DD wants the day off tomorrow as its Halloween.

[Stranrah]

She is 14 and pagan. She has an altar in her room, is often in there doing spells and re arranging her altar.

She says legally she is allowed a day off to observe her religious holiday. She says lots of Muslims stayed off on Eid and it was recorded as an authorised absence.

She wants to spend the day arranging her room for a new start, do a cleansing ritual and also a small bonfire ritual before she goes out with her friends after school.

I don't know. It is a special day to her and Pagans and I don't want to disrespect her beliefs but I feel like a bit of a tit ringing and saying that to school.

Should I allow it or send her in? She's been off for 10 days and only brought this up last week so I couldn't even check with school prior.

I thought it was your DDs religion and you didn't know much about it? 👀🐸

Good grief!

www.boredpanda.com/wilder-mann-charles-freger/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic

Loving the bare legs and socks 😂

Although seriously, I wonder if thats where the abominable snowman myth came from.

As a fellow pagan, I'm going into work today. I may dress up a little more than usual, but all the celebrations will fit into the evening, because the real festival starts after dusk.

It's little different to New Year's Eve in my eyes, and that is not a bank holiday in this country (and I've never really seen the need for the Jan 1st bank holiday, either, though of course it's nice to have it off).

To all those saying well she shouldn't have Christmas off, then - it coincides, pretty much, with another festival, as does Easter, and was originally put there because of its closeness to Yule and Ostara originally.

If you honestly think Christianity is "fawned" over on mumsnet, you must be very new!
And yes, like a pp said your OP suggested this was just your dd's belief, now it has become the family one.

Hello,
I would like to add a little knowledge to help you out and to educate some that do not know enough about Paganism that have given negative response.

1. Paganism is a recognized religion.
2. Samhain is a special Holiday for us Pagans.
3. Most jobs offer PTO and in the future she can request her PTO to have the day off. I did.
4. Christmas is a holiday for Christians. For Pagans it is a holiday called Yule. We give thanks for the harvest and ask our deities for a swift winter and a fruitful spring.

5.Easter is Ostara for Pagans. Starting to see a pattern. Here. Paganism predates Christianity. The Christian faith adopted Pagan holidays to try to convert old religion practitioners to convert.

When they didn't they moved them outside the city or villages. Hence the name Pagan which means Country dweller and later name meaning changed to any belief that does not consider God as the one and only true power.

Anyway, my advise is learn more about your daughter's beliefs. Respect her and if she wants to take her Pagan Holidays off from school within reason, because Pagans depending on the path has a lot of Holidays.
She needs to keep up with the school work she misses. Don't let her celebrations and reverence for her patron Gods and goddesses get in the way of her education.
I am Shamanic Wiccan, my daughter is Wiccan, my kids' father follows Druidism. My son is Buddhist.
My daughter always took off certain days from school. She graduated with honors and is now in College. She works a full time job. My son is still in high school. We respect all religions. We deserve respect too.
My other advise to others before showing intolerance or Judgement ask if your comment is actually going to help or are you forcing your beliefs on someone else. Also ask yourself if you know enough about the subject to interject your opinion or so called advise.

Did she manage to convince you or the school for a day off OP? Was wondering how the school reacted.

I hope she got to take the day so she could celebrate Samhain. I'm a Druidic Pagan on the path to becoming a priestess of The Morrighan, so Samhain has a particular importance for me. For the people saying that she shouldn't get Christmas presents and those saying that All saints Day is what Halloween is actually all about, do your research. Yule and Saturnalia both predate Christianity and most of the traditions people engage in to celebrate Christmas belonged to those Pagan holidays by a very long time. Same with Halloween/All Saints Day, it was Samhain first, then Christianized later when that became the dominant religion. We also had Ostara first, btw. Didn't you ever wonder what eggs and rabbits had to do with Easter? Yeah, it was a spring/fertility celebration. It's always weird, though not surprising, to see how hostile people can be when Paganism is a subject of discussion. Why are some of you so quick to encourage OP to only disregard her daughter's beliefs, but also suggest cutting the daughter out of family celebrations like Christmas, basically alienating the girl and punishing her for her religion? I still celebrate Christmas with my family, because, like many people, we celebrate it as a secular gift giving day to be together and show that we appreciate one another. Most of my friends and family aren't Pagan, but they still respect my beliefs and even honor my sacred days with me for solidarity and to share a special day with me. Those who were derisive or suggested banning OP's daughter from certain occasion because of her paganism sound very mean spirited and I truly hope OP didn't take that kind of bad advice. Our religion is very small and it can be lonely to walk an uncommon road and the advice from some of the people here would probably her daughter feel really bad and disrespected. She might be made to feel unwelcome and less like she can share her beliefs with her family. Hopefully she and anyone who celebrates Samhain had a great holiday.

Just out of curiosity, since you mentioned your kids' father being a Druid, is he a member of OBOD. Just asking because outside of specific spaces like TWH and groups on Reddit, FB, wtc. I don't know many other Druids and my curiosity was peaked. I totally understand if you don't feel comfortable answering that though, not trying to be nosy or anything. Anyway, I've rambled enough. Your post was great and should be shown to anyone who needs some familiarizing with the communities under the pagan umbrella. Hope you and yours had a good holiday. 😊

This reminds me of the time I decided to convert to Judaism when I was 8 as all the Jewish kids seemed to get more days off. My mother wasn't having it.

I do not know what groups he is a part of. We have be divorced for 7 years now. We do not talk other than co-parenting our children. I do know that he has a life time membership to witchschool.com. which teaches classes and can certify you in high priest or priestesshood. They teach over hundred courses.