Halloween Is Not Our Holiday

I forgot to state that my comment is coming from a ger tzaddick (me) who used to be a devout xtian and is not a devout Jew.

Halloween is NOT a secular holiday. The name is short for "All Hallow's Eve" and it is the evening before All Saints Day. It is as secular as Xmas Eve. Religious Jews who celebrate Thanksgiving are doing so because THAT holiday IS secular, honoring the founding (discovery) of the country (land). The Pilgrims NEVER got the idea of Thanksgiving from Sukkot and the two holidays have nothing in common. (Just because it appears that I tie my shoes like a Jew ties his shoe, doesn't mean that the two are related.) It NEVER started as a Xtian celebration though it WAS started as a holiday that Xtians created to celebrate. This is why knowledgeable Jewish families, even frum families, celebrate it. If she is Jewish, she should NOT have "enjoyed" the holiday as she planned. And btw, Reform "Judasim" is not Judaism. Rather it is a religion founded by Jews....just like the pagan religion set up by the king of the North (Israel) to compete with the Judaism of the South (Yehudah) thousands of years ago.

I dropped mythree year old son off to his school, a local jewish preschool. It is a big mix of affiliated jews. I walked in and a teacher (not my son's) asked him how his holloween was. First, my son had no idea what she was talking about, second, she assuemed even as an Orthodox Jew, we celebarated Holloween. Ifeel like some assimilated jews want to celebrate every other holiday except their own. especially when they have no idea what Holloween is about or its origin. Like you said, there was just simchas torah, there is purim. Why are these holidays not important?

Thanks for this lovely article.I have managed to shield our kids from this dreadful American import since they were born and have succeeded - not even opening the door and repeating to our kids: it is a pagan thing and we are Jewish. It is NOT our holiday and that is final.This year I lost the battle. One of our Jewish American friends who has always celebrated halloween askedus had to join in the "innocent" fun. I was livid and later allowed my feelings to be felt in the shape of a tantrum! The kids later realised that going around in scary costumes is indeed pointless and the sweets they got had gelatine which they threw in the bin! They said won't be going to another halloween party ever again - their own words! a small victory for me!

Excellent idea and so beautifully presented!

Thanks Lori for this piece. I am not Jewish, but I have been saying similar things for years. I never wanted to send my kids out, in the dark, to strangers' homes, asking for candy! Contrary to everything I ever taught them. Let alone the pagan side of the 'holiday' -- yikes. Just not for me and my house, all the way around. I like that you suggest giving, and kosher candy is a great idea.

lori - that was beautiful. we are kind of in a similar boat and have taught our children the same philosophy. thanks for sharing your views so eloquently. you new fan - amy lefcoe

I disagree with any part of celebrating Halloween. It is a pagan non-Jewish celebration and being part of any of it, such as giving candy, even if it is kosher candy, is participating. In my personal opinion participating 50% by giving candy but not going out will only confuse the children.

but I don't feel that way anymore. Halloween is a secular holiday and it is just a lot of fun. I know religious Jews who celebrate Thanksgiving and others who don't . Regardless of the fact that the Pilgrims got the idea of Thanksgiving from Sukkot - which I do know about - it still started as a Christian celebration. And yet some Jewish families, even frum families, celebrate it. It all depends on your take on the holiday. I am enjoying Halloween again :-)

Did you go out as a child? I think maybe you might wish to think how it was back then. if this is so bad then we can't support by giving out candy(even if ti is kosher) and maybe I am wrong, but I show my wife as I do all year, how much she means to me, even in February.

Thank you Lori!

About 25 years ago, my husband and I were part of a young couples club at our shul. Every month a different group would sponsor a Saturday night event. Our group was assigned the last Saturday in October and the rest of the group wanted to throw a "Halloween Dance". I explained that a Halloween Dance in a shul is a definite "no-no". But I was about to be overruled. Then I came up with what I thought was a good solution. We could have a costume party, but one had to dress as their favorite Bible character. It was wonderful. People was so creative. I was a dreidl, my husband was Joseph in the Coat of Many Colors. Several couples came as the tablets of the Ten Commandments. Two Havurah groups joined together and came as Noah and his wife and the animals that entered the Ark. Another couple came as Sampson and Delilah. (He wore a Superman costume with a Mogen David across his chest and a long wig. She had giant scissors.) It was a lot of fun. Many years later, a friend, who belonged to a "Born Again Christian" church lamented that the children wanted to celebrate Halloween, something BACs do not do. I suggested the Bible theme and ask the children to write a short paragraph about their character. It was a big hit and now they do it every year. One is only limited by their initiative and creativity.

