HALLOWEEN?

Halloween has long been a big ‘to-do’ holiday in the States. I grew up with homemade costumes, pillow cases of candy, carved pumpkins and in school Halloween parties. But like fall, change is in the air and the idea of Halloween celebrations in the classroom is changing. School districts have begun cancelling Halloween.

As an educator I like to put topics on the table to view from all angles. This is not an opinion piece but a chance to explore the conversation academically. If I was a math teacher I would take this opportunity to create a pie chart (pumpkin of course) of pros and cons. However, as this is a blog I will simply lay out some of the elemental concerns on both sides of the fence.

BUT FIRST A LITTLE HISTORICAL CONTEXT:

Halloween has its origins in the Celtic Festival Samhain, which marked the end of the harvest season (Oct. 31st would be the celebration eve and November 1st the end of Harvest). The belief was that during Samhain the ‘spirits’ or ‘souls’ of the deceased would go to their old homes looking for hospitality and a meal and the Celts would appease them with food and drink to ensure that they and their livestock survived the dark winter months. One could say they were “warding off the evil spirits”. In the 8th or 9th century the Christian church decreed the ‘Feast of All Saints’ (which had been in May) be moved to Nov. 1st. The pre-eve vigil became “All Hallows Even,” or “Hallowe’en”–the roots of the Halloween we know today.

WHY NOW NO-WEEN?

REASON 1 -RELIGIOUS CONCERNS

Long answer short, as a nation we have children from a myriad of ethnic and religious backgrounds in our schools. Many Evangelical Christians feel the holiday is pagan and is seen as celebrating the devil. Conservative Muslims also believe it represents “shaytan“(the devil) and is forbidden (haram), and Jews who are observant of their religion, do not celebrate Halloween as a holiday because it has non-Jewish roots. All in all the holiday has become a part of our on going Church/State debate.

It is argued that schools have always celebrated Halloween as a secular holiday and therefore religion should have no place in the debate. But the concern stands: Halloween activities will alienate children and staff who do not celebrate for personal/religious reasons.

REASON 2 -ECONOMIC SENSITIVITY

Not all families are able to afford costumes. Some students have the money for elaborate costumes, while others will be teased for not having the money to buy any.

REASON 3 -INAPPROPRIATE COSTUMES

With some children, putting on a costume entails donning a character’s attitude. Teachers have experienced behavioral problems in children wearing costumes that involve violent or action based characters

REASON 4 -TOO MUCH CANDY

Straight up too much candy!

People are concerned that between obesity and Attention Deficit Disorders, school Halloween festivities are adding to the problem with copious amounts of sugar.

Pro-Ween

While there are some who believe school should be for educational purposes only, there are many parents who feel that fun is part of the education. They believe Halloween parties promote creativity and a break from the mundane and grind of school work.

Pro-ween parents say Halloween is a learning tool. It offers the opportunity to have creative lessons discussing different religions, cultural beliefs, and celebrations. The idea being rather than negating a cultural celebration, schools should find ways to be more inclusive and incorporate more and lesser known religious/cultural celebrations.

In the same vein, many feel this is a holiday in which kids from all economic backgrounds can feel included. One solution would be creating costumes in school. A portion of art time can be dedicated to costume design and useful skills such as sewing.

THE FINAL DECISION

At the end of the day, it is the school that gets to decide. In these cases, there will always be someone who is not happy with the final choice. Please try to respect all sides and all decisions. If the school chooses not to have festivities, you can have them at home. If the school chooses to have festivities, maybe there is a quiet room your child can go to or you have an at home day.

Either way, sit back and enjoy that pumpkin spiced tea!