Taking Halloween out of schools

Blogging Baby posed a question today about Halloween's gradual disappearance from schools. Naturally I had to comment and this is what I said:

As a witch and a parent, I have to say that people seem to have knee-jerk reactions to any acknowledgement of religious holidays in schools. For me, Halloween is a religious holiday (a "Sabbat") but what I do for Halloween bears no resemblance at all to the secular celebration of Halloween. I don't wear costumes, beg for candy or even wear a pointy hat. So what's the harm in having fun with those aspects in school?

Likewise for Christmas. Celebrating Christmas in a religious manner is to celebrate the birth of Christ. To have children decorate trees, color pictures of Santa, exchange gifts, etc., in my opinion, is a more secular acknowledgement of the holiday and I would have no problem with my child participating in such celebration.

I don't think that children and parents should have to participate in something school-sanctioned that they feel strongly against but I also feel that it's folly to ignore the holidays and celebrations going on all around them.

BTW: I dressed as a witch the first time I got to dress up for Halloween at school; I attended a Lutheran school and our teacher was also a witch that year.

Here's the proof:



That's obviously our teacher in front (please notice lake behind, as that's how it is in central FL). I am the first kid after the gap. Behind me is an equally un-PC devil and Indian (playing a flute). I never dressed like a witch after that just b/c someone else always dressed as a witch and I didn't want to be like anyone else.

So anyway, back to the point of this post.

I am a huge advocate of the separation of church and state, especially when it comes to public schools. I did not say the "under god" part of the pledge while I was in school; no one noticed. Thing is, Halloween is not about religion. At least not the Halloween most people know.

For the average person, Halloween is a secular holiday: trick-or-treat, costumes dress-up, parties, etc. It's a holiday that thrives on imagination. What would you like to pretend to be? What's that scary sound under the bed? I can't think of another holiday that uses our creativity like Halloween does.

For me Halloween is about recognizing all that has passed in the year. It is about acknowledging the passing of The God from our world, waiting until he is reborn again at Yule. For me, I celebrate that while he is gone in one form, The Great Mother waits to give birth to her child in only a few weeks time and so we are not completely without his force in the world. The cycle of Sabbats is about accepting all parts of the wheel of life and Halloween forces me to think about death, passage and time.

I didn't learn that in school.

I also disagree with the removal of Christmas and other holidays from public schools. That might sound unusual but it really isn't and here's why: I celebrate Christmas in its secular form. I bake cookies, I exchange gifts, I put up a tree and decorate it, I take my daughter to sit on Santa's lap, etc. I do not celebrate Christmas in a religious manner; my religious holiday is Yule (usually Dec 21) wherein I celebrate the birth of The God and the power and strength of The Great Mother.

Why can't children in public schools have fun with the secular symbols of the Christmas season, same as I think they should be allowed for Halloween? In public school, I was never asked to color pictures of manger scenes or put on a play of O Little Town of Bethlehem. That's what church was for.

When it comes to kids, public schools and religions, my thought is this: the children are not being given religious instruction. They are learning that different holidays exist. Children are not fasting or lighting menorahs or burning slips of paper in a cauldron. They are being told, "This is a special day for some people and this is what they do" and not always in a religious way (Halloween is an excellent example).

I won't say anything about he people who believe Halloween is a devil's holiday, since that has zero merit in my faith -- not even enough to laugh at. If you're that fanatical, maybe you should keep your kids out of public schools, not to mention Wal-Mart, the grocery store and every other public place that acknowledges Halloween.

I just don't want Halloween to disappear before my children have a chance to enjoy it in all its secular glory. Given that it is the second most popular holiday in the US, after Christmas, I don't see that happening. I do think that it's important that those of us for whom it is a spiritual celebration speak out and say, "It's okay. We're not offended. Celebrate away!"



Z in "Tiny Witch" t-shirt from Old Navy