This is interesting because it shows a side of Russian Christmas celebrations.
Special children's Christmas plays are a tradition, a sort of variation of western Christmas pageants.
But the emphasis of Christmas in Russia is definitely spiritual, in contrast to the anti-spiritual, sickenly consumerist orgy that Christmas has become in the US and Europe.
Who in America could give a similar Christmas speech to young people with this spiritual message? Or Paris, London or Berlin?
There are advantages in having a national church, and a head of that church, precisely for these moments.
Only orthodox Christian countries have heads of national churches.
Russia is the only large European country which has one. The others are Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania (sort of).
Video subtitles by Olga Beskrovnova and Anthony Grulich
