Posted on 10/31/2012 10:31:16 AM PDT by Zionist Conspirator
If you allow your kids to participate in the pagan rites of a gentile culture, they are likely to grow up with pumpkin heads instead of Jewish heads.
Tonight, Jewish youth all over the world – except in Israel– will celebrate the pagan holiday of Halloween.
Halloween is also called All Hallows’ Eve, because, for the gentiles, it is a hallowed evening, the eve of All Saints’ Day, a day which honors all Christian saints.
The Encyclopedia Britannica explains that in ancient Britain and Ireland, the Festival of Halloween was also celebration of the end of the fertile period of the Celtic goddess, Eiseria. It is said that when Eiseria reaches the end of her fertile cycle, the worlds of the dead and the living intertwine. This supposedly happens on October 31. Masks are worn to show respect for the Goddess Eiseria, who, like most Celtic gods, does not wish to be seen by human eyes. This is one of the reason behind Halloween costumes and for the holiday’s omens, spirits, demons, and witches.
This date was also New Year’s Eve in both Celtic and Anglo-Saxon times, and was the occasion for one of the ancient fire festivals when huge bonfires were set on hilltops to frighten away evil spirits. The souls of the dead were supposed to revisit their homes on this day, and the festival acquired sinister significance, with ghosts, witches, hobgoblins, black cats, fairies, and demons said to be roaming about.
It was the time to placate the supernatural powers controlling the processes of nature. In addition, Halloween was thought to be the most favorable time for divination concerning marriage, luck, health, and death. It was the only day on which the help of the devil was invoked for such purposes. These pagan observances also influenced the Christian festival of All Hallows’ Eve, celebrated on the same date.
Jewish Law states:
A Jew should not follow the customs of the gentiles, nor imitate them in dress, or in their way of trimming their hair, as it says, ‘You shall not walk in the customs of the nation which I cast out before you’ (Lev. 20:23), and ‘Neither shall you walk in their statutes’ (Lev. 18:3). These verses all refer to one and the same matter of not imitating them. A Jew, on the contrary, should be distinguished from them and recognizable by the way he dresses, and in his other activities, just as he is distinguished from them in his knowledge and his beliefs, as it is said, ‘I have set you apart from the peoples’ (Lev. 20:26). (See, Rambam, Laws Regarding Idol Worship and the Ordinances of the Gentiles, 11:1).
When it comes to the question whether Jews can take part in gentile holidays, the halachic discussion differs between clearly religious holidays like Xmas, which are forbidden, and purely secular holidays like Labor Day, which are permissible. Halloween’s religious origins and pagan history place it in the category of gentile holidays that are forbidden to celebrate.
Though Halloween in America has been secularized and commercialized to the point where it is now a frivolous time of costumes, candy, and pranks, it is still celebrated in places like Scotland and Ireland as a Celtic festival of the spirits, and in other places as a holiday honoring the Christian saints. Therefore, there is good reason for telling the kids that “Trick or Treating” is a no-no for Jewish children.
The law prohibiting our participation in gentile holidays and customs comes to protect our special Jewish holiness and cultural distinction. If you allow your kids to participate in the pagan rites of a gentile culture, they are likely to grow up with pumpkin heads instead of Jewish heads.
On the other hand, if you try to safeguard our distinction as Jews and not let your children go “Trick or Treating” with all the other kids in the neighborhood, there’s a good chance that they will grow up hating both you and Judaism for turning them into freaks in the eyes of their friends. Either way, as a Jewish parent, you lose.
What’s the solution? Move to Israel. The only place you will see a pumpkin here is in the supermarket (a small yellow one that looks more like a squash). If you truly love your children and don’t want them growing up with pumpkin heads, then the only solution is to bring them to Israel where they will grow up with Jewish holidays like we’re supposed to.
For example, my 12-year-old son doesn’t know anything about Halloween. He probably has heard about Xmas, but he’s never heard any “Silent Night, Holy Night” carols or seen mangers, or Santa Claus decorations on the street. He’s never heard of Ground Hound Day, and he couldn’t tell you what color is associated with St. Patrick. If you told him that Americans eat gefilta fish on Thanksgiving, he wouldn’t know you were pulling his leg. He’s totally ignorant when it comes to Valentine’s Day, President’s Day, and I doubt that he’s heard of Columbus. I can bet he’s never seen an Easter egg, and to him, the Fourth of July doesn’t mean a thing. For him, Memorial Day honors Israel’s fallen soldiers and not department stores sales. His official school holidays fall on the Days of Awe, Sukkot, Chanukah, and Pesach, and not on the Xmas and Easter celebration of Jezeus.
In other words, my son, thank G-d, is growing up to be a Jew without any foreign Xtian pollution, and without the schizophrenia of observing the holidays of gentile countries and cultures in foreign gentile lands.
Are you still going to let your kid go Trick-or-Treating tonight?
Ping.
Some people are simply the sworn enemies of fun.
Perhaps you are having trouble reading. The point of the article is that "halloween" is forbidden by Jewish Law. Just as Xmas and e@ster are. This is a matter of Halakhah and has nothing to do with "old fogies."
Why don't you think that Jewish holidays can be fun?
n other words, my son, thank G-d, is growing up to be a Jew without any foreign Xtian pollution
Maybe he would prefer some muslim "pollution".
Once again, this is a matter of Jewish Law, not political prejudice. The holidays and rituals of all other religions are forbidden to Jews (and to Noachides too, actually).
Next Tuesday is Election Day, let all Romney voters -- people voting for a temple Mormon who portends to be a competing "god" to THE God, sanction idol worship by voting for a guy who thinks he's a "god-in-embryo!"
But obviously, there ARE people who will completely go off the deep end on this, instead of understanding the difference between THIS description above and people who celebrate it as a religious holiday, even though the VAST majority of people, especially in the USA don't even know it is religious, and there is nothing underlying the activities that would even make someone think it is religious.
In this case, it seems puzzling because the author doesn't seem to be able to (or want to) differentiate between the two, even though he spells out the difference.
Oh, well.
Balderdash
I’ve had it up to here (pointing 2 feet over my head) with these brain damaged anti-mormon bigots!
Of course Jewish holidays could be fun, but not for a polluted - inferior - Christian, because I am not invited.
Once again, Jewish Law forbids Jews adopting the religions, rituals, and holidays of other peoples. This is a matter of LAW, not personal opinion.
Regardless of whether "halloween" is religious or not, it is still chuqqat hagoyim and is still forbidden.
Although most people don't know it, Noachide Law also forbids creating new religions or holidays, so such observations as "halloween" are forbidden to non-Jews as well.
“Xtian”? The writer must be a Christophobe.
Since chrstianity in every form is a false, idolatrous religion, it is an unfortunate fact that there have been very few US Presidential candidates who weren't idolators. And the few exceptions (atheists) have been worse.
But without Jesus as their Lord and Savior, they will meet him as Sovereign and it wont matter what tribe they’re from or what laws they tried not to break.
I pray they come to the knowledge of that saving grace of Jesus Christ and choose Him.
Amen.
Since Chr*st is a false "gxd," what is wrong with that?
It is forbidden to utter the names of false "gxds."
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