in Savannah and the unincorporated county collected candy on Sunday.

Parents and government officials will get a bit of a reprieve after this year's holiday; the next time Halloween falls on Sunday will not be until 2021.

Told of the plan while visiting Oglethorpe Mall on Monday, mother Shauna Butler did not really care which day the holiday was celebrated. She was just excited about taking her 13-month-old son on his first Halloween outing.

"He's going to enjoy it either way," Butler said.

The cities of Richmond Hill and Pembroke in Bryan County, as well as unincorporated Bryan County, have also announced their intentions for children to celebrate Halloween on Oct. 30. In addition, Rincon, Springfield and Guyton in Effingham County all have scheduled trick-or-treating for Oct. 30.