The Independent Day School - Reclaiming Halloween

Although the history of Halloween dates back to ancient Celtic times, the holiday has evolved considerably through cultural osmosis and the occasional intervention of the church and other civic organizations. However, generally speaking, at the turn of the last century the holiday was intentionally made less scary and more child friendly. The Halloween of the 30s, 40’s, 50’s and 60’s was increasingly focused on community bonding, fun activities for kids and enjoying the delicious treats of the season. With the reintroduction of trick or treating as a benign way to encourage community interaction and of course to get tons of candy, our notion of the modern day Halloween had arrived.

Unfortunately, as it did with many aspects of society, the coarsening of American culture over the last 30 years began shifting the nature of Halloween back in the direction of the super macabre and overtly terrifying. Whether media driven or just the byproduct of an increasingly desensitized population, the definition of what constitutes appropriate Halloween celebrations and fun, especially for the very young, is now heading in the wrong direction. Over the top blood, gore, zombies, etc.,and the incredibly real and very scary emergence of the deranged clown phenomenon have cast a pall on what — at its core -- should still be a celebration of community, childhood and fall.

With that in mind, The Independent Day School has decided to reclaim the Rockwellian interpretation of Halloween by hosting its first annual Fall Festival. The event is free and open to the public. Horse drawn hayrides, an enchanted forest, music and a trunk or treat event will replace zombies, ghouls and axe murderers. The primary intent of the IDS Fall Festival is the promotion of community and family, laudable goals in any era.