In just a few days, the sidewalks of our neighborhoods will teem with creatures of all sizes, shapes, and apparel. In addition to our weekly ritual of marking the end of Shabbat with Havdalah, this Saturday evening brings us Halloween, the holiday of costumes, carved pumpkins, scary stories, and massive quantities of sugary goodness. For many American Jews, participating in Halloween activities feels harmless, as they consider Halloween to be a national tradition without the attachment of any real religious meaning. As part of the process of assimilating into the greater culture, American Jews have adopted this tradition, seeing no religious conflicts. But, is it okay for American Jews to celebrate Halloween? Where does this holiday find its roots, and what does it all mean for Jews?
Halloween has origins in the ancient Gaelic festival Samhain, which marked the end of the summer. This festival, celebrated mostly in Ireland and Scotland, had some elements of a festival of the dead, as the ancient Celts believed that the border between this world and that of the Otherworld became thin on Samhain, allowing spirits - both harmless and harmful - to pass through. Family ancestor's were welcomed while harmful spirits were warded off, perhaps the earliest source of costumes and masks.
Until about 1300 years ago, Halloween was purely a pagan event. Then the Roman Catholic Church, in an attempt to wean people away from their former practices, simply absorbed some of them and combined them into two new holidays. The Church moved All Saints' Day, a day to remember minor saints, from May 13 to November 1, and created All Souls' Day, a day to remember the dead, on November 2. All Saints' Day was also called All Hallows Even, often shortened to All Hallows E'en, eventually becoming Halloween. In one medieval custom, people dressed up and went door to door, asking for food in exchange for giving prayers for the dead. Halloween is no longer celebrated in any way as part of a Christian holiday.
When Halloween hit America, it took on another meaning. While today's celebration of the holiday contains elements of its various origins, Halloween in the United States is a decidedly secular event and retains no connection to any religious meaning or observance. So where does this leave American Jews? Should families allow their children to dress up and traipse around the neighborhood in search of sugary bounty?
On one hand, halachah, Jewish law, particularly in Leviticus 18:3, seems to forbid any celebration of Halloween, as Jews are forbidden to partake in any "gentile customs." However, there are those who contend that the original injunctions refer mostly to the prohibition to adopt any religious customs of another people and therefore is not relevant in the case of Halloween in its current secular status. Just as American Jews take part in other American traditions, like the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, or even New Year's Eve (which has some times to religious events with the Catholic Church), so too should Halloween be allowed.
In the end, while it might not be appropriate for the organized Jewish community to publicly celebrate Halloween, the decision to do so privately is ultimately up to each family. There are always ways to find connections in Jewish tradition (primarily with stories of the Golem, a creation of Jewish folklore in which an animated being is created entirely from inanimate matter - a great book for children is Golem by David Wisniewski. If you have not yet read the phenomenal The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon, it does contain some of the Golem story.)
Since Halloween falls on a Saturday evening this year, include Havdalah as part of your pre-trick-or-treating preparation. The heart of Havdalah can be found in the phrase, "hamavdil bein kodesh l'chol," distinguishing between the sacred (Shabbat) and the secular (rest of the week). The Havdalah service can be found in any siddur (just look in the Table of Contents), and audio files of the prayers can be found here.
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