An earlier comment (36) compared the Halloween notion of "the dead rising" with the Jewish tradition of the revival of the dead, saying that they are both scary,so what's the difference? Well, ever since I was a child, the idea of the resurection of the righteous has been presented in glowing, comforting terms. No scary images formulated in my mind. In contrast, not a single Halloween has passed where I haven't averted my eyes in disgust at some ghastly and gruesome display highlighting human mortality and physical decay. Judaism celebrates life, particularly the eternal life of the soul. Why would a Jew celebrate a "holiday" that ignores the beauty of life and romanticizes horror? The joy of life is not curtailed by keeping it's focus on holiness. Quite the opposite- it is the only real and lasting joy there is. Now THAT'S something to teach the children!

Lori, I grew up in a traditional Jewish family. I was allowed to dress up in school for halloween, and like your family, we gave out candy but did not trick-or-treat. I must tell you this is the worst thing you can do for your kids. By giving candy to trick or treaters you are acknowledging the holiday and participating in one of its rituals, and still depriving your children of the most fun part. They will grow resentful as I did, for many years. If you really dont believe in the holiday (as I dont anymore, and have become religious) you must not take part in any part of it. explain to your kids they can do chessed another time. they can give out treats erev shabbos or something like this.

Dear Lory, We did things in a very similar way when our children were gowing up. We did not go out; but we gave candy (kosher candy). Two of our three children did not feel they were missing anything and they are frum today. It is a pleasure how they are raisng their families. Thank you again for this lovely videio. Sincerely, Chaya Dina

Thank you Lori. My daughter , 8 years old, wanted badly to participate and you helped me to convince her not to.

Lori is absolutely right. Halloween evolved from a pagan ritual into a Christian observance ... It is the evening before All Saint's Day. As my late grandmother used to say, "It's NOT a Jewish holiday!"

Great installment of Lori Almost Live. I relate to Debbie (comment #30) because my kids also don’t know hat Halloween is. I am brimming with gratitude to Hashem for bringing me home to Israel after a life of 30 years in Chutz L’Aretz. I’ve been living in Israel the past ten years and Halloween is such a non-issue, as is Turkey-Day, Xmas, Valentine’s Day, etc. I certainly remember these American holidays but I feel like I have “grown up” and moved on to a far holier existence because I am surrounded by the kedusha of Israel. Hashem has commanded the holidays (and fast days) we must commemorate. Halloween is not among them. I look forward to my Jewish brothers and sisters abroad joining us in Israel to delight in serving Hashem in the Land He gave us as our inheritance, b’mehera v’yameinu!

For over twenty years, I lived in a small town in New Brunswick, Canada, and taught school in Nova Scotia. When my own daughters were born, I knew it would be hard to establish their Jewish identity if we did not create a Jewish home. And we succeeded -- both daughters are kosher and Sabbath observant, and my married daughter covers her hair. Now, in our New Brunswick home, we never, ever celebrated Christmas, though our children were the only ones who did not, being the only Jewish kids in town. But they did celebrate Halloween. What is the difference? Halloween, no matter its origins, is purely secular; it has no spiritual significance and is not a threat to Jewish beliefs (and by the way, a belief in dybbuks and demons -- not to mention the use of talismans -- is as much a part of Ashkenazi folklore as the demons of Halloween are a part of Anglo-Saxon folklore). To me, celebrating Halloween is no different from acting in a school play based on a fairy tale -- say, acting in a play of Hansel and Gretel. Christmas? NO, because it is truly (or should be) a religious holiday, and, as Lori says, "It's not our holiday!" But Halloween? It is folklore, and if you read Cinderella, watch Disney's Snow White, then you can celebrate Halloween. Just don't eat the treats that aren't hekshered; give them to your friends! And, just a footnote: As a teacher in Nova Scotia, I found that Halloween was one of the richest sources of stories (Scottish folktales, especially) and of ideas for the children's creative writing. How nice that it came so near the beginning of the year, and got my students reading and writing in a way that was fun.

What I like about Halloween is that the children are involved in things of the spirit realm, so this is a great excuse to tell a child about spiritual Light during their day in Darkness. Thanks Grea video

I was thinking about what you wrote about Hallowe'en some more and so I wanted to add just this, and that is, what you call a pagan holiday became something "else". Life has this habit of changing, or transmuting from the one, to the other. In this case as I wrote, some of the images, about rebirth, magic, the miracle, is deeply a part of Judaism. It is so true that in metaphor, we are all surely reborn. Reborn in spring. For me fall is about Moses and the "burning bush" because I do see it in all these blazing trees. Spring is about the well, that spring, even, as in the Zohar, "A river runs through Eden". If you look at joy, at the smiles of children, at the magic of fairy tales, then we are all being "ferried" to another place, through these stories, and these holidays, whether Jewish or not. I do perceive deeply, that the same G_d, who created Shavuos, Sukkot, Simchas Torah, is very active, and involved, in those little racing feet, those childish voices, having fun, dealing with things of spirit, but not deeply and simply the marvels of little lights in the darkness, that are welcoming and sweet, well that too, is part of this holiday.

