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ԱՍՏՈՒԱԾԱՅԱՅՏՆՈՒԹԻՒՆ կը կոչուի Քրիստոսի Ծննդեան եւ մկրտութեան յիշատակի տօնը։ Ինք ունի ութօրէքը իբր մեծ տօն եւ Ճրագալոյցի օրն ալ իբր նախապատրաստական օր։ Առաջին դարէն սկսեալ կը տօնուի միշտ Յունուար 6ին։

Աստուած մարդացաւ եւ յայտնուեցաւ մարդկանց: Քրիստոսի մկրտութեան ժամանակ Հայր Աստուած վկայեց. «Դա է իմ սիրելի Որդին, որուն ունիմ ամբողջ բարեհաճութիւնս» (Մատթ. 3:17, Մարկ. 1:11, Ղուկ. 3:22) եւ Սուրբ հոգին աղաւնակերպ իջաւ Քրիստոսի վրայ: Այսպիսով, Քրիստոսի ծննդեան եւ մկրտութեան միջոցով կատարուեցաւ Աստուածայայտնութիւնը։

Իսկ 4րդ դարուն, յոյն եկեղեցին զատեց Ծնունդը Յունուար 6էն եւ զայն Դեկտեմբեր 25ին դրին թողելով Յունուար 6ին Քրիստոսի Յայտնութիւնն ու Մկրտութիւնը։ Հայերը հակառակ յոյներուն եւ լատիններուն ջանքերուն, որ այս նոր բաժանումը պարտադրիչ ընեն՝ չընդունեցին եւ հաւատարիմ մնացին հին առաքելական եկեղեցւոյ աւանդութեանց։

Յունուար 6-ին առաւօտեան, կը մատուցուի Սբ. Պատարագ, եւ իր աւարտելէն առաջ կը կատարուի Ջրօրհնէք` Յիսուսի մկրտութեան յիշատակը: Պատարագիչ հոգեւորականը սուրբ Միւռոնը կը կաթեցնէ ջուրին մեջ եւ խաչով կ՝օրհնէ զայն: Աւանդութեան համաձայն, հաւատացեալները այդ օրհնուած ջուրէն բաժին մը տուն կը տանին, որպէս բուժիչ դեղ: Այնուհետեւ քահանան կ՝այցելէ իր ծխականներուն տուները` աւետելու Յիսուս Քրիստոսի ծնունդը տնօրհնէքի արարողութեամբ:

Nativity and Theophany of our Lord Jesus Christ

The Armenian Church celebrates Christmas on the sixth of January, as was the practice of the entire Christian church in first three centuries. It was in the fourth century that the Western Church changed the date for observ- ing Christmas to the twenty-fifth of December but the Armenian church was firm in keeping to the original date.

Armenians commemorate Christmas and Epiphany on the same day. The Epiphany, the baptism of our Lord in the River Jordan by Saint John the Baptist, is celebrated with Christmas because it was then disclosed that Jesus was the Son of God. The Father said from heaven, “ ‘He is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased, listen to Him’, and the Holy Ghost descended on Jesus in he form of a dove.” Thus, the Holy Trinity was manifested at the Baptism of Jesus Christ.

In Bethlehem, the Armenians celebrate Christmas in the church of the Nativity, in the Grotto, where Jesus was born and the Angelic Good News “Glory to God in the Highest and on earth peace, to men of good will” is sung at a midnight service. After the High Mass the water is blessed in memory of the Baptism of our Lord by putting Holy Oil (Chrism) and a cross in the water. As everyone drinks of this blessed water the Choir sings the Armenian Christmas Carol, “ O great and wondrous mystery which was revealed on this day…”

“ O great and wondrous mystery which was revealed on this day, the shepherds sing with angels and give good news to the world”

The Blessing of the Water
After the Divine Liturgy on January 6, The Blessing of the Water, takes place as a symbolic commemoration of the “Baptism of Christ”. In the Armenian Church, the service iscalled CHURORHNEK. The Blessing of the Water celebration was originally performed in the Holy Land, at the river Jordan on Theophany, January 6. As the word spread of the beautiful ceremony in the Holy Land, churches outside of Jerusalem began to perform this ceremony by the riverside or at the seashore. Later, because of subsequent Islamic prohibitions under the Ottoman Turkish Empire, this and other public outdoor rituals were henceforth accomplished within the confines of the churches.

