School tries to nix Halloween for ‘religious overtones’; parents revolt

[rug]

October 9, 2013
by Janeen Capizola

One of the most special events for children, parents and grandparents during the fleeting elementary school years are Halloween celebrations: The costumed children parading with their classmates, the spooky decorations, the tricks and treats, especially when Halloween actually falls on a school day as it does this year.

So, when Inglewood Elementary School in Montgomery County, Penn. attempted to cancel Halloween festivities this year, enraged parents made a fuss – one that was picked up by several national media outlets.

WPVI-TV in Philadelphia obtained the letter principal Orlando Taylor sent to parents Tuesday announcing the school’s decision, but it turned out he misunderstood district policy and incorrectly banned Halloween.

The letter read, in part:

Some holidays observed in the community that are considered by many to be secular (ex. Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Valentine’s Day) are viewed by others as having religious overtones. The district must always be mindful of the sensitivity of all the members of the community with regard to holidays and celebrations of a religious, cultural or secular nature. The United States Supreme Court has ruled that school districts may not endorse, prefer, favor, promote or advance any religious beliefs….

http://www.bizpacreview.com/2013/10/09/school-tries-to-nix-halloween-for-religious-overtones-parents-revolt-84952

[gopiscrap]

1. schools should nix Halloween, Easter, Christmas etc

not for religious reason (although that too) but because the parties are disruptive and take time from the educational process

[rug]

3. Every year my kids' elementary school has a Seuss character day.

It's around his birthday. Everybody dresses up like a character.

I bet you'd pick the Grinch.

[gopiscrap]

6. yep

I went to a Catholic school and we didn't get shit for parties, all school ALL the time and you know what, high school and college was a breeze because of it.

[atreides1]

8. And it worked so well.

You appear to be such a well rounded person, who has regard for children and the activities that they enjoy!

[gopiscrap]

11. I love kids and raised two of my own but

there is plenty of time to party after school is out and I am a big one for parties, but not when learning is supposed to be happening.

[No Vested Interest]

22. In my day - long time ago- my Catholic school was closed on Nov. 1 - All Saints' Day.

That meant we could enjoy Halloween and the goodies we got and not be up early for school the next day, though we attended Mass for the Holyday.

In recent years, many local Catholic schools celebrate Halloween with the students dressing up as a favorite saint - combining the holiday with a little religious education. Some parade around the school neighborhood in their costumes.

[gopiscrap]

23. that was my experience also, but we're talking about PUBLIC schools here

[No Vested Interest]

24. Yes, friend, I was replying to your post #6, where you mentioned

your Catholic school experience.

[gopiscrap]

25. oh ok, sorry my bad...

[jeff47]

26. Guess what? We had parties all the time. High school and college were a breeze.

Apparently your Catholic school didn't cover "causality".

[fitman]

4. 2-3 measly days out of the year?

Is going to cause a educational meltdown?

Jeesh loved to exchange gifts with classmates at Christmas..

Let's ban all pep rally's while we are at ok?

[cbayer]

13. Parties are disruptive?

Everybody needs to have some fun from time to time.

Plus there is the opportunity to be creative in costuming, a valuable thing to cultivate.

I agree about religious celebrations, but not those that are primarily just cultural.

[gopiscrap]

15. Halloween is religious

both in the Catholic sense that it is All Hallows Eve (the day before All Saints Day) now celebrated by a variety of Christian denominations

and the pagans and Wiccan's have now also embraced Halloween

[cbayer]

16. All Saints Day is one thing. Halloween quite another, imo.

So you think the objection was because pagans and wiccans celebrate Halloween?

[fitman]

2. Dumb!! Let kids be kids

Heck I went to Catholic grade school and the nuns and priest would dress up on Halloween as did all of us kids..

I am agnostic and don't in the slightest think of Halloween as being anything remotely religious...just a fun day for kids to dress up and have fun and get candy.

