It’s only candy!
The strangest argument. Religion v.s Candy. So here is what happened a few minutes ago. I told my brother and his wife about the clothes I am getting my sister for Halloween. My sister wants to be a witch with pink hair. My brother was like cool. I then said, I want to dress up Malak (my niece, his daughter) in a pumpkin. He said, “what.. why pumpkin? She has to be something else.. but his wife said no..”
I told her, “why don’t you want to dress her up? Is it cause it is cold? She is only 2 months old, she can go next year.”
She said, “no.. never.”
I said, “huh?”
She said, “all this Canadian superstitions and stupid celebrations. All haram (sinful). Just like Thanksgiving 3 days ago.”
My mom made turkey like she did every year for the past 15 years we have been in North America.
I said, “it is only candy and dressing up in something cute.”
She said, “I can get her candy. No need to dress up and walk around stupid skeletons and blood in stupid costumes.”
My brother flipped.
He said, “excuse me.. my daughter will go to Halloween. I will take her outside in the baby carriage for a stroll around the houses. So what?”
My brother was so mad. I never seen him mad at his wife before. He is usually mad at us and screaming at us.
She said, “no.. it is all haram!”
I just left cause I didn’t want to be a part of this argument. It just made me realize what I have to deal with. She is a bit odd and thinks everything we do and life in Canada is all sinful. Even though she is lucky she is no longer a Palestenian refugee living in Lebanon in war.
It’s no wonder my mom gets irritated from her and the way she takes care of Malak. So I went to the kitchen where my mom was making ma3mool (cookies) for Eid.
She said, “why does your brother always scream. Will he ever sit quiet for once.”
I told her what happened.
She said, “ic.. so it’s like that eh.. even an innocent kid’s little holiday for getting candy and she is against it.”
I never seen my mom this way. My parents are very religion people, although my mom doesn’t wear hijab (head veil), she is very strict. All day long she keeps telling us, go pray.. did you pray? Did you read Quran? I was just surprised with her reaction.
She said, “this is Canada. We have to live and be like other people just so we feel like we belong here and not foreigners. This is our land and what’s wrong with giving candy to cute kids dressed up?”
My dad is the same. He is the one that makes sure we give out a bag full of candy in Halloween. He buys so much candy and my sister gets the first bag. We are known as the generous house in the neighborhood. Kids love coming to our door. My dad, even when he lived alone in the US for a year has bought candy for the kids in his apartment building. It is kids who want candy! They dress up in silly clothes and say “trick or treat!”
I mean common. Halloween is my favourite time in the year! I always complain and think Halloween should be an official holiday. I never dressed up or went to trick or treating, but I love giving candy to kids and seeing their costumes. I find it cute! And for little princess girls I give them two bags for being adorable!
Anyways.. my sister is going to be the witch and I am walking with her around the neighborhood to collect candy because free candy is awesome!!!
Now I know how my brother’s wife is like. I kind of suspected it and she was very shy and quiet when she first came here.. but now.. she says very odd things and reminds me of these FOBS (fresh off the boat) people that just came to this country with their close minded thoughts and thinking that everything is SINFUL!
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It was about time... 
Your sister-in-law has a point though. Halloween is a pagan tradition. Read on the history one of these days…so it makes no sense to follow a tradition in which its roots are from paganism. I mean you don’t go celebrating christmas just because its a canadian thing (even though some people do)
Just my point of view =)
there is a difference between a Christian holiday and dressing up getting candy!
i thought twice before writing to u about this post i think u judging ur sister in law in a mean way really what so close minded about her she is actually rite if u think celebrating halloween is OK it’s really not it’s holliday of the devil and the dead and blood and vampires if it was only about kids and candy it would been different story if we r celebrating this holiday and engorging our kids to celebrate it so we let celebrate christmas and Easter this not our beliefs not bec we live here we have to go by there rule and live by there holiday so lets then go have pizza with pepperoni and eat pork etc ,my kids asked about this halloween and i said it’s just in our belief do celebrate this holiday and he excepted it and he is 5 and even before that ,we should teach our kids the rite from wrong and if she close minded then i am too and i was born and raised in this country , not like her Palestenian refugee living in Lebanon or at least she used to be that now she lives in canada in she should go by the rules of livining here and like u said She said, “this is Canada. We have to live and be like other people just so we feel like we belong here and not foreigners. This is our land and what’s wrong with giving candy to cute kids dressed up?” it’s not about the candy it’s far more than that if u think about .
oh man.. you guys are so making this a big deal.. fine.. I will go become a witch and tell kids to take a day off school and make sure they dress in satanic clothing and act stupid and worship the devil.
You guys need to seriously get a grip on reality. It is innocent candy dressing up celebration. It’s NOT a holiday!! ALL kids do it.. Even those Muslim people who preach it is wrong, their kids go off and dress up and get candy anyways. Hypocrites!! YES!
“It should be sinful to dress up and get candy..” seriously.. I can’t believe you are comparing this to eating pork and celebrating Christian holidays.. you guys are seriously closed minded and take things too seriously.
It’s like I always argue with people who think I am supporting Jews for drinking from Star Bucks and drinking Coca Cola. That is so pathetic. I might as well leave the country since Canada supports Israel.
I should go back to my home land.. oh wait. I can’t!
How are christmas and halloween different? they’re both based on religion. The actual tradition is people would give out an apple or something like that on that specific day as a way of protection from the devil. Now the same tradition has been going on for years. Just because it seems more “innocent” now, it doesn’t make it right.
I know what the tradition is and where it came from.. Many things changed over the years and the centuries. We have to accept what is now! And now it is innocent!! Get it!! Pure innocent!!
