Halloween being cancelled in Canadian schools

[Moonlight Graham]

On Oct. 31, students at McKay Public School in Port Colborne, Ont., will have to spend the day pretending it’s not Halloween. The annual tradition has been replaced by “a more inclusive Spirit Day,” in which the kids are invited to dress in black and orange (yay!). The school dance has been cancelled, too.

The Canadian Martyrs School in nearby St. Catharines has implemented a similar policy.

This is the new Halloween tradition. Schools are worried the annual fall festival will offend some religious people, or that the poor kid who can’t afford the kick-ass Superman costume will feel left out. All it takes is one busybody soccer mom on the PTA, or one risk-adverse bureaucrat on the school board, to ruin the whole thing for everyone.

Al Creelman, the principal of the Canadian Martyrs School, objected to Halloween from a religious standpoint: “We’ve looked at the origin of Halloween from a Catholic point of view. We just felt [that] going this route would be best for all concerned.”

A posting on the Canadian Council of Muslim Theologians website argues that Halloween runs contrary to “fundamental Muslim belief” and that although “it hurts to feel left out when everyone is having a good time, a Muslim should take solace in the fact that the enjoyment of this world is temporary while the enjoyment of Paradise is everlasting.”

Despite its pagan origins, Halloween has become a secular tradition in Canadian society that has more to do with letting loose and having fun than black magic and evil spirits. It’s a part of our Canadian culture that’s worth preserving.

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2013/10/08/jesse-kline-save-halloween-it-isnt-school-administrators-jobs-to-take-all-of-the-fun-out-of-growing-up/

When I was a kid I would make costumes for free using of my dad's clothing, so I don't think the holiday should be cancelled over concern for kids from poor families. As for religious reasons, who really cares if a fundamentalist Christian or Muslim parents are offended? Halloween is a major Canadian holiday and an important part of Canadian culture and tradition. This is what political correctness and multiculturalism can do. This is not "reasonable accommodation", it's unreasonable.

[Boges]

But now they've offended Satanists. YOU CAN'T WIN!!!!

I'm sure a lot of this has to do with people thinking candy isn't good for little ones.

[cybercoma]

When I was a kid I would make costumes for free using of my dad's clothing

And I bet so did a lot of the other kids. However, commercialism drives the holiday today and the kid that shows up in their father's clothes is going to be stigmatized and ostracized for being poor. Have you seen the cost of kids' costumes these days? It's another difficult expense for parents that might be living in poverty. I don't think they should pretend its not Halloween, but the expensive costume thing should be discouraged. Perhaps they could discourage pre-fab costumes by having a contest for best home made costume. Or teach kids about the history of the holiday and show how costumes were made many decades ago then have them try their hand at creating them in the classroom. It's very important not to create an environment that fosters stigma and exclusion.

[eyeball]

...

Edited October 9, 2013 by eyeball

[cybercoma]

In any case, education is provincial, so this is probably in the wrong forum.

[Moonlight Graham]

In any case, education is provincial, so this is probably in the wrong forum.

It's happened in schools in Winnipeg too. IMO it's a Canada-wide issue, not just a provincial issue or a school-specific or board-specific issue.

Edited October 9, 2013 by Moonlight Graham

[guyser]

Its halloween, why is anyone upset? Send the kiddies out the door on the 31st.

[Guest American Woman]

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2013/10/08/jesse-kline-save-halloween-it-isnt-school-administrators-jobs-to-take-all-of-the-fun-out-of-growing-up/

When I was a kid I would make costumes for free using of my dad's clothing, so I don't think the holiday should be cancelled over concern for kids from poor families. As for religious reasons, who really cares if a fundamentalist Christian or Muslim parents are offended? Halloween is a major Canadian holiday and an important part of Canadian culture and tradition. This is what political correctness and multiculturalism can do. This is not "reasonable accommodation", it's unreasonable.

Isn't multiculturalism supposed to embrace diversity? By making Halloween a "more inclusive Spirit Day," seems to me it's doing the exact opposite.

[Moonlight Graham]

Isn't multiculturalism supposed to embrace diversity? By making Halloween a "more inclusive Spirit Day," seems to me it's doing the exact opposite.

Good point. Shouldn't traditional Canadian "Halloween culture" be respected and allowed to be practiced by those who want to even if others may not?

[AlienB]

Who cares, what happened to all saints night?

