Schools ban Halloween 'cult of death'
Pastor Dale Morgan
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*Schools ban Halloween 'cult of death'*
From correspondents in Moscow
October 31, 2007 11:43pm
Article from: Reuters
MOSCOW schools have been ordered to ban students from celebrating
Halloween despite the widespread popularity of the imported festival to
Russia.
Halloween is being forced underground because it “includes religious
elements, the cult of death, the mockery of death”, a spokesman for the
city's education department Alexander Gavrilov said today.
“It's not an attempt to block the celebration of this holiday
completely, just in schools and colleges,” he added.
Pumpkins and images of witches are widespread across Russia, with many
bars organising special fancy dress parties, despite the efforts of the
Kremlin, and especially the Russian Orthodox Church, to curb enthusiasm
for non-native festivities.
“This is destructive for the minds and the spiritual and moral health of
pupils,” Mr Gavrilov said.