fluttermoth Posted December 11, 2008 Report Share Posted December 11, 2008 I have no idea if this is the right place to post this; mods, please feel free to move! I was just wondering, do most Armenians still celebrate Christmas according to the old calender, ie on January 6th, or do you go with the majority of the Western world and celebrate on December 25th? Or maybe you do both? I'd be especially interested to hear from those that live in the west, like England and the US, and those who have children. If you still keep to old Christmas day, is it difficult with the commercialism and conformity to keep to the 'old ways'? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluttermoth Posted December 11, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2008 Edit! Silly me! I forgot to say; thanks to you all for making me feel so welcome here, despite the fact that I don't have one drop of Armenian blood in me! Merry Christmas to you all, you're all lovely! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MosJan Posted December 11, 2008 Report Share Posted December 11, 2008 We Armenians celebrate Anything and any day of the year join in Life is good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maral Posted December 11, 2008 Report Share Posted December 11, 2008 Sants brings gifts New Years eve and Jan. 6th we celebrate Jesus' birth and we go to church and we are with family...it's perfect don't you think.....separating Santa and Jesus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anoushik Posted December 11, 2008 Report Share Posted December 11, 2008 My family loves any occasion to celebrate So we have Christmas dinner both on Dec. 25 and Jan. 6. We live in the United States. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sip Posted December 11, 2008 Report Share Posted December 11, 2008 We also "celebrate" (aka eat the Holy Dinner) the evening of the 5th. It doesn't cause much of a confusion because the American thing on Dec 25th is called "Christmas" while our thing on the 5th we usually call "Jrortnek" which translates to "blessing of the water". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpa Posted December 11, 2008 Report Share Posted December 11, 2008 (edited) I have no idea if this is the right place to post this; mods, please feel free to move! I was just wondering, do most Armenians still celebrate Christmas according to the old calender, ie on January 6th, or do you go with the majority of the Western world and celebrate on December 25th? Or maybe you do both? I'd be especially interested to hear from those that live in the west, like England and the US, and those who have children. If you still keep to old Christmas day, is it difficult with the commercialism and conformity to keep to the 'old ways'? Dear Moth, welcome again. This subject has been discussed several times. Here is one, I hope it helps; http://hyeforum.com/index.php?showtopic=15120&hl=january and, a you can see there is very little Armenian culture that does not end up in mudslinging. PS. To show how little we know about the subject see the Article (Christmas Comes Thrice)in the above thread. It is January 19 not 18. Edited December 11, 2008 by Arpa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpa Posted December 11, 2008 Report Share Posted December 11, 2008 Further clarification. In the East, i.e out of Europe and America Armenians still observe Jan. 6th. Some may observe Dec. 25 just as a universal holiday, I am not sure if Catholic Armenians actually observe it not. However, some may observe the so called Western Christmas as a day of celebration, Santa Claus etc., yet…. In the West , most Armenians do observe Christmas on the 25th, with all the “pagan” side show like Santa Claus etc., they even go to Church on the 24th (eve), light candles, sing some of the popular carols, have Christmas dinner etc. In most homes the Christmas tree is put up for the 25th and is no taken down until after the 6th, which on that day, once again Armenian Christmas* is once again celebrated mainly as a religious church affair, even with a traditional dinner. Coming back to the above (“yet…”). In the east Christmas is observed on Jan. 6h (19th in Jerusalem), mostly as a religiousobservance, the pagan element of the western Christmas, with Santa Claus and all is observed on the evening of Dec. 31, which is called “kaghand”. In the Armenian, among many others Santa Claus is known as Kaghand Papa , i.e Father Calendar** . *Armenian Christmas is known as “Tsnund” , literally “birth” as opposed to “Christmas” which means “feast of Christ”. ** Kaghand is the Armenian transliterated variant of the Latin “calendar”. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted December 11, 2008 Report Share Posted December 11, 2008 I'd be especially interested to hear from those that live in the west, like England and the US, Since you did not ask how Canadians celebrate, I will not answer your question Welcome back, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! we love you too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maral Posted December 11, 2008 Report Share Posted December 11, 2008 I should add this....when I was growing up my parents did not do anything for Dec 24/25 and I was always so sad those days,all the other kids in the neighborhood would have new gifts and they'ld be outisde playing and sharing and we'ld have nothin' ,that was no fun....so with my girls now the gifts I or Santa buys for them they get on the morning of the 25th...and then wherever we are New Years eve we exchange gifts with family at midnight when Santa leaves them at the door and rings the door bell And January 6th,church and family Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maral Posted December 11, 2008 Report Share Posted December 11, 2008 Since you did not ask how Canadians celebrate, I will not answer your question Welcome back, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! we love you too! well what else would Canadians do but dig out of the snow for Christmas and New Year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yervant1 Posted December 11, 2008 Report Share Posted December 11, 2008 well what else would Canadians do but dig out of the snow for Christmas and New Year This year I'm building a bigger igloo, just in case if forum members do send me gifts!!!!!!! http://www.tujurmivikhotel.com/images/polar-bear_large.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpa Posted December 11, 2008 Report Share Posted December 11, 2008 (edited) Dear Moth, we love you. Nadolig Llawen (Merry Christmas in Welsh). Dear mods, I anticipate many more questions about the subject as we get closer to Christmas, just so we don’t repeat the same, the same over and over, is it to much trouble to move/merge this thread to one of the xisting ones. There are many, take your pick. Here is one that I think may be more relevant. Thank you; http://hyeforum.com/index.php?showtopic=15...mp;hl=christmas Edited December 11, 2008 by Arpa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fluttermoth Posted December 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 and, a you can see there is very little Armenian culture that does not end up in mudslinging. I noticed this a LONG long time ago!!! Thank you all for your lovely replies; I think I've got it now! (sort of....) I do like the idea of seperating Santa and Jesus, makes good sense. Sorry I forgot to mention Canada especially, Yervant, no offence meant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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