UI 024: Happy Halloween?

Halloween? Why the big deal? Why are people so passionate about it? Are you more passionate about Halloween or Christmas or Passover or Purim? Which event do you spend more time or money on?   Why are people ok with Happy Halloween and not Merry Christmas?   Narcissistic: Halloween is all about celebrating the self.   Displaying the “other” side of yourself.  A chance to be an excused exhibitionist.  “look at me”   Ritual: If you lose the meaning behind a ritual… ritual becomes meaningless. People will develop new rituals, and they will necessarily lack depth in meaning.   Prager:  “we don’t have enough ritual in this country anymore (USA)” 1.     Xmas 2.     Easter 3.     Tgiving 4.     July4 (losing meaning) 5.     New Year 6.     Memorial day (virtually gone) How have Jews kept their culture alive (outside of their homeland for 2000yrs): Ritual: We are ritual rich:   The Holidays
(Listed Alphabetically)   •       Asara B'Tevet (10th of Tevet) •       Channukah •       Fast of Esther •       Fast of Gedaliah •       Holocaust Memorial Day (Yom Ha-Shoah) •       Israeli Independence Day (Yom Ha-Atzmut) •       Israeli Remembrance Day (Yom Ha-Zikkaron) •       Jerusalem Day (Yom Yerushalayim) •       Lag B'Omer •       Passover •       Pesach Sheni •       Purim •       Rosh Chodesh •       Rosh HaShanah •       Shabbat •       Shavu'ot •       Shemini Atzeret & Simchat Torah •       Sheva-Asar B'Tammuz (17th of Tammuz) •       Sukkot •       Tu B'Shevat •       Yom Kippur               Halloween is empty… just narcisstic and hedonistic Except BONDING… which is another thing ritual promotes                 Brings out child in adults? Then why do they do “sexy” costumes, and do adult things (get drunk) Kids trick or treat? Provide for kids?   If you just want to help kids have innocent fun and enjoy themselves.  Fine. If you just want to act childlike for night. Fine But Halloweens significance is increasing and I’m sure will overtake the other GOOD American holidays (Xmas, Easter, Thkgiving, July4)   What could be an empowering meaning behind Halloween? Overcome your fears -       Dressing up and taking them seriously but you are in charge -       Dressing up and mocking them to denigrate their seriousness -       Express joy and cheer -       Comment (mock) pop culture What do we do about candy and obese youth? What do we do about haunted houses? (desensitization)