Please help me to like halloween!

[jupitermonket]

I have an unshakeable dislike (and, frankly, snobbishness) towards any non-Christmas event like Valentine’s Day and especially Halloween.

The trouble is, my very young child already loves Halloween and is fascinated by it. If this is something that is likely to continue throughout their life, I’d like to be able to get on board with it and help make it special for them in years to come.

Halloween just wasn’t a thing in my house growing up. My parents had no interest in it either.

I think I really dislike all the naff colours, the horrid cartoony “scary” characters, the mountains of ugly plastic tat at all the supermarkets. And the soullessness of it.

How can I make it more traditional, cosy, special, aesthetically pleasing, family-oriented like Christmas? (but still low key and also OPTIONAL, so that if we can’t be arsed some years it doesn’t seem like a big disappointing loss for the child)

ideas welcome!

Stop being an insufferable snob is probably the best bit of advice.

It's not for you, it's for kids. If you really cannot bear the idea and its giving you an attack of the vapours, don't do it.

You don't have to engage at all.

We don't do Halloween but I don't stop DD enjoying it. I brought her to parties, let her go trick and treating with friends but I don't decorate, I don't take her around the houses myself and I don't organise a party or cook special food.

She survived childhood without any problems.

I feel you
I too have a snobbishness
Hate the waste the consumerism the plastic, rhe obsession with horror (at least mostly in US it is fancy dress not fright night)
I have ceramic reusable pumpkin and try not to be too curmudgeonly

Why not just continue to dislike it and use it as an opportunity for your DC to learn about disappointment and not always joining in, instead of waiting for something more significant as this important lesson for life?

You don't need to buy any tat. A few pumpkins and gourds placed outside your door, maybe try carving one with your child - that's enough!
I grew up in the US and have lovely memories of Halloween. Around here we get at least 100 kids. It's all done and dusted by 8pm.

I like Halloween but absolutely hate trick or treating, so we don't do that and therefore I don't have to decorate the house (win win.)

However we do mark the occasion as DDs find it fun so I normally get some chocolates and hide them round the house so DDs can do a treasure hunt. We have a "spooky dinner" .... last year it was just tomato soup that I drew a spider shape on the top of with pesto mixed with olive oil. This year I'm being lazy and have got some of the Halloween party bits from M&S. Then we turn all the lights off and watch a film like The Nightmare Before Christmas or Hocus Pocus. When they're older we'll probably carve pumpkins too.

Job done, it's a bit of fun and out of the ordinary routine.

It was hardly a Thing at all when I was growing up either, and I’m a bit sad that it’s largely eclipsed Bonfire Night, which was such a big and exciting event.

However dds loved it, and now Gdcs absolutely love it, so I’ve more or less happily gone along with it.

You don't think life is full enough of sadness and disappointment so parents should actively seek to add to it?

Bonfire night is a bit shite these days. Our local authority used to put on a few huge displays attended by thousands across the city. All cancelled, so now it’s cricket and golf clubs charging £5 a ticket with the bonfire fenced off and too far away to enjoy the warmth. Rubbish.