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MAYOR ARTIN'S FESTIVE PLANS
by Melissa Davey
Cumberland Courier Newspapers
Dec 21 2010
Australia
CHRISTMAS time is a relatively quiet affair for Ryde mayor Artin
Etmekdjian, who lives in West Ryde with his wife, Nora.
Both of their parents have passed away and Cr Etmekdjian has only one
sibling, older brother Magar, so Christmas is spent with friends and
with his brother.
"We might have a Christmas dinner with friends on the 24th and a lunch
on the 25th, but on the 26th it is my brother's birthday so we might
go out to a restaurant or something like that," Cr Etmekdjian said.
"We have no real big family get-together, but sometimes I think it
is nice that way because it is already a very busy time of year."
Although Cr Etmekdjian doesn't have a large family to give gifts to,
he attends various Christmas charity events throughout the community
including Rotary Christmas celebrations at North Ryde RSL and the
Salvation Army fundraiser.
"We like to support the hard work of local charities who do so much
good work for the disadvantaged," he said.
"This time of year for me is about being with family and appreciating
them, appreciating your friends and your neighbours, and thinking
about how lucky we are to live in a country like Australia."
Cr Etmekdjian is of Armenian heritage and was elected as the first
Armenian mayor in Australia when he was selected by councillors to
become mayor of Ryde in September.
He said he will be celebrating Christmas all over again come January
6, because according to the church calendar Armenian Christmas is
celebrated on January 6.
"Armenian Christmas is celebrated in much the same way, and Nora and I
will go to an Armenian church on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning,"
Cr Etmekdjian said.
"As a couple Nora and I are a bit spontaneous during the Christmas
holiday, we don't plan too much and just take things as they come."
From: A. Papazian
by Melissa Davey
Cumberland Courier Newspapers
Dec 21 2010
Australia
CHRISTMAS time is a relatively quiet affair for Ryde mayor Artin
Etmekdjian, who lives in West Ryde with his wife, Nora.
Both of their parents have passed away and Cr Etmekdjian has only one
sibling, older brother Magar, so Christmas is spent with friends and
with his brother.
"We might have a Christmas dinner with friends on the 24th and a lunch
on the 25th, but on the 26th it is my brother's birthday so we might
go out to a restaurant or something like that," Cr Etmekdjian said.
"We have no real big family get-together, but sometimes I think it
is nice that way because it is already a very busy time of year."
Although Cr Etmekdjian doesn't have a large family to give gifts to,
he attends various Christmas charity events throughout the community
including Rotary Christmas celebrations at North Ryde RSL and the
Salvation Army fundraiser.
"We like to support the hard work of local charities who do so much
good work for the disadvantaged," he said.
"This time of year for me is about being with family and appreciating
them, appreciating your friends and your neighbours, and thinking
about how lucky we are to live in a country like Australia."
Cr Etmekdjian is of Armenian heritage and was elected as the first
Armenian mayor in Australia when he was selected by councillors to
become mayor of Ryde in September.
He said he will be celebrating Christmas all over again come January
6, because according to the church calendar Armenian Christmas is
celebrated on January 6.
"Armenian Christmas is celebrated in much the same way, and Nora and I
will go to an Armenian church on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning,"
Cr Etmekdjian said.
"As a couple Nora and I are a bit spontaneous during the Christmas
holiday, we don't plan too much and just take things as they come."
From: A. Papazian