Is it a sin to celebrate Halloween with the intention of entertainment?

Is it a sin to celebrate Halloween with the intention of entertainment?

Dear Brother / Sister,

The following information exists about Halloween:

Halloween is celebrated in the Christian world on October 31. The origin of Halloween dates back to the pagan period and the first Christian practices after that. Halloween, which represented the end of harvest season and the beginning of winter, is a special day that assumed a different meaning with the influence of Christianity.

Hallowe’en, the previous spelling of Halloween, means All Hallows’ Eve (the Night of All Holy People). According to the report of Liz Leafloor in the website of Ancient Origins, Halloween started to be celebrated for the first time in England, Ireland and Scotland before Christianity. Celts celebrated it as the day when the harvest season ended, but Christians, who appeared centuries later in history, started to celebrate it for all holy saints, and martyrs who lost their lives for their religion.

In the 12^th century, this practice, which Christians started, changed some more. People in black started to lament and ring bells in the squares in the centers of towns and cities. Those people asked Christians to pray for the poor spirits of the dead. The celebration today with costumes dates back to this ritual.

The activities in that period were not limited with costumes. People baked cakes called “Spirit Cakes” and distributed them free. It is thought that this practice is the first form of the tradition of children knocking door-to-door, requesting treats. The practice of baking cakes and giving them to people were common in England, Belgium, Austria and Italy.

According to the information above, the origin of Halloween is the pagan period; then, it was transferred to Christianity. It is based on a belief that is a superstition according to Islam and a foreign tradition. Therefore, it is not permissible to celebrate it.

Questions on Islam