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Around 260 million Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on January 7

January 7, 2018 By administrator

Badnjak’ ceremony in Serbia

A Serbian Orthodox priest attends the ceremonial burning of oak tree branches, or badnjak, on Christmas Eve outside the St. Sava church in Belgrade. The ceremony is accompanied by prayers and other rites and is widespread among Orthodox Christians in the Balkans.

Putin attends mass

Russian President Vladimir Putin attended a Christmas liturgy at a St. Petersburg church on January 6. Russia has the largest Orthodox population, which celebrates Christmas according to the Julian calendar.

Orthodox celebrations in Bethlehem

Palestinian scout bagpipers perform ahead of Orthodox Christmas celebrations outside the Church of Nativity in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem. The bagpipe-playing Christian scouts are a legacy of British colonialism in the Holy Land.

Epiphany day in Istanbul

Greek Orthodox men braved the cold waters of the Golden Horn in Istanbul to commemorate Jesus’ baptism on Epiphany. In the ceremony, men jump from boats to fetch a cross thrown in the water. The Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch is considered the leading church among nearly a dozen autocephalous Orthodox churches.

Epiphany in Bulgaria

Orthodox Christians in Bulgaria commemorate the baptism of Jesus with Epiphany day celebrations. More than 7,000 people in the Bulgarian town of Kalofer sang and danced in and around the river Tundzha. Orthodox priests throw crosses into the river that are retrieved by men.

Egypt’s el-Sissi supports Copts

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi (R) speaks next to Coptic Pope Tawadros II during a Christmas Eve mass in Cairo. Egypt’s Coptic Christians have been under attack from Islamist militants, whom al-Sissi, a Muslim, has vowed to crush.

Copts in Athens

Coptic Christian women in Athens, Greece, celebrate Orthodox Christmas at a church. There are about 10 million Coptic Christians in Egypt, and an estimated 1 million spread across Africa, Europe and North America.

Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia

After Russia, Ethiopia has the second-largest Orthodox Christian population with nearly 36 million adherents. The Ethiopian Orthodox church was founded in the early 4th century when the Axumite Kingdom converted to Christianity.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: celebrate, christmas, Orthodox Christians

Christmas trees in Aleppo? Jerusalem? and centuries-old Surp Giragos Armenian Church in Diyarbakir?

December 25, 2017 By administrator

Jerusalem, the Custody of the Holy Land and the Armenian Church, centuries-old Surp Giragos Armenian Church in Diyarbakir, Aleppo christmas tree

The Trump administration’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, which led to the United States being scolded by 128 countries at the UN General Assembly last week, has constrained some, but not all, of the joy of Christmas for Christians in the Middle East.

In addition to the calamitous diplomatic fallout, which we assessed here last week, Pope Francis, the archbishop of Canterbury and the leaders of Christian churches and communities in Jerusalem and throughout the region all opposed the decision. As Amr Mostafa reported from Cairo, Egypt’s Muslim, Coptic and secular groups united in opposition to the Jerusalem decision. US Vice President Mike Pence, an evangelical Christian, who had to postpone his travel to the region because of congressional action on tax reform, would have been poorly received, if received at all, by representatives of Christian communities.

Despite the developments on Jerusalem, there was still joy in Bethlehem, where, as Ibrahim Abdelhadi reported, the “Al-Mahd Church, better known as the Church of the Nativity, is greeting Christmas with a fresh face this year following a major rehabilitation of its roof and ancient mosaics.”

A UNESCO World Heritage site and, Abelhadi said, reportedly the world’s oldest church in daily use, “Al-Mahd’s original basilica was built in the fourth century by Roman Emperor Constantine I above a cave where Virgin Mary is said to have given birth to Jesus. In the early medieval period, other ecclesiastical buildings were incorporated into the original site. Consequently, today the Church of the Nativity is overseen by members of the Greek Orthodox Church, the Custody of the Holy Land and the Armenian Church. It’s considered one of the most important Christian churches in the world after the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.”

