Flatmate said my Halloween decorations are offensive

[QuestionableMouse]

They're a string of Halloween paper chains hanging on the outside of my bedroom door. She said they're offensive and she doesn't like them.

I really love Halloween and they make me smile when I come in. I have more hanging in my room too.

Who is being unreasonable?

Make a paper chain out of the note.

Because they make me happy.

But you aren't going to see them on the outside of your door.

I think I'm okay to live with. I'm quiet, keep the place clean, don't make stupid requests, that sort of thing.

I'm leaving them up for now until I can actually speak to her in person.

Similar with me Kurri - I had one CF local kid trying a week after Halloween one year "Because I was away last week & missed it". Bloody hard luck mate!

I suggest ignoring the note - and the flatmate. She sounds like a total pain in the arse (and she can suck up being 'offended'. A string of decorations on your door is not an attack on her in any shape or form.)
If she tried to make more of a big deal of it when she doesn't get her own way, politely but firmly point out to her that shared space is shared space and she isn't the boss of the whole flat.

Because, once you give in to self-righteous bullies like this, it doesn't stop. It's not about your choice of decorations, this is about her seeking to make herself the most important person in the flat. There's no point trying to compromise or be pleasant to her, because she isn't a pleasant person.

A couple of years ago a colleague shouted right in my face because I offered them a Halloween-themed Haribo sweet and they didn't celebrate Halloween I was like

I think they are great. Just leave them OP.

They are not harming anyone and as far as annoying habits of flat mates, hanging small decorations for a couple of weeks is something I dont even consider to be the most minor irritation.

Have an actual conversation with her rather than a whole lot of strangers on the internet.

Write a note back.

My door.
My decorations.
Halloween exists.
Get a grip

I'm not very keen on Halloween but if I was your flatmate I'd take no notice of your decorations as the whole matter is much too trivial to get uptight about. I can't understand the attraction of skulls but I see nothing offensive about them.

When you share a living space there has to be give and take on both sides.

KurriKurri (I'm not keen on hot cross buns any day except Goo Friday either )

Now you are being unreasonable. Any toastable treat that can be a vehicle for butter must surely be OK any day of the year.

Seems silly as they are not up for long. Is she religious though? I used to work in a nursery that was on the grounds of a catholic school and we were not allowed decorations up.

I'd love to speak to her but we're rarely in at the same time.

I'm with you on toastable treats TheNoodles but there are plenty of non-Good friday ones to be had ( teacakes make a good substitute and can be loaded with substantial amounts of butter. Ditto Selkirk Bannock, but that's not readily availabe down here)

I didn't notice I had typo'd Goo Friday - Goo friday sounds like a pretty good day to celebrate and could in fact be every Friday that isn't Good Friday, it should involved a lot of sticky sweet stuff.

@Lweji perfect!

I'd ignore the note. Wait to see if she mentions it face to face.

Can I take the opportunity to roll this one out for th first time this year please? HALLOWEEN IS NOT AN IMPORTED FESTIVAL. It has strong, long and current roots in the north of England, Scotland and Ireland. Maybe people in other parts of Britain celebrate it in a way that many Americans have adapted it to themselves but it still is very much British.

Starts furiously carving turnip with a spoon while practising my turn

Your door your decs.
She doesn't have to inspect them every time she goes by.
Does she object to xmas? It has pagan origins too.

Put the note under her door asking her why. Letd face it we are all dying to know.

I personally find this a bit pathetic... that some people can have such a fragile sense of their own religious beliefs that they feel 'offended'or threatened by someone practicing a different set of beliefs or ideology and displaying the symbols of these.

For some reason it is often those pagan beliefs or symbols which are deemed unacceptable...whereas christianity itself evolved via early pagan traditions, figureheads and sacred days.

My mother has a Christian friend who refuses to enter her home as she has a buddha statue on the doorstep. Personally I think that is really narrow minded and offensive but each to their own.

OP I would take this opportunity to lay some ground rules with your flatmate around what you both consider to be fair and reasonable re communal living space... but otherwise if she is a good flatmate in all other respects and you don't want her to move out [and you feel this is a big enough issue for her to make that a possibility] I would probably compromise and agree to hang the decorations in my bedroom only.

Wooly
Do you want to borrow a stanley knife for that bagie?
They are a bastard to scoop out😉

I'm not sure why anyone would find them offensive. You could try putting one of these outside the door . I think people are being stupid asking OP to take them down, would you remove a Christmas tree from the front of your house if your neighbour found it offensive?

She's allowed to be offended.
You are allowed to stick stuff on your door.

She doesn't get to trump your decorations with her religion as much as she would like to.

This is why religious people should live on island/gulag together - can just bother each other instead of being a PITA to everyone else

Rude. I'm religious, and a lovely person. I've attached a picture of what my front yard looks like right now. I built the gallows myself.

Trying to post a picture but didn't work.