It's Halloween, Let's All Idol-Worship Tonight!

The Jewish Press ^ | 10/31/'12 | Tzvi Fishman

[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?

[Jewbacca]

“Given the above statement of not “cooking a calf in its mother’s milk,” why is it that you CAN fry chicken using eggs in the batter, yet you can’t add milk to the batter, even though chickens do not give milk, since chicken is classified as “meat.”

A fair amount of Jewish people won’t do that, just for the reason you suggest.

[morphing libertarian]

?????

[little jeremiah]

Agreed 100%.

The ghost/witch/fiend/zombie/blood and puss dripping cadaver celebrations are way, way weird. When I was a kid the entire Halloween event was much smaller, less important, less touted, barely commercialized, and bank tellers and nurses did not dress up.

Most kids and/or their mothers made their costumes and they were usually more innocent for the most part.

It’s practically a national holiday now. I loathe it.

[sam_whiskey]

Ha, I see what you did there...

[muawiyah]

We could go have a picnic in the graveyard ~ lay a cloth out next to great great grandpa's grave ~ tell some family stories, eat fried chicken and/or tacos.

[Hegewisch Dupa]

Ha!!! That is waaaaaaay to logical for that goof to deal with - nicely done!!!!

[Hegewisch Dupa]

Seriously - by his own self-imposed system of not using the unholy vowels of false gods - I wonder if he can even type out the full name of the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man???

[muawiyah]

The first European immigrants to America did Halloween as a religious feast ~ 'cause they were from Spain. That idea stuck ~ then, as I'm finding out in great detail, there really were Jews here in the 1500s and they didn't do Halloween ~ 'cause they don't do that. But then there were members of every brotherhood in Europe, and there are variations in the ways missionaries do Halloween ~ and I haven't found all of them in effect at the time, but very importantly those missionaries were here because Juan Carvajal, a famous Spanish Cardinal gave up his threat of schism (that is, a sort of Protestant reformation in the ranks of the Spanish church) provided the King of Spain let all the brotherhoods in Europe send missionaries to America. His former subordinate also became pope.

So, it wasn't just Spaniards wandering around looking for gold.

By the time the Puritans wandered into Virginia Christianity, and Judaism, were well established, as such things go, in much of America that would never see a Puritan for more than 200 years later.

BTW, Martin Luther was not the only priest with thoughts of Protestantism ~

[Colofornian]

Are YOU saying that G*D didn’t use Solomon(sp?) a man who brought Idols INSIDE the Temple?

Alright...#1...you DO know what the word "tendency" is, doncha?

But MORE importantly #2...Most of what God did thru Solomon occurred prior to him going off the deep end with hundreds of marriages & concubines; some of the partners leading to encouraging Solomon to engage in idolatry...

PROOF: 3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. 4 As Solomon GREW OLD, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been. (1 Kings 11:3-4)

The Lord's response? 11 So the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. (1 Kings 11:11)

You DO see, doncha, that God's response was to begin tearing the kingdom away from him...Why, if we'd had a Mormon in the White House vs. Abraham Lincoln, the South's secession would have been complete! (Guaranteed!)

You're not Bible-literacy challenged, are you? You DO know what the phrase "grew old" means -- doncha?

So don't try to rewind these idols earlier into Solomon's life!!!

ALL: This is what the Scripture twisters will do in their vain efforts to become advocates for Mormonism...

[Colofornian]

In other words, a meaningless vote.

ALL: If you live in NJ-NY-CT; IL; most of New England (except NH); the Left Coast; or the corridor of MD-DC-Delaware, "onedoug" has a consistent message to give you: Should you decide to vote for Mitt Romney, who stands ZERO chance of taking a single electoral vote from those states, by way of extension, onedoug believes your vote is thereby a "meaningless vote"...

Sorry, Doug...you can't have it both ways...

[Hegewisch Dupa]

Ohhhhh Bogieman Bogieman - run run away!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ArrogantBustard]

Yes ... we could have a competition as to who has the creepiest "day of the dead" celebrations.

And as creepy (in a banal sort of way) as the Mexicans can be, I think the fine folks in the "Castro District" could probably beat them. They make up for lack of practice with sheer enthusiasm for the grotesquely perverse.

[familyop]

From the first federal census of 1790, Catholics comprised only about 6/10ths of a percent (0.6%) of the population of the thirteen original colonies (about 25,000 out of 3,939,000).

First federal census:

http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/decennial/1790.html

Halloween was first celebrated in the USA (and only by a very few) during the European, non-Protestant immigration surges of the mid-1800s. Chr*stmas was also rejected by early Americans.

[MarkL]

A fair amount of Jewish people won’t do that, just for the reason you suggest.

Really? I don't claim to be an expert on the matter, but I was raised in an Orthodox home, and my Grandfather (with whom my Mother and I lived) though not a Rabbi, was recognized as a Mashgiach, responsible for certifying that commercial kitchens in KC were keeping kosher. Growing up, we had chicken along with egg (as ingredients) in many meals.

Actually, when I think about it, I can't imagine a Matzoh Ball Soup recipe without the chicken soup and egg in the matzoh balls. Or for that matter, Shabbat Challah.

Mark

[tomkat]

Several times each year, the Religion forum serves to reaffirm Deism as having been the right choice.

[muawiyah]

I had some French protestant ancestors along the Mississippi and Ohio in the early 1700s. They celebrated La Toussaint and Christmas! That territory was claimed by the seaboard colonies and became part of the United States by the signing of the treaty of paris, 1783!

Not to say you are wrong, but there were few Puritans in those parts, and even in Pennsylvania German was the dominant language ~

Just to remind you English speaking people were just one of a variety of other peoples already here!

[GOPJ]

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.

LOL - funny post - thanks for sharing...

[familyop]

Yes on German in some colonies. Some Huguenots even joined the Dutch Reformed Church in the area of what is New York now, and at least a very few of those were Sephardim (after fleeing first from Spain to France and hiding in France for generations before Holland, Jersey, etc., then landing here).

[KC_Lion]

I suspect it because there were a lot of Jews in the early major league cities like NY , Detroit, Boston etc. After all, my great grandfather was apparently a Polish Jew who ended up working for the Purple gang who were a Jewish gang.

You have a very interesting family history Cripple, I know you have said that you only recently found the Jewish Roots in your Grandfathers past, but seeing that he was in the Purple Gang, he must have kept his Jewish Roots for sometime here in America.

[Cronos]

from the article posted here by ZC 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.

Sadly, articles like these destroy Jewish-Christian relations and play into the false image of them saying " Xtian pollution," -- articles like this serve no purpose except to drive a wedge.