Unfortunately, one of the most revered churches in Turkey has fallen upon harder times. Mahmut Bozarslan reported that the centuries-old Surp Giragos Armenian Church in Diyarbakir, which had been restored after years of disuse and abuse in 2012, only to be damaged and desecrated as a result of the fighting in 2015 between Turkish security and Kurdistan Workers Party forces, has suffered subsequent vandalism and desecration. Bozarslan wrote that for church board member Gaffur Turkay, “The fact that hammer-wielding vandals could enter and damage the house of worship while members of the church board could only go there after receiving permission is a bitter pill to swallow.”

The defeat of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria offers some welcome good news, allowing those displaced by the war to return and rebuild their cities, towns and villages. In Iraq, as Omar Sattar reported in October, there are about 450,000 Christians with varying political alignments. Sattar wrote, “Iraqi Christians’ pursuit of living in security and having their civil rights safeguarded exceeds their search for a political and administrative independence. This is due to the harassment they have suffered at the hands of armed groups and militias, as well as their political exploitation by various Iraqi parties that view the minority card to be of a major importance in acquiring land and obtaining international support and sympathy.”

It is perhaps fitting that we close our column with a return to Aleppo, where there have been Christmas celebrations and a proliferation of Christmas trees, as citizens of different faiths use the holiday to express hope for an end to war and a return to normalcy. Last month, parts of the ancient souk reopened. The slow turnaround in Aleppo, while fragile (there was an attack by armed groups this week), reminds us of what we wrote here almost two years ago, at the height of the war: “A Syrian government victory in Aleppo could be the beginning of the end of the sectarian mindset that would have been alien to the city prior to 2011. There is no more appropriate city to begin Syria’s healing. A Syrian government victory in Aleppo will make it harder to rationalize Western backing for jihadi groups who want to keep up the fight against long odds in the rest of the country. IS and al-Qaeda may prefer, over time, to begin to relocate to Libya and other countries where they can avoid the pounding from the US-led anti-IS coalition and Russian- and Iranian-backed Syrian forces. This may already be happening, and if so, it is to be cheered by those who seek a unified, secular and nonsectarian Syria, as outlined in the Vienna Communique, and as is Aleppo’s tradition.”

Pope Francis’ Christmas greetings this week offered a sense of hope for the Middle East based on shared respect and compassion, when he said, “Those who are different, either culturally or religiously, should not be seen or treated as enemies, but rather welcomed as fellow travelers, in the genuine conviction that the good of each resides in the good of all. Sincerity of intentions, because dialogue, as an authentic expression of our humanity, is not a strategy for achieving specific goals, but rather a path to truth, one that deserves to be undertaken patiently, in order to transform competition into cooperation.”

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2017/12/christmas-trees-aleppo-syria-diyarbakir-jerusalem.html#ixzz52HU1zu1r

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Aleppo, christmas, tree

Australia, Melbourne cancels Christmas event after car crashes into crowd

December 21, 2017 By administrator

Australian Melbourne’s authorities canceled the Christmas light projections after car crashed into pedestrians, Daily Mail reported.

“Following the distressing event that occurred on Flinders Street, we’ve cancelled tonight’s Christmas Projections across all sites in the city and Docklands. Our thoughts go out to everyone who was impacted,” Melboune’s administration tweeted.

The car crashed into a crowd in Melbourne on December 21, injuring at least 14 people. The Police are investigating the incident. The driver of the vehicle and a second person were arrested.

Four pedestrians hit by the vehicle were fighting for their lives in hospital tonight local time and 15 were in a stable condition.

The pre-school aged child was not in a critical condition but remained in the Royal Children’s Hospital.

Seven victims were in the Royal Melbourne Hospital, including two in a critical condition.

Nine people were taken to The Alfred hospital, including two who were critical.

Two people were in St Vincent’s Hospital, including the driver.

Police said the case was a “quarantined” incident and had not increased the risk at major upcoming events like the Boxing Day test between Australia and England next week.

Earlier, England Cricket had tweeted: “Following the Flinders Street incident in Melbourne, all England players and management have been accounted for and are safe.”

