Tweet
Ma'an News Agency, Palestine
Jan 18 2015
Armenian community in Palestine celebrates Christmas
Published today (updated) 18/01/2015 21:54
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Armenian Christians in Palestine celebrated
Christmas and the Feast of the Epiphany on Sunday with parades in the
streets of Bethlehem.
The Armenian patriarch of Jerusalem, Mourhan Manouagian, arrived in
Bethlehem around noon.
Manouagian was welcomed by Palestinian Authority Minister of Tourism
Rula Maaya, Bethlehem governor Jibrin al-Bakri, Bethlehem mayor Vera
Baboun, director of Bethlehem police Alaa Shalabi, and President
Mahmoud Abbas' advisor for Christian affairs Ziad al-Bandak.
Bethlehem police said in a statement earlier Sunday that it planned to
"secure the appropriate atmosphere ... for this national holiday which
is highly appreciated by both Muslims and Christians."
Later, President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Bethlehem for the Christmas
celebrations.
Abbas was welcomed by al-Bakri, a number of ministers and Palestinian
Legislative Council members, security officials, religious figures,
and the mayors of Bethlehem, Beit Sahour, Beit Jala, and al-Doha.
Armenian Christians in Palestine who follow the Armenian Patriarchate
of Jerusalem mark Christmas nearly two weeks after the majority of
Armenian and Eastern Orthodox denominations, who mark the holiday on
Jan. 6 or 7, and more than three weeks after Western Christians mark
Christmas, who celebrate on Dec. 25.
The differences in dates of celebration are due to the use of
different calendars, as Western Christians mark the holiday using the
Gregorian calendar, Orthodox Christians and most Armenian
denominations mark the holiday using the Julian calendar, and the
Armenian patriarch of Jerusalem marks Christmas using the Julian
calendar but with a different date.
Groups of Armenians began moving to Palestine beginning in the fourth
century and mainly settled in Jerusalem, where, in the seventh
century, they established a Patriarchate Complex which has since
attracted Armenian pilgrims.
Thousands of Armenians also arrived fleeing the massacres in the
Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century, after which many settled in
Palestine.
According to Armenian sources, some 7,500 Armenians today live across
the Holy Land. About 300 live in Bethlehem, 2,100 in Jerusalem and the
rest live in Acre, Ramle, Nazareth, and Beersheba. There are a small
number of Armenians in the Gaza Strip as well.
There are around 200,000 Palestinian Christians in the West Bank, Gaza
Strip, and inside Israel in total, while hundreds of thousands more
live abroad.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=754727
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Jan 18 2015
Armenian community in Palestine celebrates Christmas
Published today (updated) 18/01/2015 21:54
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Armenian Christians in Palestine celebrated
Christmas and the Feast of the Epiphany on Sunday with parades in the
streets of Bethlehem.
The Armenian patriarch of Jerusalem, Mourhan Manouagian, arrived in
Bethlehem around noon.
Manouagian was welcomed by Palestinian Authority Minister of Tourism
Rula Maaya, Bethlehem governor Jibrin al-Bakri, Bethlehem mayor Vera
Baboun, director of Bethlehem police Alaa Shalabi, and President
Mahmoud Abbas' advisor for Christian affairs Ziad al-Bandak.
Bethlehem police said in a statement earlier Sunday that it planned to
"secure the appropriate atmosphere ... for this national holiday which
is highly appreciated by both Muslims and Christians."
Later, President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Bethlehem for the Christmas
celebrations.
Abbas was welcomed by al-Bakri, a number of ministers and Palestinian
Legislative Council members, security officials, religious figures,
and the mayors of Bethlehem, Beit Sahour, Beit Jala, and al-Doha.
Armenian Christians in Palestine who follow the Armenian Patriarchate
of Jerusalem mark Christmas nearly two weeks after the majority of
Armenian and Eastern Orthodox denominations, who mark the holiday on
Jan. 6 or 7, and more than three weeks after Western Christians mark
Christmas, who celebrate on Dec. 25.
The differences in dates of celebration are due to the use of
different calendars, as Western Christians mark the holiday using the
Gregorian calendar, Orthodox Christians and most Armenian
denominations mark the holiday using the Julian calendar, and the
Armenian patriarch of Jerusalem marks Christmas using the Julian
calendar but with a different date.
Groups of Armenians began moving to Palestine beginning in the fourth
century and mainly settled in Jerusalem, where, in the seventh
century, they established a Patriarchate Complex which has since
attracted Armenian pilgrims.
Thousands of Armenians also arrived fleeing the massacres in the
Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century, after which many settled in
Palestine.
According to Armenian sources, some 7,500 Armenians today live across
the Holy Land. About 300 live in Bethlehem, 2,100 in Jerusalem and the
rest live in Acre, Ramle, Nazareth, and Beersheba. There are a small
number of Armenians in the Gaza Strip as well.
There are around 200,000 Palestinian Christians in the West Bank, Gaza
Strip, and inside Israel in total, while hundreds of thousands more
live abroad.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=754727
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress