Given the horrors of the witch trials is mocking witches at Halloween appropriate?

Question

In the olden days, thousands of innocent people, mostly women, were tortured and executed for witchcraft. Nowadays we let little kids dress up as witches and tell them spooky stories about witches flying about on broomsticks looking for kids to eat.

But is that disrespect to the thousands that perished in the witchtrials? It almost seems equivalent of dressing up as a jew to mock the holocaust or putting on black face to ridicule black slaves.

Is it really appropriate now that modern day witches or pagans have to endure the indignity of having their faith mocked by tacky decorations and trick or treaters?

Given the horrors of the witch trials is mocking witches at Halloween appropriate?

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

I'm a practicing witch, and I don't mind. Mostly because I am also a feminist, and we have a lack of classic "monsters" to dress up as--having a female role-model in the roster is important. If it is witches, so be it--mote exposure for us.

The standard black robe and pointy hat actually harken back to the standard, puritan style of the women who were killed for practicing witchcraft in Salem. The modern costume outfits then pay homage to the women who were killed--whether they were practicing witches or not. It brings attention back to that; it's a historical event worthy of remembering and reflecting on--it was one of the periods of time where it was predominantly women accusing other women, rather than it being an issue with the patriarchy.

That got very tangential. Long story short: I don't mind people dressing up as puritans on Samhain. At the very least, the exposure can, at the very least, inspire someone to look into it and learn lessons from the past.

jennifer_bloom · Accepted Answer

I would say if you believe in witchcraft, I think you are a skeptic about it, but for those who believe it's real, the bible teaches, that those who live biblically aligned lifestyles cannot be touched or harmed by witchcraft and that those who try to harm the biblically observant will only harm themselves when the curses they put on bible people are reflected back towards the presumptive villain that plots to curse others through witchcraft.

Lliam · Accepted Answer

Hmmm, I hadn't thought about it like that before.
I'm well aware of how Christians tortured and murdered women. But I don't think modern trick or treaters are mocking anybody. Kids don't know about history. They just want to dress up.

I'm pretty sure that dressing up like a witch gives a girl a sense of empowerment They know, by watching fairy tale movies, that witches and wizards have magical powers.

My wife and I knew a couple who lived on a street that got lots of trick or treat traffic. They had a party every year and we would hand out candy to close to 1000 kids every Halloween. Of course, that ended in 2020 with covid.
I don't recall seeing a lot of witches. Little girls tend to want to be beautiful princesses or fairies or characters from their favorite movies.
It's little boys who tend to want to be more intimidating.

Maybe_Maybe_not · Accepted Answer

I don't think it's even possible to reverse such a deep cultural process. We have seen countless occurrences of witches in anything from the fantasy genre, books, movies, video games, cartoons, toys. Halloween is not even needed to remind us that. Everywhere the figure of the original witch has been buried in all possible ways, since a long time.

236color · Answer

Halloween is a secular holiday celebrated to dress up, have fun, candy and as you get older, watch scary movies and maybe drink a little. Samhain is the actual Pagan religious holiday celebrated by various Pagan traditions, (some of them calling it by different names). The "witches" depicted in mainstream media bear no resemblance to any Pagan people or traditions I know. I'm also not willing to get outraged by people who have no idea what or when the burning times were. There plenty of modern day stuff for me to be outraged about, I don't need to reach back over 400 years to be offended on behalf of people who in the case of the Salem witch trials, died because they refused to confess to be "in league with the devil". Had they confessed they could have repented and been saved. Instead they felt it was a sin to deny their faith. These people were in fact, Christian martyrs.

Anonymous · Answer

Dressing up as something is not mockery. Kids or even adults dressing up as witches is not to mock witches. Kids (or adults) dressing up as princesses or Spiderman is not mockery to royalty or superheroes. If anything, you can see it from the opposite point of view - the victims of the witch trials won. They wanted to get rid of witches so badly, but here we are hundreds of years later and it’s completely acceptable to dress or act as witches, and they’re celebrated everywhere in popular culture. One of the most popular book/movie series in the world is about witches, wizards and witchcraft (Harry Potter). To ban witches in culture and costumes would do nothing but serve the people who in the past hated and wanted to exterminate those who were suspected of witchcraft.

lightbulb27 · Answer

it's worthy to consider. I cannot imagine having the town burn me at a stake because of what they thought about me. ... and they thought they were "godly". Talk about fear in these people.

