Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Bangalore: For three families in the city, Christmas falls on Januar

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Bangalore: For three families in the city, Christmas falls on Januar

    Daily News & Analysis, India
    Dec 26 2009


    For three families in the city, Christmas falls on January 6

    Vaishalli Chandra / DNA
    Saturday, December 26, 2009 8:39


    Bangalore: Michael Stephen will be visiting St Mary's Armenian Church
    in Chennai on January 6, where he will decorate the altar with
    flowers, light candles and ring the bell to commemorate the birth of
    the King, Jesus Christ.


    The Stephens, living on the HAL Airport Road, will not be the only
    ones in the city to celebrate Christmas on January 6. With them will
    be two more families, the Minases and Eknayans. They are the three
    Armenian families settled in Bangalore.

    The Armenian Orthodox Church still reckons its year by the Julian
    Calendar and celebrates the birth of Christ on January 6 (also known
    as Old Christmas).

    Though they are set to celebrate Christmas next month, the three
    families here were
    very much part of the festivities happening around them. Here in the
    city, these families celebrate Christmas twice. So do their friends
    and neighbours.

    "We are celebrating Christmas today, but the actual celebration will
    be on January 6, the day it is Christmas for us," said Paul Minas, a
    third generation Armenian in the city. Apart from the difference in
    dates, the festivities are the same. Minas will hold a special service
    at his home in Banaswadi on January 6. His Christian friends will also
    attend the service.

    On Friday, Minas also joined the celebrations. "It is Christmas, and
    we celebrated with our Roman Catholic and Protestant friends," he
    said, adding that for them it is a double celebration as they exchange
    gifts on December 25 as well as on January 6.

    For Maureen Eknayan, Christmas gives an opportunity to stroll down
    memory lane. "My husband and I will go to Bombay (now Mumbai). After
    the service, the families will get together for a grand meal," she
    said, recalling that the service lasted three hours and was in
    Armenian, the language spoken by 97.7% of the population in her
    Motherland.

    Maureen's father was part of the choir in Kolkata, the city with the
    most number of Armenians. Besides Kolkata, Mumbai and Bangalore are
    home to the 125-odd Armenians in the country.

    Stephen, who had been to Armenia during Christmas, spoke about the
    difference in celebrations. "Eighty percent of the congregation there
    stand during the service at the main Cathedral. We are so used to the
    pews here."

    For Armenians, the week preceding January 6 is one of fasting. They
    avoid meat (seafood not included), and eat a light meal a day.
    Stephen, however, added that only 15% of the Armenians observe the
    fast these days.

    On January 5, families attend church and celebrate the Christmas Eve
    Divine Liturgy. They do the same on the morning of January 6, and
    observe that day as the Feast of the Theophany (the Manifestation of
    God).

    Minas said he will have dolma - minced meat and baked potato pudding
    served with brown rice - for Christmas. The spices and herbs, he said,
    are available at Thom's Bakery in Frazer Town.

    "My mother-in-law sends some of the herbs to us," said Maureen. She
    said that earlier in Mumbai, they used to have lavash, a bread similar
    to naan, and delicacies like kuku pilaf - rice cooked with greens and
    omelette.


    http://www.dnaindia.com/bangalore/ report_for-three-families-in-the-city-christmas-fa lls-on-january-6_1327642
Working...
X