What is our position on Halloween?
Halloween is a pagan custom that has now taken more of a cultural shape in USA. However the source of all these rituals remain pagan. Please watch the video about history of Halloween to better understand why we strongly believe that it is against Islamic principles.

So is it un-Islamic for us to celebrate cultural US holidays?
Not at all. We should encourage our children to whole heartedly celebrate thanksgiving (a few weeks after Halloween) and 4th of July (Independence Day).

But still, Halloween is such an original American Holiday...
That may not be entirely true. The founding fathers of America refused to permit the holiday; because they knew it was a pagan holiday. Halloween was not widely celebrated in the U.S. until about 1900. In the 1840's there was a terrible potato famine in Ireland which sent thousands of Catholic Irish to America. They brought Halloween with them.

But most kids out grow their liking for Halloween anyway. Isn’t that true?
It is true that many kids would eventually lose interest and stop participating in these activities as they grow older. However due to the consumer culture, it does not end there. Halloween has especially exploded among young adults (65% of American adults) who are celebrating with large parties and elaborate costumes, driving spending and bringing good news for retailers

Halloween as adults, are you serious?
In 2006, 85.3 percent of 18-24 year olds planned to celebrate the holiday, up from 66.8 percent from the year prior. But they aren’t the only ones taking advantage of the ghoulish fun—76.5 percent of consumers aged 25-34 and 71.3 percent of 35-44 year-olds also joined the ‘fun’.

What are some specific ills of the festival?
For children, we believe it dilutes their identity. While in the short run they may feel good but over a period of years it leads to low self esteem as Muslims. As a society more than $ 5,000,000,000 are wasted on this ritual every year. Crime, alcohol, traffic violations, and other evils also see an increase at Halloween.

Will this leave my child in low self esteem?
Its up to parents to find alternate ways to communicate the message to their children in a positive light. Take them out to dinner, or their favorite sport, or give them the choice to decide how they would like to enjoy the evening according to Islamic principles. We strongly believe that when a sacrifice is made for the sake of Allah, that Allah never lets it go to waste.

When all other faiths celebrate Halloween, why only Islam takes such a hard line?
That’s not true. In fact many Christians do not celebrate Halloween and even strongly condemn it based on biblical references.

What is the financial impact of Halloween?
We American, collectively spend approximately 5 Billion dollars on Halloween every year. An average person spends $65 on this holiday.

Ok, I know the facts now but what if I still want my children to celebrate Halloween?
Great question. This takes us back to the core Islamic principle that ‘there is no compulsion in religion’. We have communicated the message. In the end a parent should have the authority to make the choice and be responsible for any consequences of the choice.

Interesting news:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/10630/trick_or_treat_the_evils_of_halloween.html
About spending on Halloween - http://www.gallup.com/poll/102445/Most-Americans-Spending-Money-Halloween.aspx
Halloween on a budget - http://www.kiplinger.com/features/archives/2006/10/halloween.html
Adults celebrating Halloween - http://www.courant.com/business/custom/consumer/hc-halloween1012.artoct12,0,35980.story
Halloween stats: http://www.nrf.com/modules.php?name=News&op=viewlive&sp_id=149