Halloween at school

[Ganainmlondon]

We are very disappointed as our child's teacher wanted to have a Halloween celebration of sorts in school as she realised the children were so disappointed that they couldn't trick or treat or have a party with their friends. Our West London school said no as they argued costumes would be a Covid health and safety risk but now they are doing an international language day instead and the kids can dress up as something to do with South America. I'm all for learning more about the world, especially languages but it doesn't mean much to the children and to have T&T at school with their friends would really be something to look forward to in these dark times. Not sure why the school feels costumes are ok for one event in the week and not another. I wish the school would think about what the children need in these times to feel happy and normal.

Our school are allowing costumes, no props, and a poster competition.

Halloween is my favourite festival. Yes, it is different to the ancient celtic festival, it's adapted like all festivals. The costumes represent warding off evil spirits. We have a special party dinner to represent the feast. We decorate with pumpkins, acorns, conkers, greenery etc.

If other festivals are celebrated, then this one should be. It's an autumn celebration. If you think it is all about trick or treating and single use decorations, you're obviously celebrating it wrong and have brought into mass marketing.

Op says it was the teachers idea to do it because she wanted to do something fun for the kids , I don't think she was suggesting that schools should HAVE to organise something.

Or an aztec priest, now that is much more Central America, but you could probably get away with it as many teachers have in the past by covering Aztecs, Mayan and Incans altogether as a nod to precolonial Southern/ Central American history.

I am here assuming that your child is ks2, not sure I would send a reception child in as any of these suggestions, though mine personally would have loved it.

I've had one parent rant at me because the class were read "Room on the Broom".

It sounds like Halloween should be studied in schools so that people understand it. As @MindyStClaire said celebrating a man being nailed to a cross and then coming back to life is fiiiiine but celebrating the changing seasons and remembering the dead is satanism.
It’s always been celebrated in Scotland and it’s “guising” not “trick or treating”. I need to stay off the Halloween threads they always wind me up 😀

Windy, those who don't understand it are those who have been trapped by the mass marketing they complain about.

My children’s school is doing Halloween fancy dress or any fancy dress you like really. No masks no face paint. Halloween is what it is and what it is is whatever you make it.

In a school we have to make a lot of decisions fairly quickly which is why sometimes minds get changed. I can absolutley see a beleaguered head, having dealt with twenty parent complaints about facd masks, hand gels, one way systems going 'no due to covid' to costumes. Then at an Senior leadsdeship team meeting the senco saying 'its just clothes, we could do something more inclusive that fits in with the curriculumn but is still fun?' and the head, having had a cuppa and spent sime time with children thinking 'yes ok'

How is it anti Christian?

As has been pointed out Halloween, Hallows Eve, the day before All Saints Day!

Its probably does predate Christianity so the Christian churches may well have renamed and put All Saints Day in the calendar as appropriate but it could be deemed a Christian festival.

The OP doesn’t want a day, or even part of a day, being dedicated to learning about All Hallows’ eve and the cultural importance of that though.

The OP wants the children to dress up and go trick or treating (not sure how that would work in school!) which is a million miles off the actual All Hallows’ eve side of things

It all has to link to the curriculum unfortunately. Schools (especially primary), barely have enough time as it is for all the subject areas. Ofsted are still visiting schools during this pandemic and expect to see the full curriculum being delivered.

How is it anti Christian?

Many churches themselves think that though- I know several churches and christian youth groups that hold a "Party of light" on Halloween- asking children to wear light bright clothes.
So obviously those churches don't feel that Halloween is christian.

I’m a Christian. The issue for a lot of Christians is what it’s become, celebrating dark forces. I confess that I don’t like it, but I’ve been happy to allow my DDs to wear witches’ outfits, because after all, witches appear in a lot of fairy stories and Disney films anyway. I get why the OP is upset, as my DDs would have been very upset if they had been told there would have been a Halloween fancy dress day only to be told, sorry it won’t be one after all.

I’m not sorry that there won’t be any trick and treating, though.

You all sound really tolerant and respectful of other’s beliefs 😳 I love it when people spout about teaching tolerance, but then spend the next 10 minutes slagging off Christian beliefs!

