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From: ecl@hocsj.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re: Haloween and Jews
Message-ID: <212@hocsj.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 1-Nov-84 08:38:57 EST
Article-I.D.: hocsj.212
Posted: Thu Nov  1 08:38:57 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 2-Nov-84 06:17:23 EST
Organization: AT&T Information Systems Labs, Holmdel NJ
Lines: 33


Reference: <673@hou2h.UUCP>

Halloween is All Hallows' Eve.  All Hallows' Eve is a Christian holiday.
Halloween was regarded by earlier (more superstitious) Christians as a time
when the Devil and his minions (demons, witches, etc.) roamed the world.
(Other nights were also believed to be the Devil's-- for example, Walpurgis
Night (April 30).)

So in this sense Halloween is a "Christian" holiday, though in exactly the
opposite way that, say, Christmas is.  (St.) Valentine's Day is also a
Christian holiday, and in many places (including Israel), New Year's Eve
(St. Stephen's (?) Eve) is also considered a Christian holiday.

My objections to Halloween would be more along the lines that I don't think
children should be encouraged to believe that it's all right to go to
stranger's homes and demand a treat.  Now to mention, it's not really safe
any more.  A better approach would be to encourage costume parties at
other times of the year--kids (and adults) love to dress up.

(Comments on Halloween derived from readings on medieval witchcraft and such;
also from old horror movies in attempts to determine the accuracy of their
claims.  Comment on New Year's Eve drawn from personal experience--we had
great difficulty in having a "New Year's Eve" party in the King David Hotel
in Jerusalem because of the rules against celebrating Christian holidays
there vis-a-vis their certificate of kashrut.  Since one member of our group
had a birthday on January 1, and  the passport to prove it, they eventually
relented and gave us a room in the basement for the party.  Now in the U.S.,
hardly anyone thinks of New Year's Eve as non-secular.)

					Evelyn C. Leeper
					...ihnp4!hocsj!ecl