No witches’ hats, vampire capes, or skeleton hoodies at the C. Zorzi Primary School in Parona, near Verona. On the eve of Halloween, parents received a short notice: “Children may not come to school dressed up or with Halloween makeup. Signed: the principal.”
The decision, taken unilaterally by the school’s new head teacher, has upset many parents who were used to letting their children attend class with small Halloween-themed accessories.
“There was never an official Halloween party,” one father told Corriere del Veneto, “but kids could always wear something fun if they wanted to.” Another parent added: “A rule like this might make sense in a Catholic school, but not in a public one. Now there’s no choice or freedom.”
As frustration grew, Elisa La Paglia, Verona’s municipal education councillor, intervened to calm tensions: “This situation shows a lack of communication. It’s unfortunate that parents went to the media instead of meeting the principal — it means trust is missing.”