When Armenians have Christmas in. Christmas traditions in armenia

(AAC) - the only one among Christian churches - will celebrate on Wednesday the feast of the Nativity of Christ simultaneously with Epiphany under the general name of Epiphany.

The head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, will serve a solemn Christmas liturgy in the Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin. The service will be attended by the country's leaders, members of the government, deputies, ambassadors accredited in Yerevan, politicians and parishioners.

"Only the Armenian Church has preserved the ancient custom of celebrating the Nativity of Christ and Epiphany on the same day. Other churches celebrate Christmas on December 25 or January 7, and Epiphany on January 6 or 19," the press office of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin (the monastery in the city of Vagharshapat, the residence of the Catholicos of All Armenians).

According to the Old Testament, no one had the right to preach before reaching the age of 30. The church celebrated Christmas and Epiphany on the same day, since Christ began to preach at the age of 30 and after baptism.

All Christians until the fourth century celebrated Christmas on January 6th. However, even after the adoption of Christianity, paganism among the Romans did not lose their positions. On December 25, the feast of the sun was celebrated with great pomp. To eliminate pagan customs, in 336 the Roman Church officially decided to consider December 25 as the day of the Nativity of Jesus Christ.

Fasting and Christmas liturgy

The week preceding Christmas - from December 30 to January 5 in the evening - is considered fast. These days, products of exclusively plant origin are used. According to the old calendar, the Armenians celebrated the New Year on the 1st of the month Navasard, that is, on August 11, when there was no fasting. With the adoption of the new chronology, the New Year began to be celebrated on December 31 - the day that coincides with the fast preceding Christmas. The fast ends on January 5, on Christmas Eve evening, when the Christmas liturgy will be served in the churches. People greet each other with the words: "Christ was born and appeared! Blessed is the appearance of Christ!"

The Feast of Christmas and Epiphany is the day of coming into the world, that is, the appearance of Jesus Christ. It begins on the evening of January 5, as the church day changes after the evening service.

First, the holy liturgy of Chrakaluyts is served, which is celebrated twice a year - on the holidays of Christmas and Resurrection. "Chrakaluyts" means "lighting of lamps" (lamps), which symbolizes the light of the Bethlehem star, which showed the Magi the way to the baby Jesus. Also during the liturgy, candles are lit, symbolizing the divine light, the blessing of the church. That is why people take away lamps and candles lit in the church to their homes.

Consecration of water

On January 6, after the Christmas liturgy, the Blessing of Water is performed, which symbolizes the baptism of Christ in the Jordan River. The water is blessed by the Bible, the cross and the world, after which it is distributed to those present. The next day, a liturgy of commemoration of the departed is served in the Armenian church, a panikhida rite is performed to calm the souls of the deceased.

Homes are also blessed on Christmas days. However, people invite a clergyman home or to their place of work, wishing to receive God's blessing, and after Christmas and Resurrection.

On the seventh of January, as well as on all days immediately following the main holidays, the commemoration of the dead is performed - Merelots. After the Divine Liturgy, all churches pray for the repose of the soul, after which people visit the graves.

Christmas ceremonies last until January 13, right up to the feast of the naming of the Lord.

It is noteworthy that in the Christian world only Armenians celebrate Christmas, Epiphany and Epiphany on the same day - January 6. It is known that until the 4th century, all Christians celebrated the holiday on this very day. But since on December 25, sun worshipers from ancient times widely celebrated the third day after the winter solstice, then after the adoption of Christianity in 336, the Roman Catholic Church adopted a decree on the celebration of the Nativity of Christ on this day in order to eradicate the pagan holiday.

So Catholics began to celebrate the Nativity of Christ on December 25, and January 6 remained the day of the celebration of his Baptism.

In the evening on the eve of the feast of Holy Christmas, the liturgy "Chrakaluyts" (Ճրագալույց) is served in all churches - the liturgy of Christmas Eve. On this day, believers light candles and carry them home to illuminate their homes and prepare for the feast of the Nativity of Christ.

