The Armenian Church commemorates events and individuals significant in our spiritual lives with days dedicated to Feasts.  The purpose of these celebrations is to awaken our spirituality by remembering and reflecting on the significance of the events and rededicating ourselves toward spiritual strengthening.

The Armenian Church celebrates three types of feasts.

  • Dominical Feasts  which are connected to Christ’s mission of redemption as well as feasts dedicated to the Holy Mother of God, the Holy Cross and Holy Church.
  • Saints’ Days which recognise the martyrs and holy fathers of the early church who lived exemplary lives of Christian virtue and sanctity.
  • Days of Abstinence are intended as a time for repentance, meditation, reflection and prayer.

Major Feast Days of the Armenian Apostolic Church  (Dominical Feasts)

The “Daghavar” (Tabernacle) feasts are the five major feast days of the Armenian Apostolic Church in the liturgical calendar. Of these significant days, only Christmas has a fixed date, the other days are changeable.

 Holy Nativity [Christmas] and Theophany of Our Lord   6 January
 Feast of the Glorious Resurrection of Our Lord [Easter]   March/April
 Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ [Vartavar]   14th Sunday after Easter
 Assumption of the Holy Mother of God [Soorp Asdvadzadzin]   Sunday nearest to 15 August
 Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross [Khachverats]   September
   

Feasts of Christ

Holy Nativity (Christmas) and Theophany 6  January
Naming of Our Lord Jesus Christ (8th Day of Nativity) 13 January
Presentation of Our Lord to the Temple 14 February (40th Day)
Feast of the Glorious Resurrection March/April
Remembrance of Christ’s Raising Lazarus 41st day of Great Lent
Palm Sunday and Holy Week March/April
Ascension of Our Lord 40 days after Easter
Pentecost 50 days after Easter
Transfiguration of Our Lord 14th Sunday after Easter
 

Feasts of the Holy Mother of God

The Annunciation to Mary April 7
Discovery of St Mary’s Box Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Assumption of the Holy Mother of God Sunday nearest 15 August
Discovery of the Belt of Theotokos (Mother of the Lord) Second Sunday after Assumption
Birth of the Holy Virgin Mary 8 September
Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary 21 November
Conception of the Holy Virgin Mary by Anna 9 December

Feasts of the Holy Cross

Apparition of the Holy Cross Fourth Sunday after Easter
Exaltation of the Holy Cross Sunday closest to September 14
Holy Cross of Varak Third Sunday of the Exaltation
Discovery of the Holy Cross Seventh Sunday of Exaltation

Feasts of the Holy Church

New Sunday First Sunday after Easter
Green Sunday Second Sunday after Easter
Red Sunday Third Sunday after Easter
Cathedral of Holy Etchmiadzin Second Sunday after Pentecost
Commemoration of the Old Ark and the Feast of the New Church Saturday preceding Transfiguration
Apparition (Shoghakat) of Holy Etchmiadzin  Saturday preceding the Assumption


Click here for more feast days and commemorations in Supplemental Learning 


Source: Saints & Feasts of the Armenian Church – Patriarch Torkom Koushagian

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