The Ritual of The Blessing of the Water
A large silver basin containing water is placed on the table in the sanctuary in front of the Altar. The priest, signifying Christ’s entry into the river Jordan, immerses a cross in the water. A silver dove-shaped chrism or “Muron” container is brought up in procession as the choir sings the Hymn Looys ee Looso [Light of Light], Next the water is blessed, and the dove is raised up by the celebrant who takes it to the basin of water and dispenses a few drops of the holy oil into the water through the mouth of the dove. We know from biblical accounts that God revealed Himself as a Triune God-Father, Son and Holy Spirit, at the time of Jesus’ baptism by John. The voice of God the Father was heard saying: “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased”, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove. Muron is kept in a dove-shaped container symbolic of the Holy Spirit who dispenses the graces that are given to those who are anointed and who receive it through the blessed water at Theophany.

THE ARMENIAN CHRISTMAS

“Armenian Christmas,” as it is popularly called, is a culmination of celebrations of events related to Christ’s Incarnation. Theophany or Epiphany (or Astvadz-a-haytnootyoon in Armenian) means “revelation of God,” which is the central theme of the Christmas Season in the Armenian Church.

The major events that are celebrated during the Armenian Christmas season are the Nativity of Christ in Bethlehem and His Baptism in the River Jordan. The day of this major feast in the Armenian Church is January 6th. At the end of the solemn Christmas Divine Liturgy, a ceremony called “Blessing of Water” is held in the Church to commemorate Christ’s Baptism.

It is frequently asked as to why Armenians do not celebrate Christmas on December 25th with the rest of the world. Obviously, the exact date of Christ’s birth has not been historically established – it is neither recorded in the Gospels. However, historically, all Christian churches celebrated Christ’s birth on January 6th until the fourth century.

According to Roman Catholic sources, the date was changed from January 6th to December 25th in order to override a pagan feast dedicated to the birth of the Sun, which was celebrated on December 25th. At the time Christians used to continue their observance of these pagan festivities. In order to undermine this pagan practice, the church hierarchy designated December 25th as the official date of Christmas and January 6th as the feast of Epiphany.

However, Armenia was not affected by this change for the simple fact that there were no such pagan practices in Armenia, on that date, and the fact that the Armenian Church was not a satellite of the Roman Church. Remaining faithful to their Church traditions, Armenians continue to celebrate Christmas on January 6th until today.

Traditionally, Armenians attend church services on Christmas Eve and then share a meal with family and friends. There are variations of local customs based on the different regions of the world where Armenians live (in some 100 countries). In Armenia, January 6th is a national holiday.

In the Holy Land, the Orthodox churches use the old Julian calendar, which is 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar (introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1578), to determine the dates of religious feasts. Accordingly, the Armenians celebrate Christmas on January 19th and the Greek Orthodox celebrate on January 7th.

On the day before Armenian Christmas, January 18th, the Armenian Patriarch, priests, seminarians and the faithful travel from Jerusalem to the Church of Nativity of Christ in Bethlehem, where elaborate and colorful ceremonies take place. In the large square of the Church of Nativity, the Mayor of Bethlehem and City officials greet the Patriarch and his entourage.

A procession led by Armenian scouts and their band advance the Patriarch into the Church of Nativity, while priests, seminarians and the faithful join in the singing of Armenian hymns. Afterwards, church services and ceremonies are conducted in the Cathedral of Nativity all night long and until the next day, January 19th.

By Hratch Tchilingirian