Now they're going after Halloween

[wonder whisper]

Historically, attempts to ban or limit the celebration of Halloween have pretty much been minor, isolated ones where a house of worship made some noise about it. Or a neighborhood association put formal limitations on the hours allowed for trick or treating.

But now municipalities in MA are getting on that bandwagon, as two school principals there decide Halloween has to go, because is not "inclusive" and can be "difficult" for some students. In one it will be replaced by "Black and Orange Spirit Day" and the other by some vaguely defined "community day event" in November.

Thankfully, the municipalities involved in banning Halloween do not include Salem. The local chamber of commerce there would have a collective heart attack if anyone even hinted at the idea of "cancelling" that holiday

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2017/10/17/walpole-elementary-school-cancels-halloween-parade/

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2017/09/29/needham-elementary-school-cancels-halloween-festivities/

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Waste of classroom time. Kids are in school to learn. Celebrate holidays at home.

Unless you are going to teach the history of the holiday.

 

[hereyago]

Historically, attempts to ban or limit the celebration of Halloween have pretty much been minor, isolated ones where a house of worship made some noise about it. Or a neighborhood association put formal limitations on the hours allowed for trick or treating.

But now a municipality is getting on that bandwagon, as a school principal in MA decides Halloween can be "difficult" for some students and will be replaced by "Black and Orange Spirit Day."

Thankfully, the municipality involved is not Salem. The local chamber of commerce there would have a collective heart attack if anyone even hinted at the idea of "cancelling" Halloween.

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2017/10/17/walpole-elementary-school-cancels-halloween-parade/

We have become a whiny (pardon the pun) candy butt society.
Years ago when dd was in elementary school, a couple parents complained that they had temporary tattoos as prizes for one of the games they would have at evening school functions. So they did away with that. Do people not have necks to turn if they see something that they don't like?

 

[mombrontrent]

Where we live in Ontario it’s been orange and black day at school for at least 10 years now. Frankly it’s much easier then trying to send the kids with costumes to school in the morning.

 

[hereyago]

Waste of classroom time. Kids are in school to learn. Celebrate holidays at home.

Unless you are going to teach the history of the holiday.

I am curious if I may so bold, but: How about activites such as field day, school Spirit week,etc. Should they be stopped as well?

 

[cabanafrau]

Where we live in Ontario it’s been orange and black day at school for at least 10 years now. Frankly it’s much easier then trying to send the kids with costumes to school in the morning.

That whole costumes at school thing was such a pain -- and generally all the fuss and muster wound up with the kids walking through the hallways for about 7-8 minutes and then about another 5 getting a group picture organized and then it was time to wrap things up. Inevitably I'd wind up in the car afterwards wondering why I was exhausted and ended up putting in so much time into what amounted to very little reward for my kids -- or myself.

 

[Klayfish]

Pathetic...

 

[rastahomie]

I have some friends who are utterly, adamantly, almost militantly against Halloween. If any politician in their community expressed an interest in banning it, they'd be at the first city council meeting, professing their support. They keep their kids out of school that day because the other kids wearing costumes is "Satanic." They shut off their porch lights and spend the evening inside, I'm assuming watching documentaries about how evil the holiday is.

I don't support their attitude, but I can certainly see why they feel like the holiday is exclusionary. However, I sure as heck don't think the school should cancel the holiday to accommodate their kids.

 

[wonder whisper]

Kids are in school to learn. Celebrate holidays at home.

They are "removing" one holiday event celebrated at school and replacing it with another presumably more "acceptable" one.

Or put another way, anyone making your argument with the schools involved already lost.

 

[amberpi]

I don't know about kids, but Halloween is a big deal for us grown-ups still! Personally, its the only holiday (other than mother's and father's days if those count) that I don't hate every stupid bleep, bleep, bleep, second.

 

[Colleen27]

Several of our local schools have been doing that for years. It isn't an attack on Halloween, it is an acknowledgement of the waste of time and energy that comes with allowing kids to wear or change into costumes at school and then having to police their appropriateness (because, as we all know, in any large enough group of kids there WILL be 5yos who want to be ninjas, complete with toy swords and throwing stars that they can't resist using, and 12yos whose parents don't see why the "sexy kitty" costume little precious wanted isn't acceptable for a middle schooler). The school hosts a "trunk or treat" on a Friday night near Halloween, which is of course a costumed event, but the 31st is a black-and-orange spirit day so that the school day can progress more or less as normal.

