Also, parents have gotten too heavily involved in Halloween. When I was a kid, we made our own costumes - it's amazing what you can do with cardboard boxes, old sheets, old clothes, etc. When my kids were in primary school in the 1980s, it was a competition among the parents to outdo the others.
Seen enough death & its aftermath in my time to celebrate a day with skeletons, coffins, and tombstones. Dia de Muertos is almost barbaric with its grinning skulls.
All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day weren’t meant to be observed like this.
And adults in Halloween costumes? Please....
Here in my Massachusetts town, our elementary school (Grades 3 & 4) held the best “Halloween”. Only it wasn’t Halloween per se, it was an event held on Oct 31st. The kids had to read an autobiography or biography and do an oral book report on their person. They could dress up as their person. Years ago my daughter was Laura Ingalls Wilder (we sewed the costume together - great mom/daughter project too). Son was
Dr. Horner the T-Rex specialist (forget the first name it’s been a while).
Win win. Kids got to dress up and learn something.