Killjoys cancelling Halloween--is this the new normal?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our school doesn't celebrate, because lots of kids didn't come to school when it was celebrated in the past for religious and cultural reasons. We do celebrate Halloween, but it seems totally appropriate to me. If a big part of the community doesn't want to take part of it, don't make it a community celebration. It's not like there's not plenty of other ways and times to celebrate Halloween.

My kids learn about lots of different cultures by having celebrations in school that are the traditions of the various festivals. Our family doesn't celebrate those at home, but why shouldn't my kids learn about it at school? How is Halloween different?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in a neighborhood that's heavily Indian. Very few of the kids ToT.

We buy just 1 bag of candy now and have tons leftover. Most leave their lights off because they don't participate.

Anyway, back when it was still common to have Halloween celebrations in school, the bus stops were pretty empty. Most of the Indian kids didn't come to school those days because they didn't participate.

IMO, I'm fine with not having Halloween celebrations in school. The one day celebration always came with multiple days of distraction beforehand. Making posters for the parade in the days leading up to it the day, the overall excitement the day before meant that not as much teaching was happening, and again, if the holiday fell on a weekday, the day after was full of kids hopped up on candy and not paying attention.

I'm much happier that schools are getting away from making big deals out of holidays. It just distracts from teaching.

I wish people did not have these preconceived notions that Indians do not celebrate Halloween. Agreed it is something we knew about only after coming to the US, but we want our kids to have fun too. We have been celebrating Halloween every year and we do costumes as well as Halloween themed clothes. My Indian friend circle is the same.

For Hindus, in October/November we have Navratri (A week long religious festival that includes dance and displaying religious dolls and inviting friends over to show the display and pray), then Diwali (We wear new clothes, burst firecrackers, light lamps, exchange Indian sweets with friends. This year it is next Thursday, Nov 4th), and Karthigai Deepam (We light little lamps and pray). The dates change each year since it is based on the lunar calendar but it is in October and November. It is the festive season for us.

Our kids now have one more thing (Halloween) to look forward to in these two months. I am also upset that my kids' school chose to go with no costumes and no Halloween party. It is annoying that everything has to be PC. Halloween is for the kids, and the costume ban and parade ban is just crazy. We will be going trick or treating for sure on Sunday.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our school doesn't celebrate, because lots of kids didn't come to school when it was celebrated in the past for religious and cultural reasons. We do celebrate Halloween, but it seems totally appropriate to me. If a big part of the community doesn't want to take part of it, don't make it a community celebration. It's not like there's not plenty of other ways and times to celebrate Halloween.

My kids learn about lots of different cultures by having celebrations in school that are the traditions of the various festivals. Our family doesn't celebrate those at home, but why shouldn't my kids learn about it at school? How is Halloween different?

Learn about is not the same as celebrate. Kids learn about lots of cultural practices without reenacting them. Can you imagine 6th graders binding each other’s feet as part of their unit on China?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I wish people did not have these preconceived notions that Indians do not celebrate Halloween. Agreed it is something we knew about only after coming to the US, but we want our kids to have fun too. We have been celebrating Halloween every year and we do costumes as well as Halloween themed clothes. My Indian friend circle is the same.

For Hindus, in October/November we have Navratri (A week long religious festival that includes dance and displaying religious dolls and inviting friends over to show the display and pray), then Diwali (We wear new clothes, burst firecrackers, light lamps, exchange Indian sweets with friends. This year it is next Thursday, Nov 4th), and Karthigai Deepam (We light little lamps and pray). The dates change each year since it is based on the lunar calendar but it is in October and November. It is the festive season for us.

Our kids now have one more thing (Halloween) to look forward to in these two months. I am also upset that my kids' school chose to go with no costumes and no Halloween party. It is annoying that everything has to be PC. Halloween is for the kids, and the costume ban and parade ban is just crazy. We will be going trick or treating for sure on Sunday.

In other words, you're celebrating Halloween. So all is well! Hooray!

My elementary school did not have an in-school Halloween parade or an in-school Halloween party, and that was in the middle of the US, years before anyone invented the term "politically correct" or had public-school paganism panics. Which suggests that this American "tradition" is actually not all that traditional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our school doesn't celebrate, because lots of kids didn't come to school when it was celebrated in the past for religious and cultural reasons. We do celebrate Halloween, but it seems totally appropriate to me. If a big part of the community doesn't want to take part of it, don't make it a community celebration. It's not like there's not plenty of other ways and times to celebrate Halloween.

