Is Halloween evil?

[Erin]

Not that I have any kids at the local public school, but for the first time in who knows how long, Halloween or anything related will not be observed. They are allowed to have Harvest themed activities, but nothing Halloween. I personally am okay with them ''canceling'' Halloween by not having a day of dress up and candy because the ''holiday'' can be (and probably should be) observed outside of school. However, the ban is based on it being an evil occassion. I do realize that if you look at the roots of Halloween or All Hallows Eve or whatever that it was a sacrificial event warding off evil spirits. Some people are even quoting the Bible with verses like Do not imitate anything heathen, or something. With kids dressing up as Hannah Montana, Spider Man and ninjas, carving pumpkins and soliciting for candy, I find it hard to believe that today''s cultural celebration is in the name of evil - or that it could be argued as such.

Do your schools have Halloween activities?

 

[MonkeyPie]

There will always be a group of people nowadays that want to ban everything. The original purpose of Halloween was All Hallow''s Eve, which was a day spent remembering and observing the dead (there was nothing sacrificial about the holiday, except by stupid people). It was originally a way to honor our ancestors, and was observed as being the one day of the year when the veil between life and death was the thinnest - meaning you could possibly make contact.

The holiday is not evil, and in this day and age it is meant to be a day for kids to dress up, play pretend, and have candy. Anything else is ridiculous.

 

[Jas12]

Ugh--that''s sad. Not happening around here thankfully. Halloween is a such a fantastic time in schools--most young kids have no evil associations with it, and it is just a fun time to dress up and participate in the fun activities you mentioned. The only thing evil about halloween is the sugar high fall-out us teachers have to deal with the next day

 

[MonkeyPie]

Date: 10/15/2009 12:05:52 PM
Author: Jas12
The only thing evil about halloween is the sugar high fall-out us teachers have to deal with the next day

Aha, it all becomes clear! Hah!

 

[Laila619]

I don't think Halloween is evil, no. It's all in good fun. What a way to spoil the holiday for innocent little kids!

However, I will say that there are always some boneheads who decide to do stupid and/or bad stuff on Halloween. They're the ones who ruin the fun for everyone else. For instance (this is just awful), an animal shelter told me that they will NOT adopt out any black cats in the month of October because of psychos who do bad stuff to black cats on Halloween. How sad.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

We have the "Harvest Party," however, ours is scheduled for Oct. 30th and in one class is called, "Harvest/Halloween." Our theme this year involves satanic ritual. Can't wait. Break out and dust off the "Satanic Bible."

(ETA - we had the black cat ban too. We owned a black cat at the time and I locked him inside for a few nights.)

 

[fleur-de-lis]

Reminds me of an episode of "King of the Hill". I guess some people manifest their anxiety towards some... interesting targets.

You know, like a seven year old girl dressing up like a princess.

 

[tyty333]

At my kids school the kindergarteners dress up at the end of the day and parade through the other
class rooms. Its really quite cute (I went when my son did it). This year my daughter gets to do it.

No one thinks anything bad about holloween around here as far as I know.

 

[purselover]

I never really dressed up or went trick or treating as a kid my mom always said Halloween was a pagan holiday and shouldn't be celebrated. Personally I think she just couldn't be bothered to get me a costume and take me out since my older siblings were allowed to celebrate

....ugh it was embarrasing in elementary school when everyone went around and shared what they were dressing up as and I would always have to say nothing.

eta: sorry too busy venting to actually answer the question, no I don't think Halloween is evil and if I have kids one day and they want to celebrate they can.

 

[cellentani]

Yup, Halloween is really bad. It''s almost as bad as that other holiday public schools aren''t allowed to celebrate - Christmas.

