Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1895-12-20
ARMENIAN CHRISTMASES.

thankin heaven he'd saved his Wlsh0Ono!
EARLE Fl. EATON.
ARMENIAN CHRlSTMASES.
One of the Prosecuted Race Tells of OBJ
servances and Customs of His People.
1t is not as easy to describe the customs
of tho Armenian people In their celebration
of Christmas as it would be to tell of the
English or tho American ways of celebrat
ing, because tho customs Of my people diff
for according to their habitat. Scattered
as tho Armenians are from Constantine
plo and other cities to tho little villages in
Asia Minor there are many ohservances
that are almost purely local. Some Of
these, however, arc extremely Interesting.
70 begin, Christ mas is not observed on
tho Same day with us as ii is here, for
there is u difference Of - days in the cal
enGar, 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 social occasion Us it probably
would be otherwise, but as a religious fes-
tival it ranks with Easter and the two
days arc tho principal feasts OF the year.
Tho religious services arc 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 arc
able to do. The principal service on
Christmas day is a sort of high mass that
Is celebrated before daybreak Everybody
who is able to do SO goes to this mass, at
which the highest church dignitary in tho
neighborhood always officiatos. If there
is an archbishop near, he is tho one; if
not. it is the bishop. And everybody
wears his very best clothes. 1t is a gen.
oral custom to give the children new suit
of clothes If possible on Christmas. If the
parents cannot afford so much, they will
at least contrive to give some article of
dress, If it is only a pair of new shoes.
This has led to another custom which is
in vogue especially in Constantinople,
where the Armenian children are all edu-
Gated in our parochial schools. These
schools are located in tho churchyards and
are, of course, supported by the churches.
Some of the children are very poor, and q
collection is always taken up at the Christ
mas service in the church for the purpose
of buying now clothes for tho children
whose parents cannot clOthe them properly.
There is ono very benevolent gentleman, a
merchant in Constantinople, whom know
very we'll, who always buys great num-
Der of suits at Christmas-from 90 to 60
or 70, 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 Christ" This
Is as they return to their homes from
church.
Later In the day there Is d 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: It is deemed almost obliga-
tory for interiors to call on auperio4, and
for the younger members Of the commu.
nifty to call on the elder. There u.s. of
course, no law about this, but If an en-
ployer, for example, should not receive
cali 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.
UuuU lily AcAVAoI uoCA W AOPAO'o
me severely if failed to call on any one
who had 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 de-
pendent or q servant or hired man, he may
very likely receive small present OF
money; perhaps only as much as % cents,
or perhaps IS 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.
Fruits are much used, too, for triaing
gifts.
I 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 u.s., 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
20 from house to house singing 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 q refrain:
"Good tidings! Good tidings!''
They go on the roofs Of the houses, for
the houses Of the villagers are almost IN
and the roofs are easily reach
ed, and as hey sing they let the bags
down in front Of the doors, and the people
put In them whatever they feel disposed to
give. Sometimes 1t will be q little money,
and sometimes IL will be something the
boys can easily sell for money to have a
good time with, and sometimes 1t will be
some kind Of trash put in for fun, but
everybody Is good natured.
Christmas among my people Is hardly
what 1t Is here, but the spirit of the day Is
the same, and perhaps 1t Is only poverty
that makes the difference.
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