My kids learn about lots of different cultures by having celebrations in school that are the traditions of the various festivals. Our family doesn't celebrate those at home, but why shouldn't my kids learn about it at school? How is Halloween different?

The traditions of Halloween in the US are to

1. go trick-or-treating
2. egg/TP/set fire to buildings
3. wear "Sexy [Whatever]" costumes and get drunk on bar crawls

You want your kids to do those things in school?

[Anonymous]

I think the local Halloween traditions include:

1. Halloween decorations and art projects at school.

2. Costumes, parade and class party.

3. Halloween decorations and art projects at home.

4. Trip to the pumpkin patch in early to mid October.

5. Pumpkin carving.

6. Trick or treating.

7. Neighborhood Halloween parties.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the local Halloween traditions include:

1. Halloween decorations and art projects at school.

2. Costumes, parade and class party.

3. Halloween decorations and art projects at home.

4. Trip to the pumpkin patch in early to mid October.

5. Pumpkin carving.

6. Trick or treating.

7. Neighborhood Halloween parties.

The Indian PP. What you posted is what my kids look forward to. Not egging or TPing houses. Some people think that those from other cultures are the cause of this cancelling Halloween. It is not true. School systems just want an excuse to get rid of this. Implying that Muslims and Hindus are against this is just a new spin. My Hindu family loves Halloween just as much as anyone else

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our school doesn't celebrate, because lots of kids didn't come to school when it was celebrated in the past for religious and cultural reasons. We do celebrate Halloween, but it seems totally appropriate to me. If a big part of the community doesn't want to take part of it, don't make it a community celebration. It's not like there's not plenty of other ways and times to celebrate Halloween.

My kids learn about lots of different cultures by having celebrations in school that are the traditions of the various festivals. Our family doesn't celebrate those at home, but why shouldn't my kids learn about it at school? How is Halloween different?

The traditions of Halloween in the US are to

1. go trick-or-treating
2. egg/TP/set fire to buildings
3. wear "Sexy [Whatever]" costumes and get drunk on bar crawls

You want your kids to do those things in school?

See what 12:05 posted. That is what we like about Halloween. And number 1 from your list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our school doesn't celebrate, because lots of kids didn't come to school when it was celebrated in the past for religious and cultural reasons. We do celebrate Halloween, but it seems totally appropriate to me. If a big part of the community doesn't want to take part of it, don't make it a community celebration. It's not like there's not plenty of other ways and times to celebrate Halloween.

My kids learn about lots of different cultures by having celebrations in school that are the traditions of the various festivals. Our family doesn't celebrate those at home, but why shouldn't my kids learn about it at school? How is Halloween different?

The traditions of Halloween in the US are to

1. go trick-or-treating
2. egg/TP/set fire to buildings
3. wear "Sexy [Whatever]" costumes and get drunk on bar crawls

You want your kids to do those things in school?

See what 12:05 posted. That is what we like about Halloween. And number 1 from your list.

That's great, because you can do that. Halloween is not canceled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I wish people did not have these preconceived notions that Indians do not celebrate Halloween. Agreed it is something we knew about only after coming to the US, but we want our kids to have fun too. We have been celebrating Halloween every year and we do costumes as well as Halloween themed clothes. My Indian friend circle is the same.

For Hindus, in October/November we have Navratri (A week long religious festival that includes dance and displaying religious dolls and inviting friends over to show the display and pray), then Diwali (We wear new clothes, burst firecrackers, light lamps, exchange Indian sweets with friends. This year it is next Thursday, Nov 4th), and Karthigai Deepam (We light little lamps and pray). The dates change each year since it is based on the lunar calendar but it is in October and November. It is the festive season for us.

Our kids now have one more thing (Halloween) to look forward to in these two months. I am also upset that my kids' school chose to go with no costumes and no Halloween party. It is annoying that everything has to be PC. Halloween is for the kids, and the costume ban and parade ban is just crazy. We will be going trick or treating for sure on Sunday.

In other words, you're celebrating Halloween. So all is well! Hooray!

My elementary school did not have an in-school Halloween parade or an in-school Halloween party, and that was in the middle of the US, years before anyone invented the term "politically correct" or had public-school paganism panics. Which suggests that this American "tradition" is actually not all that traditional.

