The key facts
- 42% of Russians are annoyed by Halloween, 52% are calm about it, only 4% love it — kp.ru poll
- The main reason for rejection is the holiday's foreign origin and dressing up as evil spirits
- Vitaly Milonov earlier proposed reviving tsarist carnivals instead of Halloween
Half of Russians are indifferent, 42% are against
Life.ru comments on the results of a kp.ru readers' survey: only 4% of Russian residents like Halloween, while it annoys another 42%. The majority — 52% — are calm about the holiday: they don't celebrate it themselves, but don't object if others do. Another 2% chose the option 'other'.
What exactly annoys people and why
According to the survey, for the annoyed 42%, the holiday's foreign origin and dressing up as evil spirits cause rejection; many note that Halloween is not part of Russian culture and believe national holidays should be held instead. Those who love the holiday see it as an occasion to have fun and dress up. 'In my student years we hung out in clubs on this day, dressed up in costumes. Now my children also attend such parties. I see nothing wrong with it,' Life.ru quotes a survey participant as saying. Other respondents answered neutrally: 'I am indifferent to it, it's not a holiday for me.'
Context: Milonov's proposal
Life.ru recalls that earlier deputy Vitaly Milonov proposed reviving tsarist carnivals instead of Halloween. According to him, Russian holidays should be interesting enough to compete with foreign traditions. This is a proposal, not an adopted decision: the survey only reflects Russians' attitude toward the holiday, and the publication reports no measures to restrict or replace Halloween.
