B"H Where is the picture of your pumpkin carving? Do you have a photograph of yourself dressed up as Lawrence of Arabia? I just did not understand why below your picture there is a picture of a pumpkin patch. I think the other pictures might have tied in better with your article.

I never heard any Muslim saying that Halloween is haram or sinful. I don't know where does Mr. Hanania get his information.

Haloween is about pagan death culture. Torah is about life. Come home to torah: http://www.netzarim.co.il/ http://www.mesora.org/

It's fine by me. Celebrate, and enjoy a night where everything isn't burning like in France.

They just call it something different and celebrate half a week later. The ghouls and ghosts are a bit different as to fit our political agenda, but the idea is the same. To scare people.

They celebrate it by saying “Trick then Treat”. They go Abra Kadabra Abra Qassam – they Qassam your house – and then they hand out candy. They dress their kids like Israelis, send them to their Israeli neighbors, blow themselves up and then they hand out even more candy. They even invented tricks like hijacking 4 planes to blow up several buildings at the same time – and the candies flowed through the streets of Nablus on that day!! Fortunately there is a rebellion going on in the Muslim world. I went to two Halloween parties this year, one was hosted by a Muslim Indian family. They even had Pepperoni on the Pizza at that event (Halal??). They wanted their children to have fun with their friends - that’s all Halloween is. Someone needs to tell the radicals to at least moderate their tricks and give their neighbors the option of “Trick OR Treat”. Thanks for the article Ray.

Here is a picture of my pumpkin after reading Ray's article: http://www.springfieldcolorado.com/a01/Puke150.jpg

Halloween or all Hallows Eve as Catholics call it, is based on a Christian holiday. It is the evening before All Saints Day. It's harmless fun and the custom used to be for kids to dress up as saints. But it has grown into what it is now.

No doubt you survived if they threw candy at you like Sandy Colfax ...whoever that is. But if they pitched it like Sandy KOUFAX...then you'd have had a real problem. And if you can manage to pitch over a few of those "corn candies" to Israel...I'd be real happy...I miss those!

How can you say Halloween is your favorite American holiday?? It's not all fun and candy. Not if you are a grown up! You have to sit in a chair near the door for hours and wait for kids to ring the bell. I can't even crane my neck to see the TV. Ho Hum! I'd rather get presents!

Halloween is exactly as he describes it. Just fun. If anyone should be upset about it, it should be Christians, who have seen the meaning gutted from one of their formerly religious holidays. But, happily and rightly, pretty much everyone just enjoys it. It threatens no one, especially Jews in Israel. So relax everyone -- trick or treat!

Halloween is as old as the 1500 years. This is called ALL SAINTS DAY and in most of the westen world, it is on Nov. 1. We go to the cemetery to visit the tombs of our loved ones. In Spain and in most parts of South America it is a holiday, banks and most businesses are closed. You most think about the big picture not just about your own world.

experience a few halloweens on the west coast and it might change your mind.

It has part in druids of Europe, witch craft and paganism. The Catholic Church has been the #1 persecutor of Jews for at least 2000 years. Don't blame all Christians. Evangelicals are for Israel.

Now whose devil worshiping?

Those with evil in thier hearts can make evil out of anything. Those with good can find the innocence in this or any other holiday. - Many fond and innocent childhood memories - thankyou, Ray.

During Hallowe'en poor black cats tend to suffer. They are used in various rituals by a few people every year. And then there are sick folks who put razors in apples or poison in candies or cookies. And then there are kids who throw eggs and tomatoes at houses or perform some equivalent vandalism. But for the most part, it's a fun time for kids... and bigger kids too. And I did feel sorry for the kindergarten and grade one students who weren't allowed to participate in any Hallowe'en fun at school, including doing arithment questions on a sheet with pictures of bats or jack-o'lanterns. These children belonged to Christian sects and made it difficult in class because so many of the lessons for young children revolved around the Hallowe'en theme. I think of Hallowe'en as a "cultural" activity and not being allowed to participate in it means not being a part of Canadian society (because I live in Canada, I'll just speak for Canada). I agree with Ray, it's a shame some kids are prevented from joining in the fun, even in a small way.

life is too short, ya know?

Halloween is not a christian holiday. It has its roots in Celtic practices. For the Wiccans, halloween is their biggest holiday of the year. To Dacon, catholics and evangelical/pentacostals are world's apart.

Many comments show a disrespect for PAGANISM. The love of our Mother Earth should be honoured. Some say HITLER was pagan. However this should not distract from the positive aspects of paganism. The Talmud does not cover everything, and many people who are not Jews are pagans--Hindus, for example. We should try to see the positive aspects of being pagan, and perhaps Jewish life can even be improved by taking up pagan ideas of ecology--respect for the Earth and kindness to animals.

I'm sitting this one out there with Linus in the Pumpkin Patch. A round of Peter Paul, Mars, Hershey's, and Cadbury's for everyone. That said, I actually like the candy corns.

Actually Halloween is from English history...it is during All Hallows Night, a night the pagans of England were afraid spooks and spirits would kidnap their kids so they dressed up their kids in costumes to fool the spooks and save their kids. It is now a non-secular holiday, with only the roots as that of the old pagan ritual. Or so I have been told throughout my life.

Respect for the earth and kindness to animals are part of Judaism. Thank you very much.

Please consider this: Jews throw candy, Palestinians throw rocks. Does this make you think that the action bespeaks a people's way of being?

I know you hate Christians, and I'm very sorry of that and wish there was a way to convince you we're not all bad. Since that isn't possible, I do want to inform you about something. Halloween is NOT Christian. In fact, many Christians don't allow their children to have anything to do with it.

...my dogs bark all night long, every time they hear the doorbell ring. And every time I sit down, the bell rings and I have to get up. I'm one big Grinch when it comes to Halloween.

Please write to me at angryjanitors@yahoo.com I would LOVE to send you some of that corn candy. And yeah, Sandy Koufax was quite the pitcher (even if he did play for the Dodgers.)

Go to any Mosque in the United States and many in the Gaza Strip where they prewach against "Western" sinful practices and that includes Halloween. The issue is what Halloween mayhave been 2,300 years ago is not what it is today and people of all religions should recognize that fact. Let the children have fun. It's bad enough little kids have to grow up in today's world without religiously freaked out parents bullying them with lies. Also, visit the web site of AMANA, the American Muslim Association of North America. There is a lot of good information and instruction on their web site, but they are dead wrong about Halloween, urging Muslims to shut their doors, close the drapes and don't answer the doors today, Oct. 31. It is wrong. And they should show Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin on TV more often ... but they don't. Happy Holidays Linus! SHALAM! Ray Hanania www.hanania.com