Is it immoral or unethical to celebrate Halloween?

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I've heard some say that celebrating Halloween is worshipping the devil.

A) Those people are incorrect about the origins of the holiday. It's literally All Hallow's Eve, the day before All Saint's Day.

B) Why would worshipping the devil be inherently immoral? What would make one system of worshipping make-believe more or less moral than any other?

The devil is the personification of evil so it is seen as a bad thing to worship.

To some people, but probably not for religious Satanists (devil worshippers, as opposed to Laveyan Satanists). Obviously the people who engage in that practice are more entitled to define what it stands for than people who don't.

Only if you decide for eg to sacrifice black cats to the devil.

I've heard that's a common thing.

I always keep my cat inside on Halloween cos of that.

Also this year it might be a good idea to try to keep trick or treating to your own bubble. Cos of Covid.

If something's immoral anyway it's still immoral on 31st October. But just wearing a costume or watching a horror (not snuff) movie isn't immoral.

In most Christian traditions the Devil (i.e., Lucifer, Satan, et cetera) is an angel created by G^D.  The traditions go further to say that the Devil became so full of pride from being director of the Angelic Choir that his pride took over and he incited a rebellion against G^D, who then cast him and a third of the angelic host out of Heaven.  They fell to Earth, and become the Evil One and his demons.

Some Pagan traditions also present the Fae (i.e., Faeries, et al.) as those few angels who refused to take sides in the rebellion, and were therefore locked out of Heaven.  Ever since, each one must sacrifice one human each year to the Evil One in order to keep their freedom and not be forced to spend eternity as demons.



But what does Hallowe'en have to do with the Devil?

BTW I think this belongs in PPR cos the reasons people would find it immoral or not have to do with religion or philosophy

You are probably correct.

People who believe that are nearly always Bible-thumping nut jobs who would think I'm going to hell just for being left handed.

Halloween is actually based on rituals that were performed in Europe that were meant to *keep* evil spirits and demons away. For example, it's a known fact that the undead only harm the living, they couldn't care less about other undeads, so if you dress up and disguise yourself as a ghost or ghoul maybe you'll fool them and they won't bother you.

There's nothing wrong with celebrating Halloween as long you don't do anything illegal or irresponsible. It's also one of the few holidays that anyone can enjoy no matter what their religion is. You can be Christian or Jewish or Buddist or Atheist, it doesn't matter. It should be like that for all holidays, who cares as long as its fun?

 

It was my favorite holiday when I was a kid.Children today don’t get the same experience.

We were free-range children.  Today's children are not.

IMO, there is nothing wrong about having fun on Halloween.

There is nothing wrong with having fun ... unless you're a practicing Puritan, of course ... which may imply who first associated Hallowe'en with the Devil ...

I thought black cats were supposed to be connected to the devil, not sacrificed to him? Man, witchcraft is confusing.

Most 'spiritual' practices are.