Many Jews choose not to participate in Halloween festivities because they believe the festival is Pagan in origin, encourages the spread of fear and superstition, and is incompatible with Jewish values. For Jews, Halloween presents challenges due to its both Pagan and Christian heritage. Orthodox Jews traditionally do not celebrate Halloween, while liberal varieties of Judaism, such as the Reform movement, allow commemorating the festival.
- See also: Why Are Owls Associated with Halloween?
Due to the prevalence of costumed revelry during both holidays, Purim, a Jewish festival, is frequently likened to Halloween. Some American Jews disregard Halloween’s Christian and occult roots and celebrate it as a secular festival. Many Jews, however, choose not to participate in Halloween festivities for cultural or religious reasons. The Jewish Virtual Library classifies Halloween as a Pagan holiday that is banned for Jews. Many American Jews outside of the Orthodox community observe Halloween’s secular customs despite the fact that this festival is forbidden by Jewish law.
The Jewish Look on Halloween
Halloween is not generally celebrated by Jews because of their negative perception of this October event.
- Origin: The ancient Celtic holiday of Samhain, from which Halloween was adopted into Christian traditions as All Hallows’ Eve, has no historical or theological resonance with Judaism. Jews avoid festivities that have their roots in non-Jewish or Pagan cultures.
- Superstition: Halloween’s emphasis on ghosts, spirits, and the supernatural runs counter to Jewish beliefs since it encourages superstition and fear. Superstition, along with the promotion of fear or glorification of evil, is frowned upon in Judaism.
- Contradiction: Judaism opposes polytheism (the worship of more than one deity) and idolatry because of its emphasis on the one true God. Since Halloween has long been linked to Satanism and other pagan rituals, some Jews consider its celebration to be a kind of idolatry.
- Gentile: Jewish law cautions its adherents from imitating the practices of non-Jews (“Gentile”) without considering the religious ramifications. This is a common approach to not celebrating Halloween and other non-Jewish festivals.
The Reasons Why Jews Do Not Celebrate Halloween
There are many reasons—much more than other religions—why Jews don’t participate in Halloween festivities.
-> Halloween is a non-Jewish festival with pagan origins. It celebrates the conclusion of the Celtic calendar year and the beginning of the long, dark winter known as Samhain. Halloween costumes, sweets, and trick-or-treating are linked to pagan practices, such as the Celts‘ belief that the dead might walk among the living on Samhain.
-> Halloween is seen by many Jews as a pagan celebration that fosters superstition and dread and therefore does not match with their teachings. Jews highlight spiritually important holidays in Judaism, such as the High Holy Days and Purim, and endeavor to sustain activities resonating with Jewish ideals.
-> Jews have their own holy holidays, including Rosh Hashanah (September) and Yom Kippur, as well as Purim, Passover, and Hanukkah. These celebrations are so important spiritually that they are celebrated ahead of other festivals because they are Jewish. They remember and pray for the deceased during Yom Kippur in October. This also leaves no place for Halloween.
-> Jews place a premium on maintaining practices that are consistent with Jewish ideals. That’s why many of them opt out of seemingly innocent Halloween celebrations like trick-or-treating and costume parties because they may conflict with their religious beliefs.
-> Judaism forbids its followers from engaging in “gentile customs,” a term taken from Leviticus 18:3. According to the Ten Commandments, Jews may not take part in any form of worship that is not Jewish or is devoted to an idol. Given its dual pagan and Christian roots, Jews are banned from celebrating Halloween.
-> Halakha forbids Jews from taking part in Halloween, despite the fact that many American Jews (particularly those who are not Orthodox) do enjoy the secular aspects of the festival. Liberal Jewish movements, such as the Reform, enable their members to celebrate Halloween even though it is not observed by Orthodox Jews.
History of Halloween
The history of Halloween, which is observed every year on October 31, spans more than 2000 to 3000 years. The ancient Celtic holiday of Samhain provided its inspiration, a time when people dressed up and lit bonfires to fend off evil spirits.
Around 2000 years ago, on November 1st, the Celts, who inhabited what is now Ireland, the United Kingdom, and northern France, rang in their new year. A time of year typically connected with human mortality, this day signaled the end of summer, the harvest, and the beginning of the dark, bitter winter.
The 8th-century bishop of Rome, Pope Gregory III, established All Saints Day on November 1 between 731–732 AD, and the holiday quickly absorbed many Samhain customs. Before Halloween, it was celebrated as All Hallows’ Eve. Trick-or-treating, jack-o’-lantern carving, parties, dressing up, and eating candy still stayed as the main parts of modern Halloween celebrations.
The importance of Halloween varies across cultures and faiths. It is the culmination of a three-day period known as Allhallowtide, during which Western Christians honor and pray for the souls of all their ancestors who have died in the Christian faith.
Halloween has no special meaning at all in other cultures and faiths. For instance, some Eastern Orthodox congregations refuse to celebrate Halloween. Similarly, in Islam and Judaism, Halloween is not commemorated since it stems from Christian custom. However, in modern times, Halloween has become mostly a secular celebration, and more and more people of various beliefs make efforts to celebrate it.
Similarities Between Jewish and Halloween Traditions
There is no causal link between Halloween and Jewish customs, yet there are parallels. Here are a few illustrations:
- Costumes: Both Halloween and Purim, a Jewish festival, call for participants to don disguises for the occasion. It is traditional to don a costume on Purim during March, which celebrates the saving of the Persian Jews in the 4th century BC described in the Book of Esther.
- Community: Togetherness and community are themes shared in both Halloween and Jewish celebrations. While many people get together to celebrate Halloween, Jewish holidays are often observed within a larger community. Similarly, the Jews remember and pray for the deceased during Yom Kippur.
- Sharing: The Halloween spirit and the Jewish tradition of giving and receiving go hand in hand. During Halloween, people give out sweets to trick-or-treaters, but during Jewish festivals, individuals offer presents to family and friends.
- Superstition: There is a history of superstition in both Halloween and Jewish customs. On Halloween, people often believe in ghosts, witches, and other supernatural entities, whereas in Jewish tradition, superstitions like the evil eye are common.