The next morning, January 6, the Christmas Liturgy takes place. Then the Epiphany Feast begins with the ceremony of blessing the water. Holy myrrh is added to the water, the water is blessed with prayer. According to tradition, after the service, believers bring some of the consecrated water to their homes. Water is called Epiphany and is a healing agent for the sick, it has special beneficial properties. Epiphany water is stored and treated as a great shrine.

According to the canons of the Armenian Church, the week preceding Christmas is considered a fasting period. It starts on the evening of December 29 and ends on the evening of January 5 at the Christmas table.

As for the festive menu, on this day, it is customary for Armenians to cook several dishes at once: sweet pilaf from rice, dried apricots and raisins, dishes from herbs and fish, and gata for dessert. The presence of red wine on the Christmas table is a must.

The presence of all these dishes on the table is not accidental, because each of them has its own purpose. Rice - symbolizes the people, raisins and dried apricots - the chosen ones of God, who preached the Lord's faith among the people. Since ancient times, fish has been a symbol of Christians and distinguished them from followers of other religions. Red wine symbolizes the blood of Jesus Christ, and the round traditional gata is divided into 12 pieces, symbolizing the 12 months of the year.

The day following Christmas in Armenia, the departed is remembered. From time immemorial, Merelots (Մեռելոց) was conceived so that the dead would also remain a part of the holy holiday.

Շնորհավոր Սուրբ Ծնունդ

Merry Christmas!

The Armenian Apostolic Church - the only one among Christian churches - celebrates on January 6 the feast of the Nativity of Christ simultaneously with Epiphany. The name of the holiday is Epiphany.

The head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, will lead the solemn Christmas liturgy in the Cathedral of Echmiadzin (a monastery in the city of Vagharshapat, the residence of the Catholicos). The service will be attended by the country's leaders, members of the government, deputies, ambassadors accredited in Yerevan, politicians and parishioners.

“Only the Armenian Church has preserved the ancient custom of celebrating the Nativity of Christ and Epiphany on the same day. Other churches celebrate Christmas on December 25 or January 7, and Epiphany on January 6 or 19, "the press office of Echmiadzin told RIA Novosti.

All Christians until the 4th century celebrated Christmas on January 6th. According to the Old Testament, no one had the right to preach before reaching the age of 30, and in ancient times, the church celebrated Christmas and Epiphany on the same day, since Christ began to preach at the age of 30 and after baptism.

However, even after the adoption of Christianity, paganism among the Romans did not lose their positions. On December 25, the feast of the sun was celebrated with great pomp. To eliminate pagan customs, in 336 the Roman Church officially decided to consider December 25 as the day of the Nativity of Jesus Christ.

The Feast of Christmas and Epiphany is the day of coming into the world, that is, the appearance of Jesus Christ. It begins on the evening of January 5, as the church day changes after the evening service.

On January 6, after the Christmas liturgy, the Blessing of Water is performed, which symbolizes the baptism of Christ in the Jordan River. The water is blessed by the Bible, the cross and the world, after which it is distributed to those present. The next day, a liturgy of commemoration of the departed is served in the Armenian church, a panikhida rite is performed to calm the souls of the deceased.

It is well known that Armenians treat their traditions with great trepidation. Being an ancient Christian nation, which the Armenians are also very proud of, they of course observe all church holidays, among which Christmas has a special place. The celebration lasts more than one day and is accompanied by numerous rituals, rooted in the centuries-old Christian history of the country.

The actual holiday of the Nativity of Christ in Armenia is celebrated on January 6 - a day earlier than it is customary in the Orthodox tradition, which also has a historical basis. Until the 5th century, Christmas and Baptism in many Christian countries were traditionally celebrated at the same time - on the night of January 5-6. However, over time, some Christian denominations have changed this custom, establishing two different holidays. The Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC) has remained faithful to the early Christian tradition. The joint feast of the Nativity of Christ and Epiphany has a common name - Epiphany. In Armenia, the feast of the Epiphany is also called "Little Easter".

