Sorry Kiddies, no more fun for halloween in school

[moonlilly1981]

My girls came home from school a little upset today. The new school they are at wont let them celebrate halloween. My oldest told me that she isnt even allowed to wear a halloween shirt tommorow. How lame is that? She said that if she does then I will be called to bring her new clothes. Even more lame, I mean what would she be hurting? My littles ones won't be having a halloween party either. Not even a "fall" fest. What ever happened to letting kids be kids?

[Dark Star]

WTF? That is just....WRONG.:argh:

[moonlilly1981]

I second that opinion

[Silvahalo]

That is way wrong. More and more little kids are getting screwed by PC bullshit. If you don't participate in Halloween so be it but don't make it so others can't enjoy the festivities...
Fortunate for my son, his school is all into Halloween. Today a memo was sent home to encourage that your children dress for the Halloween parade tomorrow...it is not required of course but very much encouraged! wow, my son was like, way fun mama!

sorry moonlilly1981, really sucks for your kiddos.:dong:

[Dark Star]

Same with my daughter's school, Halo. Tomorrow is supposed to be a big fun day, with costume wearing, games and candy fun. My daughter is looking forward to it as I did every year when I was a kid. (although my kid thinks there should be no school, since it is such an "Important" holiday)...lol

[Athena]

Not even a shirt? I don't really mind that they're not having a party or anything (kids play plenty in school as it is), but a little festivity never hurt.

[Dark Star]

The new school they are at wont let them celebrate halloween.

Moonlily, I am curious as to what the schools reasoning is. Did they send a note home? Sorry for your little ones. I'd keep them home and let them celebrate all damn day.:lollypop:

[moonlilly1981]

they said because it is a "religious" holiday. The school sucks. My oldest who is in third grade is only allowed recess twice a week because on the days she has gym or intergrated arts they get to run around in those classes. Talk about taking away childhood.

[Crymzen Vyolet]

Wow...That is really ridiculous. Halloween is supposed to be all about fun. I know that for some people it is a religious holiday, but what about the rest of the people who do not have any religious ties to Oct 31st, yet still celebrate it for the fun. I would think that most people do not see it as a religious holiday. Jeez, its not hurting anyone to have one day of fun and festivities!!!


they said because it is a "religious" holiday. The school sucks. My oldest who is in third grade is only allowed recess twice a week because on the days she has gym or intergrated arts they get to run around in those classes. Talk about taking away childhood.

What are they thinking not letting kids have recess? Kids need to be able to run around and get outside for some fresh air. I'm sorry to hear about this. It's not fair to your little ones, I don't understand why in recent years they have had all these changes in schools. I really don't see their logic.

[CorruptedMistress]

What a shame. My sister is in 10th grade and she is baking Halloween cupcakes right now for her party tomorrow!

I am surprised they aren't having some kind of Autumn fest or anything to at least make up for the lack of Halloween Celebration.

[Peeperann]

Wow...That is really ridiculous. Halloween is supposed to be all about fun. I know that for some people it is a religious holiday, but what about the rest of the people who do not have any religious ties to Oct 31st, yet still celebrate it for the fun. I would think that most people do not see it as a religious holiday. Jeez, its not hurting anyone to have one day of fun and festivities!!!



What are they thinking not letting kids have recess? Kids need to be able to run around and get outside for some fresh air. I'm sorry to hear about this. It's not fair to your little ones, I don't understand why in recent years they have had all these changes in schools. I really don't see their logic.

I'm a Christian, but Halloween is about fun and dressing up and pretending. All this PC bullshit is crazy. I've always celebrated it and always will. It's actually supposed to be a holiday for the harvest as I was taught. Not some pagen religion. Poor kids...........

[Gidget]

All this talk of kids not being able to celebrate Halloween makes me sick.

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i27/BuyAPaperDoll/attachment.jpg

[Pixie]

My kids did get a Fall fest today. I totally disagree with taking that away from them.


Not even a shirt? I don't really mind that they're not having a party or anything (kids play plenty in school as it is), but a little festivity never hurt.


My kids get very little play time. They have 15 min. of recess - can't talk at lunch. Even my kindergartner. They have no time anymore due to all of the testing they constantly are preparing for.

[Owd Scrat]

If they're going to cancel Hallowe'en in school, better canel christmas too. :rolleyes2:

Assholes.

[Maggie Mae]

Also Thanksgiving. You know, because of the Puritans.

I actually have no idea if that's true, but it sounded good.

