It’s our most ancient holiday. Sure, some could take it awry, but it’s easy not to do that too.
We went trick or treating yesterday, lots of kids, all cute. And even in the gang of teens that came to my door, none of the girls were dressed slutty. And this is in NJ.
It was a lovely fall day, really a perfect Halloween.
Ro'sh HaShanah is the most ancient holiday. It's the anniversary of the Sixth Day of Creation when G-d made Adam and Eve (and they procreated, sinned, and were kicked out). It's even called Harat `Olam (literally "conception of the world" but traditionally translated "birthday of the world") in the prayerbook.
The Celtic "new year" ("halloween") is actually kind of like Ro'sh HaShanah: it begins at sunset and occurs in the fall. It may very well be a twisted and paganized Celtic retention of the memory of Ro'sh HaShanah.
BTW, has anyone else noticed something interesting? We have all these "right wing chrstians" defending old pagan holidays and calling people "Puritans" and "Taliban," yet any suggestion that actual BIBLICAL holidays be celebrated would probably cause them to hold a crucifix out in front of them against the "evil" of the suggester.