 

[AdiS]

Date: 10/15/2009 11:53:42 AM
Author:Starset Princess
Not that I have any kids at the local public school, but for the first time in who knows how long, Halloween or anything related will not be observed. They are allowed to have Harvest themed activities, but nothing Halloween. I personally am okay with them 'canceling' Halloween by not having a day of dress up and candy because the 'holiday' can be (and probably should be) observed outside of school. However, the ban is based on it being an evil occassion. I do realize that if you look at the roots of Halloween or All Hallows Eve or whatever that it was a sacrificial event warding off evil spirits. Some people are even quoting the Bible with verses like Do not imitate anything heathen, or something. With kids dressing up as Hannah Montana, Spider Man and ninjas, carving pumpkins and soliciting for candy, I find it hard to believe that today's cultural celebration is in the name of evil - or that it could be argued as such.

Do your schools have Halloween activities?

Oh come on, that's like taking a candy from a little child's hand-literally!

ETA: The highlighted part sounds rather fanatical to me, but that's just IMHO.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 10/15/2009 1:20:12 PM
Author: cellentani
Yup, Halloween is really bad. It's almost as bad as that other holiday public schools aren't allowed to celebrate - Christmas.

My kids' school is a bit odd. They don't outright celebrate Christmas, but bring home tons of Santa and Raindeer stuff, and interestingly Hanukkah pictures ALONG with the annual Santa's workshop and a breakfast celebration.

They still have the pledge of alligence, though, so it seems a bit hypocritical to ban Christmas, yet push other stuff on the kids.

 

[Haven]

Date: 10/15/2009 12:48:50 PM
Author: fleur-de-lis
Reminds me of an episode of ''King of the Hill''. I guess some people manifest their anxiety towards some... interesting targets.

You know, like a seven year old girl dressing up like a princess.

Oh my gosh, hilarious. I just spit out some apple cider.

 

[Haven]

Date: 10/15/2009 1:20:12 PM
Author: cellentani
Yup, Halloween is really bad. It''s almost as bad as that other holiday public schools aren''t allowed to celebrate - Christmas.

I completely understand schools not celebrating Christmas--it''s a religious holiday. Why would a public school celebrate a religious holiday????

 

[Haven]

I just realized I never responded to the original question.
No, I don''t think Halloween is evil as the watered-down, secular version that I understand it to be today.
And, as a former costume designer and avid lover of hats, I adore the opportunity to dress up once a year.

 

[MonkeyPie]

Date: 10/15/2009 1:43:12 PM
Author: Haven
No, I don''t think Halloween is evil as the watered-down, secular version that I understand it to be today.

It was never evil, not even before it was "watered-down."

All Hallow''s Eve is a holiday, just not to religions most people understand and accept. Just like Christmas. And it has religious connotations, too. The difference is that people take offense to Jesus whereas they don''t mind other gods.

 

[kenny]

Whether Halloween is evil falls squarely within your religious beliefs and we can't discuss religion here on PS.

 

[somethingshiny]

Date: 10/15/2009 12:01:07 PM
Author: MonkeyPie
There will always be a group of people nowadays that want to ban everything. The original purpose of Halloween was All Hallow''s Eve, which was a day spent remembering and observing the dead (there was nothing sacrificial about the holiday, except by stupid people). It was originally a way to honor our ancestors, and was observed as being the one day of the year when the veil between life and death was the thinnest - meaning you could possibly make contact.


The holiday is not evil, and in this day and age it is meant to be a day for kids to dress up, play pretend, and have candy. Anything else is ridiculous.

The bolded part is exactly why some people believe it''s evil. You''re not "supposed" to contact the dead and therefore anything indicating the "perfect" time is evil.

Luckily, I live in a small town where the kids still dress up and go on a parade through the town!

I was never into Halloween as a kid and I lived in a big city where it was often thought of as "evil" so I never got into it. Now that I have a 3.5 yr old, Halloween is a BIG deal and something to really look forward to. btw-he''s going to be a pirate.

 

[dragonfly411]

Kenny - first of all, I don''t think this was started as a religious thread, so doesn''t qualify, and that leads to my second point

I don''t think it is based on your religious beliefs at all. All Hallow''s Eve was developed to recognize the dead... which has nothing to do with religion. Furthermore, if it is in relation to "evil" then EVERY religion has evil.

