In Armenia, Christmas is not celebrated on December 25, but rather on January 6. The Armenian Apostolic Church being an Orthodox Christian Church. And from December 31 to January 6, the party never stops!
On December 31, the preparations begin, with many culinary preparations, shopping, cleaning. At midnight, the party really begins, and therefore, for several days, until January 6, Armenians will visit their family, their friends, their neighbors, go to mass and above all … eat a lot! We find on the table that which is the king of the meal: the ham, accompanied by many starters and many desserts. In Armenia you can eat stuffed pancakes, vine leaves or even stuffed cabbage during festivals, and sweet, puff pastry, Russian desserts or cream desserts. The holidays are so important that dried fruits are even already prepared in summer.
During this time, the children await their gifts, with more or less patience, brought by the “winter grandfather” and his little girl. When Hayarpi was still a child, fruits and sweets were offered. And the decoration was homemade, with cotton garlands for example. The Christmas balls were also kept very carefully, because they were made of glass.
Շնորհավոր Նոր Տարի եւ Սուրբ Ծնունդ!