Leave it to the calendar to erect a barrier to trick-or-treating. Halloween falls on a Wednesday this year, smack in the middle of the workweek. A solution to this irksome scheduling has been suggested by the Halloween Industry Association. The group, which also calls itself the Halloween and Costume Association, is petitioning President Trump to move Halloween to the last Saturday of October.

It’s called the ‘‘Saturday Halloween Movement,’’ and it might just be the cause that can unite the country.

Who, after all, even knows why Halloween is observed on Oct. 31? The holiday’s timing reflects its origins in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when ghosts of the dead were believed to walk the earth.

The Halloween industry says there are now more pressing concerns.

‘‘It’s time for a Safer, Longer, Stress-Free Celebration!’’ the petition declares.

Nearly 6,000 signatories seem to agree.

Washington Post