PART I:   School Cancels Halloween

Officials at a suburban Philadelphia elementary school have decided to cancel a Halloween parade and other Halloween celebrations. The school cited a ban on promoting religious beliefs.

Parents received a letter from the principal at Inglewood Elementary School in Lansdale on Tuesday, October 1, 2013.

The letter said parents were told that holidays like Halloween are seen by some as non-religious and viewed by others as having religious overtones.

But it said school districts are barred from promoting religious beliefs. While they can teach about religious and cultural practices, they cannot sponsor them.


PART II:  TIME For Kids  How Much Does Halloween Cost?

Oct 14, 2016 | By Jasmine Cannon with reporting from Money.com

According to the National Retail Federation, 71% of consumers plan to hand out candy this Halloween.

Americans are expected to spend a whopping $8.4 billion on candy and costumes this Halloween, according to an annual survey from the National Retail Federation (NRF). The figure marks an all-time high for the survey, which has been conducted for the past 11 years.

Halloween spending for 2016 is up nearly 22% from last year’s $6.9 billion. The NRF predicts that more than 171 million American consumers will participate in Halloween celebrations, and will spend an average of $82.93 per person, up from last year’s $74.34. Most of the costs will go towards dressing up. Shoppers are expected to spend a total of $3.1 billion on costumes, with $2.5 billion being spent on candy, $2.4 billion on decorations, and $390 million on greeting cards.

“After a long summer, families are excited to welcome the fall season celebrating Halloween,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in a statement. “Retailers are preparing for the day by offering a wide variety of options in costumes, decorations and candy, while being aggressive with their promotions to capture the most out of this shopping event.”

Proper Insights & Analytics conducted the survey for the NRF from September 6 to 13. Of the 6,791 consumers who took part, 71% intend to spend Halloween handing out candy. Other planned activities include: decorating their home or yard (49%); dressing in costume (47%); pumpkin carving (46%); throwing or going to a party (34%); taking their kids trick-or-treating (30%); and dressing their pet(s) in costume (16%).

In the statement, Proper Insights Principal Analyst Pam Goodfellow noted that 8 in 10 Americans will do their shopping by mid-October this year. “That is the highest we have seen in the survey history,” she said.

How much candy do you think you’ll feast on this Halloween?

If you find yourself with leftovers, you can use them for a good deed. Many dentist offices across the country participate in the Halloween Candy Buy Back program. Through the program, they buy back extra candy and send it in care packages to troops overseas. That ought to leave you with a sweet feeling!

http://www.timeforkids.com/news/how-much-does-halloween-cost/475721