Halloween Costumes And Celebrations: Not In Schools, Principals Say

A Massachusetts elementary school principal has lashed out against traditional American holidays, banning costumes in school for Halloween and telling teachers to "be careful" about celebrating Thanksgiving, the Boston Herald reports.

In an email to teachers on holidays, John F. Kennedy Elementary School Principal Anne Foley also notes that teachers can no longer "claim ignorance of the atrocities that Christopher Columbus committed against the indigenous peoples," and that celebrating Columbus Day is "an insult and a slight."

School Superintendent Tony Pierantozzi told the Boston Herald that Halloween is "problematic" for some families, noting its connections to witchcraft. And while historians say that Columbus was often not involved in the marauding, Foley says she just wants to "open up a conversation."

Kennedy Elementary isn't alone this year. Some schools in Ithaca, N.Y. have nixed traditions of celebrating Halloween. South Hill Elementary and Northeast Elementary Schools will not be hosting their annual Halloween parade and classroom parties, The Ithaca Journal reports.

The schools' principals said they based their decision on their students' diverse backgrounds. Other schools in the district have elected to keep their celebratory traditions, and students can opt out if they wish.

"Both nationally and locally, schools have moved away from Halloween celebrations during school because they conflict with some families' beliefs," South Hill Principal Colleen Ledley told The Ithaca Journal. "This is true at South Hill as well."

Parents of Buckman Elementary School in Portland, Ore. are petitioning the school principal's ban on Halloween costumes, with one parent noting that "this country's obsession with the politically correct is really getting out of hand," The Portland Mercury reports.

According to The Portland Mercury, Buckman Principal Brian Anderson wrote in a letter to parents last week:

For many reasons, the celebration of Halloween at school can lead to student exclusion. There are social, financial and cultural differences among our families that we must respect. The spirit of equity has led most [Portland Public Schools], including most elementary schools, to deemphasize the celebration of Halloween at school.

Anderson says that this is the second year that the school has banned sugar-filled parties and costumes, telling The Portland Mercury that celebrating Halloween at school excludes some students by "pushing our traditions on an ever-changing population."

Also last year, the School District of South Orange and Maplewood in New Jersey banned Christmas Carols from their holiday concerts, citing the need to adopt and promote an inclusive environment for students and the community.

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Comments

[Chris Wundrow]

05:17 PM on 10/31/2011

How times have changed! From the era I grew up in where school Christmas pagents actually included religious carols (horrors!) because people ASSUMED everyone was a Christian--well everyone WASN'T--either then or now. But today, we appear to have gone to the opposite extreme (no less offensive in my book) where you don't dare make a rude noise out loud because someone somewhere might be offended! It's largely the religious evangelical-types that have run Halloween out of many classrooms because they have come to dominate so many school boards and therefore get to make the rules. For them, Halloween is "Satanism"; if you ask me, I think they take Halloween too seriously. Personally, the one classroom "holiday" I always hated was Valentine's Day, with that stupid valentine exchange. It was only fun for the "popular" kids (who got boatloads); it was the most miserable day of the year for the kids who weren't--as if they needed the SCHOOL to remind them that they were "losers"!

[Eric Mann]

12:21 PM on 10/31/2011

From one flaming Lefty...this is absurd. This is PC taking to the most extreme end. So what if some families don't like Halloween? Guess what, my family doesn't like Christmas or Easter (bad cultural memories of marauding peasants whipped up into frenzies by the local lord to destroy Jewish towns) but we have had to put up with it for my whole life. We got over it.

As a teacher, I have my own issues with Halloween, but those would be the same if the kids were in costume or not. But the same issues happen with Valentine's Day and St. Patty's Day as well.

[MyGuyO]

01:36 PM on 10/24/2011

Hmmm, generations ago were NOT allowed to wear costumes to school. What is the big deal.
They get to have their off school parties, they still get to go trick or treat.

[lauriemann]

03:33 PM on 10/25/2011

In the early '60s (which was generations ago), we were allowed to wear costumes, parade around the school and have treats in the afternoon. Of course, in those days, every school kid celebrated Halloween.

[BigWillyG]

05:06 PM on 10/18/2011

The principals probably lucky she did this to elementary school kids and not high school students. She'd get her house egged for being such a raging control freak to high school students.

[jshop]

07:05 PM on 10/17/2011

Aren't the folks poo-pooing Halloween the same ones who claim Christmas is under attack every year? One would think these Right-wingnuts would be in favor of preserving the obvious pro-business commercial boon Halloween, like Christmas, represents. Not to mention the "FREEDOM" to celebrate it, like school prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance....

[MyGuyO]

01:37 PM on 10/24/2011

The right wing nuts at Faux News will never be happy.

"It's all Obama's fault" is their mantra.

[dancingbones]

05:20 PM on 10/17/2011

As a long-time school principal, I generally allowed costumes and a parade though many teachers hated it. A great many schools around the country do not allow costumes at school. It is true that you can pretty much kiss off discipline and any learning for the day...and the day after because most kids are still hung over from the huge amount of ingested sugar.

[Waldimore]

10:57 AM on 10/17/2011

I'm on the fence about this. I love Halloween. My favorite time as a kid. But over the years, obnoxious behavior from people in general have ruined it. I can understand why schools might want to 'just say no.' As someone pointed out, the inappropriate costumes that some kids may turn up in. It's just a shame that people have no sense of what is or isn't acceptable in public forums. That's why you have your own private world known as your home. There, you and your kids can dress up, be and do anything you want and no one can say a thing about it.

