- Q. Dear Rabbi I rent an apartment in a building that has many tenants that keep Halloween. This year (2025) October 31 is on Friday and some of the non Jewish tenants kids go around collecting candies since we want to keep good relations with all neighbors can we give candies to those children?
A. On question 1485 we wrote:
Q. We have some Modern Orthodox neighbors that let their kids join the others in the block (many Jewish) and go around collecting candies on Halloween, is that permitted?
Should we advise them not to do it? Can we give children that ring our bell candies?
A. Halloween is a shortening of All Hallows’ Evening, also known as Allhalloween, or All Saints’ Eve, is a festivity observed in a number of countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows’ Day. It begins the three-day observance dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed.
It is widely believed that many Halloween traditions originated from ancient pagan Celtic harvest festivals, particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain, and was Christianized as Halloween by the early Church.
Today’s Halloween customs, are a combination of Celtic, Roman and Christian holidays. In essence, Halloween is not a secular holiday.
Halacha prohibits celebrating gentile holidays. (Remah Y.D. 178: 1). Even though some gentile holidays today may not considered idol worship, the law which commands us not to behave in the customs and manners of the gentiles, still applies.
Therefore, Horav Shlomo Miller”s Shlit”a opinion is to refrain from letting children join others on their Halloween traditions. However, if there is an issue of Chilul Hashem, the Rov maintains that you may give candies to the children that visit you.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by, Horav Yaakov Hirschman, Horav Dovid Pam, Horav Aharon Miller, Horav Chanoch Ehrentreu and Horav Kalman Ochs Shlit’a
Important Numbers
