The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates Christmas on January 6th as a major Christian religious holiday, together with the Epiphany (baptism) and attend church services in their neighborhoods. Part of the ritual is the “Blessing of Water, when water is blessed with the holy chrism symbolic of Christ’s baptism.
May be it will seem strange for people who celebrate it on 25 December, but it’s in this wayJ.
In the evening on 5 January we
bring light from the church to our
houses through the candles, cover the table with special foods.
Some Armenians fast (don't eat anything) in the week before Christmas. The Christmas Eve meal is called khetum . It often includes dishes such as rice, fish (the symbol of Christianity), nevik (green chard and chick peas) and yogurt/wheat soup called tanabur. Desserts includes dried fruits and nuts, including rojik (whole shelled walnuts threaded on a string and encased in grape jelly), bastukh (a paper-like dessert made of grape jelly, cornstarch and flour). Wine is served with dinner. This lighter menu is designed to ease the stomach off the week-long fast and prepare it for the rather more substantial Christmas Day dinner. Children take presents of fruits, nuts, and other candies to older relatives.
In Armenian Happy/Merry Christmas is Shnorhavor Amanor yev Surb
Tznund (which means 'Congratulations for
the Holy Birth'). Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.
Although it was my first time
to celebrate Christmas without my family, but I spent it again in Armenian
athmosphere in Plovdiv.
What I discovered for me that
here in Bulgaria Armenians celebrate Christmas a little another way.
The youngs bring light from
the church, divide themselves into different groups and go to all Armenian families,
sing Christmas songs in front of the
doors of their houses and when the doors are being opened,the youngs
congratulate them, pass the light to them and receive sweets and money, which
is being forward for charity.
I am very glad and happy that this
year I had a chance to be a part of this nice and spiritual ritual.
I think my story will help you
to imagine or have a little information how Armenians celebrate Christmas J.
Strange Armenia celebrates Christmas on 6th of January. But we the South Asians celebrate it on 25th of December on Friday.
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