WASHINGTON—In an address to the nation in which he warned that preparations for the upcoming holiday must begin at once, President Joe Biden on Friday urged Americans to decide now what they were going to be for Halloween. “It is vital that we start making our way to a Spirit Halloween store or browsing online retailers so that we have a plan in place come Oct. 31,” said President Biden, noting that Americans would soon be faced with parties, trick-or-treating, parades, and office Halloween observances in which they would be embarrassed if they wore an unimaginative costume that was clearly thrown together at the last minute. “There are many cultural touchstones from the past year that can provide us with inspiration, whether one wishes to go as Anna Delvey, a Squid Game competitor, or a recently deceased celebrity such as Queen Elizabeth II or Coolio. Even if your Halloween preferences run toward the more traditional, such as a sexy pirate, this is a critical decision that cannot be made at the last minute, especially if you’re hoping to do a couple’s costume. How many times must we as a nation learn to plan ahead so that we’re not forced to grab some weird hat from our closet and have some ironic costume that must be explained to every person we meet and is never funny?” Asked by reporters, Biden stated that he had in fact decided to be a sexy pirate this year.