I live for the time being, in a non-Jewish neighborhood. There are many sweet kids around now and it seems to be a better place. Kids love sweets and I talked with one of the mothers (of three beautiful girls) and homemade cookies (kosher) and brownies (also kosher) are what I will be giving. It is for them and I believe that kids don't even look at the day as satanic. Not that it did not have origins in the pagan, of course it does. However, kids love treats and I don't want to hurt their feelings by not giving them something. At least they get some good food value and not incessant candy. The mommy said "yum" so I think that I will have little visitors and maybe some big visitors there to guide and protect the young. At this point I just look at it as giving to the kids that I see needing something extra that they don't have. Chesed is good to do and when they are not Jewish children I believe that no big rule has been broken. When conversion is done and I move to be close to a shul the changes will be there. That is just fine with me. It just warms my heart to hear children playing happily and safely. Music to the ears... :).

We have actually always dealt with this holiday as you suggested and my kids (now married) never felt they missed out. However, I wonder why you stressed how "scary" the dead rising on Halloween is when Jews often talk about "the dead rising" to follow the Messiah. Why is that NOT scary as well? Halloween has it; we have it.

I always love that you have a smile on your face, spreading joy around the world!

many thanks for this post we are at the door of dark time , and with so much need to be closer to the Eternal Lord, and his holy days lev.23. beging with the shabbat.

If we live in a multicultural society we should also be able to intengrate with the prevailing ustoms of the Country . Being right or wrong we should not denigrate an established tradition by promoting our own. Purim and the like are just Jewish occasions which should not be used as an example to debase other people's customs whether they are right or wrong

As a nurse I work with many different people from diverse religious backgrounds and practices. To the Druids Halloween literally means "Hallow" means to give honor or reverence. Samhain (pronounced sahween) is the Celtic Lord of the dead. So Halloween means to give honor and reverence to the Lord of the dead. To the Wiccans it is their "New Years Eve and a high holy for them.

Thanks so much for your input into this "thorny" issue Lori. I appreciate your emphasis on when one has the real thing there is no need for pagan substitutes. Totally agree. Halloween is more than a harmless 'substitute' though - it's totally creepy and negative with its focus on death and fear. I'm finding the thought of encouraging it in any way - such as giving candy, albeit kosher - difficult to do. So my husband & I have decided to take the path of least resistance and to go out for dinner and let the 'storm' pass, as it were - and find another cause to give to instead.

... Even thinking about Halloween gives me the creeps. Your thoughts are reasonable and certainly won't offend anyone, but I can only thank G-d for the zilliionth time that I came to live in Israel. I'm now raising my family here, and thank G-d (again) my kids don't even know what Halloween is. Someone with the clarity and support system that Lori has can raise a frum family in the US, but not everyone has all that going for them. I personally can't imagine having to face all of that stuff day after day, season after season. Lori, I've heard your tape on why you don't live in Israel, and I respect your and everyone else's choices. I can only say, again, that I'm so grateful I don't have to face pumpkins and ghosts. As if I don't have anything to deal with here :-)... Thanks for another great tape.

Once upon a time many years ago I denied my children the pleasure of trick-or-treat, looking upon Halloween as a Christian holiday. In the years since, I have regretted my decision. Halloween has become the quintessential AMERICAN holiday, much like Thanksgiving, with no religious overtones. My grandchildren are fortunate to be able to celebrate both Halloween and Purim. Why deny them that pleasure?

I have to disagree with Lori in this case. The religious meaning of Halloween is long-since forgotten, and the holiday has become part of secular society. Would Lori object to the holiday of Thanksgiving, since it originated as a Christian rite and G-d to whom those who originated the holiday were giving thanks is surely different than our concept of the Almighty? And many Churches hold Thanksgiving services or masses. Or for that matter, using money that says "In G-d We Trust" on it. What about going to a baseball game, since that is certainly not discussed in the Torah or Rabbinic texts? Where do you draw the line? As Jews living in America, our challenge is to embrace secular society while still living a fully committed Jewish life. I just don't agree with the argument that wearing a costume on Halloween (or sending cards on Valentine's Day) is wrong.

