With Halloween around the corner, legions of politically correct snowflakes have already risen like ghouls from the burying-ground, intent upon wringing every last drop of fun from my favourite holiday.

Halloween costumes, it seems, have been ascribed political and social significance that never existed in my youth.

For example, these days little girls are allowed to dress like DisneyB次元官网网址檚 Cinderella, but heaven help any child who wears a Pochahontas costume. ThatB次元官网网址檚 cultural appropriation and insulting to First Nations communities, they say.

When I was a child, we didnB次元官网网址檛 worry about all that. We dressed up and ventured out in search of treats, and never for a moment fretted that our toilet paper mummy costume might be seen as a painful reminder of the theft of ancient artifacts from a colonized Egypt.

But today? Hoo boy!

The Halloween culture wars are in full swing, especially in schools.

One school in B.C. has banned ghosts, zombies and vampires from their Halloween festivities and encouraged children to dress as B次元官网网址渄elicious food items.B次元官网网址�

Really. Not making that up.

And while the transition from zombies to zucchinis might be politically correct, I can only imagine that their Halloween dance looks like a giant Fruit of the Loom commercial.

Other schools have taken a page from an early Christian church that turned pagan holidays in December into Christmas.

Those schools are trying to ban costumes and rename Halloween as Orange and Black Day or School Spirit Day. (And thatB次元官网网址檚 not the fun, spooky spirits either. Just the Rah! Rah! type.)

I suppose theyB次元官网网址檙e hoping that children will forget that itB次元官网网址檚 Halloween.

Good luck with that.

At least in the Sooke School District, a more reasoned approach prevails.

TheyB次元官网网址檝e issued guidelines that prohibit full face masks but allow for face makeup. They just want to be able to identify the children. Seems logical.

They have also asked that students not dress like scary clowns. ItB次元官网网址檚 a move that I personally appreciate since Pennywise terrifies me and has forever imbued me with an illogical fear of red balloons.

Mostly, though, the Sooke School District suggests that students and parents exercise their best judgment.

For example, schools superintendent Scott Stinson suggests that at the elementary level really scary costumes might be upsetting to the younger children and should be toned down.

Again, thatB次元官网网址檚 a reasonable approach.

But itB次元官网网址檚 also a bit of common sense that could remain unsaid as evidenced by the fact that my 10-year-old granddaughter explained the same point to me weeks ago.

B次元官网网址淵ou donB次元官网网址檛 want something so scary that it scares kindergarten kids,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭hat wouldnB次元官网网址檛 be very nice.B次元官网网址�

And thatB次元官网网址檚 the key.

But being reasonable and caring doesnB次元官网网址檛 translate into a need for restrictions. And it does not mean that we succumb to the arbitrary purity tests that some may demand.

Vegetable costumes and Orange and Black Days arenB次元官网网址檛 whatB次元官网网址檚 needed. Just a little common sense.

And IB次元官网网址檓 guessing that left to their own devices, most kids and parents will figure it out on their own.

A scary thought for self-appointed, politically correct Orange and Black Day watchdogs.

mailto:tim.collins@sookenewsmirror.com
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