[d_r]

5. I didn't know

any schools let kids dress up and come to school.

[fitman]

7. My local public school allows it..

Some of the kids in my neighborhood have dressed up..even ones in HS.

[d_r]

19. cool.

they don't allow it here. It would be fun.

[2naSalit]

9. The whole commercialized thing about

these "holidays" is just a marketing ploy that is also disrespectful of the purpose of the days of recognition in the first place. Co-opting someone's religious celebration for kids in this way is actually promoting the idea that only their religious beliefs are valid and that all others are to be mocked in this way. Perhaps they could just have "celebration days" for the sake of celebration but leave these themes meant to offend and mock out of it. I think this is one of the reasons we have the amount of religious zealotry that we do in this country... because nobody is taught to respect the beliefs of others, only mockery of them.

If school children were taught the actual original meanings of these "holidays" without the mockery and then offered days for celebration without the mockery themes, then I would be okay with them. I, personally, am offended by the way Hallowe'en and Christmas are celebrated in this country... they are measured by profit margins and capitol intake and rarely anything more. They have been co-opted by capitalism and that is all they are anymore in this country, a celebration of corporate profit.

[cbayer]

10. What religion does Halloween endorse?

I never experienced it as anything else but cultural.

I'd love to see the letters the principal received that prompted this.

[rug]

12. It doesn't but it stems from All Saints (All Hallows) Day on November 1.

FY!, November 2 is All Souls Day, for the rest of us.

[cbayer]

14. November 1 is a huge holiday in southern Europe.

I was there on that date and was shocked to find out that everything was closed.

[gopiscrap]

17. the word is a derivative of All Hallow's Eve

meaning the day before All Saints Day a Holy Day of Obligation in the Roman Catholic Calendar and also celebrated by many other denominations. It's very name is church linked.

[cbayer]

18. I could be wrong, but I have never known the american celebration of Halloween to

endorse any religion whatsoever.

That doesn't mean that some religions don't observe it as a religious holiday. The question is this - does the american celebration endorse a religion?

I think one would be hard pressed to take that position.

[longship]

20. I think that's right.

Hell, many atheists celebrate Christmas. Daniel Dennett has said he does. Dawkins has no problem with people saying Merry Christmas to him. Neither do I.

Culturally, Christmas has all but become a de facto secular holiday. My very secular family celebrates it every year.

It's a wonderful thing, IMHO.

[cbayer]

21. There is a difference with christmas, though.

It's hard to disentangle the religious symbols and traditions from the secular ones. Maybe we need a new word to separate them more clearly.

But Halloween? I don't remember ever seeing anything anywhere that would denote this as a religious holiday.

[jeff47]

28. Not really. Christmas is re-branding of Yule. (nt)

[cbayer]

29. The "Christ" part bothers some people.

[jeff47]

30. Doesn't have to.

My entire extended family are atheists. Christmas is a very big deal. It's the family's main get-together and celebration.

Just because the ancient Catholics co-oped a holiday doesn't mean they own it forever.

[cbayer]

32. I agree. I know lots and lots of non-christians that love christmas.

That includes non-believers, Jews, Muslims and pagans.

I liked it when I had kids, but now I could sleep through it.

But I'm due to have grandchildren within the next two years, and I bet that love of the holiday comes back, lol!

[jeff47]

27. The name is. Everything else about it isn't.

What we now call Halloween was a Celtic harvest festival. It was co-opted by the Catholic Church as with many other pagan festivities. Most famous ones being Christmas and Easter.

[PassingFair]

34. The WORD might be, but, like Christmas, the celebrations and the symbolism pre-date Christianity.

Try looking up Samhain.

[kestrel91316]

31. Halloween hasn't had a speck of religion in it since they killed all the witches

back during the Inquisition.

[Goblinmonger]

33. I don't like the costume bit

just because it presents a bad situation for those kids that can't afford a costume.