Christmas Eve is called Chragaluyts (lighting of lamps) and is celebrated on January 5, respectively. In the evening, Liturgy is served in the churches, and the believers bring from the church to the house a Christmas fire, symbolizing the light of the Star of Bethlehem, which showed the Magi the way to the Child Christ. The light of thousands of lighted candles and icon lamps makes the holiday of Christmas bright in every sense of the word.

On the morning of January 6, the churches are already holding the Christmas liturgy, after which the rite of Blessing of Water takes place, symbolizing the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan River. The water is consecrated with sacred peace, prayer and the cross and distributed to parishioners. Epiphany water is believed to have healing properties.

The most magnificent and crowded divine service takes place in the oldest monastery in Armenia, Echmiadzin (literally "The place of descent of the Only Begotten"). The temple was built immediately after the adoption of Christianity by Armenia under Tsar Trdat III in 301-303. It was here that until recently the residence of the Catholicos of All Armenians was located, which was later transferred to Yerevan. Nevertheless, Echmiadzin with its numerous temples, seminaries, and just from old memory, still remains the main spiritual center of Armenia.

As in the Catholic and Orthodox worlds, Christmas in Armenia is a family holiday. And as all such holidays are not complete without a special menu, which includes without fail fish (an ancient symbol of Christianity) and sweet pilaf with raisins and dried fruits (rice is a symbol of all mankind, raisins are a symbol of the elect). Also an obligatory attribute of the Christmas table is dry red wine. In some families, it is customary to serve tolma in grape leaves and snacks made from herbs, in particular spinach.

On this bright day for all believers, it is customary to gather in a narrow circle of those closest and dearest and spend a warm quiet evening together, often remembering relatives who have recently left the mortal world. Tomorrow, on January 7, a liturgy of commemoration of the dead will be served in the Armenian church and a panikhida rite will be performed to calm the souls of the deceased. On this day, according to tradition, one must visit the graves of loved ones.

Photo report: Evening Liturgy (Chragaluyts), Cathedral of St. Gregory the Illuminator, Yerevan, January 5, 2016

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How is Christmas 2020 celebrated in Armenia? This country, in which Christianity was proclaimed the state religion in 301, became the first Christian state in the world.

Most of the inhabitants of Armenia are Christians, and there is a special attitude to one of the main Christian holidays - Christmas.

Why do Armenians celebrate Christmas on January 6, 2020?

What are the traditions of the Christmas holiday in Armenia? We will talk about this and much more in this article. Let's start with the fact that the date of the holiday itself differs from that adopted in other countries.

Why is Armenian Christmas celebrated on January 6? Until the 5th century, all Christian churches celebrated the feast of the Nativity of Christ and Epiphany on this day. Later, some churches postponed the date of the holiday, while the Armenian church remained faithful to the old traditions.

On the eve of Christmas, the liturgy of Christmas Eve is served in Armenian churches. Believers light a candle in the church and carry it home to consecrate it. This candle symbolizes the light of the Star of Bethlehem, which showed the Magi the way to the Christ Child.

According to the Christmas tradition, in Armenia, on the morning of January 6, the Christmas Liturgy is served. Then, in the churches, the feast of the baptism of Christ takes place with the ceremony of blessing the water.

The water is blessed by the clergy, then it is distributed to the parishioners. The believers keep the Epiphany water for a year and treat it like a shrine.

Traditional Christmas dishes are served at the festive table. This is a fish that has been a symbol of Christianity since ancient times. It is also customary to treat guests with melt (pilaf) with raisins: rice personifies humanity, and raisins - the chosen ones, whom the Lord chose.

How to wish Merry Christmas in Armenian?

Merry Christmas greetings in Armenian sounds like this:
Շնորհավոր Սուրբ ծնունդ - Shnoravor Surb tsenund.

Happy New Year! - Շնորհավոր Նոր տարի (Shnoravor Nor tari).

Also Armenians say:

I wish you many happy years, health and success in your career - Ցանկանում եմ բազում երջանիկ տարիներ, առողջություն և աշխատանքային վերելքներ.

I wish you good luck - Հաջողություն եմ ցանկանում (Ajokhutyun em tsankanum),

I wish you happiness - Երջանկություն եմ ցանկանում (Erdzhankutyun em tsankanum).