Christie Moves Halloween To Monday; Parsippany Will Comply

Effective immediately, Halloween is postponed in New Jersey.

Gov. Chris Christie issued an executive order declaring that no New Jersey town can hold trick-or-treating on Wednesday. If towns had planned to do so, they must move trick-or-treating and any public celebrations to Monday.

“I’ve taken this action to minimize additional risks to lives and the public safety as we begin the process of rebuilding and recovering from Hurricane Sandy,” Christie said in a statement. “In too many communities in our state, the damage and losses from this storm are still being sorted out, and dangerous conditions abound even as our emergency management and response officials continue their work.

“As governor, it is my responsibility to use all available resources of the state government to protect against the emergency created by Hurricane Sandy – postponing Halloween celebrations by five days is a commonsense and necessary step to accomplish that.”

In Parsippany, Mayor James Barberio said he's standing with the governor's plan for All Hallows celebrations.

"Many of the traffic signals are still not operational, wires are down, and while these wires might not be visible, they can often lay beneath the leaves on the street," Barberio said in a statement. "The danger is very real. Therefore, I am pleading with families to please keep their children off the streets.

"Please do not allow them to go trick-or-treating—the consequences are not worth it."

The mayor reminded residents that Parsippany is still under a state of emergency. 

He said the last thing he wants to see is injuries that might occur as a result of people not heeding the warning.

"Governor Christie has issued an executive order that proclaims Monday, Nov. 5, as the day citizens of New Jersey can celebrate Halloween," Barberio said. "We hope that Parsippany’s children understand that we want them to have fun on Halloween and that postponing it was done solely for their safety."