The People Have Drawn Their Conclusion: Why Authorities Are Fighting Halloween
The most liked comments under the video "Halloween: why ideologues make a mountain out of a molehill" are unexpected.
On the eve of Halloween, Belarusian state media unanimously explained why this holiday is dangerous. Belarusians are told that Western political technologists allegedly use it "as a tool for the decomposition of our society," and under the guise of harmless entertainment, "foreign values are promoted."
This story sparked a strong reaction on social media. Just one video about it on TikTok gathered almost 135 thousand views and over 600 comments in a day. The most popular comment received more than five thousand likes:
"Because on Halloween, people dress up to scare away evil spirits. Now compare that with the reaction of our officials to it."
Other commentators joked in the same vein:
"Once the people gathered to scare away evil with their masquerade, and evil was against it," someone jokes.
"Well, as always, the evil spirits are unhappy that they are being driven away."
"On Halloween, people dress up to scare away evil spirits, but it seems we have summoned them."
Many simply state:
"We will celebrate anyway."
Some viewers claim that on October 31, there were many people in costumes on Niamiha who ignored police calls to disperse.
"Niamiha didn't care, there were so many beautiful and interesting people."
"Everyone absolutely didn't care, even when the cops told everyone to disperse over the loudspeaker."
"And yesterday we wanted to and celebrated, put on costumes and went."
Separately, people were surprised by the logic of the prohibitions. Commentators ask rhetorical questions:
"And celebrating Cucumber Day or Tomato Day — isn't that delirium?"
"Then let's ban New Year and Christmas. Ded Moroz and Snegurochka, if you think about it, also promote Western values."
"Soon there will be a ban on HAPPINESS."
Belarusians are confident that the authorities simply don't like it when people decide how to live themselves: "I don't care, if I want to celebrate — I will celebrate, if I want to fly to the Moon — I will fly to the Moon. I will decide for myself what to do with my life. Deputies will not decide how I should live."
"The meaning of Halloween is in cosplay, but the rumor is about some dead people there," others explain.
"Interesting, what's the degradation? People sew costumes, think through an image. (...) This is an opportunity to do something together — both for parents and children," someone wonders.
There were also those who supported the ban. But their statements were hardly liked, though they sparked the hottest debates: some gathered over 70 replies.
"No, this is obscurantism."
"Why do we need foreign holidays? Don't we have our own?"
"This is a holiday of worshipping evil spirits, we shouldn't celebrate it."
Some note: if we are to fight for traditions, then we should remember our own. The video reminds that Dzyady ceased to be a day off under Lukashenka, while November 7 remained.
"Is this November 7 even needed..." someone asks.
"Why then are the values of Christmas not instilled? Our historical holiday. Why have Dzyady been forgotten?"
* * *
Texts in the "Opinions" section may or may not coincide with the Editorial Board's position.
Now reading
Nastassia Kostiugova on Statkevich's and Tsikhanouskaya's position: The proposal to «squeeze out» sounds like a proposal to wait for something unclear, and for an unclear duration 3636
Nastassia Kostiugova on Statkevich's and Tsikhanouskaya's position: The proposal to «squeeze out» sounds like a proposal to wait for something unclear, and for an unclear duration 36
«Why won't a Belarusian learn the Belarusian language? It's just laziness.» Publisher Yaroslav Ivanyuk — on being wanted, the KGB, and language wars 4545
«Why won't a Belarusian learn the Belarusian language? It's just laziness.» Publisher Yaroslav Ivanyuk — on being wanted, the KGB, and language wars 45
It's incredible, but a truckload of cucumbers was brought from Moscow to Olshany — the cucumber capital of Belarus. It was not allowed into the country 1010
Comments