The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-12-24
ARMENIAN cHRIsTMA6Es.

ARMENIAN CHRISTMASES.
One of the Prosecuted Race Tells OF OBJ
servances and Customs of His People.
It is not as easy to describe the customs
of the Armenian people in their celebration
of Christmas as it would be to tell of the
English or the American ways of celebrat-
ing. because the customs of my people diff
fer according to their habitat. Scattered
as the Ar1nen1ans are from Constantine
pie and other cities to the little villages in
Asia Minor, there are many observances
that are almost purely local. Some of
these, however, are extremely interesting.
To begin, Christmas is not observed on
the same day with us as it is here, for
there is a difference of 12 days in the cal
endar, as everybody knows. So our Christ
mas falls on your Jan. 6. Coming, as it
does, SO near New Years day, it is not so
much of a social occasion as it probably
would be otherwise, but as a religious fes-
tival it ranks with Easter, and the two
days are the principal feastS of the year.
The religious services are most impress
i've. Our churches differ from yours in
some ways, for there are no pews in them,
and we adorn them as richly as we are
able to do The principal service on
Christmas day is a sort of high mass that
is celebrated before daybreak. Everybody
VINO Is dol0 10 10 SO goes TO bnlS mass, at
which the highest church dignitary in the
neighborhood always officiates. If there
is an archbishop near he is the one; if
not, It is the bishop. And everybody
wears his very best clothes. 1t is a gen.
eral custom to give the children a new suit
Of clothes if possible on Christmas. If tho
parents cannot afford so much, they will
at least contrive to give some article of
dress, if it is only q pair of now shoes.
This has led to another custom which is
in vogue especially in Constantinople,
where the Armenian children are all edu
Gated in orr parochial schools. These
schools are located in the churchyards and
are, of course. supported by the churches.
Some of the children are very poor, and
collection Is always taken up at the Christ
mas service in the church for the purpose
of buying new clothes for the children
whose parents cannot clothe them properly.
There is one very benevolent gentleman, O
merchant in Constantinople, whom know
very well, who always buys a great num-
Der of suits at Christmas-from 90 to 60
or 20, according to what he can afford.
The making of presents at Christmas is
not perhaps as general among our people
as it is here, though in the cities we are
rapidly adopting European customs
Presents are given, but most frequently
by superiors to their interiors or by elders
to children.
After the church services the people greet
one another with a special salutation.
One says, "Christ is born,'' and the reply
is, Blessed is the birth of Christi This
is as they return to their homes from
church.
Later in the day there is a general in
terchange of visits, much like the fashion
of New Years calls, which is still kept up
in some parts of this country, though with
this difference: 1t is deemed almost obliga-
tory for interiors to call on superiors and
for the younger members of the cOmlnu
nifty to call on the elder. There is, of
course, no law about this, but if an en-
ployer, for example, should not receive q
call from each of his employees he would
feel that his dignity had not been properly
respected, and the employee would feel
that he had been rude, to say the least. I
remember that my father used to reprove
me severely if L failed to call on any one
who had a right to expect visit from me-
When the visitor arrives at the house of
the person he is calling on, he is received
according to his station. If he is a de-
pendent or a servant or hired man, he may
very likely receive q small present of
money; perhaps only as much as 25 cents,
or perhaps SIS or $40, or he may, especially
in the country, receive food or clothing
If he is social equal, he will be enter
tanned with arrack and fruits and sweets.
Fr1its are much used, too, for triHing
gifts.
should say that the greeting on enter
ing the house on one of these visits is sim
liar to the morning salutation. The guest
says, "Christ is born and made manifest
to us, - and the reply is. BLESSED are the
birth and the manifestation of Christ
One custom is worth mentioning. The
smaller boys in each village go out in par
ties on Christmas day, carrying bags, and
so from house to house singing a sort of
Christmas carol or song about the birth of
Christ. I cannot recall the exact words,
but it tells the old story and has refrain:
''Good tiding5l Good tidingsr'
They go on the roofs of the houses, for
the houses of the villagers are almost IN
derground, and the roofs are easily reach
ed, and as they sing they let the bags
down in front of the doors, and the people
put in them whatever they feel disposed to
give. Sometimes it will be little money,
and sometimes it will be something the
boys can easily sell for money to have a
good time with, and sometimes it will be
some kind of trash put in for fun, but
everybody is good natured.
Christmas among my people is hardly
what it is here, but the spirit of the day is
the same, and perhaps it is only poverty
that makes the difference.
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