The relationship betweenJews and Halloween is complicated, due to theChristian andPagan roots ofHalloween. ManyJews in Western countries celebrate Halloween as a secular holiday. However, many Jews do not celebrate Halloween for religious or cultural reasons.Orthodox Jews typically do not celebrate Halloween, but liberal denominations of Judaism such as theReform movement permit celebrating the holiday. The Jewish holiday ofPurim has often been compared to Halloween, due to the wearing of costumes during the holiday.
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Many American Jews celebrate Halloween, disconnected from its Christian and Pagan origins. American Jews who celebrate Halloween are likely to view it as a secular holiday, little different fromThanksgiving or theFourth of July. Secular Jews and non-Orthodox Jews are more likely to celebrate Halloween.[1] According toKveller magazine, many if not the majority of American Jews consider Halloween to be "harmless fun". Many Jewish parents allow their children to wear costumes and go trick-or-treating during Halloween.[2]
According toAlfred J. Kolatch in theSecond Jewish Book of Why, inJudaism, Halloween is not permitted byhalakha (Jewish religious law) because it violatesLeviticus 18:3, which forbids Jews from partaking innon-Jewish customs.[3] Trick-or-treating can be problematic for Jews who keepkosher, because some Halloween candies are not kosher. However, much of the popular candies in the United States are certified kosher.[4]
Orthodox Judaism generally prohibits the celebration of Halloween.Modern Orthodox Jews typically do not celebrate Halloween. Some Modern Orthodox parents may allow certain leniencies such as allowing their children to eat kosher Halloween candy or visit haunted houses, but otherwise do not participate. Orthodox RabbiMichael Broyde opposes Jewish celebration of Halloween because the holiday "plainly has in its origins religious beliefs that are foreign to Judaism" and that are "prohibited to us as Jews." Rabbi Broyde also acknowledged that the majority of Americans and American Jews who celebrate Halloween are not doing so for religious reasons.[5] Rabbi Jack Abramowitz of theOrthodox Union has discouraged Jewish celebration of Halloween due to its "combination of Celtic, Roman and Christian" elements that are "distinctly non-Jewish", characterizing Halloween as a non-secular holiday.[6]
TheUnion for Reform Judaism emphasizes that "informed choice" is the most important facet in whether Reform Jews do or do not celebrate Halloween.[7]ReformRabbi Jeffrey Goldwasser has said that "There is no religious reason why contemporary Jews should not celebrate Halloween."[8]
Purim has sometimes been compared to Halloween, in part due to some observants wearing costumes, especially of Biblical figures described in the Purim narrative.[9] The Purim custom of givingmishloach manot has been compared to the Halloween tradition of givingcandy.[10] Purim has sometimes been referred to as the "Jewish Halloween" or "anti-Halloween."[11] However, some consider terms like "Jewish Halloween" to be a misnomer due to the major differences between the holidays.[12]
Halloween and the Jewish holiday ofSukkot both occur during the fall in theGregorian calendar, with Sukkot coming before Halloween. Sukkot is typically celebrated in September or October. Neighborhoods where both Jews and non-Jews live may have bothsukkahs and Halloween decorations up during the months of September and October. In contrast to Halloween's focus on death, Sukkot is a celebration of life.[13]
Many Jews observeYizkor communally four times a year, which is vaguely similar to the observance ofAllhallowtide in Christianity, in the sense that prayers are said for both "martyrs and for one's own family".[3][14]
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