Halloween seems to me to beg lots of questions, not least the custom of children 'trick or treating' around the streets of London, becoming an increasing nuisance.
For us, it's an American import, and sits uncomfortably with our previously commonplace Guy Fawkes night on November 5, which has a strong anti-Catholic undertone- Guy Fawkes having been one of the so-called Papist plotters of the Gunpowder Plot, who were going to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605. On Guy Fawkes (Bonfire) night there are fireworks, a huge bonfire, and a model 'guy' is burned on top of the bonfire, whilst in the weeks before children go around the streets collecting 'a penny for the guy, mister.....'
In both cases, the origins are less than happy. Halloween, with its associations with spirits, witches and fear seems to me something that is not really to be encouraged, yet the pumpkin lanterns, the children dressing up, and some of the trick or treating are harmless fun. The fireworks and bonfire of Guy Fawkes are delightful, but the burning of the 'guy' is less than attractive.
Some local authorities in the UK wanted to ban Christmas at one stage, and tried to invent a 'winterval', a winter festival, with no associations. In fact, those artificial inventions do not work, but what might help is real discussion of the origins of Halloween and a concerted effort to get the children- and adults- to understand that the idea of the spirits and witches is not attractive, that pagan festivals of light are fine, but the fear and the superstition is not fine, and that as much as we want children to be able to celebrate and have fun, burning an effigy is deeply unattractive for Guy Fawkes night.
And we need to say all that without sounding like a generation of spoilsports, which is far from easy!
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