Is there some educational benefit to kids getting cracked out on sugar the same year they do drug education programs?

They'd probably learn more and save a few hundred in post secondary studies to learn about all saints and its background.

All saints eve into halloween.. whatever happened to christian theorcracy in canada?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Saints%27_Day

Why is it that the dark and sinister holiday is ever so popular while the one that espouses good morals is all but non existent.

Yes worship the candy, it is a miracle there is so much of it out there right.

These holidays are nonsense if its not civic the federal government should have nothing to do with it.

Governmental Holidays should be based on government requirements... I think this age of tradition should be left to individual families and religions to take the time they want off and arrange for that with some provisions to allow a certain number of personal holidays for religious or cultural observance, but get rid of the national holidays junk.. other than stuff like may 24 and canada day, and perhaps labour day and new years.Tim hortons is a good example of what holidays matter.

I'm not saying get rid of them, I'm saying don't write most of them, especially the christian holidays, in stone. Let christians take them if they want them, but don't mandate them for non christians. There isn't this assumption that there are even a majority of observant christians attending mass on these days anyway. It is as dated as no sunday businesses open.

This stuff dates back to the middle ages and before. People are just getting the benefit of the holy days without even being holy, that is a load of posterior excrement.

there are a lot of stupid canadians we should be encouraging more value from education time rather than wasted tax dollars making people commercialized greedy idiots.

There are all of these waspy and atheist sorts who would not stop to complain about how embedded muslim culture is in muslim countries but are oblivious to how embedded the worst kind of christianization exists in Canada. It is deplorable it is closer to satanism than christianity. We have commercialized god, santaclaus, the easter bunny, the queen, the jackolantrine and so on... once upon a time, that was god, jesus and the holy spirit, with the odd cross and mary thrown in.

These arn't holy days they are unholy days. Its about time and turn them into un-holidays

Kids already have too much time out of school or learning garbage. The public is paying for that space and those people whether they are there or not.

Going to need a lot more candy to make this ever change though.

However god forbid kids actually have fun at school... you want to dress up make drama classes... great way of learning and building memorization skills. This is right up there with sexual assault and harassment day in February. We have drugs will get you to yule, join the underground day under threat. Whatever will be done.

Edited October 10, 2013 by AlienB

[cybercoma]

These holidays are nonsense if its not civic the federal government should have nothing to do with it.

What does the federal government have to do with Halloween?

[Guest American Woman]

Good point. Shouldn't traditional Canadian "Halloween culture" be respected and allowed to be practiced by those who want to even if others may not?

It most definitely should, but it seems as if "multiculturalism and diversity" means respecting everyone else's cultures and traditions while watering down ours to appease everyone whose cultures and traditions differ from ours.

[Moonlight Graham]

It most definitely should, but it seems as if "multiculturalism and diversity" means respecting everyone else's cultures and traditions while watering down ours to appease everyone whose cultures and traditions differ from ours.

Basically.

What % of countries in the world would give a rip about my "culture" if I immigrated there? A small minority for sure.

[guyser]

Good point. Shouldn't traditional Canadian "Halloween culture" be respected and allowed to be practiced by those who want to even if others may not?

why? No one is suggesting halloween be cancelled. Send the little buggars out at night on your own time, not the schools.

No one should confuse Halloween and culture.

And in a school, a catholic school< I can see why it was canceled.

Its being cancelled by schools all over the place in N America.

[guyser]

What % of countries in the world would give a rip about my "culture" if I immigrated there? A small minority for sure.

Probably 0% since culture is not halloween.

[Guest American Woman]

Basically.

What % of countries in the world would give a rip about my "culture" if I immigrated there? A small minority for sure.

Exactly. And would you expect them to? Would you move to another country and expect them to cater to you? I know I wouldn't.

[guyser]

Exactly. And would you expect them to? Would you move to another country and expect them to cater to you? I know I wouldn't.

Who is or isnt catering what to whom?

A school decided not to have halloween, and now they are nto catering? What a preposterous notion.

Faux outrage.

[Moonlight Graham]

why? No one is suggesting halloween be cancelled. Send the little buggars out at night on your own time, not the schools.

No one should confuse Halloween and culture.

And in a school, a catholic school< I can see why it was canceled.

Its being cancelled by schools all over the place in N America.

