Student ghosts unmasked in Newton Primary school cancels Halloween celebration

Boston Globe ^ | 28 October 2005 | Matt Viser

[MineralMan]

Now, talk about offensive things.....sheesh!

[CIDKauf]

The parents can send their kids to school to get "hammered" by all of the other kids because their stupid parents got their Halloween party cancelled.

[RobbyS]

Their badge of office is the weathervane.

[Gay State Conservative]

It has no pagan roots....it's a Christian holiday....

That is essentially why this happened.Newton,today,is largely Jewish...and not Orthodox Jewish but,rather,"Reform" Jewish.In other words,Newton is a largely atheist city.

[silverleaf]

"Halloween" derives from "All Hallow's Eve", the night before the commemoration by several religions (including the Catholic Church, Christians the last time I checked) of remembrance of the dead, or "All Soul's Day". It is not Satan's favorite holiday ("Holy Day") unless you figure he owns all the souls. One of our local Catholic churches used to have fireworks in the cemetery on the evening of "All Soul Day" ...straight from Old World customs about bonfires.

I figure the school should have had "story book day" on October 31 and invited the kids to dress up as their favorite storybook characters, as our school does.

PS: I think Satan prefers Festivus.

[Phantom Lord]

I suspect the opposite to be true. Some religious parents who mistakenly believe that Halloween is a witch or satanic type holiday got the events cancelled. I would be very surprised to find the opposite to be true.

[Squantos]

So a "few" rule again.....

[Phantom Lord]

I figure the school should have had "story book day" on October 31 and invited the kids to dress up as their favorite storybook characters, as our school does.

I'm sorry, but thats pretty stupid.

[Texas WOP]

AJ, I couldn't agree more. What a steaming pile...

[wideawake]

the school's traditional Halloween celebrations offended their religious beliefs

Then these idiots can keep their kids home from school.

[fella]

The dictatorship of the minority, a good object lesson into the methods of operation of socialist government. Otherwise these children might get the false idea that in a democracy that the majority rules.

[Phantom Lord]

Unfortunately, in these schools they are learning that we are a democracy. We are not.

[KarinG1]

"Not everyone is going to agree with the decision, and I really understand that," said principal David Castelline, "but to heck with majority rule, if even one person is offended by something, that outweighs tradition and the feelings of the majority," adding as an afterthought, "You might as well stuff your turkey now, there will be no thanks given around here."

The Grinch is coming. Prepare yourselves.

[Gay State Conservative]

I suspect the opposite to be true. Some religious parents who mistakenly believe that Halloween is a witch or satanic type holiday got the events cancelled.I would be very surprised to find the opposite to be true.

That's certainly possible,but knowing Newton as well as I do,I think it's *much* more likely that atheists, "wiccans","witches" or pagans were responsible.

[misterrob]

What's the matter? You got something against Hillary?

[MineralMan]

"That's certainly possible,but knowing Newton as well as I do,I think it's *much* more likely that atheists, "wiccans","witches" or pagans were responsible"

Oh, I'll bet you're wrong.

[silverleaf]

The kids get to dress up and have a party and no religious fanatics can get offended unless their religion bans books.
My kids found library books about a witch and a vampire so those are their costumes.

[Phantom Lord]

Next year dress one up as Limbaugh and claim the book "Mommy there's a liberal under my bed" as their favorite.

[silverleaf]

So that's where the Christmas song verse "A soul cake, a soul cake, please good missus a soul cake.." came from. Fascinating. Thanks.

[MineralMan]

"You got something against Hillary?
"

Perish the thought that I'd ever be close enough to her to have anything against her....