By Abrar Hamed
Inside one of the shopping stores, I was looking here and there for the commodities I needed when I suddenly stumbled on a body or a person that appeared as if it had just risen out of a coffin! I was chilling! The body was wrapped in white bandage from head to heel. It was taller than me; and it extended a hand towards me while green light emanated from its eyes. The perpetrator had provided it with electrical power so that it could produce whispers and horrendous sounds!
By God’s mercy, the body was not close when I gasped. At that time, I felt as if my heart was falling down into an abyss. I moved away from that horrible place and went to the cashier’s; while I was deeply thinking about this "Halloween Feast" and about what I saw around me.
If this severe fear and horror had filled my heart just by this body or whatever in spite of my being a grown up adult, will it not it be more terrifying to children? What may the educational value acquired through intimidating and terrifying the children be? Is the strengthening of their hearts or the invigorating of souls achieved via frightening them? Is this applicable to all humans, young and old?
"Trick orTreat"
As the Halloween approaches, I often wonder whether I should send my children to school on that day or not. The children usually hear their friends talking about getting this day’s costumes. They also talk with their teachers about passing by houses to get sweets and reiterate the usual phrase while knocking on the doors: "Trick or Treat"...
My daughter Maria asked me whether she would go to school that day. When she saw the deep thinking sign on my face, she said: "Mom, I know Halloween is not for us. I have told my friends at school that I don’t celebrate it; neither will two or three of my colleagues do. Our school won’t give a big party. We would only get some sweets at the end of the day, that is all, and I don’t like to miss the sweets."
After negotiating with my husband, I allowed my children to go to school, particularly as their class teacher had called off the Halloween celebration that day. On seeing them off in the morning, I told them that nations’ customs and cultures which we see about us are differences that occur between humans. Some are good and others are not. We follow some and renounce others according to the rules we have learned from our religion. I directed my kids that It is their duty when come home to tell me what they liked and what you did not in the Halloween day.
The Halloween Night was to me, as a mother, the most challenging event; after I had learned the educational lesson in our first year in Canada when we experienced the Halloween celebration. I remember that my children, on that evening, resisted sleep. They insisted on seeing what was going on out of the window panes. As a matter of fact, the outside hubbub, the lights, the sweets, the yelling and laughing had made sleeping impossible.
Then, I told my neighboring and dear friends that we had to meet and unite that night to make our children happy and to keep them busy doing something least they should fell ostracized or disadvantaged.
That year, on the Halloween night, I had a meeting with an excellent task team: Manal (Egypt), Nezmen (Bangladesh), Amira and Suad (Saudi Arabia), in addition to about 20 children.
Learning Through Dialogue
Our night was the most influential and intimate owing to the discussion session we ran with the lovely children after Maghreb Prayer. We sat with them on the floor. Nezmen started to run the discussion by asking every child to identify themselves. Then she asked: "Do you know why we are here?"
Mohammed (Grade 3) said, "Because we do not celebrate Halloween." Nezmen repeated her question and said: "Why don’t we celebrate Halloween?" Why don’t we get the pleasure the others try to have in the Halloween?"
Yara (Grade 1) said: "Because it is a non-Muslim feast."
Anfal (Grade 6) hurriedly said: "Prophet Muhammad had not done that and we love our Prophet and love to follow his course of action"
Mustafa (Grade 1) said in sweet voice: "Oh No! Halloween! I feel scary of the costumes…Is it the feast of devils!"
The children chuckled but Nezmen started to relate the story of the Halloween to the children. She told them that some people believe that the evil spirits would come back on that night and that those who do not give the children chocolate or sweets would bring the evil spirits’ wrath on themselves.
Nezmen continued to talk about the conflict between the alleged deities which had direct bearing on the Halloween story. Her daughter Meriha (Grade 7) helped her with recalling some details.
