What are some Christmas traditions in Armenia?
Armenian Christmas People bring Christmas fire from churches to their homes, believing it will bless their families and bring success. To celebrate Christmas woman usually cook rice with raisins, fish, ghapama (traditional Armenian dish made of pumpkin) and gata with a coin in it.
How is Christmas different in Armenia?
On Christmas Eve, January 5, Armenians light their homes and churches with candles to illuminate the end of dark days and long nights. Christmas Day is known to Armenians as Water Blessing Day to commemorate Christ’s baptism; holy water, blessed by the head priest, is shared with families in the community.
Why do Armenians celebrate Christmas on January 6th?
Armenian Christmas is a culmination of celebrations of events related to the birth and baptism of Christ. The reason for the different date is that until the fourth century, Christ’s birth was celebrated by all Christian churches celebrated Christ’s birth on January 6th.
What is the traditional Christmas meal of Armenia?
Khetum
Some Armenians will fast for the week before Christmas. The Christmas Eve meal is called Khetum and consists of rice, fish, Nevik (green chard and chick peas) and a yoghurt/wheat soup called Tanabur.
Why do Armenians fast before Christmas?
Traditionally, Armenians fast before Christmas A week before Christmas day, some Armenians fast and abstain from meat so as to receive the feast of the Epiphany on a “pure stomach”.
Who celebrates Christmas January 6?
During the “Armenian Christmas” season, the major events that are celebrated are the Nativity of Christ in Bethlehem and His Baptism in the River Jordan. The day of this major feast in the Armenian Church is January 6th.
What is Armenian Christmas called?
In Armenian Happy/Merry Christmas is Shnorhavor Amanor yev Surb Tznund (Շնորհավոր Ամանոր և Սուրբ Ծնունդ) (which means ‘Congratulations for the Holy Birth’). Happy/Merry Christmas in lots more languages.
Is January 6 real Christmas?
January 6 is the day traditionally known as Old Christmas. It’s a relic of the Julian Calendar, developed 2,000 years ago. In the late 1500s, Pope Gregory XIII changed the calendar to match the solar cycle more closely.
Why is Catholic and Orthodox Christmas different?
Over the years, the differences in these two calendars meant that certain religious holidays would fall under two different dates, which is essentially why the majority of the world celebrate on December 25th, in accordance to the Gregorian calendar, while a few Orthodox Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ …
What religion was Armenians?
Religious demography Armenians have a very strong cultural connection to the Armenian Apostolic Church. About 97% of citizens belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church, an Eastern Christian denomination in communion with the other Oriental Orthodox churches.
Who celebrates Christmas on January 6th?
‘Women’s Christmas’), also known as Old Christmas, is one of the traditional names among Irish Christians and Amish Christians for 6 January, which is also known more widely as the Feast of the Epiphany, celebrated after the conclusion of the twelve days of Christmastide.
What is special on 6th January?
This Day in History: January 6 Celebrated annually this day, Epiphany is a major feast that commemorates, for Western Christians, the coming of the Magi and, for Eastern Orthodox Christians, Jesus’ birth, baptism by John, and first miracle.
What is the history of Christmas?
Thus the history of Christmas is long and complex. It begins with the birth of Jesus, whom many believe is the long-awaited Savior sent into the world by God. As different cultures have celebrated the holiday over the centuries, numerous other traditions have been added to enhance its meaning with themes of life, light, and generosity.
How did Christmas change in the 17th century?
An Outlaw Christmas. In the early 17th century, a wave of religious reform changed the way Christmas was celebrated in Europe. When Oliver Cromwell and his Puritan forces took over England in 1645, they vowed to rid England of decadence and, as part of their effort, cancelled Christmas.
Why was Christmas not a holiday in early America?
As a result, Christmas was not a holiday in early America. From 1659 to 1681, the celebration of Christmas was actually outlawed in Boston. Anyone exhibiting the Christmas spirit was fined five shillings.
What is the significance of Christmas?
From the inclusion of the Christmas tree to the annual gift-giving, the feast day that spans through modern history has many traditions, myths, and stories that resonate around the globe. As a main celebration in the Christian liturgical calendar, it follows the season of Advent and ushers in Christmastide, or The Twelve Days of Christmas.