Classes should be delayed for cherished memories to be made
Halloween is one of the more popular and celebrated holidays during the year. It began about 2,000 years ago and it was first celebrated by a group of people called the Celts. They had a festival called Samhain when they would wear costumes and light bonfires to scare away unwanted spirits, not unlike today when children go out trick-or-treating, which is the best part about Halloween. You want to go out and compete with your friends on who gets the most candy, but you’re loaded with school and homework.
Schools worry about losing too many days of school, such as snow days, which aren’t predictable as the year goes by. Halloween isn’t a state or federal holiday, which would also bring up debate for school days off on Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day. Junior Alan Zhang believes that having school off isn’t as important, “I like having school on Halloween, getting to dress up and see what other people have come up with. If anything, I don’t really mind having school,” Zhang said.
Schools don’t give Halloween either half days or even a full day off. It is common for students to be tied up to their studies and end up having almost no time left for trick-or-treating once they are done with their work or big test that will possibly be given to them the very next day. The frustration of having work on Halloween isn’t just an issue for high schoolers, but for middle schoolers and elementary school kids. Sophomore Sonya Berlinger said she enjoys celebrating and going out with friends and family during Halloween. “I’m always full of homework and by the time I’m done it’s already like 10 p.m. my friends are already done by then,” Berlinger said.
Trick-or-treating is a major memory during childhood. Schools should encourage students to enjoy the holiday. Students might recall the memory of parading around their elementary schools with their costumes. Junior Serge Amegee said, “It really sucks that some of our makeup is considered too scary, then we need a backup plan to a new way of making the costume complete.”
That being said, people should celebrate this holiday and enjoy it to its fullest. For a holiday celebrated around the world, students and adults should not have the weight of homework and work on their shoulders.
Debate.org reports that 93 percent of the public agreed to wanting school off during Halloween. Schools should consider the idea of easing Halloween for students. If schools are worried about losing another day of school, there are plenty of holidays that students would rather have school on for the trade of Halloween off.
