It’s a funny time of year…

A couple of things lately have got me thinking, and I’d like to share with the class if I may?

First up, Hallowe’en. I heard a statistic that some people now treat it as bigger than Christmas, and shops report huge sales at this time of year.

This, quite frankly, is a bit odd. Nah, more than that – I find this very strange to say the least.

Bigger than Christmas? While I appreciate that many people living here aren’t Christian, surely Hallowe’en can’t have overtaken the birth of Jesus as a major festival? I also know some devout Christians who really struggle with the fact that people treat Hallowe’en like this, and then overlook Easter and its meaning.

Hallowe’en wasn’t that big a deal when we were kids was it? I remember constructing a witch’s hat from black card when I was at primary school, and I we had apple bobbing – I was useless at that as I could never stand my head being underwater! – but that was about it.

There was certainly no trick or treating – and when you think about it, even now doesn’t this go against everything your parents ever taught you about never accepting sweets from strangers? It’s OK kids, on one specific night of the year, you go from house to house threatening people to give you sweets otherwise you’ll egg their car or front door, or drape loo roll from their tree, and eat your own body weight in sugar.

I’m not advocating a ban or anything – I’m not that much of a spoilsport - but surely everyone can see that this is dubious behaviour to be teaching our youngsters?!

Then of course there is the television programme du jour, The Celebrity Traitors, which actively encourages lying and ‘murder’ – two things that most good parents would tell their offspring are really quite wrong!

Which is why I also imagine the parents of Kettering’s own James Acaster must be very proud, as bless his heart he really struggled with lying and was, in his words, a very reluctant Traitor.