Dear Lori, I agree with you that Purim is superior to Halloween. And it's also true that "Halloween is not our holiday." However, it's not really anyones holiday...except in Mexico, i don't know anyone who celebrates Halloween as a real holy day. Thanksgiving is also "not our holiday," but [most of us] celebrate it. Halloween's origins just don't matter...hey, Thanksgiving was begun by Christian Pilgrims, but it's still a pretty neat holiday! Baruch

Giving out candy, I feel; kosher or not, is still participating, is it not? You're excusing others by giving in to and giving away the prize they seek when they come knocking on the door. I agreed with pretty much all of what you said until that part. Don't do it at all. Ignore the door, go out, turn the light out...dont even acknowledge it.

What I do for my kids is make homemade popcorn balls and have a family movie night while all the other children are out "trick or treating". My kids don't feel left out by our family night on this night and we enjoy ourselves greatly.

Thank you Lori, truth is truth and you spoke it with love and eloquence. Well, done !!

When we celebrate our own traditions, we don't need to follow anyone else's. Although Halloween isn't satanic in itself: it celebrates the honored dead. Some cultures borrow it to cover for their own less holy pagan traditions.

Thank you Lori for your insights on Halloween. We're to be in the world but not of the world. Giving is always positive. Maybe even handing out a Scripture verse with the candy such as a portion from the Psalms.

As a teacher in a conservative synagogue's religious school, I am always hearing about the "December dilemma" that so plagues the parents of the kids I teach. How can they "deprive" their children of all the fun and festivities of the Christmas season? Just recently, a gentile colleague of mine commented on how "sorry" she feels for Jewish kids around Christmas time. It is one thing that she is not better educated on the many fun and festive Jewish holidays or the ways in which we celebrate, but still another that secular Jews themselves feel deprived if they miss out on the non-Jewish celebrations. If only they invested in their own heritage, they would never feel in the least as if they were missing out. In fact, my daughter has often commented on how some kids she knows have so few holidays, while she in comparison has so many. Lori's commentary on Halloween should be a staple for every secular Jewish parent. Maybe that would help solve some of the "dilemmas" of raising a Jewish child in a not-always-so-Jewish environment.

The only difference between my house and Lori's in when my kids were little, they dressed up to answer the door - their job was to give out the goodies, while I was tending to a sibling or making dinner. Of course, my kids dressed up in costumes at every opportunity. My oldest son, now a rabbi, once wore his Superman cape to shul. My mom was scandalized, but I pointed out that to him, it was not really different from a tallis. Buy him a pint-sized tallis, no more need for the cape!

My children are all grown and have their own children, but when they were small, I did exactly what Lori says. I told them that Purim was our "Halloween" More than that, on Purim I decorated our house with crowns and pictures of Queen Esther, Mordechai etc. Somehow that wasn't enough for ME!! So I made Aliyah! Never again did I have to explain why we don't celebrate Halloween!

Everything about Halloween is depressing...witches? goblins? devils?.....scarey masks? And it's getting worse. Nothing is uplifting or inspiring. It just seems like it is a form of idolatry...it reminds me of mardi gras...UGH!! But I still give candy to the little kids who ring our doorbell......I can't refuse the kids. :o)

Dear Laurie, I totally disagree with you. This is a holiday that is fun, and this does not take away from the comparable and beautiful Jewish holidays, of dress and dress up, as parts of that particular story, as in Purim, a wonderful event. I wonder sometimes, Who really speaks for G_d? As for me, I am about to bring a package to a woman from Ghana, who has never experienced the joys of little children having fun and these days with their parents. I am including a fun Hallowe'en card, a teddy bear with a pumpkin on his foot, and various items of clothing and household goods she will enjoy being a student in the Sustainable Development Program at Brandeis. I LOVE Hallowe'en and always have. As to the dead rising, I have no problem with this. If you do, think about Kabala and the journey of souls. There are a lot of resurrection stories in life itself, the earth going fallow and coming to fruit, as in Sukkot. How we do honor our dead and bring them to life with remembrance, and candles. So I say, lighten up. There is being Jewishly correct and then, there is just too much. I say, enjoy, be careful, but giving is also part of the joy of being, part of, the life outside and we are all part of the Creation, even non Jews. So I am saying, Who really does speak for God?