[Ruby]

Man, when I was in school, the Halloween costume parade at the elementary school was definitely the highlight of the year. What a bunch of killjoys.

My town treads a middle line. Kids are encouraged to wear black and orange or Halloween themed clothes if they want, but costumes are forbidden. No candy is allowed, but parents can send in non-food goody bags for the kids. So they get to have some sense of halloween, but they don't get the fun of costumes and gorging themselves on total crap. :proud2:

But people have been fighting to kill Halloween for awhile now. Shit, the malls around here sponsor Trick-or-Treat hours, and some folks actually take their kids to the mall instead of house-to-house trick-or-treating. I can't imagine why they'd even bother.

My little one, on the other hand, goes to a preschool that doesn't want ANYONE to miss out on the fun, and since some kids go 1/2 day, and some full, and some kids don't go every day of the week, they have TWO Halloween parties per day for TWO days. So since my munchkin goes all day both days, she gets to wear her costume TWO days, and have FOUR little celebrations! (to be fair, my big kid went to the same preschool, so she go all these awesome benefits, too, in her day).

I think the people who want to kill Halloween suck. Big time. They'll probably all vote for John McCain, too.

[Owd Scrat]

It's actually supposed to be a holiday for the harvest as I was taught. Not some pagen religion. Poor kids...........

Ummmm what? Wrong. This harvest time you speak of is more like Lammas in August. Sam Hain or Hallowe'en never had anything to do with "harvest" in those terms historically.

[Envy]

They'll probably all vote for John McCain, too.
They'd sooner vote for Obama...

You know, i'm a McCain supporter (which is why i groaned you) and i think this is going too far. I believe that the kids should be allowed to celebrate Halloween and wear costumes. I went to a Catholic school and we even celebrated the holiday. The whole point is to have fun, not worship. Its like saying that Atheists or Agnostics can't celebrate Christmas, ain't gonna happen. Schools and communities are going way too far with this bullshit and need to understand it doesn't become a serious problem until you make it one.

Let the kid wear a festive shirt and if the school calls tell them to buy her a new set themselves or let her go back to class.:hello:

[Just my luck sucks]

I'm with the rest of you, the PC zealots are killing tons of fun for the kids and the rest of us too.

I hate that Halloween is not called Halloween, but, is labled Fall festival or some such crap--we all know it's Halloween, and no one is fooled by labeling it something else. A rose by any other name....

Same with Christmas, it's Christmas damnit, not the Winter festival--and I'll greet people with "Merry Christmas" if I want to, being told to say "Happy Holidays" instead just pisses me off.

If Merry Christmas offends you? Just put the saying on auto-pilot-ignore, just like when someone asks "How are you?" and you answer "Fine" even when you aren't. So, when they say "Merry Christmas" just nod or reply "Thanks" you don't have to mean that either. No harm, no foul.

[Mare]

In my daughter's school, instead of allowing children to come to school in "actual" Halloween costumes, they have them dress up as one of the book characters (from a book they read in school). They still have a Halloween party and any parent who is uncomfortable with that can keep their child out of school (as an excused absence).

[Gidget]

Same with Christmas, it's Christmas damnit, not the Winter festival--and I'll greet people with "Merry Christmas" if I want to, being told to say "Happy Holidays" instead just pisses me off.

I saw Christmas ornaments labeled "Holiday Tree Decorations" in the stores last year. You have got to be f*cking kidding me. It's not a holiday tree. The tree thing? That's Christmas. You don't have a Hanukkah tree, you don't have a Diwali tree. It's a CHRISTMAS TREE.

[Ruby]

They'd sooner vote for Obama...

You know, i'm a McCain supporter (which is why i groaned you) [SNIP]


Snort! It was a joke, youngblood. But heck, if groaning me makes you feel better about your choice of candidate, knock yourself out. LOL.

Hmmm. Wait a minute...does that mean I oughta groan you right back for your comment about Obama? I know, let's just groan each other tit for tat until we run out, 'kay? Thx. Bai.

[Peeperann]

Ummmm what? Wrong. This harvest time you speak of is more like Lammas in August. Sam Hain or Hallowe'en never had anything to do with "harvest" in those terms historically.

I wasn't saying it was. I was just saying what my mother TAUGHT me. I know what all hallows eve is for. And really sorry that I was working and my spelling wasn't correct.......................

[Sarabei]

In Peeper's defense, it appears her and Owd are both correct:

http://www.history.com/minisites/halloween/viewPage?pageId=713

Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in).

