Parents in Newington, Connecticut, say they are upset that Halloween celebrations in two elementary schools have been cancelled due to concern over those who don’t celebrate. Both Anna Reynolds Elementary School and Ruth Chaffee Elementary School decided to cancel all of their Halloween activities because some students don’t celebrate. Parents in the area say that they’re disappointed by both schools’ decisions to cancel Halloween celebrations. “I think it’s stupid, it’s not fair for the kids and I mean if some people don’t want to participate, then don’t participate, but they shouldn’t take it away from all the kids,” said Lori Montano, whose eight-year-old daughter won’t be able to wear her witch costume to school. “She’s disappointed, very disappointed because she has been doing it all the way up to this year. Now they are not doing it this year.”
The schools say they plan to replace Halloween celebrations with fall-themed ones, but most parents say that isn’t good enough. “If a few people are offended because of religion, I completely understand their viewpoint,” said parent Karen Petersen. “To me, it didn’t make sense to punish the rest of the students for a few students who don’t celebrate the holiday.” Administrators from both schools say that teachers can still display pumpkins, witches, ghosts, and signs that read, “Happy Halloween,” but they aren’t allowed to have any celebrations in an effort to not exclude any students who can’t celebrate.
Why is this happening? I think this woman’s take is spot on:
The cancellation of school Halloween parties is part and parcel with replacing Christmas parties with vague celebrations of winter that go so far as to forbid the wearing of red and green. Seriously? How about maroon and teal? Would those survive inspection by the Color Police?
James Fulford would likely agree:
When some elementary schools in Florida did turn Halloween into a “fall holiday”, a Tallahassee parent said “”The witches and goblins of Halloween are no more believable than Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy. … Are they going to ban those, too?” [Halloween Ghouls and Goblins are Real for Some, AP, October 30, 1989]
So, it’s likely not so much a fear of offending Christians, so much as the same impulse giving rise to the War on Christmas, the attack on Columbus Day and Halloween, etc.
Just another front in the culture war.
Hey, there are educational alternatives. You can homeschool / private school / church school your kids, then you can have control about whether or not they will celebrate Halloween…
Will S.' Culture War Blog 
Reblogged this on Will S.' Anarcho-Tyranny Blog.
I’ll bet they won’t cancel Gay Pride events because people feel excluded.
Exactly.
Back when I had a Twitter account, I noted an incident that happened at my school:
Saw a rainbow-flag decal in an office window, with a slogan about ‘this is a welcoming space’ or something such. Somehow, I didn’t feel so.
Personally, I have always regarded Hallowe’en as a marketing ploy to sell confectionary and rent out fancy dress, despite its significance in the Calendar of Holy Days, where it is no more special than many other Saints’ Days and other Feast Days, which are actually days celebrated by the pious with fasting. I believe the day also has some significance in Druid ritual, so that it has an entertainment value for pseudo-pagans.
But the idea of banning it to appease Muslims and Islamists is simply cowardice that will only lead to more outrageous demands. The more outspoken leaders in the Muslim world endorse those who behead, crucify and maim those who sin against their code of sharia law; and execute those they regard as apostates; and impose a jizya on those who don’t convert to their religion. The media and the politically correct insist that those Muslims who impose these punishments and laws are egregious ‘rogues’, but these are the ones who will lead the vast majority of so-called ‘moderate’ Muslims in a jihad against those they wish to plunder just as Mohammed used his ‘religion’ to justify his robber bands in the early 7th century.
Indeed; as a Reformed Christian, I don’t like the pagan elements of it, and October 31 is Reformation Day, which I’d much rather celebrate, and do so! 🙂
But yes, I don’t like the attack on our traditions, even ones I don’t personally observe. And indeed, if part of the reason is to avoid ‘offending’ Muslims, it’s pointless; our very existence as ‘kafirun’ or infidels, offends them; they cannot be appeased.