I went to Catholic schools my whole life, Halloween was always celebrated in the schools. Why would a Catholic school cancel it unless they're being ridiculous?

Probably 0% since culture is not halloween.

Of course it is. It's a traditional societal custom, celebration, event, and annual way of life in Canada, celebrated by the vast majority of Canadians for over a century. In what way is it not culture?

cul·ture

noun

: the beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular society, group, place, or time

: a particular society that has its own beliefs, ways of life, art, etc.

Edited October 10, 2013 by Moonlight Graham

[Moonlight Graham]

Exactly. And would you expect them to? Would you move to another country and expect them to cater to you? I know I wouldn't.

No I wouldn't either.

[Moonlight Graham]

Who is or isnt catering what to whom?

A school decided not to have halloween, and now they are nto catering? What a preposterous notion.

Faux outrage.

Schools have banned kids dressing up in school on Halloween. They are banning a cultural event from being celebrated in the schools. Try banning celebratory clothing for some kind of Arab/ChineseJewish/aboriginal traditional festival/event and there'd be Charter arguments being thrown about and school officials being hauled in front of the Human Rights Commission.

How do you not see the double-standard?

[guyser]

I went to Catholic schools my whole life, Halloween was always celebrated in the schools. Why would a Catholic school cancel it unless they're being ridiculous?

I dunno....maybe because of the link to satan/withccraft?

I think its silly but nothing to get even remotely concerned about. The kid comes home, says Halloween at school is cancelled.

So what?

Still can go out and do what is needed to be done.

I dont recall a single halloween celebration at school. No big deal

Of course it is. It's a traditional societal custom, celebration, event, and annual way of life in Canada, celebrated by the vast majority of Canadians for over a century. In what way is it not culture?

cul·ture

noun

: the beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular society, group, place, or time

: a particular society that has its own beliefs, ways of life, art, etc.

Its certainly not a belief.

It is a custom.

But again, did anyone cancel it?

Edited October 10, 2013 by Guyser2

[guyser]

Schools have banned kids dressing up in school on Halloween. They are banning a cultural event from being celebrated in the schools. Try banning celebratory clothing for some kind of Arab/ChineseJewish/aboriginal traditional festival/event and there'd be Charter arguments being thrown about and school officials being hauled in front of the Human Rights Commission.

How do you not see the double-standard?

Fairly easy for me.

You appear to be comparing a fun night of handing out candy to a religious event.

[The_Squid]

It certainly is part of Canadian culture... Should schools celebrate it? Yes, certainly. A costume dance was always part of school while I was growing up. I didn't always partake, but that's not because we were poor or offended by the holiday... I had my own issues with school spirit!

The key here is to find out why the school is poo-pooing the practice. Is it because of others cultures? NO! You guys are making this into some sort of immigrant culture problem, which it clearly is not. Read the OP. it is because of religion and poor kids.

So how to solve it? Well, you aren't going to change religious people's sensibilities... So either kowtow to them or ignore them.

With respect to poor kids, maybe have other kids with makeup and costumes at the school to come up with ideas for any kids who don't show up with a costume. That would turn it into something fun, rather than simply cancelling.

But to start railing about the immigrants... Come on people.... The story was about religious sensibilities and poor kids! Damn immigrants!! lol I just have to shake my head at some of the comments sometimes.... Everything is "their" fault.

[guyser]

It certainly is part of Canadian culture... Should schools celebrate it? Yes, certainly.

It is to me not culture at all, but a tradition for little kids.

If it were culture, we all would celebrate it (for the most part).

By the time a kid is 14 (or younger) they blow it off and then start up again in their 20's when they can wear something that masks them and they can get drunk in anonymity.

[cybercoma]

Schools have banned kids dressing up in school on Halloween. They are banning a cultural event from being celebrated in the schools. Try banning celebratory clothing for some kind of Arab/ChineseJewish/aboriginal traditional festival/event and there'd be Charter arguments being thrown about and school officials being hauled in front of the Human Rights Commission.

How do you not see the double-standard?

I'm sorry, do we stop holding classes and have a party for other religions/cultures festivals and holidays? Even the ones that aren't statutory, do we get all the kids together for Ramadan festivities? Give me a damn break. Other cultures' festivals, ceremonies, and holidays have been banned from our schools since day one. We don't host them at all and in the working world they sure as hell don't get those days off with pay. What a ridiculous argument, MG.