Why is armenian christmas january 6

However, historically, all Christian churches celebrated Christ's birth on January 6 th until the fourth century. The feast of Christmas was not a separate church feast for the first four centuries of Christian history. It was celebrated with Epiphany in the one great feast of God's appearance on earth in the form of the human Messiah of Israel.

The Nativity began to be celebrated on the twenty-fifth of December in order to offset the pagan festival of the Invincible Sun, which occurred on that day. The Church established it quite consciously as an attempt to defeat the false religion of heathens.

Christ is the True Sun of Righteousness Mal , who is himself worshipped by all of the elements of nature. At the time, Christians used to observe these pagan festivities. In order to put an end to this pagan practice, the church hierarchy designated December 25 th as the official date of Christmas and January 6 th 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 at the time and the fact that the Armenian Church was not a satellite of the Roman Church.

Thus, remaining faithful to the traditions of their forefathers, Armenians have continued to celebrate Christmas on January 6 th until this day. This is the central theme of the Christmas Season in the Armenian Church. At the time Christians used to continue their observance of these pagan festivities. In order to undermine and subdue 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 effected 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. According to Roman Catholic sources, the feast day was moved from January 6 to December 25 in order to cancel a pagan holiday denoted to the birth of the Sun, which had been held on December Additionally, the church hierarchy began to be appointed on December As for the baptism of Jesus, January 6 was left as the day of its commemoration.

In Holy Land, orthodox churches use the old calendar in the determination of the date of feast days. Because the difference between the new and old calendars is 12 days, local Armenians celebrate Christmas on January The bay before Christmas, on January 17, the Armenian patriarch along with the head clergy and believers travels to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, where he holds complex and vivid ceremonies.

Outside, on the big square of the church, the procession is greeted by the mayor and officials of the city.