 

[sam_gordon]

Historically, attempts to ban or limit the celebration of Halloween have pretty much been minor, isolated ones where a house of worship made some noise about it. Or a neighborhood association put formal limitations on the hours allowed for trick or treating.

But now municipalities in MA are getting on that bandwagon, as two school principals there decide Halloween has to go, because is not "inclusive" and can be "difficult" for some students. In one it will be replaced by "Black and Orange Spirit Day" and the other by some vaguely defined "community day event" in November.

Thankfully, the municipalities involved in banning Halloween do not include Salem. The local chamber of commerce there would have a collective heart attack if anyone even hinted at the idea of "cancelling" that holiday

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2017/10/17/walpole-elementary-school-cancels-halloween-parade/

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2017/09/29/needham-elementary-school-cancels-halloween-festivities/

Actually the school in the first link is still having a party. It's just after school. They're cancelling the parade that happens during school hours. Much ado about nothing IMO.

 

[design_mom]

Ours have been "fall parties" for as long as I can remember. And here, trick-or-treat has had "hours" since I was a kid -- and <gasp> it's often not even on October 31. It's no big deal what it's called. It's still fun.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I am curious if I may so bold, but: How about activites such as field day, school Spirit week,etc. Should they be stopped as well?

Field day usually happens after final grades are already entered. At least around here. As for spirit week, eh. I mean, you dress in in pajamas. Pep rally is either after school or at the end of the day, right?

Although I see your point with other stuff. Random parties. Movie days. I guess it doesn't really matter. But I'm not sure it's worth being upset about, either.

 

[soccerdad72]

This isn't anything new

 

[FlightlessDuck]

They are "removing" one holiday event celebrated at school and replacing it with another presumably more "acceptable" one.

Or put another way, anyone making your argument with the schools involved already lost.

But the party is after school and the parade was cancelled.

 

[Julie's Haircut]

Why is it thankful that Salem, MA, is NOT among the schools banning Halloween?

Salem has no connection with Halloween. And don't say the witch trials of the late 1600's have any association.

 

[smiths02]

The schools around here have tied it into Red Ribbon Week or some literacy week for years (and kids were dressing up every day like spirit week). No Trick or Treating or Costume parade, although, this year, my children's school will have a pumpkin walk. Other schools have fall festivals, scarecrow contests, etc., but they really are fall themed, not just Halloween.
The rules for at least 10 years around here have been that the costume has to relate to a book character...no violating school dress code, no make-up, no props, appropriate shoes. Obviously, you can find a book with any popular character...some schools we had to actually bring a book to verify, some schools had each classroom with a book and kids had to dress accordingly (not in their regular Halloween costume)

ETA: Even as such, I know students who did not come to school on Halloween.

 

[wonder whisper]

Where we live in Ontario it’s been orange and black day at school for at least 10 years now. Frankly it’s much easier then trying to send the kids with costumes to school in the morning.

Presumably you still have to dig out some black and orange clothing. Or is "orange and black day" just a label slapped on what is otherwise a regular school day?

 

[ThistleMae]

Historically, attempts to ban or limit the celebration of Halloween have pretty much been minor, isolated ones where a house of worship made some noise about it. Or a neighborhood association put formal limitations on the hours allowed for trick or treating.

But now municipalities in MA are getting on that bandwagon, as two school principals there decide Halloween has to go, because is not "inclusive" and can be "difficult" for some students. In one it will be replaced by "Black and Orange Spirit Day" and the other by some vaguely defined "community day event" in November.

Thankfully, the municipalities involved in banning Halloween do not include Salem. The local chamber of commerce there would have a collective heart attack if anyone even hinted at the idea of "cancelling" that holiday

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2017/10/17/walpole-elementary-school-cancels-halloween-parade/

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2017/09/29/needham-elementary-school-cancels-halloween-festivities/

Wow, yeah, I hear you about Salem. I think the whole thing is rather ridiculous myself. If people don't get into Halloween, they don't have to.