Why Do Armenians Celebrate Christmas on January 6?
Armenians celebrate Christmas on January 6 because the Armenian Apostolic Church never moved it. The Church keeps the early Eastern practice of marking the birth of Christ and his baptism together, on one day. The feast is called the Nativity and Theophany of Christ.
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Why January 6 and not December 25?
Early Christians did not agree on a date for Christmas. In the East, the birth and the baptism of Jesus came to be observed together on January 6.
Rome took a different path. According to the Eastern Diocese of the Armenian Church, Rome was celebrating Christmas on December 25 by the end of the third century. That date coincided with a major pagan feast. The Greek-speaking churches adopted the Latin date at the end of the fourth century.
The Armenian Church did not. It kept January 6, and it still does.
What does the January 6 feast celebrate?
Theophany means the revealing of God. The Armenian Church joins the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem and his baptism by John the Baptist in the Jordan into one feast. The Armenian Prelacy also counts the Adoration of the Magi among the events it marks.
It is one of the five major feasts of the Armenian Church year.
Why do Armenians in Jerusalem celebrate on January 19?
The Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem follows the old Julian calendar. Its January 6 falls on January 19 in the calendar most of the world uses today, so Christmas Eve there is January 18. The feast is the same. Only the calendar is different.
What happens on Christmas Eve?
On the evening of January 5, churches hold the Jrakalouyts Divine Liturgy, the lighting of the lamps service. Worshippers traditionally hold lit candles. The Eastern Diocese encourages families to attend that evening and again on the morning of January 6.
The feast is prepared by a week of fasting, the last of the fasting weeks of Hisnak, the Armenian Advent. Christmas Eve ends with Khetum, a light family meal. Fish and nevik, a dish of Swiss chard and chickpeas, are typical, but recipes vary between families and regions. Our guide to Armenian Christmas food covers both meals.
What is the Blessing of Water?
After the Divine Liturgy on January 6 comes the Jurorhnek, the Blessing of Water. It recalls the baptism of Christ in the Jordan. The priest dips the cross into the water.
Holy chrism, called muron, is then poured in from a dove-shaped vessel. The dove stands for the Holy Spirit, who descended as a dove at the baptism. The muron itself is prepared at Holy Etchmiadzin and blessed by the Catholicos.
The ceremony was once held at a river or the seashore before it moved inside the church. The faithful drink the blessed water, and many families take some home.
January 6 in an Armenian-American home
For families in the United States, December 25 arrives in the middle of the Armenian season. The Eastern Diocese notes that Armenian-American households may exchange gifts on December 25, following American custom. January 6 remains the feast itself.
Because January 6 is an ordinary school and work day in America, the Eastern Diocese has published a letter families can give to schools and employers to explain the absence.
If you are giving gifts for January 6, our Armenian Christmas gift ideas guide has ideas for different people on your list. Every piece is made to order, so allow time for production and shipping. Christmas designs are gathered in our Armenian Christmas gifts collection.