Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
Voice of America is funded by the US Federal Government and content it
exclusively produces is in the public domain.
October 31, 2008

Should We Put Halloween Back in its Crypt?
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1F0D202:A6F02AD83191E160D034F05BABA42DA5D937473925D9872C&
 
Some schools and parents think holiday's violent trappings have gone too
far 
In one sense, scaring people is the idea — the fun part — behind
Halloween. But many think the fright has gone too far Horror
of horrors! All Hallows Eve, or Halloween, is in a bit of trouble!

The
informal holiday, celebrated this Friday and every October 31st, is
still big
business for the makers of spooky costumes, candy for which masked kids
go
begging door-to-door, and alcoholic beverages that are liberally poured
at adult
costume parties. 

 

People
still happily pay to be frightened half to death at dimly lit haunted
houses. And Hollywood is rolling out
ever-grislier slasher movies, sure to send audiences into full-throated
screams.

So
what's the problem?

Many schools are steering clear of Halloween events in favor of
less-scary fall harvest parties, hayrides in the country,
pumpkin-gathering and the like A
segment of the population has always objected to the holiday because of
its
origins as a pagan Celtic festival. They say Halloween is anti-religious
and
glorifies evil and the occult. 

And
now many parents are complaining that Halloween dress-up parties at
their
children's schools promote violence and unhealthy competition over who
can show
up in the most expensive or scariest costume.
In turn, kids with cheap outfits or none at all face derision from their
peers. Critics also note that the
shrieks, fake blood and make-believe killing associated with Halloween
can
traumatize little ones.

Sometimes it seems that trick-or-treating door-to-door in search of
giveaway treats is preserved mostly by parents who enjoy seeing their
little ones dressed up for Halloween So
some schools have switched to harmless fall harvest festival parties,
minus the
costumes. Others allow Halloween
dress-up, but only as benign storybook characters, not menacing
monsters.

All
this has prompted a backlash. It's just
one more erosion of an American tradition that's been tossed out the
door
because somebody didn't like it, a Maryland parent told the local
newspaper. 

Lots
of Americans still think sending their little ones to school or
escorting them
about the neighborhood on Halloween night dressed as a vampire, or an
un-dead
mummy, or a blood-soaked ax murderer — is all in good fun. But for
many others
troubled by the violence in our world today, Halloween gore is a
tradition
they'd like to send to the grave.

Read
more of Ted's personal reflections and stories from the road on his
blog, Ted
Landphair's America.