Estonian Orthodox Church Marks Christmas as Holiday Celebrations Wind Down

7/1/13 Tallinn’s Alexander Nevsky Cathedral held its first-ever nighttime service on Christmas Eve, celebrated on January 6 in accordance with the Julian Calendar. Meanwhile, Tallinners honoring the Western calendar marked the end of winter celebrations with the revival of a medieval ritual – the burning of the Black Heads Guild’s Christmas tree. In previous years, Russian tourists have been surprised to find that on Christmas Eve doors remained closed at the Estonian Orthodox Church, a semi-autonomous follower of the Moscow Patriarchate, ETV reported.