All is not well since kids like to do the parade and craft activities and the class party at school. All that is cancelled this year. It was a week long excitement before and now nothing.

They do get to trick or treat but how can that compare with a class party and a school parade? From my child's grade, there was one child whose mother told her not to participate, in all these years. That child used to go to media center when the parade was on but she came back for the class party. Now because of a few killjoy parents, the rest of the kids have their excitement taken away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our school doesn't celebrate, because lots of kids didn't come to school when it was celebrated in the past for religious and cultural reasons. We do celebrate Halloween, but it seems totally appropriate to me. If a big part of the community doesn't want to take part of it, don't make it a community celebration. It's not like there's not plenty of other ways and times to celebrate Halloween.

My kids learn about lots of different cultures by having celebrations in school that are the traditions of the various festivals. Our family doesn't celebrate those at home, but why shouldn't my kids learn about it at school? How is Halloween different?

Learn about is not the same as celebrate. Kids learn about lots of cultural practices without reenacting them. Can you imagine 6th graders binding each other’s feet as part of their unit on China?

The light electric candles, they make foods, learn dances, etc,, they do all sort of safe celebrations as hands on project based experiential learning about customs and cultures.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our school doesn't celebrate, because lots of kids didn't come to school when it was celebrated in the past for religious and cultural reasons. We do celebrate Halloween, but it seems totally appropriate to me. If a big part of the community doesn't want to take part of it, don't make it a community celebration. It's not like there's not plenty of other ways and times to celebrate Halloween.

My kids learn about lots of different cultures by having celebrations in school that are the traditions of the various festivals. Our family doesn't celebrate those at home, but why shouldn't my kids learn about it at school? How is Halloween different?

The traditions of Halloween in the US are to

1. go trick-or-treating
2. egg/TP/set fire to buildings
3. wear "Sexy [Whatever]" costumes and get drunk on bar crawls

You want your kids to do those things in school?

See what 12:05 posted. That is what we like about Halloween. And number 1 from your list.

That's great, because you can do that. Halloween is not canceled.

The OP should have written killjoys cancelling Halloween at school then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our school doesn't celebrate, because lots of kids didn't come to school when it was celebrated in the past for religious and cultural reasons. We do celebrate Halloween, but it seems totally appropriate to me. If a big part of the community doesn't want to take part of it, don't make it a community celebration. It's not like there's not plenty of other ways and times to celebrate Halloween.

My kids learn about lots of different cultures by having celebrations in school that are the traditions of the various festivals. Our family doesn't celebrate those at home, but why shouldn't my kids learn about it at school? How is Halloween different?

The traditions of Halloween in the US are to

1. go trick-or-treating
2. egg/TP/set fire to buildings
3. wear "Sexy [Whatever]" costumes and get drunk on bar crawls

You want your kids to do those things in school?

See what 12:05 posted. That is what we like about Halloween. And number 1 from your list.

That's great, because you can do that. Halloween is not canceled.

The OP should have written killjoys cancelling Halloween at school then.

But Halloween isn't at school, just like Christmas isn't at school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

All is not well since kids like to do the parade and craft activities and the class party at school. All that is cancelled this year. It was a week long excitement before and now nothing.

They do get to trick or treat but how can that compare with a class party and a school parade? From my child's grade, there was one child whose mother told her not to participate, in all these years. That child used to go to media center when the parade was on but she came back for the class party. Now because of a few killjoy parents, the rest of the kids have their excitement taken away.

Yeah, I don't think that this is about the kids' feelings, I think it's about the kids' parents' feelings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our school doesn't celebrate, because lots of kids didn't come to school when it was celebrated in the past for religious and cultural reasons. We do celebrate Halloween, but it seems totally appropriate to me. If a big part of the community doesn't want to take part of it, don't make it a community celebration. It's not like there's not plenty of other ways and times to celebrate Halloween.

My kids learn about lots of different cultures by having celebrations in school that are the traditions of the various festivals. Our family doesn't celebrate those at home, but why shouldn't my kids learn about it at school? How is Halloween different?

Learn about is not the same as celebrate. Kids learn about lots of cultural practices without reenacting them. Can you imagine 6th graders binding each other’s feet as part of their unit on China?

The light electric candles, they make foods, learn dances, etc,, they do all sort of safe celebrations as hands on project based experiential learning about customs and cultures.

What school in MCPS has students light electric candles to celebrate a religious holiday?