Happy Halloween
October 31, 2019
James Elder Christie, Halloween Frolics
THE blog It’s About Time explores the Celtic origins of Halloween festivities.
And two American images from the Library of Congress:
Cabinet Lady directs cutting of pumpkin at Girl Scouts Halloween party. Washington, D.C., Oct. 29, 1938
Boys carving pumpkins, 1917
Halloween fun fact:
Did you know that dressing up as a hobo, always a last resort for the lazy, is now considered “hurtful?” According to the ADL, a hobo costume stereotypes the poor. Gee, I didn’t know hobos were so sensitive. Here’s more advice from the ADL for schoolteachers:
Many Halloween costumes perpetuate gender stereotypes and exclude those who don’t conform to traditional gender norms, especially those who are transgender, non-binary or gender non-conforming. Be mindful that you may have students who feel excluded and marginalized by the overly gendered way Halloween costumes are marketed.
Encourage self-expression, while making sure that children who venture outside of gender norms for Halloween are accepted, respected and not teased. Before a Halloween event, you might say something like, “It’s really fun to dress up and pretend. At our school, there aren’t boy’s and girl’s costumes.”
— Comments —
Hurricane Betsy writes:
Did you know that dressing up as a hobo, always a last resort for the lazy, is now considered “hurtful?”
Er…no. Neither my mother (the one expected to make elaborate costumes, I suppose) nor I (who made costumes when I was older) were lazy. If I and my brothers and sisters went out as a hobo on Hallowe’en, it was because rags was all we had available to us, most years. Old grain bags with holes, old caps, old, unusable boots, pants in shreds with twine for a belt, a little pack tied to a stick and slung over our shoulder. (LOL) Etc.
Just wanting you to know that not all Hallowe’en hobo costumes were or are worn by the “lazy”. 👻 Indeed, we never had so much fun nor put so much effort into dressing up as when we went as hobos, which was our costume more often than not.
Some interesting photos of hobos.
Laura writes:
Thank you for the correction. I should have said “sometimes a last resort for the lazy.”
Being a hobo — at Halloween or in real life — is a lost art.
Only sick minds would think a hobo would be offended. It would be an honor.
