Halloween is an exciting time of year for children and youth (and many adults too)! It’s a time when we give our creativity free rein as we carve pumpkins, decorate our homes, and plan our costumes.
But have you ever considered what Halloween might be like for youth who are experiencing homelessness at this time of year?
Some of the youth who access Covenant House Vancouver’s services and programs are newcomers to Canada who may not have experienced Halloween before. For others, Halloween may be fun, scary, or confusing. You might say Halloween is complicated.
We recently spoke to Kadee, the Lead Spiritual Care Practitioner at Covenant House, about how she helps youth navigate Halloween to make it a positive, empowering experience.
Kadee: “As an organization that values choice and acknowledges that it’s important for youth to be empowered, to build meaningful lives that integrate their own world views and values, Halloween is an interesting time. We support the youth we serve to do those things, to connect with what brings them joy, and to acknowledge what makes them uncomfortable.”
In the weeks leading up to Halloween, Kadee explores how youth are feeling at her regular gathering, Tea with Kadee. Over a cup of tea, youth feel comfortable sharing their feelings. Whether they’re excited or concerned about the upcoming holiday, Kadee creates a safe space where they know it’s okay to share whatever they’re feeling.
Creating Normalcy
Halloween is celebrated by millions of Canadians. Kadee sees celebrating holidays as a way to orient us to where we are in the year and to where we live. Even though the youth that we serve are going through a challenging time, celebrating holidays provides joyful, normalizing experiences that enhance their well-being.
Ensuring Safety
Youth may feel anxious if they haven’t participated in Halloween before. Kadee points out that it’s not just newcomers who may feel uncomfortable with Halloween. Some youth didn’t celebrate Halloween in their families or communities and may now wish to explore it.
Kadee facilitates an open and practical conversation with youth in which they talk about the origins of Halloween so that they understand why things are happening, how to avoid aspects that they find upsetting, and how to embrace the fun aspects of Halloween. She stresses to them that not everyone dresses up as something scary. Halloween costumes can include ballerinas, animals, and Mario and Luigi.
The emphasis is on how youth can navigate Halloween activities safely to have fun.
Expressing Individuality
“Developmentally for young people, it’s an interesting time trying to figure out who you are, and I think Halloween is a cool metaphor for figuring out what you want to present to the world and what you’re passionate about,” Kadee says.
Kadee says that she has observed that Halloween is a very significant event for queer youth.
“My assumption is that Halloween allows queer youth and neurodivergent youth to present in the way they want to present instead of having to conform to the pressure, day in and day out, to live up to expectations that don’t reflect who they are,” Kadee says.
In addition to staff and youth dressing up for Halloween, Covenant House’s programs provide activities that include pumpkin painting and a trip to a pumpkin patch. And thanks to the generosity of donors, the youth receive a good supply of Halloween candy.
As Kadee observes, “I think who we choose to dress up as is a fascinating piece of ourselves that we share with the world for one day, one night of the year. It’s important to celebrate that with youth, whatever they choose to be. It matters to me that they feel safe, that they become who they want to become for that day. It’s a great thing to work with.”
From all of us at Covenant House, Happy Halloween!