CHRISTMAS 2026: A RENEWAL OF FAITH

During the monthly clergy meeting held right after Armenian Christmas, our Prelate, His Eminence Archbishop Anoushavan, asked each of the pastors of our various churches for a brief report of the Holy Nativity and Theophany celebrations within each parish. As the reports were being given, it became very obvious that in many ways this Christmas season was exceptional. 

Of course, the pageants, parties, concerts, luncheons, dinners, and other activities that took place in various parishes were, as always, very much enjoyed and appreciated by the church members who attended them. These activities have always captured the attention of the faithful of our churches, promoting a cheerful and overall, very positive mood among people during this season of joy. 

However, the most positive aspect of what our pastors were reporting one by one, was the general increase in the number of faithful who participated in church services. Some were record-breaking, but in general most of our parishes, large and small, reported moderate to larger numbers of faithful flocking to churches to celebrate on both Nativity Eve and Day. His Eminence and all the pastors were truly delighted by the realization that this was a special Christmas in terms of overall participation in church services by parishioners, demonstrating a renewal of faith that seems to be burgeoning among our people. 

His Eminence remarked how moved he was to see that after 1700 years and far afield from their native lands, Armenian Apostolic Faithful were embracing the same values and beliefs of their forbears, demonstrating their deep love of the Apostolic faith that was planted in Armenia by Saints Thaddeus and Bartholomew and established by St. Gregory the Illuminator. After all these years, it is indeed heartwarming to see our Armenian American community members flocking to their churches. 

It was not always like that. At one time, the practice in the United States was that Armenian Christmas was celebrated on the Sunday closest to January 6. In the mid-1970s, then Prelate Archbishop Karekin of Blessed Memory (subsequently Catholicos of Cilicia and then Etchmiadzin) took a bold step in leading our faithful back to the very roots of their faith in reinstituting the observance of the Nativity and Theophany of our Lord Jesus Christ on the actual day on which January 6 fell. Needless to say, attendance dropped significantly whenever January 6 fell on a weekday. Over the years, however, as the return to our true tradition of observing this important feast on the actual day became accepted and ingrained within our communities, attendance at church services began to increase. And this is why it is so gratifying to see that fifty years later, on a Monday night and a Tuesday morning, our churches were filled with worshippers, young and old, praising and celebrating the Lamb of God who was born for our salvation. 

All of our churches should be encouraged by this wonderful news. It should serve to fill us with hope and inspire us to work together as the Body of Christ to promote the faith of the Gospel and bring our people even closer to Christ through His Holy Church. All our faithful should also be encouraged and understand that our traditions are not just meaningless observances or pointless actions, but the true pathway to God’s eternal Kingdom, a harbinger of renewal and rededication of our faith and values within the parishes throughout the Eastern Prelacy.