Zahirah MacWilson Apologises After Backlash Over Remarks About Halloween, Christmas And Easter

She described some parts of the Halloween, Christmas and Easter celebrations as “weird” in a now deleted Instagram Story.

Malaysian actress Zahirah MacWilson has apologised after her social media post criticising certain aspects of Halloween, Christmas and Easter celebrations sparked backlash, with some netizens accusing her of being insensitive towards other religious beliefs.

The controversy began after Zahirah shared an Instagram Story featuring a Halloween decoration, describing the celebration as the “most ridiculous” in her opinion and questioning why people celebrated it.

Her remarks quickly attracted attention online, particularly after she extended her criticism to Christmas and Easter, two important celebrations in the Christian calendar.

What Did Zahirah MacWilson Say?

In the now-deleted Instagram Story, Zahirah expressed her confusion over the celebrations, saying that despite having lived overseas for 20 years, she had never understood their appeal.

She described some parts of Christmas, Easter and Halloween celebrations as “weird”, questioning practices such as children dressing up in costumes, asking for sweets and sitting on older men’s laps.

She also associated the celebrations with the worship of demonic, satanic or supernatural characters and death, a description that drew criticism from people who felt she had misrepresented the meaning behind the festivities.

The comments were particularly controversial because Christmas commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, while Easter celebrates his resurrection. For Christians, both hold significant religious meaning beyond the costumes, decorations and commercial activities commonly associated with them.

Halloween, meanwhile, has a different cultural and historical background, with modern celebrations involving costumes, trick-or-treating and themed decorations.

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Why Did Her Remarks Spark Backlash?

Following the post, social media users criticised Zahirah for appearing to lump different celebrations together and portray them as strange or connected to satanic worship.

Some Christian users pointed out that Christmas and Easter are religious observances with their own beliefs and traditions, rather than simply occasions involving costumes, sweets or fictional characters.

Others argued that people do not have to participate in or personally understand another religion’s celebrations to respect the people who observe them.

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The discussion also touched on Malaysia’s multicultural society, where people from different religious backgrounds live alongside one another and celebrate their respective festivals.

For critics, the issue was not simply that Zahirah questioned celebrations outside her own faith, but that her choice of words could be interpreted as belittling the beliefs of others.

Her remarks also prompted wider discussions about religious sensitivity, particularly when public figures share personal opinions on social media.

Zahirah MacWilson Issues An Apology

On 1 November, Zahirah addressed the backlash through an Instagram Story, apologising to anyone who had been offended by her earlier post.

She also explained that she had deleted the original post shortly after uploading it to prevent further misunderstandings.

Zahirah said she had never intended to hurt anyone or offend their religious beliefs, adding that she was still learning about religion and different belief systems.

According to her statement, she had since conducted her own research into not only her own beliefs but also those of other people.

She explained that her original post was intended to express questions arising from what she had read and observed, rather than to target or criticise any particular group.

Zahirah also acknowledged the importance of treating others fairly, kindly and respectfully, saying that Islam had taught her not to insult other people.

“Islam has taught me to be just, kind, and fair, and not to insult others,” she said in her apology.

Her apology came after the original post had circulated widely on social media, drawing attention beyond her own followers.