In Russia Christmas is celebrated twice. Most
of the Russians, for whom the main holiday is the New Year, December 25 is the
"Catholic Christmas", but in fact it is also Christmas for Lutherans
and Anglicans (along with some Methodists, Baptists and Pentecostals) who
follow Gregorian
calendar and celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25. The Russian Orthodox Church, like some Protestant churches, has retained, however, the old Julian calendar for religious holidays, 13 days "later" than the Gregorian calendar. For this reason the Orthodox Christmas falls on January 7 and Epiphany on January 19.
The Director of the Information Centre of the Archdiocese of Mother of God in Moscow, Father Kirill Gorbunov, remembers, however, that the "feast is one for all Christians."
"To all the faithful, the main aspect of this day is Mass," said the priest, according to whom at least 5 thousand faithful will flock to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in the Russian capital.
The midnight Mass was in Russian, but 25 others were held in Polish, Spanish and English.
The majority of Catholics in Moscow come from countries of Catholic tradition, but there are also Vietnamese, Korean and Armenian communities.