OUR TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS ARE ALIVE AND WELL
BY CATHERINE YESAYAN

asbarez
Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

In Tehran, when I was growing up, my father’s side of the family
belonged to the Armenian Evangelical Church, which was founded by
Protestant Missionaries from United States in the mid 1800s. The
church was situated in the old part of Tehran on Ghavam-Saltaneh
street. The few acres of its sprawling grounds included two schools
and living quarters for the American missionaries.

Since American missionaries presided over that church, my father’s
family celebrated Christmas on December 25. My mother’s side belonged
to the Armenian Apostolic Church and they observed Christmas on
January 6 as most Armenians do.

Usually I can recall things from the past quite well, however I
cannot recall exactly how we celebrated on December 25 at my paternal
grandmother’s home. But I do remember that the Evangelical church
had a youth program where we learned Christmas Carols. My mother was
not very keen about the program and didn’t want me to participate,
because it was conducted in Farsi and our peers and instructors were
proselytized Muslims. However, I loved these church activities and
have many fond memories of our outings and all other programs.

In the days before December 25 at the youth program, we learned
Christmas carols that were translated into Farsi. We also learned
carols in English. Leading up to Christmas, the elders of the church
drove us around in cars to visit different Christian homes so we
could go caroling. Today, hearing Christmas Carols, takes my mind
to the youth program. Without question singing Carols is a memory
that I always will cherish it. I’m glad that I didn’t obey my mom
and insisted to participate in the youth program.

In Tehran, the celebration of Christmas was not big. New Year’s Eve
was the excuse for major festivities. All the hoopla, the gift giving,
the decorations, the “Holiday Tree” were for celebrating the New Year,
not Christmas. Santa came on New Year’s Eve and we opened our gifts
on the New Year’s Day.

I sometimes think that it would have been so much better, if, here
in the “West,” Santa would come for the New Year instead of Christmas.

Then all children from every religion could enjoy the charm of Santa
Claus. In reality, what does Santa have to do with the birth of Jesus?

Back to my memories of Armenian Christmas in Tehran: On January 5 we
had our Christmas dinner around the table at my maternal grandmother’s
home. The traditional food included smoked fish, pilaf and koukou. We
had the same menu for Easter too. I’m not sure how the dish became the
traditional menu of Iranian-Armenians. I think the koukou (a cake of
greens & eggs) and the pilaf were adopted from Persian cuisine, and
fish is a staple of Armenian tradition. Red wine was always present
on the table and the “holy-cracker ??????” was brought from church
and was cracked and served in the wine. The tradition also dictated
to burn incense (?????- Frankincense) Which I love the smell of it.

Another custom that has fazed-out was after Christmas and Easter for
almost two weeks priests would visit the homes and bless them.

Christmas and Easter dinners have occupied an important part in our
culture. During dinner our elders told us stories about how they
celebrated the holy days in old times. My Mom always recalls that her
father insisted that for Christmas the dinner could be served after
the sun set but Easter dinner had to be served while the sun was
still up. My grandfather was born in a village and his family moved
to Tabriz when he was young. So the comment that my mother remembers
from his father tells me that Armenians living in villages in Iran,
also kept the tradition of having Christmas and Easter dinner.

The best part of the Christmas was when on January 6 we had the home
ready for visitors. It was a tradition that the women stayed at home
and men went from home to home to visit and celebrate the advent
of Christmas and the New Year. Our relatives and friends came for a
short visit just to keep the tradition and to say Merry Christmas –
they had a shot of brandy and had a chocolate and off they went to
the next home. Sometimes they brought their kids with them, and that’s
how we stayed in touch with distant relatives.

My dad was a translator and worked with mostly Jewish and Muslim
merchants. On January 6th, all his clients came to visit us. The house
had such a festive spirit. We were dressed in our best clothes and the
house was decorated “to the T” and the food was overflowing. Dad’s
clients brought us nice expensive gifts, such as huge vases, bowls,
platters and trays of silver sterling or hand-painted miniatures in
rich marquetry (khatam-kari) frames. We kids received gold coins.

Usually Dad was not home because according to the tradition he had
to visit other relatives but Mom received the visitors graciously.

Two years ago I had the opportunity to walk from my home to my Mom’s
for “Jour-orhnek” dinner – Blessed-water – that’s what we call the
Armenian Christmas. To get to her home I had to cross small residential
streets in Glendale. While walking, it was so fun to peek through
the windows and see some dinner tables ready inside the homes.

The mood was so festive. I noticed people arriving by car or on
foot, with their hands full of gifts or dishes of food that they had
prepared. I could even smell the burning of the incense while passing
by homes. It is needless to say because it is an Armenian hallmark:
women were coiffed beautifully and men were in their best suits. I was
overjoyed to see how in these “Odar aperoom,” (on the foreign shores)
we Armenians are thriving and the traditions are alive and well. I
can see without question that our next generation will continue the
customs that we have brought with us from the old countries.

Catherine Yesayan is a contributor to Asbarez. You may reach her at
cyesayan@gmail.com or read her stories on her blog.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress