Halloween, which is marked with great fanfare in many countries around the world, is growing ever more popular in Armenia as well, year after year. For many people, the frightening masks, costume parties and the exchange of sweets are simply entertainment. The Armenian Apostolic Church, however, sees in this not merely a holiday but the spread of alien ideas and symbols throughout society.
In a conversation with the outlet MediaHub, Senior Priest Yesai Artenyan noted that church holidays are not simply a tradition but a means of raising future generations. In his words, what is perceived today as innocent amusement may tomorrow become a cultural norm.
The priest explained that in Armenia, Halloween is most often understood as a masquerade and an occasion to exchange treats. But behind the masks lies a culture of evil images, demonic symbols and frightening depictions of death that are made into objects of merriment. This is unacceptable to the Church. "Although in our spiritual life we teach people to recognize evil, we do not want this holiday, with its alluring images of evil, to become acceptable to our generation and turn into a tradition," said Father Yesai.
He added that the Church does not fight the holiday itself, but seeks to strengthen its own values and traditions. In his observation, in recent years people in Armenia have begun to devote more attention to national and church holidays. When these grow stronger within society, manifestations of foreign culture will gradually recede into the background, the priest believes. He recalled that on these same days the Armenian Church has its own feast, the Feast of All Saints, which carries a deeper spiritual meaning.
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