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: car crashes, christmas, MELBOURNE

Armenian American Orphans Christmas Telethon raised just over $200K

October 4, 2017 By administrator

By Jeff Landa

This year’s Armenian American Orphans Christmas Telethon raised slightly more than $200,000 to help convert an existing facility in Spitak, Armenia, into a kindergarten, recreation center and gymnasium.

The event is hosted by the Armenian American Orphans and Disabled Children Fund.

Glendale resident Ovanes Balayan, who has operated the telethon for almost 20 years, confirmed the donation numbers last week but said the group is still tallying additional donations.

According to telethon spokesman Alex Kojababian, the annual event has raised money to construct nine orphanages and schools throughout Armenia since it began in 1999.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Armenian American, christmas, orphans, Telethon

Armenian American Orphans Christmas Telethon strives to be most successful one yet

September 20, 2017 By administrator

Ovanes Balayan during the 17th annual Armenian American Orphans Christmas telethon. (Photo courtesy of Alex Kojababian)

By Jeff Landa

For almost 20 years, Glendale resident and TV show host Ovanes Balayan has raised money to help disadvantaged children in Armenia by organizing the Armenian American Orphans Christmas Telethon, which is set to be held Thursday.

Balayan’s nonprofit organization, the Armenian American Orphans and Disabled Children Fund, will host the 18th annual telethon and ask viewers to donate toward the renovation of an existing facility in Spitak, Armenia, into a kindergarten, recreation center and gymnasium.

According to telethon spokesman Alex Kojababian, the renovated site will serve more than 1,000 children and will take approximately 11 months to build. Last year’s telethon helped secure enough funds to build two schools from the ground up in Gymuri, Armenia, where about 600 children now attend.

“I love kids no matter if they are Armenian or not. I started this for Armenian kids, but if I can help any kids, I will,” Balayan said.

 Balayan began the telethon in 1999 with help from a wealthy partner interested in raising money for underprivileged children in Armenia, Kojababian said. During the first telethon, broadcast in Glendale, Burbank and La Crescenta, Balayan raised “hundreds of thousands” of dollars, according to Kojababian.

That money went toward a three-day Christmas celebration for children at Aram Khachaturian’s event hall in Yerevan, Armenia. Since it began, the telethon has raised money to construct nine orphanages and schools throughout Armenia, Kojababian said.

“Our annual telethon raises more than $250,000, and every year that amount is growing,” Balayan said in a statement, adding that he’s confident this year’s telethon will be the most successful one yet.

The Armenian American Orphans Christmas Telethon will be held from 5 p.m. to midnight Thursday at the ARTV station, 4401 San Fernando Road. The event will be broadcast on AABC, High Vision and ARTV.

Balayan also hosts a Sunday TV show on AABC.

“We need support, so we can help those in need,” Balayan said. “For many years, we have been able to complete our goals due to the generosity of everyone that has contributed.”

jeff.landa@latimes.com

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: American, Armenian, christmas, orphans, Telethon

Armenians begin Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem

January 18, 2017 By administrator

The Orthodox Armenian patriarch of Jerusalem, Nourhan Manougian, arrived Wednesday at Manager Square in Bethlehem, marking the start of Armenian Christmas and the Feast of the Epiphany, WAFA reports.

Manougian’s procession started from the Armenian Patriarchate, located within the Monastery of St. James in the Old City of Jerusalem, and made its way to Manger Square via Jaffa Gate. It stopped at Mar Elias Monastery on the way to Bethlehem where he was greeted by the mayors of Beit Jala and Beit Sahour before proceeding to Bethlehem via a metal gate in the wall that separates Bethlehem from Jerusalem.

Israel opens the gate for the Christmas processions to allow them quick access to Bethlehem, surrounded by a wall and Israeli settlements.

After reaching Bethlehem, Manougian was greeted by Bethlehem Governor Jebrin al-Bakri, Bethlehem Mayor Vera Baboun.

The Patriarch was also greeted upon his arrival by the Armenian community notables before making a solemn entry into the Basilica of the Nativity and St. Catherine’s Church.

President Mahmoud Abbas has already arrived in Bethlehem and is anticipated to attend the midnight mass.

