On 12th Night, Armenians celebrate their Christmas
Times of India | 7 January 2024
Kolkata: The Armenian community in Kolkata celebrated Christmas on Saturday, January 6, at the Armenian Church, the oldest surviving church in the city, located at 2, Armenian Street. The festivity, which adhered to all traditional rituals, was attended by community members with great enthusiasm and devotion.
In contrast to the widespread practice of celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25, Armenians maintain a unique tradition and believe Jesus’s actual birth date is January 6.Going by the talks on historical uncertainty over the exact date, Christian churches historically celebrated it on January 6 until the fourth century. By the fourth century, Rome began celebrating Epiphany on January 6, while December 25 gained prominence as Jesus’s birth celebration.
Father Dajad Tsaturyan, manager and Pastor of All Armenians in India, conducted the main prayer. Among the others present were Vahagn Afyan, ambassador of Armenia to India, Biplab Roy, state administrator general and official trustee and Armenian Holy Church wardens Sunil Sobti and Susan Ruben.
Ashken Khachatryan, one of the organisers of the gathering, travelled from Chennai to Kolkata to participate in the all-India Armenian Christmas celebration, featuring a comprehensive mass. Shedding light on the Armenian perspective, Khachatryan said, “Armenia is considered the oldest Christian nation and this celebration is part of the Orthodox Church. Christmas for them is more of a religious festival.” Sobti, warden of Armenian Holy Church in Calcutta and Chinsurah, reiterated that Armenians worldwide celebrated January 6 as the Christ’s birthday.
According to warden Ruben, there are five Armenian churches in Bengal, the administrator general and official trustee of Bengal being the custodian and trustee of all Armenian Church properties. The Armenian Holy Church of Nazareth in Kolkata, built in the 18th century, is the centre of the Armenian Community and seat of the Armenian Vicariate of India and Fareast.
Armenian ambassador Afyan expressed joy at the church’s magnificence and expressed his wish to visit the again. During a meeting with Roy, the participants requested that Armenian antiques be housed in upcoming State Judicial Museum and Research Centre. Roy pointed out the Armenians came here much before Job Charnock’s arrival in 1690.