A Massachusetts elementary school has canceled its annual Halloween parade and tradition of wearing costumes, prompting backlash from residents and parents. Typically, students at Elm Street School celebrate Halloween by wearing costumes. But instead, this year students will be celebrating on Friday with a Spirit Day, where they will wear black-and-orange costumes ahead of the Halloween weekend.
An online petition that “respectfully” asks the school administration to “reconsider its decision to cancel the longstanding Halloween parade and allow students to wear their costumes to school” has garnered nearly 700 signatures as of reporting on Thursday morning. The petition describes the parade as a “cherished tradition” and said that a decision that affects a “meaningful” school tradition “deserves input from the families and community it impacts.” Local parent Liz Campbell told CBS News, “The principal sent out a note in one of her newsletters saying costumes are not allowed. But the actual parade being canceled was word of mouth through the children.” Halloween has long been a popular celebration around the country and in Massachusetts specifically, as it is home to the historical city of Salem, which has popular Halloween celebrations each year.
According to a recent Wallet Hub study, Boston currently ranks as the eighth-best city to celebrate Halloween in the country. Newsweek has reached out to Elm Street School and the Walpole School Committee via email for comment. And Elm Street School is not the only school in the state to seek to implement a shift like this.
In September, the Falmouth Elementary School asked students not to wear their Halloween costumes at school but had to reverse course on the decision after more than 600 families signed a petition to ask school officials to rethink their decision. The petition to reinstate Halloween celebrations at Elm Street School referenced Falmouth Elementary’s decision reversal. A similar situation has played out before in Walpole.
Back in 2017, Boyden School replaced its parade with a black and orange spirit day, prompting parent committees to organize separate celebrations. Meanwhile, over in Ohio, the Leetonia Exempted Village School District has announced that some of its Halloween events have been canceled due to a safety concern. A Trunk or Treat event, which was originally slated for Thursday, October 29, has been canceled and the elementary school parade has been closed to the public.
The school did not confirm the safety concern. Fox News 8 reported that the school had released a statement that said, in part, “We understand that these changes are disappointing, especially for the students and families who have been looking forward to these traditions. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding as we prioritize safety.” Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Rebecca Flood, Gray R.
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