Orthodox Armenian Christians in Palestine celebrate Christmas nearly two weeks after the majority of the Greek Orthodox Church and other Eastern Orthodox denominations, who marked the feast on January 7, and more than three weeks after Roman Catholic Christians, who celebrated it on December 25.

The differences in dates of Christmas feast are due to the use of different calendars. Roman Catholic Christians and other western denominations mark the feast using the Gregorian calendar, Orthodox Christians and most Armenian denominations celebrate the feast using the Julian calendar, while the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem marks Christmas and Epiphany together on January 19.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Armenian, Bethlehem, christmas

Glendale hospitals and local religious leaders celebrate Armenian Christmas

January 7, 2017 By administrator

This week, two Glendale hospitals collaborated with local religious leaders to again celebrate Armenian Christmas with two separate ceremonies.

Glendale Adventist Medical Center and Dignity Health Glendale Memorial Hospital were able to honor the large area Armenian community at their respective Christmas ceremonies with the help of local Armenian churches.

Hospital employees, medical staff, hospital executives, city officials and the public attended the blessings this week ahead of Armenian Christmas, which falls on Jan. 6 every year.

Filed Under: Events, News Tagged With: Armenian, christmas, Church, Glendale, hospital

Today January 6 marks the Christmas Day on the Armenian Apostolic Church

January 6, 2017 By administrator

January 6 marks the Christmas Day on the Armenian Apostolic Church’s calendar.
Catholic Churches traditionally celebrate the feast on December 25. The day is preceded by a week of fasting; in the evening of January 5, the churches across the country serve a candlelight divine liturgy to mark the Eve of  Nativity.
The people attending the mass later take home the lit candles which symbolize divine presence and the light shining from the Star of Bethlehem.

 

 

ETCHMIADZIN. – Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II presides over, at the Cathedral of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, a Divine Liturgy commemorating the Holy Nativity and Theophany of Jesus Christ (Christmas).

Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan, speaker of the parliament Galust Sahakyan, Cabinet members, diplomats and hundreds of faithful are attending the Divine Liturgy.

The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Nativity and Theophany of Jesus Christ (Christmas) on January 6.

Filed Under: Events, News Tagged With: Armenian, christmas, day, January 6

Ankara: Garo Palyan congratulates Holy Christmas in Turkish Majlis Video

January 6, 2017 By administrator

Armenian MP Garo Palyan, who represents the Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP)

Armenian MP Garo Palyan, who represents the Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) in the Turkish Parliament, has congratulated Holy Christmas in Armenian, while delivering an address in the Turkish National Majlis.

Palyan has concluded his speech with Merry Christmas in Armenian: “Qristos tsnav yev haitnetsav, Orhneal e haitnutun@ Qristosee,” which is translated “Christ is born and revealed, blessed is the revelation of Christ”.

 

Filed Under: Genocide, News Tagged With: christmas, Garo Paylan, Turkey

Three French deputies will travel to Aleppo Friday for solidarity with Christmas Armenian

January 5, 2017 By administrator

Paris, January 5, 2017 (AFP) – Three French deputies will travel to Aleppo Friday, “on their own strictly personal initiative” and “in solidarity with the Christians of the East” on the occasion of the Armenian Christmas celebration, They announced in a statement on Thursday.

The deputies LR Thierry Mariani and Nicolas Dhuicq and Jean Lassalle, deputy Pyrénées-Atlantique, former member of the MoDem, will visit to “mark again their solidarity with the Christians of the East by celebrating Christmas with the Armenian Orthodox community “From Aleppo, north of Syria.

They will also meet during this trip “various political leaders” in Aleppo and Damascus, they say in this statement, without further details.

Thierry Mariani, elected from abroad, has already visited Syria several times despite the disapproval of the French authorities. With Nicolas Dhuicq and other French parliamentarians, they spent the Paschal weekend in Damascus last March, “in solidarity with the Christians of the East.” On that occasion, they met with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.

During their visit Friday, MEPs want “to see the reality of the situation of the city” and “to learn about the military and humanitarian situation” of the country, they specify.

Thursday, January 5, 2017,
Ara © armenews.com

Filed Under: Articles, Events Tagged With: Armenian, christmas, French, MP, Syria

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