Barely two weeks after everybody else observed Christmas (December 25th), Mallorca’s Orthodox Christians actually celebrate their Christmas today, January 7th. Celebrations took place on Christmas Eve, Orthodox style, last night (January 6th). Happy Orthodox Christmas, then. Most but, by far not all, Orthodox Christian churches continue to use the old Julian calendar when everyone else Christian is using the more recent Gregorian calendar.

You might be interested to know that there are three Catholic churches in Palma de Mallorca where Mallorca’s Orthodox Christians congregate and hold services. Russian Orthodox Christians celebrated Christmas in style at the Església de Santa Caterina de Sena, at Porta Pintada (Carrer Sant Miquel). Ukrainian Orthodox Christians did so at the Església de Santa Fe, on Plaçoleta Santa Fe, and Romanian Orthodox Christians have made the Església de la Concepció their home of worship, in Carrer Concepció. It would appear that the Romanian Orthodox church in Palma celebrated Christmas the Gregorian way, on December 25th.

I somehow sense that Mallorca’s Greek Orthodox Christians also use the Església de Santa Caterina de Sena, as may do Bulgarian Orthodox Christians. Please correct me if I am wrong. However, I have no information about the Armenian Orthodox church in Mallorca, also Christian. I am pretty sure that there are some Armenians living happily amongst us but, they may not have their own church. Perhaps they conjoin with the Romanians at the Església de la Concepció. Or do you know better?

Please note in my photo that Romanian Orthodox Christians use separate candles for the living (Vii) and for the deceased (Morti), or so my very limited abilities of the Romanian language suggest. Again, please help me if I am wrong.

I do not think that there is any Coptic congregation in Mallorca. Or is there?

The photo was taken at the Església de Concepció in Palma de Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: December 25th, 2010. The time was 11:20:32.