It’s not inclusive if all children can’t take part. If it risked not including everyone, then I understand why the school said no. It’s not a kill joy, it’s recognising not all kids can do it. They can’t force a party on families!

Halloween is not Christian. All Hallows’ eve precedes All Saints day. All Hallows’ eve is not represented by the modern Halloween. My church do a light party, with disco lights, sweets, glow sticks and brightly coloured clothes. We’re not offended by witch outfits - have no issues with room on the broom 😂 and my kids have trick or treated a few times. Some kids at my church are not allowed though, and we just respect it, and do things our way. My kids are flexible, respect everyone, and don’t say something is stupid because we do things differently.

The issue for a lot of Christians is what it’s become, celebrating dark forces

And who created these "dark forces"-- the church!!

Satan is a christian invention.

I’ll tell you what I find disturbing - watching small children re enact the Easter story - it’s flipping horrific! Think exactly what they are depicting - the condemnation, torture and execution of an innocent man. I’m a teacher at a CofE school and it makes me flinch every year. ‘Crucify, crucify with one voice hear us cry. crucify, crucify, Jesus of Nazareth must die!’ It’s sick really. Yet we’ve had to cancel our spooky disco because people are offended by kids dressing up as witches and dancing to the monster mash

@Katjolo

It all has to link to the curriculum unfortunately. Schools (especially primary), barely have enough time as it is for all the subject areas. Ofsted are still visiting schools during this pandemic and expect to see the full curriculum being delivered.

Totally agree! I barely have time to breathe on my current timetable! When some kids haven’t lifted a pencil for 6 months, running around in a witch outfit would be rather frowned upon by my SLT.

It's a long held tradition so surely no harm in mentioning it as a historical/current cultural event?

So is Bonfire Night...but we're a little more culturally sensitive and circumspect about the whole burning of Catholics part these days aren't we?

Schools should not be encouraging orange plastic tat competitions for all sorts of reasons.
If you want to celebrate invented consumerism, environmental damage and shovelling in sweets to create a faux festival that offends many, fair enough, but I completely understand why the school wouldn’t.

@Autumngoldleaf

I mentioned it Ince for our Oct school disco and was shouted down because who wants primary kids to have blood and gore and scary skeletons!

I was thinking about cute cats and witches, brooms.. Gentle.

Joyless indeed.

That's a lot of the problem. You can think cute cats and witches, but someone will turn up in a horror movie outfit.

I hate it when supermarkets/zoos/etc encourage staff to dress up for Halloween, because there are always some in outfits that just aren't appropriate for children.

Cherry, you've obviously been sucked into consumerism if that is what you believe Halloween to be.

@speakout

That’s your opinion. Others have a different belief system.

I don’t believe that Brahma grew from Vishnu’s naval, but my very intelligent, respectful Hindu friend does. I respect her beliefs and she respects mine. I’d expect a school to respect the religious beliefs of a child and their family.

You can ensure all pupils take part in religious education, but you can’t enforce participation in non compulsory aspects of school life. If some children couldn’t take part then I can understand why the school said no.

As an aside, I have a friend who would say no because her child hates spooky stuff and dressing up - like really hates it. They’re not Christian but the kid is just super sensitive, particularly with masks.

Flipflops85 I don;t need to respect your belief or religion. I respect you as a peson and your right to hold your beliefs.

I have zero respect for the christian church and resent the fact that it has the legal right to indoctrinate children at school.

So not doing a Halloween event, reason potentially being they risk of being seen to celebrating dark forces and offending families whose beliefs prevent them from celebrating.... But... They're holding a day which will encourage stereotypical representations and cultural appropriation.

I don't believe in either by the way. Just playing devil's advocate that people will get offended regardless.

@IceniWarrior

Cherry, you've obviously been sucked into consumerism if that is what you believe Halloween to be.

Never bought a plastic pumpkin in my life. Our children only ever went trick or treating once when visiting Irish friends. It’s not something we celebrated - I have a serious dislike of celebrating nothingness. Except bonfire night which I love - odd given it has a very Protestant basis.