But that doesn’t change the true meaning behind it. Why would a muslim want to associate themselve with a satanic tradition??? just buy the candy from the store and make use of the sales.
Yallah anyways…you’re obviously getting upset about this so I’ll shutup now.
I am not getting upset. I just think you guys make a big deal about everything.
I wonder sometimes what Muslims in this country really think about living here. Too bad we are forced to live here unlike some others who just chose to be here.
Maybe you guys with blogs should write about how satanic Halloween is.. then you can discuss how Muslims eat from Christian and non-Christian restaurants and how they drink and eat from their products.
So sad really.. Maybe it is better to live in a bubble.. Don’t you think?
Ok good, as along as you’re not getting upset because a healthy discussion can come out of this.
There are plenty of articles based on how satanic halloween is from a muslim prespective, simply google it away.
The bottom line is, as muslims we aren’t supposed to celebrate “holidays” or “traditions” that are from other religions. Period. Its a take it or leave it kinda thing.
Is Halloween a religious based tradition? yes. Is it a Muslim Tradition? No. So then….?
Holly shit! I missed the argument! Well, Mona – we both know, as you said about your mom too that it’s 7aram bas your sister in law is a bit too strict… I don’t think baby Malak will ever remember this when she grows up – you stay out of it, your brother will win her over..
fine.. you want to go so deep into religion.. explain to me 3ashoora?
Aah… I am not sure if you are Sunni or Shi3a.. but seriously.. what is 3ashoora? Ok.. I think I said enough.. look around and explain first what is wrong with our religion and how others our celebrating it.. So cut the argument.. I don’t agree with you and this is going no where.
You have to understand the true intentions of people. People like me don’t think that far and take the light of the situation. I find it innocent. Unlike some other people out there who don’t think so.. just want to have fun and don’t celebrate things because of religion. We take the lighter picture and enjoy a childhood activity. You put a smile on a child’s face. That’s all that matters.
There are plenty of other ways to put a smile on a childs face =)
I’m sunni…but I’m not too familiar with 3ashoora, sorry.
look it up.. since you want me to learn how satanic Halloween is..
Ok I looked it up. The Imam Hussain thing. That’s bid’ah, an innovation so that isn’t permissible either.
But like you said this is going no where so arguement cut!
good.. so enough arguing with no point.
Tobe honest, kids nowadays and parents do not see this as a celebration of pagans just a way for kids to dress up and get free candy from neighbors.
Classic dilemma! everyone has different opinions about whether holloween is ok to partake in or not. We did halloween in my house but I know alot of people that weren’t allowed to. For those that say it’s 7araam I don’t think it’s because they claim it’s religious or christian rooted I think it’s more because it’s a tradition of non-muslims without a purpose that’s consistent with muslim principles, but then again there’s alot of traditions that came from non-muslims that aren’t questioned so I don’t know why the big deal is about holloween, same with valentine’s, maybe because those are actual celebrations. I’m not sure I never really read about it in detail.
Anyway, I think the issue should really be between your brother and his wife to decide what’s ok for their child and what’s not.
yah. it’s open to questions really..
but in the end.. it is just a dressing up candy getting 2 hour event!
In my opinion, Halloween is so far removed from the basis in which it started, it has nothing to do with religion today. I’m fairly sure many, many people don’t even have a clue about the roots of Halloween.
In 2007 it’s simply a fun time to prank people, get scared over silly things, kids wearing cute costumes and of course getting free candy.
I’m not saying people who celebrate Halloween as a serious religious holiday don’t exist, but if you know someone, please stop hanging out with weirdos.
Faith, Halloween is not a Satanic or Christian holiday. It is the old Pagan New Year or what they called the beginning of winter and this tradition predates Christianity. It is left over tradition from Britain and Ireland’s Pagan past and was brought over by British and Irish immigrants to Canada in the 1800’s. It is has lost almost all its original meaning. For a great number of people today it is just an excuse to dress up in a costume and eat candy.
Oh Yeah I almost forgot to explain that Pagan is catch all phrase for various folk religions that worship nature and are polytheistic meaning they worship many gods rather than one god like monotheistic religions such as Satanism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism etc. Satanism is not Paganism though many misinformed people tend to think so. Practitioners of various earth worshipping religions here in Canada would be shocked to be called Satanists for they do not worship the Devil.
if you want to be true, and not just go with the flow .. it IS haram and it IS a pagan holiday
having said that .. i used to go trick-or-treating as a kid .. i think 6th grade was my last year
I stopped trick-or-treating after the ninth grade. I didn’t miss it. I found those Halloween costumes too hot on and I couldn’t wait to change out of it at the end of the evening. I missed the free candy though.
Hallowen is a great holiday it makes growing up that much better when your child. Overall its harmless and certainly not religious (like Christmas is supposed to be) at the end what has been cultivated but rather positve memorys and experinces. There could become basis of arguementof its pagen roots but it has become so far removed into something wholesome and fun. Something that is part of the North American identity. Good for you and recgonizin the simplicity of it… cause at the end it’s really about the kids, as Adult we get enjoyment as seeing a bunch dressed kids going around. Putting a religous spin is just going to cause un nessarary grief.
(what is Haram, please educate this white guy…)
haram means sinful… about Halloween.. and all this argument.. I think it is just pure innocent!
you guys really like this post eh? It is quite controversial!
Hello,
Regardless of my opinion about Halloween, and after reading your article followed by the comments were posted.
I thought to point out to you that you could have argued your opinion in a more effective way than that. Yes, Halloween is cool and much fun. You still argued weakly.
Regards,
Ahmed
(Montreal, Qc.)
and BTW, I share your view, and the simplicity of Halloween as celebrated now…
Ahmed
(Montreal, Qc.)