Dear Sir,

At the risk of being considered a “killjoy“, I have long decried the word “joy” in the celebrating of Hallowe’en, and feel it should be discouraged.

Throwing eggs, property damaged if there is no treat. I know this all sounds dramatic, but these times are important as a learning tool.

This must surely be very confusing to young and impressionable children when they see their parents enjoying such a ritual; when, hopefully, they have been told and taught to be kind and thoughtful.

Some of them are old enough to read, hear and watch on TV the “Isis regime“, with all its torturous horrors perpetuated and practised.

Are we hypocritical? What do we teach in one night of fun?

Acceptance and even permission to damage property, throw eggs and keep the police on high alert. I suggest the evening delivers a large dose of unkindness, which often gets repeated in the classroom with bullying, which can stay and damage a child into adulthood. We should be very careful not to teach and encourage the evil that this ritual brings forth.

The tolerance and even permission, which is not even fun as a game but cruel behaviour that may have a lasting, undesirable effect if copied. It should be vigorously discouraged. A child’s understanding and perception of how to behave under certain circumstances should be kindness and giving. There would be nothing better than to teach our children in this case to use the yearly get-together as “a reversal of behaviour”. For example, a party for the kindest act of the year, and a published reward.

DIANA WILLIAMS