Recent years, I am feeling that this children’s beloved tradition has been taken over by adults with gruesome decorations and costumes.
I am reconnecting with my childhood memory of the fall festival in rural Japan. With my cousins and siblings, I would walk through the rice fields in a Mikoshi (portable shrine in Japanese) parade. Just like Halloween, we got goodies from each house for bringing good luck.
It warms my heart to remember how I was given so generously and how good the world was on that beautiful sunny autumn day. It was an experience of abundance, thanksgiving and joy.
Perhaps I am not alone in thinking that, universally, children are seen to be closer to the spiritual realm, and that, in a Mikoshi parade or trick-or-treating, regardless of the outer form, they bring us good luck.
But what can we do to protect our young ones while making sure they enjoy the day?
Costumes, especially masks, even if they are not at all scary kind, can scare or confuse young children. They are new to this world and working hard to make sense of it. Some children can be very disturbed by sudden changes (as little as Daddy wearing glasses). Just because they were fine last year doesn’t mean they will be again this year, for example, as they become more aware, children can become afraid of the dark.
If your child get scared, it is best to acknowledge and affirm “oh, that scared you, I am sorry” as opposed to “that was nothing”, then take action to make him/her feel safe, like leaving the scary storefront.
There is nothing wrong if you decide to wait another year or two to start celebrating Halloween, holding tight to your daily rhythm. If you internally acknowledge the spirit of the season, your child can feel it too and be nurtured by it. And you know, there is always next year!
This is from the spring festival in my town. Although it’s not autumn colors, it shows the ambiance. Picture from http://info.pref.fukui.jp/furusato/shiawase/event/?page=5
Commentaires