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Al-Ahram Weekly, Egypt
January 9, 2013
Celebrating Armenian Christmas
Nora Koloyan-Keuhnelian joined Egypt's Armenian community in
celebrating Christmas on 6 January
Armenian Orthodox churches all over the world celebrated Christmas on
6 January, as did the small Armenian community in Egypt that has long
played an active role in a country that opened its arms to Armenians
fleeing the genocide carried out by the Ottoman Turks towards the
beginning of the last century. An Armenian community is believed to
have been present in Egypt since the sixth or seventh centuries CE.
The Armenian Orthodox Church on Ramses Street in Cairo had been
secured by the police on the morning of 6 January and the outer gate
was decorated with Egyptian and Armenian flags, as it is on every
religious celebration that takes place within the church.
Inside, the church was filled with around 300 Egyptian-Armenians of
all ages. A Christmas tree and crib had been placed in the gardens of
the church, and families were having their photographs taken in front
of them.
The Christmas mass, conducted by Father Gabriel Sarkissian and Father
Hagop Hagopian, accompanied by a number of other clergymen, started at
10am and lasted for three hours. A message from Bishop Ashod
Mnatsaganian, primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Egypt, was
conveyed to the public in Arabic.
In his message, read by community member George Simonian, Bishop
Mnatsaganian stated that "we have come today to offer praise to God.
Through the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the earth has once again been
filled with the love of our Lord the Saviour. Although we have faced
troubles during the past year, we are optimistic that this year we
will continue on our path with the aid of the divine blessings and the
efforts of members of our community."
Bishop Mnatsaganian's message urged the public to pray for the Lord's
blessing of Egypt and its people and to strengthen them in realising
successful achievements in the love of Jesus Christ.
Representatives of President Mohamed Morsi, the ministers of interior,
education and national security, and Pope Tawadros II, leader of the
Coptic Church, attended the mass. Also present were Cairo Governor
Osama Kamal, the Ambassador of Armenia in Egypt Armen Melkonian, the
head of the Al-Waili district, and representatives of several Egyptian
churches and Coptic organisations. The mass was broadcast live on
Egyptian FM radio.
The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest national church,
and it observes Eastern Orthodoxy, the faith of the Eastern Christian
churches. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its
official religion in 301 CE.
The Church is the main religious authority for the Armenian orthodox
population in the Republic of Armenia, as well as for Armenian
orthodox communities worldwide. It is headed by a catholicos, though
at present two catholicoi head the Church, Karekin II, supreme
patriarch and catholicos of all Armenians, who represents the
authority of the Armenian Church and is head of its legislative body,
and Aram I, catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia. The Church also
has an extensive ecclesiastical hierarchy.
The precise year of Jesus's birth, placed by some historians between
seven and two CE, is unknown. By the early-to-mid fourth century, the
western Church had placed Christmas on December 25, a date later
adopted in the east.
The original date of the celebration in eastern Christianity was 6
January, however, when epiphany is celebrated, and this date is
celebrated by the Armenian Apostolic Church and in Armenia itself.
In 2013, there is a difference of 13 days between the modern Gregorian
Calendar and the older Julian Calendar. Those who continue to use the
Julian Calendar or equivalents thus celebrate Christmas on 25 December
and 6 January, translating into 7 and 19 January in the Gregorian
Calendar.
Ethiopia, Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, Serbia, Macedonia and Moldova
celebrate Christmas on 7 January. Eastern Orthodox churches in
Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Albania, Finland and the Orthodox Church in
America celebrate Christmas on 25 December of the revised Julian
Calendar.
The day following the birth of Jesus is a memorial day in the Armenian
Apostolic Church calendar, when people visit the graves of deceased
parents and relatives and pray for their salvation.
While the Armenian community in Egypt has been struggling to cope with
the uncertainties of the political situation in the country, the
majority of its members refuses to leave the country and is greatly
attached to the motherland.
Despite the large number of Armenian churches, schools, benevolent
organisations, sporting and cultural clubs and newspapers in Cairo and
Alexandria, the number of Armenians in Egypt _ which once stood at
120,000 _ has been decreasing since Nasser's nationalisation in the
late 1950s, due to migration to countries like Canada, the US and
Australia.
More Armenians may leave Egypt over the years to come, and today there
are an estimated 3,000 Armenians living in Egypt.
Bishop Mnatsaganian was appointed primate of the Armenian Orthodox
Church in Egypt in 2006. The Armenian Apostolic Church in Cairo on
Ramses Street was started in 1924 and the first mass was held there on
12 February 1928.
The church was renovated in 2007 by the Armenian-Egyptian architect
Nairy Hampikian.
