State media bosses in Tajikistan say they will keep Dyed Moroz, or Father Frost, a figure roughly equivalent to Santa Claus, off the nation's television screens this year, as he is not in keeping with local traditions.
Saidali Siddikov, deputy head of the state broadcaster in the mainly Muslim nation, said neither Dyed Moroz nor his granddaughter Snegurochka, or The Snow Maiden, will feature in upcoming New Year's programming.
"These fairytale characters and festive attributes have no direct relations to our national traditions, not that there is anything bad about them," Siddikov said.
Ded Moroz and other associated traditions, which are a legacy of Tajikistan's history as a former Soviet republic, have come under fire from conservative Muslims in recent years.