The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.

To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where the people gathered to burn crops and animals as sacrifices to the Celtic deities.

During the celebration, the Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other's fortunes. When the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires, which they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire to help protect them during the coming winter.

By A.D. 43, Romans had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. In the course of the four hundred years that they ruled the Celtic lands, two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain.

The first was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. The second was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into Samhain probably explains the tradition of "bobbing" for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.

By the 800s, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. It is widely believed today that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned holiday. The celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints' Day) and the night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween. Even later, in A.D. 1000, the church would make November 2 All Souls' Day, a day to honor the dead. It was celebrated similarly to Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the eve of All Saints', All Saints', and All Souls', were called Hallowmas.

[Sarabei]

We should also ban Easter if we are banning ALL relgious holidays from school....that the school won't let them even wear costumes or shirts, is totally anal and stupid. I LOVED dressing up at Halloween...Hell, I still love dressing up for Halloween!!!

[Peeperann]

n Peeper's defense, it appears her and Owd are both correct:

http://www.history.com/minisites/hal...age?pageId=713

Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in).

The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of the otherworldly spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make predictions about the future. For a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world, these prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction during the long, dark winter.


Thanks, that's exactly what I was taught. Growing up in Michigan, our harvest's there were not until the very late fall. I guess if you grow up in different parts of the country, you're taught different things.

I really don't care what it's for. It's just fun for children and parents alike!

[crickett]

Moonlily, I am curious as to what the schools reasoning is. Did they send a note home? Sorry for your little ones. I'd keep them home and let them celebrate all damn day.:lollypop:

Fuck 'em, I'd be keeping mine home too....
Halloween is FUN....WTF is WRONG with these idiots?
http://i478.photobucket.com/albums/rr147/crickett85/drphil-1.jpg
YEAH, PC has gone WAY too far!

[Ash Williams]

This is just wrong....Its Halloween....whats next, no St. Pattys day b/c it promotes alcholism?

jeez

[TheLittleFriend]

My kids get very little play time. They have 15 min. of recess - can't talk at lunch. Even my kindergartner. They have no time anymore due to all of the testing they constantly are preparing for.


My son is in kindergartner. Everyday he come home with alot of homeworks. Like, three or four homeworks everyday. I think it's too much, in my opinion. He's frustrated and cranky. Sometimes I will let him to have a nap and do his homeworks myself! I asked my sister if she remember me doing the homeworks in kindergartner. She said, "No way. All you did was, play, sleep, and learn ABC's!"

[Ruby]

We should also ban Easter if we are banning ALL relgious holidays from school....that the school won't let them even wear costumes or shirts, is totally anal and stupid. I LOVED dressing up at Halloween...Hell, I still love dressing up for Halloween!!!

Easter is kind of a no-brainer. I mean, it's the celebration of Christ's resurrection, is it not? Easter does not belong in the schools, and I have never known a school to celebrate it in my lifetime.

[Owd Scrat]

I wasn't saying it was. I was just saying what my mother TAUGHT me. I know what all hallows eve is for. And really sorry that I was working and my spelling wasn't correct.......................

I never mentioned your spelling. It's so obviously a misspelling I assumed it was a typo.



In Peeper's defense, it appears her and Owd are both correct:

http://www.history.com/minisites/halloween/viewPage?pageId=713

Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in)..............


How does this mini lesson show Peeper was correct in any way? In her post she said that Halloween was a "harvest time" holiday....no it isn't .....harvest festivals and the actual harvesting was done in August or Sept. Exactly how many loads of things are harvested at the end of October? And of course this is all referring to the lifestyle and such of northern european lore. That word harvest is just thrown in that blurb....it doesn't mean anything.

Also she said in regards to Halloween that it's ... "Not some pagen religion." You're post kinda proved her wrong there too.

So....ok. This is kinda stupid, I'm not going to waste time debating basic facts. If others want to live life only going by what their mothers taught them and never actually learn and research for themselves....be my guest.

[crickett]

This is just wrong....Its Halloween....whats next, no St. Pattys day b/c it promotes alcholism?

jeez

Uh...that's what I LIKE about St Patricks Day....

[BluLobster]

We totally celebrated Easter in elementary school. Not the whole Christ-resurrection bit, but the eggs and bunnies and flowers bit. We had an Easter egg hunt and everything. Nothing religious was EVER mentioned. Of course, that Easter and the actual religious Easter are very much two separate things, just like Santa-Christmas and Jesus-Christmas are different (in my mind, at least). We celebrated Halloween in class too, and for the winter holidays we celebrated Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and a couple others (despite the fact that everyone in my class was a member of a christian religion).

