Halloween is by far my favorite holiday! It could be because my birthday is the day before so every year while growing up my parties were always a costume party and everyone came dressed up as witches, vampires, ghosts and goblins and of course we bobbed for apples, played scary music and had tons of giggly laughs.
Today Halloween has been getting a bad rap. People complain about everything from stereotypical costumes to it being a satanic holiday that shouldn’t be celebrated. However, I have always thought of Halloween as just a time to dress up and be anything you want for one night a year. As children we were never trying to offend a race or culture, we only wanted to be Pocahontas for a day as she inspired tons of little girls to be strong women after they watched Disney’s Pocahontas movie. Or perhaps we wanted to be a scary zombie and drag our feet yelling “BRAINS”.
Halloween for children is a time to be silly and get a TON of candy. As an 8-year-old child your goal is to make it to as many houses as possible to ensure your pillowcase was filled to the rim with chocolate, chips, licorice and bubble gum. To dress up in your costume and head to school to see what all your friends are dressed as was a very exciting time! Often the schools would host a haunted house or dance in the gym with bowls full of peeled grapes (eyeballs) and spaghetti (brains) to gross out all the children.
Somehow we as adults seem to have forgotten the fun we had on Halloween as children. Now we restrict what can and cannot be worn to school to the point where most schools no longer even allow a costume. No more giggly ghosts running through the school halls, no more costume dances and ghoulish fun, and no more imagination.
We are depriving a whole generation of children of expressing themselves for fear of once again offending someone.
Children love being someone or something different for Halloween and we as adults have to stop taking away everything fun in this world and let our children be who they want to be. Kids are not trying to make a political statement by wearing a princess costume or by dressing as a witch. They are just having fun!
Schools banning costumes on the basis that it scares younger children or that some just don’t celebrate the holiday is ridiculous. By taking away Halloween celebrations other traditions will be on the chopping block next. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, Easter, and more will soon be a thing of the past. Instead of banning any tradition why not add more to the list! Chinese New Year! Hanukkah! Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead). There are so many wonderful traditions throughout the world why not include everyone!
We as adults need to back off and let our children be kids! We need to allow them to dress up as monsters and fairies, allow their imaginations to run wild and enjoy Halloween!
Written by: Bobbi - Lynne McGarry
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