[syllcurie]

10:50 AM on 10/17/2011

So to be correct (both politicall­y and otherwise) Columbus Day should be re-named Lief Ericson Day - the actual discoverer of America - and celebrated in schools on the same date. As for Halloween, we shall henceforth call it "Trigger Treat Day" in honor of Roy Rogers horse, who was neither black nor white and was never heard to utter a discouragi­ng word, let alone a racist remark.

[onionboy]

05:33 PM on 10/17/2011

Actually, Lief Ericson didn't "discover" America either.

[syllcurie]

07:25 PM on 10/17/2011

Right! Be Lief it or not!

[cmccaw]

08:52 PM on 10/16/2011

Apart from anything else, it is pretty hard to teach a class full of hyper, overexcited kids in costumes. The principal isn't saying families cannot celebrate Halloween at home. I think there is a good case to be made that celebrating it during the school day is a bad idea.

[tazmodious]

06:26 PM on 10/16/2011

I love celebrating holidays. It's so cool when the neighborhood comes out for Halloween.

I also greatly respect everyone's cultural heritage, therefore I do not celebrate holidays in my classroom, period. You come to my class to get work done because that is your job, that is why you are here. I bring fun into the classroom by having my students perform science experiements or I give cool demonstrations.

Guess what. My students actually like that my classroom is that period of the day where they can refocus and relax from the craziness that often occurs around holidays, especially Halloween.

Kids can have candy in the classroom, but they have to give my some ;^)

[Michelle Polcaro]

09:45 PM on 10/17/2011

I agree with you completely. I, too, am a science teacher. I make slime around Halloween. The kids think I'm doing it just for the holiday. Jokes on them. They're learning about polymers at the same time. I also do a chromatography lab just before Christmas break. I have them make snowflakes out of coffee filters, dot them with markers and drop water on them. Yes, it makes them think they're just making fun decorations. Nope, they're learning about pigments in nature.

[MyGuyO]

01:42 PM on 10/24/2011

Sorry, but it will light's out at this house this year.
Seems we have some "in your face" neighbors across the street that hog all holidays for only their fun and their fun only. They usually invite tons of people, put out their portable fireplace in the drivway, hang out then the party ends up with tons of people/kids having a street. party, playing ball or some such thing. They are hanging out till late hours. We have a HOA and nothing is done about it.
For me going out to dinner instead!

[stopnlisten]

04:26 PM on 10/16/2011

We never dealt with the roots and meaning of Halloween when I grew up. We just had fun dressing up and scaring each other. We learned to be respectful of other cultures and we didn't make fun of other kids fasting on their religious holidays or wearing clothing different than our own. Are we that stained by poitical correctness that we can't let kids dress up and tell ghost stories and giggle and have fun? We can't put up a tree or bush or hand up little hearts to celebrate different traditions? Isn't that really education? Tolerance and celebration and yes...little fun.

[sidnee]

02:49 PM on 10/16/2011

If the parents want it--so what? We used to do Halloween parades at our school, but no more as teachers got tired of dealing with inappropriate costumes. However, I ALWAYS have a Halloween party and our school does an evening thing with the PTA. I inform parents ahead of time and those parents who don't want their child to celebrate it--they stay home. It is part of our country's cultural tradition--this whole thing about it being evil and withccrafty---has just been a recent thing. Never heard about how awful it was as a child. I have PLENTY of minority students at my school--and they participate. If hte community isn't upset about it--then what is the big deal?

[Anastasia Giselle]

02:33 PM on 10/16/2011

So Halloween is based on pagan tradition but Christmas (based on Pagan Holiday - Natalis Invicti) is okay?

[sidnee]

02:50 PM on 10/16/2011

Many Christian events coincide with Pagan holidays--for a reason. Many Chrisitans don't even know that. That's why they get all upset over non-issues.

[PirateJohn]

10:36 PM on 10/16/2011

Many? I can't think of one that isn't.

[onionboy]

05:35 PM on 10/17/2011

And Easter.

Lest we forget Jesus' interaction with a sneaky ova-camouflaging hare.

[sacmom3]

12:23 PM on 10/16/2011

Since childhood, all Halloween has been to me was a day to dress up, go door to door and get free candy. That was what I was told the whole purpose and reason for the holiday, and that is what I taught my children. It wasn't until I was an adult that I even found out about any "pagan religious issues" associated with Halloween. So it doesn't register with me. Free candy is coming,Yay!

[PirateJohn]

10:37 PM on 10/16/2011

A former friend of mine once said, "how can you not like a holiday like Halloween? It's the only day of the year when you can knock on a random person's door and they give you candy."

[allforfoot]

08:32 AM on 10/16/2011

Plato asked two important questions. What will society teach our children and who will be the ones doing the teaching. Clearly, we have too many liberals doing the teaching.

[Gwenhevare]

10:48 AM on 10/16/2011

Let me tell you, it's the conservative parents who whine and complain over supposed 'pagan' holidays. They make so much trouble for schools that it's just not worth it anymore.

[onionboy]

05:37 PM on 10/17/2011

I think you've mixed up your right and lefts here. It's the conservative Christian parents protesting the halloween celebrations at school.