My three children attend a Catholic elementary school. Yesterday, the school hosted a Halloween party. The parents were told that the costumes should be appropriate for a Catholic school (no monsters, skeletons, demons, etc.). The parents happily complied with this instruction. However, the only nun who teaches at the school dressed as a witch! My husband and I and other parents thought this was totally unacceptable behavior. What do you think?

P.--

Even though I think the school was unnecessarily restrictive -- what exactly is wrong with dressing as a skeleton? -- I do think that even if the school's directive was more relaxed that the nun made a mistake in dressing as a witch. I personally don't think there's anything wrong with the traditional Halloween costumes of witches, ghosts, skeletons, and hobgoblins, but I also believe that there are some things appropriate for the laity that are not appropriate for consecrated religious. At most, she might have pinned a brooch of some autumn symbol (e.g., leaves, a pumpkin) to her habit and left it at that.

Recommended reading:

The Drama of Hallowmas by Sally Thomas
Reinventing the Halloween Light by Michelle Arnold

Michelle Arnold
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