An official representative of the Russian Orthodox Church has cautioned the people of Russia against celebrating Halloween.
"It is not without reason that Orthodox believers and many clergymen have long been saying that this holiday is more than strange," said Vsevolod Chaplin, deputy head of the external relations department of the Russian Orthodox Church.
"When people turn to evil forces by way of a joke, when they praise them and flirt with them, it reflects on the fate of the person, because it teaches him that evil is acceptable," Chaplin said.
"And only over time does the person begin to see that any sin, spiritual or bodily, is destructive, that communication with evil forces may bring temporary gain, temporary success, but will eventually make the person unhappy," he said.
"Walking with a demon in life can only lead one to tragedy, unhappiness and self-destruction,' Chaplin said.