An Armenian Christmas
Armenians Celebrate the Holidays with both Food and Thought
Many Armenian Orthodox Christian traditions date far back into the mists of the 5th Century. Food plays a huge role in keeping Christmas properly.
For as long as man has made intellectual connections regarding his place in the cosmos and his relationship to the spiritual world, what he puts into his mouth to nourish himself physically has had a deep symbolic meaning to the ways in which he feeds his soul. Beyond geography, trade patterns, social and technological development, one of the most fundamental reasons that what a culture eats – or does not eat – is this mind/body/spirit connection. It’s why Muslims and observant Jews do not eat pork and observe periods of ritual fasting and Hindus do not eat beef.
Christians, too, observe seasonal fasts, such as Lent. For Orthodox Armenians, the 50 days leading up to January 6th (or Old Christmas) is a time of year when young and old practice a vegetarian diet, albeit including fish and seafood, during the first, fourth and seventh weeks of Hisnag (The Preparation).
Hisnag or Armenian Advent
Hisnag is very much like the way many Christian sects celebrate Advent. Each Saturday at Sunset, a purple candle is lit in churches and homes, accompanied by prayers and hymns. Much time is spent visiting extended family and good friends, and meals are shared, both with those closest to you – and with those who need a helping hand. Charity to the poor, often in the form of nourishing grain and vegetable soups, is seen to throughout the year in traditional Armenian communities – but is looked upon as a Holy duty during Hisnag. It is probably more than just an eccentric quirk that many older Armenians (especially mothers and aunties) often greet people, not with “hello” ….but “Have you eaten?”
Traditional Armenian Christmas Foods
The Christmas seasonal table, though meatless, is full of wonderful dishes, along with a wide variety of dried and fresh fruits, cheeses, oil cured olives, nuts and seeds. In addition to very old dishes, like Topig, there are many fish, whole grain, and vegetable based dishes, served with breads like cheoreg or peda, all topped off with incredible, delicate Paklavas, Boeregs and Kurabia, as well as a special Christmas Pudding (or thick porridge, actually) known as Anushabour.
Armenian Christmas Traditions
Two of the most special days within the Holy Season come on New Year’s Eve and on January 5th (for Armenians, Christmas Eve). One New Year’s Eve at midnight, every light in the house is turned off, the family says the Lord’s Prayer together, and then every light in the house is, again lit. This ritual is followed by a great bowl of Anushabour, to be shared around the table and small presents are distributed to all the children. The next morning, Armenians traditionally break pomegranates open on their doorsteps and on the entrances to their businesses; the hundreds of tiny, bright seeds being a symbol of “plenty.”
On January 5th, everyone goes to church at sunset and all seven of the Hisnag candles are lit during the service.
This is followed at home by a huge fish or seafood-based dinner, including Anushabour for dessert – this time decorated with a star of slivered almonds to symbolize the Nativity Star guiding the Wise Men. Everyone in the family puts their shoes outside their doorway that evening, hoping for the special candies, pomegranates and small presents that are sure to be in them in the morning, left by the Wise Men in remembrance of the Nativity.
January 6,th Surp Dzinunt (Christmas – or The Holy Birth), of course means more food. The Hisnag fast has now ended and meat (usually lamb in Armenia and the rest of the Middle East – but in America, more often Turkey) is again allowed on the table.
