Leaflets calling to renounce celebrations were spread in KBR before the New Year

In the last days of 2013, residents of some settlements of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (KBR) found leaflets in their mailboxes calling not to celebrate the New Year. According to the Republic's MIA, in the period from December 31, 2013, to January 1, 2014, the KBR held 19 mass New Year events with the participation of 11,980 people.

The website "Pravoslavie.Ru" confirms that in some cities of the KBR residents found leaflets in their mailboxes condemning the tradition to welcome the New Year.

The leaflets stated that the tradition of celebrating the New Year came from ancient Slavs, who brought human sacrifices to the New Year Tree, and decorated its branches with victims' guts; and modern garlands symbolize "this pagan custom."

The MIA of the KBR has noted that there were no violations of public order in the republic during the New Year celebrations.

Let us remind you that that also in Dagestan adherents of various Islamic trends had offered believers not to celebrate the New Year. Sirazhudin-Hajji Akhmedov, a supporter of the Dagestani Sufism, said that some actions within the celebrations may bring Muslims out of Islam.

In December 2012, a debate was held in Dagestan on New Year celebrations. Then, 10 persons were detained for distributing leaflets calling not to celebrate the New Year; four of them were sentenced to administrative arrest.