It is tradition in my family that we watch Halloween/scary movies on one long weekend in October each year. We eat yummy food and candy. We sleep on an air mattress in the living room. I guess we may stop if my kids protest when they get older, but not all traditions are bad or harken back to the dead, or even our parents. My wife and I started this when it was just the two of us, and we’ve continued with our kids. Everyone loves it.
They weren’t trying to be mean, for the most part, they either didn’t get him or they underestimated him. By the end, all of that is resolved and Mater is known as the hero he always was!