Geoffrey Hinton recently won a Nobel Prize for physics. This British-Canadian computer scientist fought for respect as far back as the 1980s as most people in the field of artificial intelligence said that neural networks would never work.

Got that? Have I got your attention? How does this relate to Halloween in the year 2024?

Out-of-the-box thinkers have to have confidence, patience and thick skin.

People shake their heads when I try to make changes to Halloween traditions. I don’t care — and a recent discussion at Sweets & Swirls encouraged me.

Hardworking Sophie, Erinn and James Cadeau are wise, forward-thinkers and operate a fabulous cafe at the NOTL Community Centre. They also think differently on many subjects. They swim upstream and are not afraid to voice their reasoning.

To that end, I recently asked them if they thought Halloween should be celebrated on Oct. 31 each year.

I have argued for several years that weeknight Halloween is unduly stressful for parents, grandparents and school teachers. And oh yes, young children and students too.

A little background: Halloween has its roots in the ancient religious festival of Samhain (pronounced Sah-win.) This event welcomed the harvest at the end of summer when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts and spirits.

In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated Nov. 1 as a time to honour all saints and incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain.

Perhaps importantly, Oct. 31 is the 304th day of the Gregorian calendar.

About 20 years ago, I was in Colorado visiting tour operators on behalf of the award-winning Oh Canada Eh?! Dinner Show.

On Friday, Oct. 28, I was spending the weekend in Steamboat Springs, and at about 4 p.m., the main street was abuzz with merchants setting out carved pumpkins and candies in front of their storefronts.

Dozens of parents and their costumed children arrived soon after, and for the next few hours, it was a scene to end all scenes. Music, ghosts, goblins, trick-or-treating and general fun and games.

Confused, I asked someone what the heck was going on, and received this response: “About 10 years ago, we decided to move Halloween to the last Friday of October. It’s been great, for so many reasons.”

I returned a few days later to Niagara-on-the-Lake and met with a few people at town hall.

They thought I was kooky and probably still do, because I raise the issue every year.

Geoffrey Hinton’s perseverance has inspired me. He didn’t let the majority stifle his thinking.

Allow me to ramble back to a memorable Halloween when my son Scott was about five years old.

My predecessor as president of the Chautauqua Residents Association (then, the Mississauga Beach Association) had asked us to bring Scott to his house on Shakespeare Avenue. We arrived there as darkness arrived, at about 6 p.m.

Scott, dressed up as something, got out of the car and approached the front door. I was a few steps behind him. He was ready to say “trick or treat.”

Suddenly, he screamed, turned around and came running from the door.

I looked, and there was Chuck Leguerrier with some Halloween candy. Also, his right eye was hanging about one inch out of the socket, covered in blood.

Home we went, and that was the end of trick-or-treating for that year.

What was Chuck thinking? I still ask myself that question.

C’mon NOTLers, let’s be daring. Let’s be leaders.

In 2025, let’s have Halloween on the last Friday of October. To ease the transition, my calendar tells me it will be on Friday.

You see, it was meant to be.

Stay tuned.