A frightening change

by natalie hall
Courier Staff

As a grade-schooler do you remember dressing up for a Halloween party every year at school? I do. We would get so excited and dress up as The Hulk, Cinderella, The Care Bears or Joe Montana. The school would sponsor a big parade and let all of us march around in the gymnasium in the costumes our mothers had worked so hard to create.

After the parade all of us would retire back to our homerooms. It was time for the party and scary music! All of my friends and I would share our cupcakes, candies and homemade treats. I remember playing Halloween games and having contests for who had the best costume!

Whatever happened to those days? My little brother started kindergarten this year and I was confused, not to mention, disappointed to learn they couldn’t have a Halloween party at school. What!!?? It was a new law that his school couldn’t celebrate Halloween and would instead have a Penny Carnival. It saddens me to realize he’ll never know the fun my friends and I had growing up.  

Schools around the country are no longer celebrating Halloween because it may offend a student’s religious beliefs. It seems that our schools are supposed to be teaching tolerance and diversity and are instead doing the direct opposite. Instead of teaching respect for those who do observe Halloween, the schools are teaching ignorance of these traditions.

Why were there no problems when we were in grade school? Why is this a new trend? It seems that Halloween may have somewhat “religious affiliations,” but it has nothing to do with the “devil,” as many claim. Those who object to Halloween do so because they feel it is glorifying the devil and all that is evil. How can carving pumpkins and dressing up as Snow White have anything to do with the devil?

The Halloween origin was started by a Celtic festival, Samhain, celebrated in northern Europe a millennia ago. The Celts believed that on Samhain, the souls of the dead returned to their former homes to be entertained by the living. People would build bonfires and offer food and shelter to these spirits to ward off evil spells.

I learned from The History Channel.com that “During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other’s fortunes. When the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire to help protect them during the coming winter.”                I also discovered that the holiday also evolved from Christian origins. According to legend, Pope Gregory III decreed in the eighth century that the Feast of All Saints (previously celebrated in May) be moved to November 1-the dedication day of All Saints Chapel at St. Peter’s Basilica. The day before was the feast’s evening vigil, “All Hallows Even,” or “Hallowe’en.”

The religious undertones of Halloween may account for the recent actions taken by schools.  So, the question is, are these public schools doing the right thing? Should Halloween be banished because it may offend someone, or should tolerance be taught and kids allowed to dress up and have fun?

If you have any comments on this topic and would like to post your response, send an email to nhall@monm.edu.