Mongolia bans Halloween

Ulaanbaatar – Mongolia has banned the celebration of Halloween in schools this year, reflecting growing fears that the landlocked country’s rapid economic transformation is eroding its native Buddhist traditions.

In a directive sent to all schools last week, the education ministry said parents had complained in the past about their children trying to collect money and asking for Halloween costumes.

Stressing that Halloween was not an officially recognised holiday, it ordered all schools to put a stop to organised celebrations this year. Halloween has become increasingly popular in the capital Ulaanbaatar.

“Our school has specialised classes in the English language, and that’s why we celebrated Halloween in many different ways,” said G Erdenechimeg, a social worker at the 23rd School in Ulaanbaatar, which focuses on foreign languages.

“Generally, it’s all about the children’s attitude,” she added. “Some may get into their roles too deeply or misuse [Halloween] and have a negative social effect. For this reason, it has been decided not to celebrate.”

Mongolia has undergone a rapid transformation since its Moscow-backed communist regime collapsed in 1990. – Reuters