Mriam (Grade 7) attracted our attention to a good point when she said: "Most of my schoolmates do not know such information. When I asked them about the details of the Halloween, they answered that they knew nothing about the origin of this idea and that they celebrated the day only for fun. However, I have on my mind a lot of information and details which I could use to answer questions about our religious occasions such as Ramadan and `Eid in which I have firm belief."
Ammar (Grade 5) made us all laugh when he said: "People around us disguise in different and weird costumes, yet they get free candy which they don’t usually give each other all the year long; only on that day. They had better save the money they spend on candy to buy clothes."
Manal Said: "Similarly, if the cost of the pumpkins stacked at the doors of houses and stores and which are wasted by the end of the Halloween day were saved for the benefit of the needy, it would be much better."
Salma (Grade 3) said, "I really love celebrating `Eid with my parents and Malak."
Manal Said, "Nothing is wrong with celebrating the national holidays for Muslims and non- Muslims as they do not clash with our faith."
Suad said, "The positive aspect about the “Halloween” night is that it is a social phenomenon as the neighbors enquire after one another, and houses are decorated. I wish we decorated our homes in our countries with lights, and beautiful balloons like what most people do here."
Abdel Rahim (Grade 3) said, "They frighten the children rather than make them happy."
Basma said to them, "Those who love children, love to gladden, teach, and help them; not to terrify them."
What a Talk!
As a matter of fact, we had never expected all that from the children. They were talking simply and without pretentious or insincere enthusiasm. I wished their mothers’ eyes and fathers’ ears had been there to grasp what their children were saying.
I realized the value of being together in our weddings and meetings. I saw the importance of making our `Eids, fasting and Hajj remarkable occasions for us and for our children by whom we get our identity and build our image of dignity.
At the end of the meeting, and after playing and eating, I said to my friends: "After this remarkable day and constructive dialogue, I could almost assert that the attention of all these children would not be attracted by a smiling or frowning pumpkin, nor by a dangling skeleton, or by a persuasive friend, or a narrating teacher. But by God's guarding over them, by His help to us, we managed today to nurture their immunity.
Dear wonderful friends, are you with me? We’ve succeeded."
Inside one of the shopping stores, I was looking here and there for the commodities I needed when I suddenly stumbled on a body or a person that appeared as if it had just risen out of a coffin! I was chilling! The body was wrapped in white bandage from head to heel. It was taller than me; and it extended a hand towards me while green light emanated from its eyes. The perpetrator had provided it with electrical power so that it could produce whispers and horrendous sounds!
By God’s mercy, the body was not close when I gasped. At that time, I felt as if my heart was falling down into an abyss. I moved away from that horrible place and went to the cashier’s; while I was deeply thinking about this "Halloween Feast" and about what I saw around me.
If this severe fear and horror had filled my heart just by this body or whatever in spite of my being a grown up adult, will it not it be more terrifying to children? What may the educational value acquired through intimidating and terrifying the children be? Is the strengthening of their hearts or the invigorating of souls achieved via frightening them? Is this applicable to all humans, young and old?
"Trick orTreat"
As the Halloween approaches, I often wonder whether I should send my children to school on that day or not. The children usually hear their friends talking about getting this day’s costumes. They also talk with their teachers about passing by houses to get sweets and reiterate the usual phrase while knocking on the doors: "Trick or Treat"...
My daughter Maria asked me whether she would go to school that day. When she saw the deep thinking sign on my face, she said: "Mom, I know Halloween is not for us. I have told my friends at school that I don’t celebrate it; neither will two or three of my colleagues do. Our school won’t give a big party. We would only get some sweets at the end of the day, that is all, and I don’t like to miss the sweets."
After negotiating with my husband, I allowed my children to go to school, particularly as their class teacher had called off the Halloween celebration that day. On seeing them off in the morning, I told them that nations’ customs and cultures which we see about us are differences that occur between humans. Some are good and others are not. We follow some and renounce others according to the rules we have learned from our religion. I directed my kids that It is their duty when come home to tell me what they liked and what you did not in the Halloween day.
