It’s almost Halloween again, and it’s getting down to the wire if you haven’t already picked out your costume. There are a plethora to choose from. Options range from superheroes to animals to truly creative and unique options. All you need is a cardboard box for many last minute DIY costumes.

If you have a little girl in your house, chances are she has decided to dress up as a Disney princess. Many little girls don’t even wait for Halloween to don their favorite princess dress from the Disney store. Any excuse will do. Or, heck, who even needs an excuse. A random Tuesday will do.

One of the newer Disney princesses, Moana, is under the spotlight this year. Many people feel that it’s not appropriate for a white child to dress up as a Polynesian princess.

Mom blogger Sachi Feris went viral last year with her explanation about why she doesn’t want her daughter to dress up as Moana. “I don’t like the idea of dressing up using the same traditional clothing that someone from Moana’s culture may have worn because that feels like we are laughing at her culture by making it a costume. A child whose family is Polynesian could dress up using that type of traditional clothing but Moana’s culture is not our culture.”

Auli’i Cravalho, the 17-year-old Hawaiian-born actress who does the voice for Moana has another opinion. She told People, “It’s done in the spirit of love and for Disney and for the little ones who just want to dress up as their favorite heroine. I’m all for it.”

She went on to say, “I would encourage anyone who wants to dress up as a wayfinder who journeys beyond her reef to figure out who she truly is. I totally support you. Go for it! Parents can dress up as Moana, too.”

In 2016, Disney sold a costume for Maui, another character in the movie “Moana”. The costume included a dark-skin colored bodysuit covered in Polynesian tattoos. Disney ended up having to pull the costume from store shelves since it was considered very inappropriate.

If your little one wants to dress up as Moana this year, and if she’s not Polynesian, here are a few general guidelines to follow. Absolutely do not make any attempt to darken your daughter’s skin, and do not try to draw on traditional Polynesian tattoos. 

For more on this Halloween costume controversy, watch the video below.

What are your children going to dress up as for Halloween this year? What do you think of the debate over the Moana costume?