The Halloween party has been a staple in American classrooms for nearly a century. In the 1920s, informational texts directed toward teachers offered advice on how to make the celebration engaging for children. In 1928, for example, Dorothy Wright encouraged instructors to make the event a two-day process, with children creating decorations to adorn the classroom on October 30 and partaking in the festivities on October 31.[1] By the middle of the twentieth century, the popularity of school Halloween parties only intensified as children in the 1940s participated in cake walks and contests for the ugliest costume.[2] Toward the end of the century, school parties throughout much of the nation became more elaborate, with school-wide carnivals frequently featuring games like bobbing for apples and student-made haunted houses.[3] Although the activities and costumes changed with each decade, the benefits of the celebration have not. As Julie Bisson explains, the communal nature of Halloween allows children to foster peer bonds, practice social skills, and showcase their creativity. Likewise, its connections to festivals like the Celtic Samhain and the Mexican Dai de Los Muertos permits children to learn about different cultures.[4]
Works Referenced
Bisson, Julie. Celebrate: An Anti-Bias Guide to Enjoying Holidays in Early Childhood Programs. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press, 1997.
Helbig, Alethea, and Agnes Regan Perkins. Dictionary of American Children’s Fiction, 1990-1994: Books of Recognized Merit. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1996.
Walker, Nadine. “Memories of Mary Katherine (deela) Bales.” Historical Schools of Latimer County. Morrisville, NC: LuLu, 2018. 70-72.
Wright, Dorothy. “A Hallowe’en Party in the School.” Dennison’s Party Magazine 2.5 (1928): 30-31.
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[1] Wright, 30-31.
[2] Walker, 71.
[3] Helbig and Perkins, 212.
[4] Bisson, 48-49.
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