With summer vacation behind us and the new school year underway, the autumn holidays are right around the corner. Just as families have diverse traditions around celebrating holidays, Montessori schools, too, take a variety of approaches to observing Halloween and Thanksgiving. While many Montessori schools reject the rampant consumerism associated with these holidays, some do have their students participate in traditional activities like a costume parade on Halloween, for example, or a class or school Thanksgiving feast. While most children enjoy these activities, and they may include skills such as planning and organizing, they do not necessarily or always align with some elements of Montessori philosophy.
Last fall, we offered suggestions for celebrating Thanksgiving with children by giving back to the community, keeping our history lessons factually accurate and culturally respectful, while all the while having fun. In this article, we offer alternatives for observing Halloween in Montessori classrooms that are engaging, meaningful, and directly connected to the Montessori curriculum.
Halloween is a favorite holiday for many children and offers a range of activities. Many children plan for and may even create a costume, attend parties and other festivities, and, perhaps most anticipated of all, procure and consume large amounts of candy. Unfortunately, Halloween also comes with a lead-up period of anticipation, followed by a let-down, that can disrupt some children’s ability to focus as well as negatively impact the overall classroom climate and energy level for several days or more.
How can schools observe Halloween in a way that productively and positively engages children in activities that are inspiring, socially satisfying, and academically fruitful? The following are three options with direct connections to the Montessori curriculum:
Put on a production of “Historical Halloween” (or “Historical Heroes” for schools who opt for a more generic title).
- Each student selects someone who has made an impactful contribution to society in art; the environment; exploration; literature; medicine; music; philanthropy; science; social science; sports; etc.
- Students research their hero’s life and accomplishments, then write a short speech in first person that they memorize and recite as a way of teaching others about their selected person.
- Dressed in simple costumes and/or using props that represent their chosen figure, students present their speech in a historical timeline (heroes are in chronological order by date of birth) to the school community.
One of the most important outcomes of the Montessori Fundamental Needs of Humans curriculum is related to the famous quote from Isaac Newton: “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants.” A central goal of the Montessori history curriculum is for children to recognize that everything humanity depends upon today is the result of the cumulative work of others who came before us. This idea engenders humility and inspiration, and encourages the child to ask, “How can I make an important and meaningful contribution?”—a central tenet of Montessori Cosmic Education.
As important, this project helps students develop and strengthen research, writing, and public speaking skills. (Teachers should note that it requires between four and six weeks of preparation and practice.) In schools where this project has become an annual tradition, teachers and parents note significant growth in children’s confidence and oral presentation skills—from first-year students reciting two or three lines to sixth-year students presenting five-minute monologues. Invariably, we are introduced to heroes we’ve never heard of, and there are always a few tears in the audience of parents and other adults!
Research and present the history of Halloween, which, according to some accounts, began with the Celtic harvest celebration of Samhain, dating back almost 2000 years. Students can explore:
- Who were the Druids, and what traditions did they have in place around Samhain?
- How and when did Christianity reframe Samhain as All Saint’s Day? Trace the reiteration of All Hallow’s Day, All Hallow’s Eve, and Halloween.
- What is the connection of the Mexican holiday, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) to Halloween and the Christian period of Allhallowtide?
- What is the significance of Halloween symbols such as jack-o-lanterns, spiders, and black cats, and traditions such as dressing up and passing out treats?
Student options might include written reports, informational posters or booklets, oral or dramatic presentations, or artistic representations of one or more of the above research topics. Some schools invite their students to create a Dia de los Muertos altar, or ofrenda, welcoming them to share stories of their departed loved ones (often, but not always, pets in the case of children). These activities not only involve historical research but allow children—in Montessori fashion—to investigate topics and present their knowledge according to their interests, all of which can be adjusted for age and skill level.
Learn about the ecological consequences of Halloween (for Upper Elementary students). In 2023, the National Retail Federation estimated that American consumers spent $12.2 billion on Halloween. Many of the items bought for this holiday each year are on their way to landfills by November 1, including:
- plastic-based (non-recyclable) wrappers used on the estimated 600 million pounds of candy purchased each year for Halloween
- costumes, of which 80% are made from cheap synthetic, non-recyclable materials
- one billion pounds of pumpkins grown annually in the United States
Investigate how this waste contributes to climate warming and other ecological problems–methane production from landfills, for example, and the planet-wide ongoing accumulation of microplastics.
Explore alternatives to enjoying Halloween without contributing to the waste problem:
- thrifting, making, or renting a costume
- purchasing candy or other treats with paper packaging
- organizing neighborhood or community parties (with non-packaged treats and reusable decorations) in lieu of trick-or-treating
- using the whole pumpkin—roasting the seeds, using the insides for pumpkin pie or other treats (if not burned), and composting what remains
Montessori noted that the upper elementary years are when we see children’s developing ethics coincide with their emerging global perspective. Upper Elementary students are not too young to think about the ecological consequences of their actions and decisions, and such exercises elicit thoughtful and meaningful discussions, yielding important lessons about responsible citizenship and environmental stewardship.
Halloween need not be centered on consumption and waste. Through opportunities to study its historical significance and rich symbolism, or using it as a springboard for learning about important historical figures, students can switch their focus from the highly commercialized aspects of the holiday to those that bring authenticity and meaning to its celebration. Additionally, delving deeper into the consequences of mass consumerism has broad, and more impactful, applications that extend beyond October 31 in the lives of our students.