That being said, no, I don''t think Halloween is evil. Yes I think it is RIDICULOUS to remove holidays from the lives of children. In my school growing up, we recognized Hanukkah, Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Valentine''s Day, St. Patrick''s Day, and children were allowed to celebrate other holidays as well. Why NOT?

I WILL say that Halloween has sparked a more spooky holiday in some, including myself. I gobble it up, scary tv, scary movies, scary studies, dressing up, I am now a candy giver instead of getter hehe, I love it!

 

[FrekeChild]

No I don't think it's evil. But my SIL does.

 

[Camille]

My kid's school is having a 3 day Fall festival so no costumes this year, no biggie. Nope, I don't think is evil.

 

[rhbgirl24]

Halloween, or All Hallows Even was actually Samhain to begin with. Which is a festival held at the end of the harvest season in Gaelic and other celtic cultures. The festival has aspects of a festival of the dead. It was supposed to be a day to remember loved ones that have passed. Even though it has "pagan" association doesn't mean anything, nor did it have to be religious. Remember pagan just means anything not christian.

I think a school banning Halloween for that reason is just completely ignorant. No two ways about it. It doesn't really have anything to do, anymore anyway, with any type of religion. Nor should it be seen as evil. Are they thinking that b/c of the could be pagan undertones or because there are ghouls, vampires, and monsters about?

Hmm.... either way it takes away something that is meant to be light hearted and fun for the kids, its a shame.

Personally I think its just fun. Halloween and harvest are my fave time of the year. Haunted houses, the weather, fall leaves, the works. Which is why we're getting married next weekend. But that neither here nor there.

 

[fieryred33143]

The only thing evil about Halloween is that I always manage to gain weight without ever eating an actual meal

 

[dragonfly411]

fiery - the only thing evil about it for me is I don''t get any candy anymore!

 

[Haven]

Date: 10/15/2009 1:48:33 PM
Author: MonkeyPie

Date: 10/15/2009 1:43:12 PM
Author: Haven
No, I don't think Halloween is evil as the watered-down, secular version that I understand it to be today.

It was never evil, not even before it was 'watered-down.'

All Hallow's Eve is a holiday, just not to religions most people understand and accept. Just like Christmas. And it has religious connotations, too. The difference is that people take offense to Jesus whereas they don't mind other gods.

I did not mean to say that the origin of Halloween is evil. I neither said nor implied that. I'll restate for clarity: What I know of Halloween, which is limited to the secular version of it that most Americans observe today, is not, in my opinion, evil.
No need to dig for controversy, there is none here.

As for other holidays, I think the observation and celebration of religious holidays has no place in a public school. If you want your child to celebrate religious holidays during the school day you have the option to send him to a private religious school.

 

[Bia]

No, not evil. Halloween should only be about one thing: Having fun

 

[lucyandroger]

Date: 10/15/2009 3:45:28 PM
Author: Bia
No, not evil. Halloween should only be about one thing: Having fun

Ditto.

Life''s too short not to celebrate holidays.

 

[HollyS]

Evil is in the minds and hearts of certain people. They would not be changed by a world-wide ban on Halloween. So no, I don''t see a need to deny children the fun stuff associated with Halloween.

However, as a culture, the Western world has become a bit too blase concerning evil and its depiction on screen and in print. We glamorize and romanticize it. We flock to see the movies, buy the DVDs; stand in line all night to get the latest Harry Potter. We used to know that this stuff was bogus; just depictions of make-believe stuff. We used to know that the demons, werewolved, vampires, and witches were ''the bad guys'' of the plots. Today - - not so much. The lines between good and evil have been blurred. Perhaps that''s what your local school district thinks, and they''ve decided to squelch as much of it as they can.

 

[MonkeyPie]

Er...Harry Potter is evil?

 

[sunnyd]

Date: 10/15/2009 4:04:44 PM
Author: MonkeyPie
Er...Harry Potter is evil?

Not evil, just not real.