Children's Museum Center

Children celebrate with Father Frost

1. Wide shot exterior Kremlin over Moskva River
2. Close up shot of the Kremlin towers
3. Zoom in on golden domes
4. Wide shot of street banners overhead in Russian reading happiness and good luck
5. Pan from snowman to Father Frost, Russian equivalent of Santa Claus/Father Christmas
6. Wide shot of children riding in miniature tram fairground ride near Father Frost statue
7. Close up of a child
8. Wide shot Father Frost, snowman and decorated tree
9. SOUNDBITE: (Russian) Anya, bride:
We are expecting happiness, love and children in the new year.
10. Newly weds Anya and Alexei embrace and walk away
11. SOUNDBITE (Russian): Vox Pop, family:
(in answer to question about what were their hopes for the new year)
Many friends and all the best, and not to get sick.
12. Wide shot Father Frost and snowmen display with people around

STORYLINE:

Muscovites got into the New Year spirit on Saturday as they turned out in central Moscow to start their celebrations in the company of Ded Moroz - or Father Frost, Russia's answer to Santa Claus/Father Christmas.

In a central Moscow Square a huge statue of Father Frost and enormous snowmen loomed over fairground rides and balloon sellers.

Families turned out in the freezing weather to enjoy the fun, and a newly wed couple turned up in the square, fresh from their nuptuals.

Asked what were their hopes for the new year, they spoke of happiness, love and children in 2006.

A family asked for friends and health.

New Year is the most popular holiday in Russia, with most families braving the cold to wander round city squares, before having a midnight dinner to the chimes of the Kremlin clock, which is broadcast by every television station in the country.

Keywords New Year celebrations 2006


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Germany: Santa is anti-chocolate...when it's exploitative

Several demonstrators dressed as Santa marked the beginning of a several day protest against inhumane working conditions of cocoa farmers at Berlin's Gendarmenmarkt Christmas Market, Thursday. The demonstrators demand that the chocolate industry to pay higher prices for cocoa beans to combat exploitative child labour and improve working conditions for farmers.

One protester said, We have now found out about the Clean Clothes Campaign; that the working conditions in West Africa are so terrible that children there live having nothing to laugh about, but are rather sent to the plantations daily and are forced to create. And that can't be our job as Father Christmasses to support that. We are now acting against an evil trade and against an inhumane trade. The chocolate industry today is inhumane due to the degrading conditions.

Co-ordinator of the European campaign 'Make Chocolate Fair!', Evelyn Bahn, reported that the working and living conditions of many cocoa farming families are so poor that future generations do not want to take on the plantations after their parents.

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