Essayist Sloane Crosley—who, funnily enough, just moved into my wife’s former apartment (small world, eh?)—thinks so.

Beyond dressing-up, [the problem is] that creeping pressure to do something insanely fun for Halloween. This is a trickle-back attitude from New Year’s. What a smack in the face of fun. Other holidays don’t have this problem. The words “What are you doing for Thanksgiving?” invoke turkey, familial dysfunction and airport security. It’s a sincere question, not a fishing expedition. Never has someone said “I’m going to my aunt Hilda’s house in Wooster” and been met with a “That sounds great. When are we leaving?” No one covets your plans, no one wonders what you’re going as this year, no one comes up to you with a straight face and tells you the stuffing is brains and the cranberry sauce is blood.

Me, I don’t think Halloween is (heh) dead. It’s just moved to November 2nd this year. The mindless zombies are going to be out in force….