Yes, I admit it -- I'm nothing but a big kid, and I'm SUPER EXCITED for Halloween! Today's been a day of putting the finishing touches on our Halloween display (we put on a "haunted house" for the neighborhood kids each year), getting my costume together, and carving jack o'lanterns.
Working at a school, I was able to see firsthand how the youngest generation celebrates (or doesn't celebrate, as turned out to be the case at our school). Halloween parties and the wearing of costumes are no longer acceptable in the school district where I work (perhaps because I live in the so-called "Bible Belt"), and it's ... well, it's sad, really. In a pathetic acknowledgement of the holiday, the past week was "spirit week", which meant the students got to wear crazy socks and a school t-shirt.
When I was a child, we had costume parades, a party complete with treats, decorations, and celebratory music, and even a bobbing for apples contest at school. I personally don't see what's harmful about letting children celebrate an ancient Celtic holiday that's fun and harmless... though I have no trouble seeing the harm that can be caused by convincing children that those who celebrate the holiday are spreading "evil".
For what it's worth, I wish each and every one of you a fiendishly delightful Halloween, full of spooks and treats, games and fun!
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