Halloween is becoming more evident even where I live in Italy; I am Christian,not Jewish, but we share the same problems and challenges. You are right that we do not need Halloween, we are better without it, it is a festival of death and darknes but our God is life and light ... so we want to share a message of love, life and light shining in the darkness

Lori is a delightful and intelligent woman. However, Halloween is NOT a holiday. It has long lost it's association with All Saints Day. It's just a fun time for kids and adults alike. To associate it with "taking" rather than "giving" i ridiculous. The kids have fun taking the candy, and we have fun giving it to them. Why must we deny our children because there is nothing Jewish about it? There is nothing anti-Jewish about it either. Give me a break!

Is thaksgiving our holiday? After all, it was made by the goyyim. Let's not get ridiculous.

Hi We have our own demons and angels anyway. They're just as interesting and thrilling. Best Charlie

Halloween is an American institution. It is not religious. No talk of anything except getting free candy unless you are a teen.While so many things can be looked at through the eyes of religion as a proud Jew, I am glad to have had Halloween for both myself and my children. It's fun. Dave

I appreciate the perspective. Often, even as adults we see people obsessed with this holiday. I often wonder what is missing in the lives of adults who want to "dress up" to come to work. A couple of years ago, I wore all black to work along with a kippah. When my coworkers asked me what I was supposed to be, I replied: your ancestors.

I totally agree with her usually on everything. She is a very kind, compassionate woman, who seems to have a good head on her shoulders. You should REALLY listen to what she is saying.

Amen, Lori, For thousands of years the Jewish people have "led out" and set the example for mankind. Your suggestions to "give out" and not to "go out" once again, set a pattern for Jewish and Christian people to follow. Insight, expression, and positive encouragement. Beautiful. Thank You. Now THIS is something I will encourage our congregation to forward.

Isn't partaking in Halloween at all being a mixture. Misrepresenting G-d's holiness and His call to be set apart from the nations and their idolatry---which Halloween is to many, not to mention that it is satan worshiper's, and witches most "holy" day. It represents darkness and evil. Why would any believer participate?

Hi Lori... I could listen to your inspirations, messages and words all day long. I love seeing you in my house I love and miss you come to Cleveland soon for a big hug....xoxoxo Deb Peters

While it is certainly true that every non-kosher TASTE in this world has a kosher taste-a-like, it is neither true nor productive to see any aspect of Torah-based Judaism as a way to experience the world. If so, why go for the substitute when I can have "the real thing" (and I don't mean Coke since that is already kosher certified in many places). The mitzvos we were given, their number and nature, allow us to express the "Image of HaShem" in which we were created. They are not substitutes and they are not equal to anything found in this world. They each express truths about HaShem and His will; how He wants us to reflect and reveal Him to the world.

Ms. Palatnik has missed the mark on 2 key points. First - in comparing Purim to Halloween. They are not similar, not related, not even close. Purim has absolutely nothing to do with Halloween and it is most certainly NOT a Jewish Halloween as she implies (ie. a replacement for Jewish children not to feel they are missing out) The two are not worthy of comparison. The proverbial apples and oranges. Secondly, she doesn't provide a truly meaty or factual reason why NOT to go out on Halloween. Some vague comments about it's pagan origins and "the dead rising" are not a strong, logical and compelling arguement. Indeed - the origings of the festival, from the research I have found is Celtic, which using a lunar calendar, would mark the end of the "light" period (i.e long days) with the final harvest and the beginning of the "dark period" (fall and winter - shorter light days). All the rest, about gouls and goblins, spirits (evil and good) has been layered on by various cultures, wars, conquests, etc. As a non-observant Jew (I consider myself Conservative) I see no conclict with my children dressing up (although I do try to keep them away from the gorrie or goulish aspect of it and focus on the fun costumes) and let them go out and trick or treat. And Ms. Palatnick has notmade a compelling arguement otherwise.

You obviously missunderstood, sometimes, we need to read or hear something a couple of times before we undersatnd... She is in NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM comparing

She doesn't say that Purim is like a Jewish Hallloween, she compared both and showed how different they are, the way they dress out and the difference between giving and receiving. She said the Kids doesn't miss out because we have our own holiday, witch is different.

I have to agree with comment number 1. We need to explain why Purim is not like Halloween and so on. We need to explain that there is a much different reason behind what we do, and what the non Jewish world does. Our customs have a religous background, whereas, I hate to say it, the non Jewish world really has no idea why they do certain things, for their holidays. I have asked very innocantly some non Jewish people the reason behind , let's say Easter, and they really have no idea . I am very proud to be able to explain the history behind my beautiful heritage, and why there is actual meaning behind the customs we do.

the one thing i don't like is hearing Purim is like a Jewish H'ween. Chanukah isn't a Jewish X-mas and Pesach isn't a Jewish Easter.