halloween Archives

I was really looking forward to my son's first Halloween. Even though he's not yet 5 months old, I ordered his costume months in advance: a Batman onesie, sized 6-9 months, replete with a shiny cape.… The plan was to have our dog, Robin, dress up as Batman's sidekick, Robin (of course). Everyone who I told about the costume was delighted at the prospective cuteness of a joint dog and baby costume. I'm Israeli, so I didn't grow up celebrating Halloween — it's not a tradition I feel particularly enmeshed in.… >> Read More

anti-semitism

Some Idiot Decided to Dress His Son as Adolf Hitler for Halloween

Emily Burack

A Kentucky man thought it would be a good idea to dress his young son up as Adolf Hitler for Halloween — and to match the look, he dressed himself as a Nazi soldier. Yes, really. According to… local news, the man "says he originally did it for historical purposes but admits he didn’t think through his idea." Apparently, he did not see the backlash coming. In light of the recent, terrible, heartbreaking news, this astonishingly bad idea seems even more horrifying. After all the murder of Jews simply for being Jewish isn't something… >> Read More

halloween

Dress Up as These Jewish TV Characters for Halloween

Haley Longman

Halloween is an incredibly fun family holiday — but it’s also one that can create conflict for some Jewish moms. Although Halloween isn’t an outright Christian holiday — it originated as… the pagan festival of Samhain but became Christianized in the 8th century as All Hallow’s Eve — some rabbis are against Jews celebrating it. Some say it’s because Halloween is about idolatry and evil spirits; I personally had one rabbi in high school who ingrained in me that Halloween is off limits because we should… >> Read More

Anxiety

Trick-or-Treating Gives Me Major Anxiety

Zibby Owens

Halloween is the ultimate anxiety amplifier. Not just for kids — for me. As someone who has gone through life with what my 95-year-old grandmother calls, “the worry gene,” I try to sidestep… situations that make my anxious tendencies spike, like being stuck in a crowd (which is why you won’t find me at a music festival). When it comes to managing my anxious feelings, I’ve found the most helpful thing is to stay busy; I have trouble relaxing because then my brain starts spinning. Instead, I’m always… >> Read More

Special Needs

Trick-or-Treating With My Non-Verbal 6-Year-Old

Jenny Tesler

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday. As a kid, I’d spend days, sometimes weeks, thinking about my costume. Did I want it to be magical or scary? My mom had a bin of costumes that were… kept in the attic. We had costumes from her childhood, which were passed down to my sister and me, dance recital costumes, and hand-sewn costumes, courtesy of my grandma. Things are different now. I’m no longer that kid yearning to scream “Trick or Treat” at the top of my lungs. I have two kids, now,… >> Read More

Load More Articles