After our first Halloween in the USA last year, we experienced our second Halloween in the USA this year. It was different because, after the passage of Madame Irma, people were not yet in the mood to decorate their homes, which is understandable given the scale of the damage for some. There were far fewer decorations, sometimes none at all even in the neighborhoods known for them, and quite a few events were canceled. In spite of that, and especially for our children, we still took part in a few events, and our son also had a real Halloween experience on his side at his American public school.

At school

Halloween in the USA is a real celebration that starts being prepared two to three weeks in advance. All through October, our son had many activities and events related to Halloween at school. Here, school, at least for the little ones, is very playful, and children learn while having fun. Whether people are for or against that approach, for now we have seen our son making great progress and loving school. This month, the children worked on lots of small exercises on the theme of Halloween, not only in crafts but also in math, reading, and writing. Like every month, he had his calendar with stickers, and this month they were all Halloween-themed too.

There were also two days dedicated to Halloween, including a day when all the children had to, or at least could because it was not mandatory, come to school dressed as their favorite Disney character. As I explained in my first article on the subject, even though Halloween tends to bring monsters and scary creatures to mind, in reality everyone can dress up as they like, from Minnie to Scream. Of course, for little children, Disney characters are preferred over horror-movie figures. So our son dressed up as Woody for that very special day. 🙂

On October 31, there was also Pumpkin Patch day, with a celebration and, of course, candy, during which the children could dance and take part in lots of activities. It is really one of those moments when you understand how deeply Halloween is woven into American childhood and school culture.

Outside school

Outside school, Halloween felt more subdued than the year before because of Irma. Some people clearly did not have the energy or desire to decorate after going through the hurricane and its consequences. Even so, we still found a few places and events where the atmosphere remained festive, especially for children. That was important for us, because these little moments help keep life feeling normal again after a difficult period.

Compared with our first Halloween in the USA, this second one was less spectacular in terms of decorations and neighborhood displays, but perhaps more meaningful in another way. It showed us how traditions can adapt to circumstances and how communities still try to preserve some joy for children even after a major event.

Our second Halloween in the USA was quieter than the first, but it still reminded us how important this holiday is in American family and school life.