Following the official declaration of three days of mourning by the Community of Madrid from October 29 to 31 after a fatal train accident in Urda, numerous schools have suspended their planned Halloween festivities. The decision, communicated via emails and parent groups, has triggered widespread discussions within families and educational centers across Spain regarding the management of grief, the explanation of death, and the handling of student frustration. While some local celebrations were also cancelled, the response varied significantly among different institutions.
In Seville, Sonsoles Salazar, a teacher at a primary school, noted that her center decided to maintain its celebration, which is organized by families outside of school hours. She explained that very young children might not understand the cancellation and suggested alternative ways to involve them in the mourning process, such as sensitivity activities, moments of silence, memorial murals, or writing letters. Conversely, Rosa Rocha, president of the association of institute directors in Madrid and a principal in Guadarrama, argued that maintaining the party was inappropriate given the circumstances. She emphasized the importance of young people understanding that grief must be shared within society.
Carmen Morillas, president of the FAPA Francisco Giner de los Ríos federation for public school families in Madrid, acknowledged the difficulty of transmitting these concepts but observed that many schools spontaneously opted to hold small workshops preceded by a minute of silence. She noted that children are already exposed to the tragedy through television and that addressing it is part of their education. María Avilés, from the AMPA of the Francisco de Quevedo school in Majadahonda, highlighted the role of empathy, explaining to her daughter that if someone loses a pet or a loved one, they may not be able to celebrate. However, she also recognized the complexity of balancing these perspectives.
The train accident in Toledo has resulted in at least 69 deaths. Child therapists advise parents to address such tragedies directly and without delay, allowing children to ask their own questions. Mar Gallego Matellán, a child psychologist specializing in grief, pointed out that parents can no longer control information access simply by turning off the television, as children often learn about events through mobile devices and social media. Consequently, maintaining open conversations is more critical than ever.
Despite this, many parents believe discussing such tragedies is their responsibility rather than the school's. Inés, a mother of two, expressed concern that cancelling a highly anticipated event might be perceived by eight-year-olds as a punishment rather than an exercise in empathy. She questioned whether this approach truly aids their maturation into empathetic individuals, stating firmly that mourning should not be imposed. Gallego Matellán agreed, arguing that cancelling celebrations does not equate to educating about grief or helping children understand death. She warned that imposing adult forms of mourning on children can create a disconnect with something they find foreign and incomprehensible.
The expert emphasized that conversations about death should be transversal, ongoing, and adapted to the child's age, rather than being a one-off event triggered by media news. Gallego Matellán noted the irony that a celebration of fake death and scares is being cancelled due to real tragedy, whereas traditional observances like Mexico's Day of the Dead or Spain's All Saints' Day historically involved children in honoring the deceased at cemeteries. She argued that while Halloween has become a mask for fear, the true challenge lies in addressing the sorrow of absence rather than the terror of death itself.
Sources: El País Educación.