Thursday, October 30, 2008

happy halloween?

Is it wrong that I wish I could get dressed up and eat candy tomorrow?
I've never actually gone trick-or-treating, nor does the idea appeal to me - do I seem the type to go knocking on weirdos' doors and begging for chocolate? I dont think so. Jewish girls buy their own candy! (with Daddy's credit card, of course!)
At my ModOrth elementary school, where the school pretended to be frummer than the students actually were, they would send out letters about how Halloween was against the Torah, hoping to dissuade some of the kids from celebrating. My Bais Yacov friends said they never got those kinds of letters for some reason...
I remember walking into College one day and seeing a bunch of guys dressed up as girls. I thought they were part of some frat, until I realized it was October 31st! Halloween's just never really been part of my frum girl radar.
But then some people at work were talking about dressing up on Friday. I obviously encouraged this - who doesn't want to see their boss looking like a nut?
And, of course - I'm a girl! I LOVE dressing up! (I still pretend my comforter is a Cinderella gown when I'm home alone! .....maybe I shouldn't have said that out loud....) Seriously, I'm still mad at my parents for not getting me a costume treasure chest like the kind my best friend had in 1st grade.
So why can't I dress up tomorrow? Or can I?
Can I at least eat some of the mini-reese's pieces and candy corn in the breakroom? (Jews only seem to like halloween the day after, when all of that stuff is half-price!)
One of my coworkers asked me why I couldn't celebrate. "Isn't it just like Independance day?", she asked. I explained to her how it really is a pagan holiday that has somewhat lost its religious meaning. "Just like christmas", she responded.
A wise woman, aka my mom, once told me that halloween goes against Jewish values. Judaism teaches us to give. Halloween teaches children to take.
I'd rather be a giver than a taker.
But I still might take some M&Ms.

6 comments:

Jewish Side of Babysitter said...

It's not wrong to want to dress up and get candy for the sake of those things alone. Your not interested in the holiday just what it provides so it's normal.

We didn't get such letters, probably because none of us would dream of going out trick or treating. For some reason I always associate Halloween with eggs being thrown. The school actually dismissed us earlier so that we would be able to get home safely, while it was still light outside. When I was younger I remember one time they actually threw an egg at the school bus window.

You have purim to get to dress up if you so want to. Why use their holiday.

And wise mother, I've heard the same.

EsPes said...

http://serandez.blogspot.com/2008/10/halloween.html

rbtzn said...

MINI REESES PIECES??????? where????

Anonymous said...

http://www.hersheys.com/products/details/reesespieces.asp

i think she means these

Maidel said...

we definitely do have Purim and I can't wait!

Now that halloween is over, I'm going to stock up on discount candy! Perfect for my shaloch manos!!!!

Lion of Zion said...

"we definitely do have Purim"

we also have sukkah hops