Get Yer Facts Right!

I really should hang my head in shame. I have been taught a valuable lesson and one which I really really do intend to keep. For as long as I remember to.

There was a blog entry just below this one, and like a tribal warrior who collects tattoos and brandings as a sign of their maturity, I am leaving the messed up remains in order to remind myself that occasionally, I need to get a grip and breathe before opening my big mouth.

The title of the blog was 'Celtic Africa?!' and herein is the explanation why.

It is coming up to Hallowe'en and we are rather getting into the spirit of things in Casa Colleoni. The boys are old enough now to enjoy the fun and as I am teaching at their nursery I am also right there in the bat-cutting-out, pumpkin-sculpting, scary-spidery thick of things. I think of it like Christmas-lite, good fun but without the presents. And a God-send for people with small children, parents and teachers alike. There are so many things you can do/ make for Hallowe'en, we ought to invent a few more, just to fill up the schedules a bit for parents like me who are struggling to think up the next afternoon activity that doesn't involve Thomas the Tank Engine track-making (NOT AGAIN) or turning on the TV.

So last week me and the kids were traipsing up the stairs to our flat (second floor - I hate them but my bum will be sad to see them go when we move to a ground floor flat next year) when our nephew who lives on the floor below us poked his head out of the door, as is his custom whenever he hears footsteps. He's an only child, bless him. Well for some reason we were all talking about Hallowe'en as we were staggering up, when Alé chipped in with, 'we're not celebrating Hallowe'en this year'. I immediately felt my Italy-Is-Still-In-The-Dark-Ages antenna twitching and could feel my lungs inflating in indignation before I even asked the fatal question - 'and why would that be?' His reply of, 'because it's an African festival' as we were carrying on walking up confirmed all my worst fears. Not only were the poor suffering children to watch their friends having great fun and larks over the Hallowe'en festival, but they were being forbidden from joining in due to the fact that the festival was tainted by African (read Black) origins and therefore yet another confirmation of the racist heart of Italy.

Enrico was walking up with us so I started practising my rant, as soon as we came through the door. The teacher should not be in charge of young, impressionable minds. She is spreading her misguided-at-best views when she had no right to. Another school struck off my (admittedly non-existent as yet) list. God help me, I even searched out the origins of Hallowe'en on Wikipedia and emailed them to him.

And so I continued, my indignation being given free rein at every possible opportunity.

Until. A couple of days later, Enrico called me saying that he had the other 'nano' (our two are the 'dwarfs' and the cousin is an honorary dwarf - oh God, see the state of me. Should that be 'Little People'?!!) in the car. I said hi and thought no more of it. Enrico returned later at lunchtime.
'You know that teacher who was forbidding the kids from participating in an African festival?'
'It's a DISGRACE!!'
'It was an American festival'.
'Uh??'
'She said it was an American festival. That there wasn't much money in the pot this year, so they would do a minimal Hallowe'en celebration, with it being a largely American commercial festival, and save the big money for Christmas'.

Mortified. He sniggered. I deserved it. We haven't discussed it, he's been very big about the whole thing really, but it could also be because he doesn't realise how far and wide my indignation really did spread. Let's hope he never finds out...

So from this I learn:
1. Don't leap to conclusions. Not all Italians are the racist half-wits that Silvio Berlusconi would have us believe. ('Hey Michelle! Great tan, where's your bronzed hubby?!')
2. Get your facts together before criticising - especially if you are going to be doing it to all and sundry and could look a right berk afterwards.
3. I have been somewhat blinkered up to now in my view of Italy. It is backward in sooo many areas, however I need to be alot more open in my opinions, otherwise I am in danger of slipping into the 'all (insert population/ ethnic group/ religion here) are like this' attitude which I am so keen to denounce in others.

Go on, have a good laugh. I deserve it.