Internet divided over 'offensive' Halloween decorations

A simple paper chain has set off a firestorm of online discussion after a woman asked the readers of UK website Mumsnet for advice.

"AIBU [Am I being unreasonable]? Flatmate said my Halloween decorations are offensive," user QuestionableMouse wrote.

"They're a string of Halloween paper chains hanging on the outside of my bedroom door. She said they're offensive and she doesn't like them."

The paper chains feature the classic Halloween themes of pumpkins, spiderwebs and skulls.

She went on to add that she had more decorations up inside her bedroom.

"I really love Halloween and they make me smile when I come in. I have more hanging in my room too," QuestionableMouse wrote. "Who is being unreasonable?"

Her fellow Mumsnet users instantly went into a heated debate, with the question sparking more than 400 responses.

The answers were almost evenly divided between strongly arguing it was fine to put up any "harmless" decorations she liked, and agreeing with the woman's flatmate that the decorations were "offensive".

"In your room is fine. Out side [sic] and it becomes communal living space," user SloeSloeQuickQuickGin wrote. "Its pagan. Some people don't like it. Only you know whether you want to carry on offending her or not."

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The flatmate's possible religious beliefs were brought into it.

"Some devout religious types don't like them, can you not put the decoration on the inside of your door?" wrote user withoutthelittledots.

Others were completely unsympathetic.

"She’s not a mind reader, if she does annoying things tell her," wrote jay55. "Why should she stay quiet when you’ve annoyed her?"

But plenty more didn't think it was fair for the flatmate to have complained.

"Is she offended at the sight of anything that isn't consistent with her religious beliefs? Is she unable to pass a mosque or synagogue without getting offended?" wrote NotAPuffin. "No-one has to take part in Halloween if they don't want to but it's utterly unreasonable to expect other people not to just because she doesn't like it."

"If you don't catch her then turn the piece of paper over and write 'I don't know what you mean by 'offensive', please explain' and pop it back under her door," woollyminded wrote.

"It's not OK to be Queen-Of-The-Flat and send out decrees. It's quite normal to brighten the place up with temporary decs for seasonal festivals, a pumpkin, a doily snowflake, a bunch of daffs or a birthday banner. These things are nice and do no harm at all."

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