That's Halloween as it is... overcome your fear... to get candy.

And then face your fears... going to the dentist where you'll smell your teeth burning as he grinds out the decay.

you ask interesting questions...

mobiusforniner · Answer

This is an interesting question. I don’t think it’s necessarily disrespectful for kids to dress as witches. I mean, I suppose kids dressing as native Americans or anything with some level of cultural appropriation would fall into a similar category. I feel kids aren’t really cognizant of the historical dilemmas those themes potentially represent. I say, let kids be kids…

IslaTheWitch · Answer

unfortunately, most of the witch trial victims were normal not magical women... in respect to their totally unnecessary deaths... we should just remember to not throw accusations against other people just because we want it... or we feel like these people... or we want to be right... or whatever reason your ego tells you...

and have fun on Halloween 🎃

Insecure2 · Answer

Witchcraft is not a Religion. IT Has nothing to do with being disrespectful to people such as Jews or Africans or Afro-Americans. IT does not even have anything to do with witch trials, because IT was just an excuse for many to get rid of people WHO were considered a hidrance, strange or were simply envied by others. The witches that children dress up as are those from fairy Tales, so I don't see the need to forbid their use.

jshm2 · Answer

Yes. As those two are very different events. It's like saying White people cannot protest and march like Martin Luther, as it would be "appropriation".

Halloween is actually the precursor to All Saints Day- which was the more important event. But many just pig out on Halloween and forget All Saints Day.

As for the witches and warlocks. That was more a year round thing, for when they caught one.

AviatorTom · Answer

Today's kids have been taken over by shows like "Wicked", now a movie where witches are nice people.

genericname85 · Answer

well Halloween is about scary terrible things so it fits perfectly. the only reason it's sometimes displayed in a funny way is cause it's probably a bad idea to confront kids with that horribly past in all it's cruel detail. like you won't let your kits watch texas chain saw massacre or scream right? so there's harmless displays of "horror" for kids.

Unit1 · Answer

That's just overthinking. Besides, girls and women are witches already. They enchant me with their beauty. Too bad many of them lack sweetness and/or forwardness.

mstbooblover · Answer

Actually a good question Poppy, but I sincerely don't know the answer. Case sensitive probably.

SuchSightsToShowYou · Answer

I don't think the witches are in any position to complain about that, considering all the innocent broomsticks they've abused over the centuries.

Anonymous · Answer

Mocking is never ok, but dressing up is not disrespectful, it's a form of flattery.

Christians don't like Halloween, that just shows you that it's ok to celebrate it.

Also, Halloween is definitely not racist, because Celtic people are not a race, they are an ethnicity.

I like Celtic people, I appreciate their culture and tradition.

PeachyPie93 · Answer

Witch craft is founded in Satan worship so who really cares if we mock it..

Oncewildtwiceburned · Answer

Yes, mocking anyone,  even for incorrect deadlift techniques,  is absolutely wrong and universally immoral.

Jackblue · Answer

If witches really exist and are cursing our crops and causing miscarriages in women than they deserve to be culturally appropriated from. If witches aren't real it is a mute point. Overall cultural appropriation taboos are stupid anyways.

Anonymous · Answer

if it's ok to mock Trump by shooting a bullet through a mannequin skull of him, then it's ok to mock witches

CB-Raido-Time · Answer

Exodus 22:18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.

Wise4myage · Answer

Probably not, because the witch trials occurred hunting of years ago

Iron_Man · Answer

Do you consider yourself a witch or a good girl?

Ladsin2 · Answer

Many childhood things are based on horrors. Allegedly Ring Around The Rosie is based on the Great Plague.

Surely · Answer

Interesting thoughts! I have nothing to add.

Anonymous · Answer

no. stop being offended for other people. if it doesn't bother them than it shouldn't bother you. get over it. Peace.

robocop666 · Answer

People forgot all that now. now its a time to celebrate and eat sweets.

CountryWanderer · Answer

They're largely unrelated.

RedInnocent69 · Answer

Do we really, though?

Thomas9352 · Answer

No, no and nope...

Anonymous · Answer

Lmfao legit

Given the horrors of the witch trials is mocking witches at Halloween appropriate?

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