The Halloween Night was to me, as a mother, the most challenging event; after I had learned the educational lesson in our first year in Canada when we experienced the Halloween celebration. I remember that my children, on that evening, resisted sleep. They insisted on seeing what was going on out of the window panes. As a matter of fact, the outside hubbub, the lights, the sweets, the yelling and laughing had made sleeping impossible.
Then, I told my neighboring and dear friends that we had to meet and unite that night to make our children happy and to keep them busy doing something least they should fell ostracized or disadvantaged.
That year, on the Halloween night, I had a meeting with an excellent task team: Manal (Egypt), Nezmen (Bangladesh), Amira and Suad (Saudi Arabia), in addition to about 20 children.
Learning Through Dialogue
Our night was the most influential and intimate owing to the discussion session we ran with the lovely children after Maghreb Prayer. We sat with them on the floor. Nezmen started to run the discussion by asking every child to identify themselves. Then she asked: "Do you know why we are here?"
Mohammed (Grade 3) said, "Because we do not celebrate Halloween." Nezmen repeated her question and said: "Why don’t we celebrate Halloween?" Why don’t we get the pleasure the others try to have in the Halloween?"
Yara (Grade 1) said: "Because it is a non-Muslim feast."
Anfal (Grade 6) hurriedly said: "Prophet Muhammad had not done that and we love our Prophet and love to follow his course of action"
Mustafa (Grade 1) said in sweet voice: "Oh No! Halloween! I feel scary of the costumes…Is it the feast of devils!"
The children chuckled but Nezmen started to relate the story of the Halloween to the children. She told them that some people believe that the evil spirits would come back on that night and that those who do not give the children chocolate or sweets would bring the evil spirits’ wrath on themselves.
Nezmen continued to talk about the conflict between the alleged deities which had direct bearing on the Halloween story. Her daughter Meriha (Grade 7) helped her with recalling some details.
Mriam (Grade 7) attracted our attention to a good point when she said: "Most of my schoolmates do not know such information. When I asked them about the details of the Halloween, they answered that they knew nothing about the origin of this idea and that they celebrated the day only for fun. However, I have on my mind a lot of information and details which I could use to answer questions about our religious occasions such as Ramadan and `Eid in which I have firm belief."
Ammar (Grade 5) made us all laugh when he said: "People around us disguise in different and weird costumes, yet they get free candy which they don’t usually give each other all the year long; only on that day. They had better save the money they spend on candy to buy clothes."
Manal Said: "Similarly, if the cost of the pumpkins stacked at the doors of houses and stores and which are wasted by the end of the Halloween day were saved for the benefit of the needy, it would be much better."
Salma (Grade 3) said, "I really love celebrating `Eid with my parents and Malak."
Manal Said, "Nothing is wrong with celebrating the national holidays for Muslims and non- Muslims as they do not clash with our faith."
Suad said, "The positive aspect about the “Halloween” night is that it is a social phenomenon as the neighbors enquire after one another, and houses are decorated. I wish we decorated our homes in our countries with lights, and beautiful balloons like what most people do here."
Abdel Rahim (Grade 3) said, "They frighten the children rather than make them happy."
Basma said to them, "Those who love children, love to gladden, teach, and help them; not to terrify them."
What a Talk!
As a matter of fact, we had never expected all that from the children. They were talking simply and without pretentious or insincere enthusiasm. I wished their mothers’ eyes and fathers’ ears had been there to grasp what their children were saying.
I realized the value of being together in our weddings and meetings. I saw the importance of making our `Eids, fasting and Hajj remarkable occasions for us and for our children by whom we get our identity and build our image of dignity.
At the end of the meeting, and after playing and eating, I said to my friends: "After this remarkable day and constructive dialogue, I could almost assert that the attention of all these children would not be attracted by a smiling or frowning pumpkin, nor by a dangling skeleton, or by a persuasive friend, or a narrating teacher. But by God's guarding over them, by His help to us, we managed today to nurture their immunity.
Dear wonderful friends, are you with me? We’ve succeeded."
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