site.btaArmenians in Ruse Celebrate Christmas

The Armenian diaspora in Ruse celebrated Christmas and Epiphany on Tuesday, as the holiday has been part of Armenian traditions for more than 1,700 years, the Ruse Regional Administration said.

Ruse Regional Governor Dragomir Draganov was among the first to extend congratulations to the Armenian diaspora in the Danube city. “On days like these, we remind ourselves that the strength of a society is not measured only by economic indicators, but by caring for people, by trust in each other and by the ability to be united in difficult times," Draganov said.

“May the Christmas star illuminate the sky and our hearts,” Dirayr Hadavyan, spiritual shepherd of the Orthodox Armenian community in Ruse and priest at the St Virgin Mary Armenian Church in the Danube city, said.

Armenians celebrate the religious holiday with a fast, followed by a feast including rice, nuts and sweets. On this day, people visit relatives and friends and exchange small gifts. Since 2015, by order of the spiritual head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, the new year begins with the consecration of a pomegranate.

According to Armenian traditions, the fruit is a symbol of life, prosperity and abundance. It is also a symbol of the shed blood of Christ and the miraculous resurrection of the Saviour, as well as the diversity of God's virtues. In addition, for them the fruit symbolizes the Armenian diaspora, scattered all over the world, but united in one by devotion to faith.

In 301, Armenia became the first country in the world to adopt Christianity as its state religion. Today, nearly 40,000 Armenians live in Bulgaria.