Banning Hallowe’en?

Well, today is Hallowe’en! (Or, for those who prefer the simpler, devolved spelling, Halloween.)

I like Hallowe’en.

When I was a kid I always enjoyed coming up with a costume and going trick-or-treating. Of course, more often than not the temperature was hovering near the freezing mark, and it was not uncommon to have snow falling while going door-to-door, so costumes were often hidden beneath the warm overcoat my mother would insist that I wear.

As I got older, I enjoyed greeting the trick-or-treaters at the door, often wearing a costume myself, with spooky music playing in the background and the side yard and doorway “decorated” with ghoulish images.

One year, I even had a “severed head” (the head from an old Resusci-Annie CPR mannequin) in the window, complete with eerie green LED eyes!

I think the Hallowe’en I enjoyed the most, however, was one when I was living in Dundas, Ontario.

My across-the-hall neighbours and I collected candy from the ten other tenants in our small building, and sat out on the front steps – in costume (I was “Wilson,” from Home Improvement -- I wore a bucket hat, and had a cardboard picket fence rigged to hang in front of me, half covering my face.) – drinking coffee and handing out candy to the kids.

The best part? It was a balmy 18°C that evening. Typical for late October, in that part of the province.

My neighbours were really, really into Hallowe’en. For him, it was bigger than Christmas.

Aside from the over-the-top screamer horror flicks – ie: Jason, Freddie – that tend to be released around Hallowe’en, there is a whole raft of movies that portray Hallowe’en as fun! -- as it should be.

Despite it’s pagan-cum-Christian roots, and all the superstitions surrounding Hallowe’en (the Celtic festival of Samhain, adopted by the Roman Church as All Hallow’s [saints] Day), it really is just a time of make-believe and fun for all ages.

Unfortunately, some of the more uptight and narrow-minded among us have other ideas.

There are some who would have Hallowe’en stricken from the calendar, to be replaced by – I wish I were making this up! – “Jesusween.”

Yes, a group of ultra-religious Christian fundamentalists would rather our children abandon any costumes that could be associated with the occult – ghouls, witches, demons, etc – and instead lift up their hearts and praise the Lord Jesus.

Now, regular readers will know that I am a church-going kind of guy, and have no objections to people expressing their faith.

However, this is not an expression of faith – it is the imposition of a very dogmatic way of thinking that fails to take into account the fact that children (and adults) can tell the difference between make-believe and real life.

I sincerely doubt that an eight year old wearing horns and carrying a plastic pitchfork will be running back home after collecting a pillowcase full of candy and kneel at the altar of the Anti-Christ.

Besides which, kids' costumes aren't all satanic- or occult-themed. In addition to witches, goblins, and zombies, there are also princesses, hockey players, celebrities, super heroes, and other fun characters.

I’m sitting writing this at the Main Branch of the Public Library I decided I needed a change of scenery), where the staff are dressed in various costumes: I see a witch, a chef, and someone in a red cape (Red Riding Hood, perhaps?).

In my short drive across town I saw a few other people wearing various costumes – cloaks, multi-coloured wigs – and I expect I’ll see more as the day goes on.

They’re all just having fun.

No doubt the kiddies are looking forward to going home, convincing their parents to feed them an early supper – or perhaps skip it altogether – so they can hit the streets and begin ringing doorbells.

Perhaps they even had Hallowe’en parties at school.

I know that, in past years, the students at White Pines would wear costumes, have a homeroom door decorating contest (the winning class got a pizza party), and generally just enjoying the day.

Not so at a Catholic elementary school in Hamilton, this year.

Parents of children at St. Therese of Lisieux were sent a letter suggesting that students should not dress in costumes on Monday because it distracts from the school's focus on education. Administrators stated that Hallowe’en costumes cut into instructional time, and raised safety and privacy questions for students, and as such were not welcome in the school.

Really? I can’t picture that one day of kids wearing costumes in class would so severely disrupt their education.

I certainly can’t see how Hallowe’en costumes would raise any “privacy questions.”

In this case, I would have to agree that this is political correctness run amok.

Oh, the children were given an alternative. Staff and students were encouraged to wear orange and black clothes to celebrate the day; those not wearing orange and black were expected to wear the school uniform, as usual.

Sounds fun, huh?

At a time when we, as a society, question whether we are expecting our children to grow up too fast, when we aren’t giving children enough time just to be children, why would we want to deny them this one day of fun?

Isn’t a child’s imagination their greatest gift?

I understand the need to have children conform to a prescribed set of expectations during school. I support schools that have a dress code, even one that imposes a uniform. These do help to create an appropriate school environment.

But shouldn’t we also be encouraging them to express themselves, especially on an occasion like Hallowe’en, when they can let their imaginations soar?

It’s one day.

Let’s all enjoy it.


But… that’s just my opinion.