The Feast of the Glorious Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ is one of the five major feasts of the Armenian Church. The Mystery of Easter is the mystery of Jesus Christ, His Holy Blood was shed and His Rising from the dead was for mankind. The Son of God should incarnate, be subjected... Read More »
Merelots is the Remembrance Day of the Dead that is observed in the Armenian Apostolic Church. This remembrance day is observed five times as far as it follows five major religious holidays. The first Merelots is on January 7 right after Christmas and Epihany that is on January 6. The next Remembrance Days to follow are Easter,... Read More »
The Saturday following the Holy Feast of the Glorious Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Armenian Church commemorates the beheading of St John the Baptist (also known as The Forerunner). The writers of the Gospels, St Matthew and St Mark, have explained the history of beheading of St John the Baptist, who had... Read More »
New Sunday or Renewal Sunday (Nor Giragi) is also called Second Easter (Grgnazadig), which means “Easter repeated” as it is the eighth day of Easter and a day similar to Easter in readings and hymns. The significance of the Resurrection of our Lord is essential to our faith, we are given a new life... Read More »
On April 7, the Armenian Church celebrates one of her greatest feasts: the Annunciation to St Mary. In the Gospel of Luke we learn that the Angel Gabriel brings the good news to the Virgin about the birth of the Saviour (Lk 1:26-38). According to Holy Tradition and the Evangelist, the Angel Gabriel appears... Read More »
The second Sunday of Easter commemorates Sunday of the World Church (Ashkharhamadoor), the first Church of Jerusalem, established by Christ. On the first day of the Jewish festival of Passover, Jesus instructs two of the Apostles, Peter and John, to go into Jerusalem and meet a man, who would direct them to a house... Read More »
Although there seems to be no ecclesiastical origin or significance for Red Sunday, the colour red recalls numerous themes within Christianity and the tradition of the Armenian Church. It is the blood of Jesus Christ that redeems and heals us, the source of life which spilled into the ground from the Cross to give... Read More »
This feast is celebrated 28 days after Easter Sunday and is dedicated to the Apparition of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem. At noon on May 19, 351AD, a bright, luminous cross appeared over the skies of Jerusalem, centred over an area spanning from the Mount of Olives (where Christ was betrayed and arrested) to... Read More »