“At age 15, I experienced my first runway, and wore a unique corset crafted by an Armenian designer to a fundraising lunch organized by my school in Lebanon. It was an exhilarating and proud moment for me, marking the beginning of my journey into the world of fashion,” Talar Artinian shares.

Richard Hagopian’s family was one of thousands who escaped the Armenian Genocide in the early 1900s and forged a new path in the fertile San Joaquin Valley.

SJV Water donors and the James B. McClatchy Foundation provided funding for the Rooted in the Valley series.

— Jesse Vad, SJV Water

Watch the video at

https://gvwire.com/2024/01/03/rooted-in-the-valley-the-hagopians-escaped-the-armenian-genocide-and-thrived/

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The heartwarming effort took place at the end of 2018 and January 2019. After fleeing Armenia due to political prosecution in 2010, the Tamrazyan family settled in the Netherlands. After a years-long process, the government denied their final request for asylum. Furthermore, they proceeded despite the fact that three children had been in the country for more than five years and were technically eligible for an amnesty.

As a last resort, the family first took refuge in a church in Katwijk. When the temple ran out of resources to help them, Bethel Church gladly stepped in. In addition to the service, they provided the family with lodging, psychological help, and in-house education for the children, who could no longer go to school.

To make the endeavor work, they relied on the kindness of 650 clerics from 20 different denominations around the Netherlands and neighboring countries. The clergymen and women would travel to Bethel Church, located in The Hague, and would take over from previous priests, sometimes pulling all-nighters with hymns and prayers to keep the immigration officers at bay. If any of them took a break, the authorities would be able to enter and arrest the five members of the family.

Luckily, everything worked out in the end. After 96 days, not only was the family given permission to remain in the Netherlands, but the effort also helped more people. “The purpose of the church shelter was to provide safety for the family who had exhausted all legal remedies and to come to a solution for families in similar situations. Now that more than 600 rooted children and their parents can stay in the Netherlands, the intended result has been achieved,” the church said in a statement.

“The church has become a home,” said Hayarpi, the eldest daughter, upon the end of the weeks-long mass. “We have had sad but also very beautiful moments. The Bethelkerk is for me now a special building, but I am glad that I can get out of it and can continue to build on my future.”

Armenian Christmas 2024: The Armenian Christmas holiday is annually observed on January 6. Commemorating this occasion in the same manner since its inception, it has been an integral part of Armenian customs for over 1700 years. Although the date of the commemoration may seem peculiar to the majority, it is consistent with Christian traditions.

Armenians observe the Epiphany of Christ, the revelation of Jesus Christ as the son of God, as opposed to Christ’s birthday, in contrast to Catholics. Following a period of fasting, Armenians partake in lavish feasts that consist of rice, nuts, sweets, and chocolates.

Armenia’s history dates back to approximately 3500 B.C. Remains have been unearthed by scientists, providing evidence of the Armenians’ existence throughout the Stone Age. During the second century A.D., Pompey ruled Armenia. The reign came to an end with the establishment of the Armenian Arsacid Dynasty. The Armenian Apostolic Church established Christianity in Armen in 301 A.D., marking the nation’s historic adoption of Christianity as its official religion and the first to do so globally.

The Armenian Apostolic Church operated autonomously from both the Catholic and Orthodox faiths. People throughout Europe observed the Roman holiday known as Solis Invicti. Solis Invicti was a winter solstice observance that was specifically devoted to the monarch Helios. To prevent a conflict between Christmas and Solis Invicti, Catholics have chosen to reschedule the celebration of the two festivals.

Consequently, the 25th of December was designated as Christmas, and the 6th of January was designated as the Feast of the Epiphany. In Armenia, on the other hand, Solis Invicti was not observed, so there was no necessity to alter the dates. The Armenians continued their Christmas celebrations that began on January 6. Christmas in Armenia has been observed on January 6 ever since that time.

A week before Armenian Christmas, several Armenians observe a fast. Following it are celebrations with a Christmas theme that take place all over the world on December 25. Gathering for family dinners, preparing traditional Armenian dishes, engaging in activities, and exchanging gifts are all components of the festivities.

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Yes. Soorp Dznoont is the name given to Armenian Christmas in several Eastern nations. The nocturnal structure is known as Tonatsar. Soop Stepanos Day is a holiday that some Armenians celebrate on December 25.

