Moscow, Nov 03: Moscow city authorities have told children not to celebrate Halloween because it is psychologically damaging and not in line with educational aims.
Moscow's education department sent a letter on Friday asking schools to ban the pagan festival, which it said was based on a "cult of death". Celebrations fall on the eve of the Western Christian All Saints' Day.
"The religious elements of Halloween...go against the secular nature of education in state educational institutions and are destructive for the psychological, moral and spiritual well-being of the pupils," Alexander Gavrilov, spokesman for the department, told a television channel.
Russia's Orthodox Church swiftly agreed there was no light-hearted way of looking at what is originally an American celebration where children dress up as witches and vampires and knock on front doors to ask for sweets.
"The Church knows from its spiritual experience that you cannot associate with evil forces in jest," said Church spokesman Vsevolod Chaplin.

Bureau Report