Calliope
09-05-2008, 06:44 PM
Please let me know if this has been brought up before. I did a search, but I didn't find anything.
Earlier today, I started randomly thinking about Halloween. I don't have kids, may not ever have any, but if I do (eventually) have children I'd like to raise them vegan. I was thinking about these vegan children (and hoping that I'll be as awesome a vegan mum as you guys here) and I got to thinking about Halloween.
What do your vegan children (if you have any) do about Halloween? I know a lot of Holidays have a big emphasis on food, but if you're raised vegan, I would imagine that having a yummy stuffed squash as opposed to a turkey probably wouldn't be too much of an issue. But when I was growing up, Halloween was about dressing up, but moreso about getting a sh#*load of free candy. So, as vegan parents, do you find your children are upset by the Halloween issue? Or do they accept it?
What I came up with on the issue is first of all, it may be a moot point, because it seems to me that trick or treating has declined in the past couple of years, due to more "safe halloween", haunted house/fair type things going on.
2. I would never be the kind of parent who dresses up my one year old in a bunny hat, takes him or her trick or treating. Once my child was old enough to decide for him or herself, I probably wouldn't stop them from going, because I don't think it's helpful for a child to feel that they have no choice in the matter.
3. Finally, I thought it would be helpful if you established some Halloween-y rituals that the kids could look forward too. Maybe some special cookies or cakes that you only bake at Halloween, so they have something to get excited about, or maybe a day where you get to stay up late decorating the house all halloween like, and eat snacks. I figure anything that can make them get really excited about the fact that Halloween was coming would maybe help them feel less left out.
So what are your thoughts? Sorry this is both random and long-winded, but for some reason, I thought a lot about this today. :p
Earlier today, I started randomly thinking about Halloween. I don't have kids, may not ever have any, but if I do (eventually) have children I'd like to raise them vegan. I was thinking about these vegan children (and hoping that I'll be as awesome a vegan mum as you guys here) and I got to thinking about Halloween.
What do your vegan children (if you have any) do about Halloween? I know a lot of Holidays have a big emphasis on food, but if you're raised vegan, I would imagine that having a yummy stuffed squash as opposed to a turkey probably wouldn't be too much of an issue. But when I was growing up, Halloween was about dressing up, but moreso about getting a sh#*load of free candy. So, as vegan parents, do you find your children are upset by the Halloween issue? Or do they accept it?
What I came up with on the issue is first of all, it may be a moot point, because it seems to me that trick or treating has declined in the past couple of years, due to more "safe halloween", haunted house/fair type things going on.
2. I would never be the kind of parent who dresses up my one year old in a bunny hat, takes him or her trick or treating. Once my child was old enough to decide for him or herself, I probably wouldn't stop them from going, because I don't think it's helpful for a child to feel that they have no choice in the matter.
3. Finally, I thought it would be helpful if you established some Halloween-y rituals that the kids could look forward too. Maybe some special cookies or cakes that you only bake at Halloween, so they have something to get excited about, or maybe a day where you get to stay up late decorating the house all halloween like, and eat snacks. I figure anything that can make them get really excited about the fact that Halloween was coming would maybe help them feel less left out.
So what are your thoughts? Sorry this is both random and long-winded, but for some reason, I thought a lot about this today. :p