On January 5, Armenians used fire carried from the church to illuminate candles in their homes. It is believed that this bestows good fortune and prosperity upon them, symbolically banishing the shadow of darkness from their existence.

Certain Armenians fast for one week before Armenian Christmas in the belief that they ought to partake in the feast of Epiphany with a pristine stomach.

It is now time to demonstrate your culinary prowess, so hon your knives and utensils. Attempt to prepare traditional Armenian dishes such as ‘Ishli Kufta,’ ‘Blinchik,’ ‘Ghapama,’ and ‘Dolma.’ Enjoy these delectable dishes with family and friends.

Inform all individuals of your celebration for this day. Post photographs of your Armenian Christmas celebrations to social media. Also acceptable are articles concerning Armenian Christmas.

As your research into the origins of Armenian Christmas and Armenian history progresses, you will come across numerous intriguing anecdotes and facts. Make an effort to increase your general knowledge today.

In Armenian Christmas, Dzmer Pap, the winter godfather, is the Armenian equivalent of Santa Claus.

During antiquity, Dzmer Pap exclusively offered counsel and discouraged the exchange of tangible presents.

Certain individuals transport fire from churches into their residences in the hope that it will bestow blessings upon them.

That year, whoever discovers a coin in gata (the traditional delicious bread of Armenia) will have the greatest good fortune.

It is customary for Armenians to pay visits to relatives and neighbors at midnight to extend festive greetings.

https://newsd.in/armenian-christmas/

On Wednesday, January 3, 2024, Archbishop Elpidophoros of America warmly welcomed Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan, the primate of the Eastern Diocese of America in the Armenian Church, to the Archdiocesan Headquarters.

Bishop Mesrop, consecrated to the episcopacy on October 8, 2023, by Catholicos Karekin II in Etchmiadzin, Armenia, made his first visit to the Archdiocese, extending heartfelt Christmas wishes to Archbishop Elpidophoros.

During their meeting, the two hierarchs delved into the rich spiritual ties and historical proximity shared between the Greek and Armenian communities. They also discussed the imperative of ministering to the youth and the challenges associated with preserving faith, culture, and language. In closing, Archbishop Elpidophoros extended his warmest wishes for a Merry and Blessed Christmas to Bishop Mesrop, who would be celebrating the occasion on January 6, following the Armenian tradition.

Hatred for Jews has no boundaries: The few Jews remaining in the Armenian capital continue to endure harassment, and following several deliberate acts of arson on the country’s only synagogue, the climax was a neo-Nazi march in the heart of the city with no intervention on the part of the authorities or the police.

The hatred for Jews and for Israel never stops – with the current war being cited as the reason of course. On January 1st, the capital city of Armenia, a country not exactly teeming with Jews, was host to a serious incident when a group of neo-Nazis paraded down the streets of Yerevan with flags displaying stylized swastikas, and chanting derogatory slogans against internal and external enemies. 

The movement in question is the Husnak movement, a nationalist movement whose website praises Hitler and contains anti-Semitic caricatures, and articles calling for the deportation of Jews and for the “exposure of their activities towards children.”

More than a month has passed since the report, which circulated worldwide, of the second arson attack on the only synagogue in Armenia within weeks, by local antisemitic entities. The true reason for these anti-Semitic acts is not the current war in Gaza, but rather, as reported several times, it is due to the support given by Israel to Azerbaijan, Armenia’s sworn rival. 

There has been a recent increase in anti-Semitism due to the conflict in the Karabakh region, and at the start of the New Year, on January 1st, a crowd of young Neo-Nazis organized a march with stylized flags displaying a swastikas.. 

According to reports published on the networks, these same young neo-Nazis organized a march to the memorial of Garegin Nzhdeh, who was an Armenian collaborator of the Nazis (and whose birthday falls on January 1st).  A bouquet of flowers was placed on the memorial and they saluted him with raised arms.

The Jewish community is outraged that the Armenian authorities took no action against the “shameful acts, and against the extremist group that raised its head.” Additionally, Jewish community representatives added that “the police did not stop the march, nor summon any of the participants for questioning, and in all probability, seeing as what has been happening in the country lately, they must be quite satisfied with these acts.”

Moreover, no one was arrested for the arson attempts on the only synagogue in the country. According to media reports, a group calling itself the Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia threatened to attack rabbis and Israelis all over the world, and praised Hamas and Hezbollah following the massacre of October 7th.

