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A Question for MUMAN concerning "Halloween"

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~Hanna~:
Shalom Muman:

I would like to hear what the Torah teaches about celebrating the pagan holiday of Halloween.

As you may or may not know, this has it origions in paganism.

Thankyou, very much.  :)

muman613:
Hi ~Hanna~,

Personally I grew up with Halloween in my youth. As I started my religious return seven years ago I started to dislike Halloween for the reason which you stated.

I don't know if there is any hard-line halacha concerning Halloween... But I will do a search for relevant articles...


Here is an article which seems to answer this question:


--- Quote ---

http://www.beingjewish.com/faqs/halloween.html

Question: We just bought a sukkah for the first time in our lives and enjoyed the holiday. We go to temple every Saturday for services. Yet we still decorate for Halloween and go trick or treating {We are not kosher} My orthodox friends say this is hypocritical and I am giving my children a mixed message. I have always looked upon Halloween as being a fun holiday. What is the Jewish viewpoint on Halloween? I need to know the answer. Thank you.

Answer:

Mazel tov on your new acquisition! May you enjoy many happy years in that Sukkah! Sukkos has the unique element of bestowing holiness upon the Jews by virtue of a Mitzvah that surrounds us. Most Mitzvos are things we do, and when we do them, we personally manipulate holiness. The Sukkah surrounds us, and envelops us in its special spiritual warmth, and we thus manipulate holiness by doing things in the Sukkah, instead of to or with the Sukkah.

Halloween, however, has no such warmth or spirituality for a Jew. Quite the contrary, it can actually take away spirituality and holiness from a Jew. Part of this is because it is forbidden for us to adopt non-Jewish holidays. But that's not the only reason. Halloween has many elements in it that are simply wrong and contrary to Jewish values.

Before I discuss those, however, let me first suggest an alternative.

Purim is a holiday with a lot more fun in it than Halloween. Not only that, but on Purim we wear disguises and give gifts of food to friends and gifts of money and/or food to poor people.

In keeping Purim, you would be teaching your children a number of important lessons, such as the greater goodness of giving rather than demanding, and also the main lesson of Purim, which is that G-d helps people "anonymously," that is, while G-d remains behind the scenes. (See my articles at our Purim Gateway for an explanation of this concept.)

On Halloween people take -- in fact demand -- sweets from strangers. This alone is certainly not a good thing to be teaching children, not to mention that Judaism forbids such a practice. It is also considered terrible behavior.

Besides, there are also the pagan and christian concepts involved in Halloween.

Halloween is said to have originated as a Druids' holiday at the harvest season. They would light large bonfires to ward away evil spirits.

The Celts believed that Halloween was a good day to examine the future by means of magical practices. Magical practices are forbidden by the Torah whether or not they work. (Magic tricks done by sleight of hand are permitted, unless used to dupe or manipulate someone.)

So Halloween was a pagan holiday celebrated in Great Britain quite a long time ago, probably a thousand years before christianity existed.

When the Romans conquered Britain, they added some things to Halloween. Since it was also a harvest festival, they added the worship of Pomona, the "goddess of fruits and trees." Idolatry, as you know, is one of the three worst sins.

According to Wikipedia:

    The term Halloween, and its older spelling Hallowe'en, is shortened from All-hallow-even, as it is the evening before "All Hallows Day". In Ireland, the name was All Hallows Eve and this name is still used by some older people. Halloween was also sometimes called All Saints' Eve. The holiday was a day of religious festivities in various northern European pagan traditions, until it was appropriated by Christian missionaries and given a Christian interpretation. In Mexico November 1st and 2nd are celebrated as the Day of the Dead.

According to the Catholic Online Encyclopedia, the day following Halloween is known as All Saints' Day, followed by All Souls' Day, and those are indeed Christian holidays.

So, as you see, there is nothing about Halloween that has anything to do with any Jewish sentiments. Just about every aspect of it is forbidden by Jewish Law!

Again, consider keeping Purim instead. Jews have no need to celebrate Gentile holidays. Ours have so much more meaning and joy to us.
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More Info:
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/434666/jewish/Do-Jews-Celebrate-Halloween.htm
http://www.yeshiva.org.il/ask/Eng/?id=65

Kahane-Was-Right BT:
It is important to realize that there is going to be a more machmir position on this issue, and I'm sure there are also lenient opinions as well, because obviously the way it's practiced today, it has nothing to do with pagan ritual or anything religious.   It's just kids going around and getting candy.    So even if you fish out something that says it's forbidden, that does not mean that Judaism does not allow it.  There can be an opinion that it is allowed to go trick or treating, I don't know.    Either way, Jews should be in Israel practicing Jewish rituals, not staying back in America, for candy and sweets and large TV's and large SUV's...

muman613:

--- Quote ---http://www.yeshiva.org.il/ask/Eng/?id=65
Jewish law prohibits celebrating gentile holidays. (1) Furthermore, a Jew cannot engage in business with gentiles on their religious holidays, so as not to aid them in their ability to celebrate their idolatrous practices. Today, however, when the vast majority of gentiles no longer believe in the religious practices associated with their holidays, a Jew can engage in business with them, and even pretend to be happy with them, in order not to create animosity. However, a person who takes his Judaism seriously should avoid mixing with them if he can. (2)
--- End quote ---

~Hanna~:
Thankyou Muman, for posting that.

Kahane: in the "church's" today, many are turning Apostate. Where is all this evil coming from? There has been a return of paganism here in America, for years now.  If you know what some of them did to the candy that they hand out, you would not have your kids treat or treating.

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