Halloween celebrations in some U.S. schools have been cancelled or cut down as officials believe it's no longer safe to hold costume parties and trick or treats. Authorities also cite that the occasion could be seen as an exclusion for other students who have been raised with different beliefs and religions but not all parents agree with the schools' decisions.
At Lillie B. Haynes Elementary School's in Connecticut, the principal has announced it is cancelling Halloween by not having a Halloween parade this year. Citing religious beliefs, the move is to supposedly show that the school doesn't intend to exclude some of its students.
"We must be sensitive in regards to holidays and celebrations of religious, cultural or secular nature," school Principal Melissa DeLoreto said in a statement, NBC Washington reports. But there will still be celebrations in the school, which will center on a fall theme rather than Halloween.
The school also cited safety concerns as its other reason for cancelling Halloween festivities. Fox 61 reported that adults also participate the annual Halloween parade, which has been a tradition in the school for decades. Having adults in costumes can be seen as a threat in light of the recent spate of killer clown sightings across the country.
Since the children and their parents will no longer have to prepare or buy costumes, some have expressed their disagreement with the decision for cancelling Halloween. On Facebook, parents expressed that the school is taking the fun away from the children.
"Halloween didn't hurt us when we were kids, just be responsible for your kids," one father remarked on a local NBC Facebook page. "The happy and fun days of being a child are gone, political correctness is destroying this country," another parent said on an ABC News Facebook page.
Patheos sites that cancelling Halloween isn't a new thing in schools because some institutions have done this in respect to other religions. In some communities around the United States, the practice of having a fall-themed celebration, sans the usual scary images during Halloween, have also been in place for years, yet it wasn't reported in the news.
Did your child's school cancelled Halloween as well? What are your thoughts about this decision at Lillie B. Haynes Elementary School? Share your thoughts in the comments!
