What do primary schools teach about Hallowe'en?

[JudyJulie]

Our DGS, who is 4.5 started reception in September. They had a Hallowe'en party at school last week with everyone in fancy dress. He was dressed as a skeleton. They made potions, basically a pop bottle full of green liquid with bits in it.

Outside of school, he has been to a pumpkin patch, he has done a pumpkin trail, and he has been trick or treating. He has spent most of the last week going from one Hallowe'en based activity to another, usually in his skeleton costume.

He is not able to tell us what it is all about, although he's clearly looking forward to the various activities, so I just wondered what he will have been told at school.

Thank you

We had a TA at my child's school who was religious and didn't approve of Harry Potter! She didn't like magic, Halloween etc, she didn't like it when I pointed out that it was magical when water was turned into wine, got quite huffy with me.

I’m really surprised that CofE schools aren’t allowed to teach about Halloween. As pp said, it’s ’All Hallows Eve’ - the night before All Saints (Hallows) Day.

My kids Catholic school teaches this and gets involved in the more secular side as well - school disco, dressing up etc. I don’t know why some schools seem so concerned about getting involved. There’s a clear Christian link if that’s what they want and beyond that it’s just a bit of harmless fun that most kids enjoy.

All Saints’ Day isn’t really a hugely significant thing in the Anglican calendar though, so unless it was an assembly it would be disproportionate.

I’m not sure beyond that there is an awful lot to say about Halloween? It’s not a national holiday, not everyone ‘celebrates’ it, it doesn’t really represent anything tangible for most people unless you’re pagan or into nature worship. It’s more a fun family thing which is optional so it makes sense that schools don’t formally ‘teach’ about it.

My DC's school did some Halloween crafts & we do a PTA Halloween party - all the kids come to school in costume or non-uniform & the party is held in the afternoon towards the end of the day. They play Halloween themed games & eat cake.
Not sure they get taught much about the origins of it unless it's part of the cultural celebrations element.

@Screamingabdabz oh yes I completely agree. I was just surprised that schools seem to be actively avoiding any mention of it. I’m sure a few Halloween crafts can’t do any harm especially as it’s a time of year most kids enjoy.

My DC's school didn't even mention it.

It'll blow her mind if you ever point out that it's a Christian allegory about the nature of belief and the redemptive power of love. Just set in a magical world.

(JK Rowling has spoken about this in interviews)

Hallowe'en is a big no in my school! Children are reminded about safety if trick or treating (and basically advised not to do it). All Saints is celebrated (Catholic School).

This. I don't think it's usually taught as such. At the school where I taught we were banned from even mentioning Halloween thanks to a couple of sets of parents belonging to an Evangelical church.

We coloured in some pumpkins and skeletons, etc and ate a mini chocolate pumpkin each. It was fun. Nothing was taught, except that sometimes it is fun for young children to use crayons and chat.

It's a tricky one to talk about at that age as it's about death. To most young children, spooky witches and skeletons aren't connected to the death of family or saints and connecting to the 'other side.'
I did have a good chat with my 9 yo daughter the other day about the origins of Samhain and how Christianity has attached itself to this and other pagan festivals (Oestre, Yule etc) to keep 'relevant' and ensure people celebrated.

For those commenting that half term has 'moved', I don't believe it has. It totally depends on how the calendar falls that year. I've been teaching for 15 years. Roughly half of those have seen Halloween fall in half term, like this year. Roughly half have seen it fall in the first week back. I'm pretty certain this was the case back when I was at school too. We usually break up for half term around the 20 something of October (in schools which only have one week). If that's a very early number in the 20s, or even the 18th/19th due to how the weeks fall, you'll be back by Halloween. If it's a later number in the 20s, like the 25th this year, you won't. Nothing more to it.

The first half term is usually a 7 or 8 weeker. If it started on 1st-3rd September, chances are Halloween will fall in the first few days of the Autumn 2 term. If the children don't return until 4th-5th September or later, chances are Halloween will be towards the end of the half term holiday.

I don't think it's ever really come up. No suggestion there's any disapproval of it, it just isn't a particularly big deal. Which it isn't for me either. It's not something I ever did anything for or knew anyone do anything for as a child or even in my 20s so it seems normal to me it isn't particularly mentioned in school.

This really surprises me. Many CofE churches do "light parties" on Halloween as it's the Eve of All Saints. In fact central CofE social media was actively advertising them. As a Christian I teach my pre school child that Halloween is the day before All Saints Day (1 Nov) and All Souls (2 Nov) when we celebrate all the people we love. It's a very "Day of the Dead" vibe and I've seen churches go all out with candles in the churchyard and glow sticks etc. I tell him that some people carve pumpkins and dress up to scare the baddies away.

C of E school here and they don’t even mention it so the school don’t do anything, the kids do trick or treating outside of school though.

The PTA do an evening Halloween disco and the kids dress up. The youngest have the disco in the school day. Not C of E.