I think holidays like Halloween and Christmas can be celebrated because many people celebrate them without the religious element. Hell, I'm an atheist and I regularly celebrate multiple religious holidays. I feel like so many kids hate school these days because they've taken the fun out of it. I remember when my elementary school banned celebration of birthdays; the parental out roar certainly got them to change their minds.

[brokenandtwisted]

Not even a shirt? I don't really mind that they're not having a party or anything (kids play plenty in school as it is), but a little festivity never hurt.

Well, Athena...to that end they should not celebrate Christmas. To the OP, if they decide to hold a Christmas concert/assembly or have decor, I would complain to their board of education...or just go into the office and kill all of the administration wearing a sexy, sultry and velvety Mrs. Santa Claus costume with an uzi.

Either will suffice, but in seriousness the former is what I'd do.

[WryBread]

Samhain is the sacred end of the year for Pagans. I believe that it is related to harvest only in that there is nothing more to harvest -- the end of the agricultural calendar.

But I wasn't aware that we Pagans have so much power and presence that Halloween is considered one of "our" religious festivals. It has certainly morphed into a fun time for everyone and I think the school is being plain weird. Maybe the argument is that schools' shouldn't celebrate it because it's "devil worship" as some Christians believe.

Moonlilly, I'd love for you to ask the school, "Which religion?" and see what they say.

[Peeperann]

I never mentioned your spelling. It's so obviously a misspelling I assumed it was a typo.





How does this mini lesson show Peeper was correct in any way? In her post she said that Halloween was a "harvest time" holiday....no it isn't .....harvest festivals and the actual harvesting was done in August or Sept. Exactly how many loads of things are harvested at the end of October? And of course this is all referring to the lifestyle and such of northern european lore. That word harvest is just thrown in that blurb....it doesn't mean anything.

Also she said in regards to Halloween that it's ... "Not some pagen religion." You're post kinda proved her wrong there too.

So....ok. This is kinda stupid, I'm not going to waste time debating basic facts. If others want to live life only going by what their mothers taught them and never actually learn and research for themselves....be my guest.


I didn't say I believe now what my mother taught me. Just that when I was little I believed it. Like I said before I know what it's all about. And you're right, this is kinda stupid.

It should just be a day to pretend and trick all the people out of their candy! (But in upper Michigan, late October is harvest time)

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Who thinks up these rules? Who votes on them?

I would find a way around this one that would egg their faces so bad... just can't think of one now, but if it was my kid, I would in a half a heart beat.

[maryhaze]

i'm a witch, not a Wiccan but a witch. this is my highest holy day but i think it sucks that kids get screwed out of a good time because of some peoples fear of what? something they don't understand & don't care to? i also don't have a problem with xmas stuff because i have learned to be tolerant. someone tells me "merry christmas" i don't lose my shit. that is their way & i respond "have a nice Yule". it seems to me that the kids lose on all this junk.

[Unamused Cat]

Our local elementary school got around it by declaring it Story Book Day, and the kids could dress up as any character.

[moonlilly1981]

I kept my kids home from school yesterday. Im so sick of all the intolerance that floats around in the world and I really dont want my children learning it. I have heard from so called BS christians that halloween is the "devil's" holdiay. Its not, I know its not, and my children will know its not. I think they should teach holidays in school. They want to teach "tolerance" in schools but by taking out holidays of all shapes and sizes then they in my opinon are teaching intolerance. I think it would be great if they said yes today is christmas day and this is hannaka day and kwanza day and ramadan day. But thats just me. I choose to keep my kids home and im glad I did.

[Peeperann]

I kept my kids home from school yesterday. Im so sick of all the intolerance that floats around in the world and I really dont want my children learning it. I have heard from so called BS christians that halloween is the "devil's" holdiay. Its not, I know its not, and my children will know its not. I think they should teach holidays in school. They want to teach "tolerance" in schools but by taking out holidays of all shapes and sizes then they in my opinon are teaching intolerance. I think it would be great if they said yes today is christmas day and this is hannaka day and kwanza day and ramadan day. But thats just me. I choose to keep my kids home and im glad I did.

Moonlilly, good for you! I am a Christian, but not one of the crazy one's who think Halloween is is the devils holiday. That's just stupid shit from ignorant people.

I hope ya'll had so much fun together!