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/959/17/Celebrating-Armenian-Christmas.aspx
From: A. Papazian
January 9, 2013
Celebrating Armenian Christmas
Nora Koloyan-Keuhnelian joined Egypt's Armenian community in
celebrating Christmas on 6 January
Armenian Orthodox churches all over the world celebrated Christmas on
6 January, as did the small Armenian community in Egypt that has long
played an active role in a country that opened its arms to Armenians
fleeing the genocide carried out by the Ottoman Turks towards the
beginning of the last century. An Armenian community is believed to
have been present in Egypt since the sixth or seventh centuries CE.
The Armenian Orthodox Church on Ramses Street in Cairo had been
secured by the police on the morning of 6 January and the outer gate
was decorated with Egyptian and Armenian flags, as it is on every
religious celebration that takes place within the church.
Inside, the church was filled with around 300 Egyptian-Armenians of
all ages. A Christmas tree and crib had been placed in the gardens of
the church, and families were having their photographs taken in front
of them.
The Christmas mass, conducted by Father Gabriel Sarkissian and Father
Hagop Hagopian, accompanied by a number of other clergymen, started at
10am and lasted for three hours. A message from Bishop Ashod
Mnatsaganian, primate of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Egypt, was
conveyed to the public in Arabic.
In his message, read by community member George Simonian, Bishop
Mnatsaganian stated that "we have come today to offer praise to God.
Through the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the earth has once again been
filled with the love of our Lord the Saviour. Although we have faced
troubles during the past year, we are optimistic that this year we
will continue on our path with the aid of the divine blessings and the
efforts of members of our community."
Bishop Mnatsaganian's message urged the public to pray for the Lord's
blessing of Egypt and its people and to strengthen them in realising
successful achievements in the love of Jesus Christ.
Representatives of President Mohamed Morsi, the ministers of interior,
education and national security, and Pope Tawadros II, leader of the
Coptic Church, attended the mass. Also present were Cairo Governor
Osama Kamal, the Ambassador of Armenia in Egypt Armen Melkonian, the
head of the Al-Waili district, and representatives of several Egyptian
churches and Coptic organisations. The mass was broadcast live on
Egyptian FM radio.
The Armenian Apostolic Church is the world's oldest national church,
and it observes Eastern Orthodoxy, the faith of the Eastern Christian
churches. Armenia was the first country to adopt Christianity as its
official religion in 301 CE.
The Church is the main religious authority for the Armenian orthodox
population in the Republic of Armenia, as well as for Armenian
orthodox communities worldwide. It is headed by a catholicos, though
at present two catholicoi head the Church, Karekin II, supreme
patriarch and catholicos of all Armenians, who represents the
authority of the Armenian Church and is head of its legislative body,
and Aram I, catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia. The Church also
has an extensive ecclesiastical hierarchy.
The precise year of Jesus's birth, placed by some historians between
seven and two CE, is unknown. By the early-to-mid fourth century, the
western Church had placed Christmas on December 25, a date later
adopted in the east.
The original date of the celebration in eastern Christianity was 6
January, however, when epiphany is celebrated, and this date is
celebrated by the Armenian Apostolic Church and in Armenia itself.
In 2013, there is a difference of 13 days between the modern Gregorian
Calendar and the older Julian Calendar. Those who continue to use the
Julian Calendar or equivalents thus celebrate Christmas on 25 December
and 6 January, translating into 7 and 19 January in the Gregorian
Calendar.
Ethiopia, Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, Serbia, Macedonia and Moldova
celebrate Christmas on 7 January. Eastern Orthodox churches in
Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Albania, Finland and the Orthodox Church in
America celebrate Christmas on 25 December of the revised Julian
Calendar.
The day following the birth of Jesus is a memorial day in the Armenian
Apostolic Church calendar, when people visit the graves of deceased
parents and relatives and pray for their salvation.
While the Armenian community in Egypt has been struggling to cope with
the uncertainties of the political situation in the country, the
majority of its members refuses to leave the country and is greatly
attached to the motherland.
Despite the large number of Armenian churches, schools, benevolent
organisations, sporting and cultural clubs and newspapers in Cairo and
Alexandria, the number of Armenians in Egypt _ which once stood at
120,000 _ has been decreasing since Nasser's nationalisation in the
late 1950s, due to migration to countries like Canada, the US and
Australia.
More Armenians may leave Egypt over the years to come, and today there
are an estimated 3,000 Armenians living in Egypt.
Bishop Mnatsaganian was appointed primate of the Armenian Orthodox
Church in Egypt in 2006. The Armenian Apostolic Church in Cairo on
Ramses Street was started in 1924 and the first mass was held there on
12 February 1928.
The church was renovated in 2007 by the Armenian-Egyptian architect
Nairy Hampikian.
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/News/959/17/Celebrating-Armenian-Christmas.aspx
From: A. Papazian