Also, according to an article in the Jerusalem Post, former advisor to the armed forces of Armenia, Vladimir Poghosyan, made anti-Semitic remarks and claimed to be helping Hamas and Hezbollah to kill Jews: “I will shout out to the whole world about the just killing of Jews.” In addition, a video clip features him claiming that Jews have no right to exist, as he says, “You are jackals that need to be exterminated completely.”

He also made several serious statements, including that Israel was lucky that he did not assist Hamas and Hezbollah: “I would have killed 100,000 Jews.” The state did nothing to stop him.

If that is not enough, Armenian-Iranian ties are strengthening and becoming more strategic. The Iranian foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, arrived in Yerevan last Wednesday, where he made clear the high level of importance of Armenia to Iran.

At a press conference, Amir-Abdollahian emphasized Tehran’s support for the territorial integrity of Armenia, and remarked that the bilateral trade has to reach one billion dollars in 2024, which, of course, was an allusion to the return of the Karabakh region to Azerbaijan, which is supported by Israel.

https://www.jpost.com/judaism/article-780769

On September 30th, 2023 the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reported that more than 100,000 people have now fled to Armenia from Nagorno-Karabakh, which had a population of around 120,000 before the Baku government of Azerbaijan launched the successful lightning offensive on the region, according to Sky News. A total of 21,043 vehicles have crossed the Hakari bridge, which links Armenia to Nagorno-Karabakh, according to Nazeli Baghdasaryan, the press secretary to Armenia’s prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, reported by The Guardian News. The region’s separatist ethnic Armenian government claimed on Thursday that “it would dissolve itself by the end of the year after a three-decade bid for independence,” The Guardian News reported. 

Pashinyan claims the large-scale migration amounts to “a direct act of an ethnic cleansing,” according to Sky News. Armenia’s ambassador-at-large, Edmon Marukyan, also criticized and claimed that these people were “ethnically cleansed from their ancestral homeland, from their homes where their parents, where their ancestors were living, and these people were totally cleansed from this territory,” the BBC reported. Meanwhile, Azerbaijan expressed the desire to integrate the ethnic Armenians in the region as “equal citizens” and dismissed allegations of ethnic cleansing raised by Armenia, BBC reported. Furthermore, Azerbaijan argued that the departure of the region’s residents is “their personal and individual decision and has nothing to do with forced relocation,” Sky News reported. Marukyan dismissed Azerbaijan’s assurances and claims as “a lie,” according to the BBC. 

This issue is historically and geopolitically complicated. It does not only involve the Armenian and Azerbaijan governments, as the conflicts between the two governments involve the Soviet Union and Turkey as well. Therefore, it is crucial to analyze the causes and the problems of regional tensions to improve the situation, as the issue is not unidimensional but multi-dimensional. In the end, civilians suffer from such conflicts, like the incidents which have caused migrations of ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh. Therefore, such issues should be resolved from the core of the problem.

Modern-day Armenia and Azerbaijan became part of the Soviet Union in the 1920s. Nagorno-Karabakh was controlled by Azerbaijan but had a majority ethnic-Armenian population, according to the BBC. When both countries gained independence from the Soviet Union in the late 1980s, Azerbaijan sought to suppress the separatist movement in Nagorno-Kabakh, as the region wanted to become part of Armenia. This led to ethnic clashes and eventually to a full-scale war. There was another clash in 1992, but Russia intervened, and a ceasefire was agreed upon in 1994. Although Nagorno-Karabakh remained part of Azerbaijan, it had a separatist “government” run by ethnic Armenians and backed by the Armenian government. The region is still volatile, and Azerbaijan won back much of the territory. By the time both sides agreed to sign a Russian-brokered peace deal in November 2020, Azerbaijan had recaptured all the land Nagorno-Karabakh held by Armenia since 1994, the BBC reported. Azerbaijan is supported by Turkey while Russia supports Armenia. 

The Guardian News claims that “the departure of more than 80% of Nagorno-Karabakh’s population raises questions about Azerbaijan’s plans for the enclave that was internationally recognized as part of its territory”. However, this is not a simple issue that only requires examining the Azerbaijan government and its actions. The issue necessitates understanding the broad geopolitical scope to determine the roots of problems. If not, incidents like the recent migration will constantly repeat and threaten the human rights of civilians.