The great Hallowe'en Debate

Local gas station (Perth) asks you to vote on your fave carving!

I've done my share of Hallowe'en. I've had three children, and taught for 25 years. We had great fun with the day. The grade six classes put together a Hallowe'en room.

With younger kids going through, putting their hand in bowls of brains (cooked spaghetti!), and kids popping out of boxes.

It was clever and creative.
There are pumpkins everywhere. They are beautiful, a sign of fall.

We always had a costume parade throughout the school, especially in the K to gr. 6 schools. It was fun, as the kindergartens visited the older kids.

In a couple of Ontario schools they are forbidding particular costumes; black face, and potentially racist costumes. In all my years teaching I'd never seen kids arriving at school with costumes that mock a particular race or culture. I guess it must happen in this intolerant, red-neck world in some places. (Ohio University’s Students Teaching About Racism in Society)

"Leaf fan waiting for a cup!"

Our Hallowe'en parties were fun, with kids playing music, and telling and listening to spooky stories.
With the new rules barring candy and junk food from schools, I find things have really changed.

I ensured that my young students ate a good snack in the morning, every day. That way, when we had a party, we could let go, and have some junk. It was a treat. I never permitted a student to share anything s/he had brought with another child. This meant that we avoided kids sharing a large bag of chips they'd brought from home, or bought from the store, with their peers. One year I had two anaphalactic kids in my class, with severe allergies to peanuts. We were vigilant.

Nov., 2001

There were a few children, of particular faiths, who were not allowed to participate; e.g., strong Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Jewish, and Muslim. I truly wrestled with this. I gave them other activities, and they were able to sit in the library reading, or doing other work. Most of us suspended our faith traditions, to have a chance to dress up and be goofy for an afternoon.
It was a day to do role reversal, with ghoulish costumes on otherwise happy kids.

We had great fun.
Lots of integrated phonics and linguistic activities:

• name 10 things that are white
• how many words rhyme with 'boo?'
• name 3 Hallowe'en words with 2, 3 , and 4 syllables.

We usually did group lunches, organized by the students. They might design a placemat in art, put together a menu, and so on.

Boys dressed as girls and girls dressed as boys. We tolerated no racism, or homophobia. 

The teachers always dressed up. 

It is a more complicated world. I am glad I am retired. It is so easy to offend someone.
Some schools are forcing kids to wear 'caring' costumes, or only orange and black.

This year critics have even denounced the Oct. 31 celebration as a conduit for racists. Ohio University’s Students Teaching About Racism in Society launched a poster campaign featuring members of visible minorities glumly holding photos of revellers clad in Pocahontas, suicide-bomber and geisha-girl costumes with the tagline: “This is not who I am and this is not okay.”

 These photos are from October, 2005.
 

1. Costumes OK in schools, but weapons forbidden ‎ MetroNews Canada - 2 days ago While some Calgary public schools have shelved spooky for “caring” costumes on Hallowe'en, this city has more relaxed rules on students dressing up. ...

2. What your Hallowe'en costume says about you ‎ Philippine Star - Anna Canlas - 1 day ago Such a statement-making costume is the Octoberian equivalent of a long-strategized trip ... playing even more with the idea of the good and the forbidden. ...

3. The war on Hallowe'en: Taming the devils, demons and pumpkins ‎ National Post - Tristin Hopper - 1 hour ago And, while pious Jews may be forbidden from sending their children out trick ... Ore., cancelled the wearing of Hallowe'en costumes for reasons of “equity” ...