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EVIL SPIRITS WILL PREVAIL Swastika gift mittens banned
No Swastika
mittens for NATO leaders By JORGEN JOHANSSON RIGA — Hundreds of Latvians knitting 4,500 pairs of woollen mittens as gifts for the November NATO summit have been told to avoid a folk symbol said to ward off evil since it looks like a Nazi Swastika. A spokeswoman for the NATO leaders' summit said the Latvian Thunder Cross, or Fire Cross, will not figure in the design of any of the thousands of unique pairs of mittens some 300 Latvians are producing for NATO delegates lest it be misinterpreted. The Thunder Cross is a folklore symbol used as a charm against evil for Latvians. It quite commonly features on such mittens and other folk items in Latvian shops. The mittens will join a bottle of traditional Latvian spirits—Black Balzam—a CD of local folk music, a jar of honey and some Latvian tea in a gift bag for delegates. Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga is expected to personally hand over the gift bag to the 26 heads of NATO member states, including U.S. President George W. Bush, who plans to visit Estonia as well during his Baltic stay. The November summit, NATO's 19th such gathering, will be the first hosted by Latvia which joined NATO and the EU in 2004. Among other themes, leaders are expected to discuss
expansion of the alliance to incorporate other former Soviet states,
along with the defense alliance's evolving role. |
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