Armenia celebrating Christmas
06.01.2010 12:46 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates the Feast
of the Holy Nativity and Theophany of Our Lord Jesus Christ on January
6. Festivities begin on the evening of January 5 as the church day
changes at 17:00 pm, after the evening service. So the celebration of
the feast starts in the evening of January 5 and is continued on
January 6. In the evening of January 5 candlelight Divine Liturgy is
celebrated in all Armenian churches.
On January 6, the Christmas liturgy is followed by the ceremony of
consecration of water what symbolizes the Baptism of Christ in the
Jordan.
January 7, as well as all the days following the major church feasts
are memorial days (or days of Remembrance of the dead). On January 7
(and all memorial days) a special Repose of Souls Service is offered
in memory of the dead after which people go the graveyards to pay
visit to their relatives’ tombs.
The ceremonies related to the Feast of the Holy Nativity and Theophany
of Our Lord Jesus Christ are concluded on January 13, the Feast of
Naming of Our Lord Jesus Christ.