Technolandy

Day 34 (of 2026/27) October is also… raising awareness about cultural appreciation vs appropriation   (#bowtietuesday theme)

Hallowe’en looms…

A conflicting holiday

That many try to celebrate secularly

Thought there are many religious overtones

With some saying evil, though definitely part of larger catholic systems…

Weird how this time of year is viewed…

All hallows eve

All saints eve

Halloween

Day of the dead (Die de los Muertos)

Samhain 

Undas

Spooky season

All Hallows’ Tide

All Souls Day

Nos Galan Gaea

Mischief Night/Devils Night

Witching Hour/Night

Ancestor Remembrance

Harvest Festival

Trick or Treat Night… 

.

Targeted with horror movies

And special tv episodes

(I still remember being spooked by an episode of The Beachcombers…)

Consider to be ‘fun’ for kids

But is it also embedding systemic discrimination of promoting religious practices on ‘all’ members of a community?

Sacred or Commercial?

.
An example of where education lives in hypocrisy…

Not promoting religion

(While silently and not-so-silently show that there is a preference of the system)…

Working on what we promote…

What values…

What images…

Embracing the fun of costumes…

Emphasizing the treats

Disencouraging the tricks

At a time where we can be creative

But walk the fine line of being offensive…

.

So keep note of who dresses up 

But also mindful of who disappears for the day

And why

And not being judgemental of those who don’t participate

Neither students

Nor staff… 

(I never want to pressure everyone into a ‘team’ costume knowing how some individuals have felt about the ‘holiday’)

Nor families…

Fun for some is not the same as ‘all’

.

But it is a spooky season

Where the wind sounds a bit louder

The leaves rustle along the streets and roofs

The evening darkens quicker

And the briskness in the air is just plain cold

.

So let the costumes sparkle, and the autumn winds blow,

But honour the stories and the people we know.