Oh for the love of God.
First it's eliminating Christmas pageants at schools so as not to offend others.
Canada can sometimes be such a wimpy, push over country when it comes to accommodating every single freakin' religion on the planet that it forgets itself. It's like that friend of yours that is such a doormat for others, that she'll put everyone ahead of herself to the exclusion of her own well-being.
Including others? Good. Forgetting yourself entirely in the process? Ridiculous.
Well now some Canadian schools are onto Halloween. Thought Halloween was safe from controversy and the over-reaching clutches of school administrators?
Think again.
Some schools are now banning Halloween costumes, traditionally worn at school a day or so before Halloween, and instead asking children to wear black and orange instead for Spirit Day.
Spirit Day?
What the heck is that dinky name? It's Halloween, for God sakes.
Maybe these school administrators have been sniffing too much Elmer's school glue but you can bet that there's probably some ridiculous, absurd reason rooted in religion for this.
Apparently, it's "too exclusive" of a holiday.
Pardon me? I don't think there's anything more secular than a group of kids dressing up as a clown, Spiderman or Dora the Explorer and getting candy.
Wait. I forgot how blasphemous a four-year-old dressed as a lion is.
Yes, the origin of Halloween is somewhat muddled. Some say it's rooted in paganism, others say Christianity.
The Vatican condemned Halloween in 2009, saying it was anti-Christian (don't ask).
And then there's others, most of us, who really couldn't care less of the origin because really, it's a fun day for kids to dress up and get candy and to see adorable two-year-olds dressed as a pumpkin coming to your door.
And guess what? That for them, is good enough. Do kids care about the history of Halloween and if it's sympathetic to their own religion? No.
Do kids care about what the Pope, who to them, is some older man dressed in white robes, says? No.
Do kids care about dressing up as their favourite superhero or movie character for one night, where for all the other 364 days of the year, they have to be themselves but for one day, they can be whoever the heck they want, and get pillowcases full of candy? Yes. Yes. Yes.
But of course, leave it to the schools to suck the fun out of everything and become more rigid with each passing year.
God forbid our kids have fun for a day.
Honestly, what is with the 21st century? Things that used to be all in good fun years ago are now taboo and worrisome. There's even some parents out there who won't allow their kid to go trick or treating because of all the unhealthy candy, instead offering the child a toy brought by the Halloween fairy.
If I was a kid, I'd write a personal letter to that Halloween fairy, telling her she can skip over my house this year because I'm going trick or treating whether she likes it or not.
Thanks but no thanks, Halloween fairy.
Would it be such an earth-shaking, life ruining catastrophe if adults could just take a breath, calm the heck down and let their kids be kids?
Do they not realize that the whole fun of being a kid is imagination and the wonderment of holidays like Christmas and Halloween; the magic and excitement that they inherently bring.
It's a sparkle in their eye they should cherish each day, because one of the downfalls of becoming an adult is losing that sense of wonderment. That giddy excitement over Christmas morning or the eve of Halloween. That's what makes children so precious and so wonderful to watch around days like that. It's a pure joy that, no matter how many times I buy myself a new pair of pants, watch my favourite TV show or eat my favourite kind of candy, I'll never be able to recreate that unrestricted childlike elation that seems to boil up from the core of their very soul.
And then the school system storms in and clobbers that sentiment to death.
No more costumes, no more Christmas pageants, no red rover, dodge ball, soccer, candy or anything remotely fun, instead here's your prisoner identification number, kids.
Who knows what they'll be outlawing next but I'm sure they have their eyes set on something completely innocent, like recess.
As people mature into adults, they're supposed to become wiser with age. And one character trait every adult should have in their arsenal is being astutely aware of their boundaries; when to overstep them and when to back off.
This, my nit-picking, neurotic school personnel, is one of those moments where adults need to stop involving themselves in every piece of the pie and realize if it's not broken, don't fix it.
There's a few forums on the Internet about "How to keep overindulgence on Halloween at bay."
Solution? "Hand out small toys instead of candy. Restrict costume wearing at school."
Interesting.
Where's the forum called "How to keep overly-sensitive, hysteric, spineless twits out of school administrations?"
I'll be its moderator.
CM
