We have an Octoberfest each year a week or two before Halloween. I think it got started back a few years ago when people started getting frightened of sending kids out door to door trick or treating and wanted a safe alternative. About that time was when lots of churches, schools, malls and other places started offering other choices. We let the kids dress up if they want to but since it's not on Halloween, lots of kids don't so nobody feels out of place one way or another. We have games in each room, prizes, silent auction and food. We decorate with a harvest type of them, with pumpkins, scarecrows, fall flowers, etc. We stay away from witches, ghosts, etc. We have lots of younger siblings that come and I'd hate to frighten one of them.
We do have families that don't celebrate Halloween and this provides an alternative for them without alienating them. I understand the arguement that we shouldn't teach our kids that everything can be made to "look" acceptable to others. But I also believe that my kids can find a middle ground with others at school and in other public arenas that will make them all happy. They will need to learn this skill for future jobs and just interacting with others. I don't feel that it is caving into pressure or lowering standards. It IS just a fun day so that's why I think it's important to make sure that it's not confrontational. We don't go out of our way to make sure everything is "P.C." but it's easy enough to set out pumpkins and squash instead of witches and goblins.
Our school does "Character Dress Up Day" where children dress in the costume of their favorite character in a book they love. We parade, and give out treats. For Thanksgiving, each class takes a food group and families bring in a favorite dish, the friday before Thanksgiving and we call that "Harvest Feast". Christmas is not Christmas but "winter fest". We do these things apparently because some families either do not celebrate holidays or disagree in some manner with these normal traditions. My problem with all of this is the lesson it clearly imparts to our children, and that is that you can put a spin on anything in just such a way to make the other person feel as if they've been satisfied. I think its incredibly distasteful. I see nothing wrong with celebrating Halloween just as we always have, afterall it really is just a FUN DAY for children, nothing more. Since we all know this, I see nothing wrong in telling the crazies to simply back-off with the nonsense. Its not fair to subject all the kids to a notion that is ridiculous in the first place.
Harvest vs Halloween is such a fine line, I'm sure we all have to deal with the controversy of this. What if you have a Harvest or a Fall Party, kids can wear costumes, but they can't be scary ones (is this just elementary?), and as far a haunted house...I don't know, a mad scientist's lab? Does this take place during school? If so, then you really do need to be more sensitive to all the children opposed to an afterhours party where they can choose to come or not.
We have a Fall Carnival, kids can wear whatever costumes they want to and since we're in South America they tend to be scary, we have two haunted houses...one for older kids and more of a mad scientist one for the younger ones. People make the decision of coming or not.
I'm trying to get some input on the Fall Harvest vs. Halloween Party thing. Halloween Parties apparently upset some families because they do not celebrate halloween and Fall Harvest is the alternative. This is according to the school system. I have yet to hear a parent complaint - which does not mean they do not exist. I have heared complaints about not including certain halloween activities (i.e. costume parties, haunted houses, etc.) So.....does anyone have any brilliant ideas on how we can satisfy both those who do not celebrate halloween and those that do while not pushing the buttons of school officials who worry about this type of issue every holiday?
