"Halloween is evil"

[Mooehey]

AIBU to be pissed off at my kids head teacher.

They go to a Catholic school because there are no other schools in the area that aren't in special measures. I went to the same school and apart from religion it's a good school.

My kids haven't been baptised and the school know this.

Even though it's a Catholic school there are Muslim kids, Jewish kids etc...

When it's a Muslim festival the kids come home with homework about Eid and Dwali.

Near Christmas they learn about hannuka.

They learn about all different religions.

But the head teacher told the kids they weren't to talk about Halloween because it's evil.

This was said in an assembly. Confirmed by 2 of my kids seperatly.

AIBU to think Halloween isn't evil. It's a Pagan festival and it should be respected the same as any other?

I am pagan and am really annoyed at what she said. We celebrate Samhain big time, not only with modern tradition such as trick or treating (no different to the modern mass market g of Christmas....that doesn't get banned!) And we also celebrate more traditionally with offerings and rituals.

I'm sad that my children 'aren't allowed' to tell their friends at school about our traditions or the fun things we have done this evening.

Would a Muslim child be told that their religion is evil? I seriously doubt it.

I just feel sad and have no where else to rant I guess :(

Bin bag cape*

Willow you only really ask one question and then go on to you answer it yourself with the next comment so it didn't need any input from me.

I was raised Catholic and we always did Halloween. Its origins are Samhain but it is also the evening of All Hallows (or All Souls, or the Day of the Dead) Day which is part of the church calendar (many a bored Sunday flipping through the Mass book).

TBH the only Christians I know who are against Halloween are evangelicals. Protestants have long been averse to the Catholic tradition of praying for the souls of the dead.

I'm all over the show religion wise but I think any faith that focuses on the land and the seasons is a positive. I actually think Christianity's focus on people over the land isn't a good thing, really.

Halloween is evil
Evil is a sin
Sins are forgiven
So get stuck in!

Hmmm it's possible that Halloween and evil were said in the same sentence but are you 100% sure this was exactly was said? You know it's hard for children to stay awake during any assembly let alone one or three a day about god. So it's possible they missed chunks. It's quite normal.

We carved swedes in the 60s, much more forgiving than turnips according to my mum

My DC go to a Catholic school and this would never happen! I think you need to speak to the head and educate them on your religion and what Halloween means for you. This is just downright ignorance and shouldn't be tolerated. No matter the school being non denominational or religious part of religious education is teaching to respect all religions. Or at lest that's how it was when I went to a Catholic school many years ago!

You want to read up on the history of Halloween. 🙄

It's about remembering the dead. The tat and treats shouldn't matter to you that much if it is your religion your bothered about.

But yeah the head was extreme.

Off track but I do think it's a good idea to tell children (and parents) not to knock on strangers doors when they haven't decorated for halloween.
Especially when you don't live in that area.
This happened to us last night.

Anyway as you were.
We never celebrated Halloween when I was a child, nobody in my area did.

I'm assuming they also don't celebrate all saints day today then?

You want to read up on the history of Halloween. 🙄

It's about remembering the dead. The tat and treats shouldn't matter to you that much if it is your religion your bothered about.

Maybe you should?
Guising has been part of Scottish Halloween /Samhain for centuries.

that is true, but Hallowe'en is the evening before All Hallow's Day, which is part of the Catholic church calendar, so it's a ridiculous thing for a Catholic to say - regardless of the older festival of Samhain.

Christians who ignore the ancient pagan festivals that the early church hitched Christian festivals to really do need to give their head a wobble.

Hmmm it's possible that Halloween and evil were said in the same sentence but are you 100% sure this was exactly was said? You know it's hard for children to stay awake during any assembly let alone one or three a day about god. So it's possible they missed chunks. It's quite normal.

Well, it's what a C of E youth worker told my son's Beaver troupe just before Halloween -- and I heard this not from my six year old, but from the embarrassed adult Beavers leader, who had invited in the youth worker to do some athletic games, and apparently felt unable to intervene when he started telling the kids that Halloween was 'wrong'.

The children from a range of religious/ethnic backgrounds don't appear to have taken the slightest notice. The first I heard of it was when I was when the leader's daughter started saying 'Is Halloween wrong, Daddy? X says it is!' while we were accompanying the children trick or treating, but the dad confirmed that the youth-worker had said it.

I don't think it's that unusual an evangelical position. The village vicar thinks the same.