Discover the vibrant traditions and rich culture of Armenian Christmas: from delicious feasts to lively carol singing, this holiday is a true celebration of faith, family, and community.
Its origin can be traced back to the early days of Christianity in Armenia.
Interestingly, Armenians are the only Christians in the world who celebrate Christmas and Epiphany on the same day – January 6th!
According to tradition, the country was the first to officially adopt Christianity as a state religion in 301 AD. Since then, the Armenian Church has celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ on this day, January 6th, in accordance with the Julian calendar.
This is why in Armenian it is proper to say “Happy New Year and Merry Christmas” rather than the other way around!
In general, New Year’s Eve in Armenia and the Middle Eastern communities is observed as a day of celebrations, eating and drinking, but it is also when gifts are given and when “Gaghant Baba” or “Dzmer Papik” (Santa Claus) makes his visit.
It is where the Christmas tree, called in Armenian “Donadzar”, literally “Holiday Tree”, makes its appearance. New Year’s Eve in traditional Armenian culture is pretty similar to the secular version of Western Christmas.
Armenian Christmas, on the other hand, is for most, a different kind of holiday. Most seem to see it as a special family gathering and meal rather than an over-the-top festival style holiday.
Many churches will hold special services on the evening of January 5th and again on the morning of January 6th, that often include carol singing, prayers, and the reading of the Bible.
On the eve of the feast of the Holy Nativity, January 5, in the evening, the churches serve a Christmas liturgy called “Chragaluits” (burning lamps), when believers light a candle in the church and bring the Christmas fire home. It symbolizes the light of the Star of Bethlehem, which showed the Magi the way to the baby Christ.
After the liturgy, the faithful greet each other with the words “Christ was born and appeared! Blessed be the appearance of Christ!”
On the morning of the next day, everyone gathers as families for the Christmas Liturgy and Holy Communion. On the same day, immediately after the service, a ceremony is held in the Armenian Apostolic Church called “Blessing the Water”, dedicated to the baptism of Christ.
However, the holiday has evolved over the centuries to include not just religious observances, but also familial traditions.
For example, it is customary for families to gather together for a special Christmas Eve dinner.
This can include traditional dishes such as dolma (stuffed grape leaves) and chorek (sweet bread). It’s a wonderful way to bond with your loved ones and celebrate the holiday in a warm and cozy atmosphere.
Fish is traditionally served. They also cook sweet rice pilaf with dried apricots and raisins, green dishes, as well as traditional Armenian gata for dessert. And, of course, red wine, which is a must.
Each of these dishes has its own purpose: rice symbolizes people on Earth, raisins and dried apricots are prayers. The fish has been a symbol of Christians since ancient times and distinguishes them from followers of other religions, while red wine symbolizes the blood of Jesus Christ.
And the round traditional sweet Gata bread is divided into 12 parts, symbolizing the 12 months of the year.
The holiday is also marked by carol singing and church-going, as well as the exchange of gifts.
In addition to its religious significance, Armenian Christmas has also played an important role in preserving the country’s national identity throughout its history. Despite centuries of foreign domination and persecution, the celebration of this holiday has helped to keep Armenian culture and traditions alive.
And today, it continues to be a cherished and much-anticipated event for people of Armenian descent around the world.
Images from web – Google Research