“Merry Christmas” In Iran
December 25th, 2008On December 25, when all Radio and TV channels have special programs for new year, I’d never call my Iranian Christian friends to say them a warm “Merry Christmas”. Since in this day there is no celebration in their house. Christmas for Iranian Christians is started since January 6 and of course there are many stories behind this different time.
I don’t really know much of details, though. Catholic, Protestant and some Orthodox churches usually introduce the Jesus’s birth on December 25. But Iranian Armenian church -which is part of Armenian churches- is completely an independent sect in christianity and with some other Christian sects believe the birthday of Jesus to be on 6th January. So instead of starting celebrations 5 days before new year, they start them 6 days after new year.
All this story is for Armenians which are mainstream christians in Iran. But for Assyrian Christians the story is somehow same as all over the world. Assyrian Christians follow catholic church so their holiday is started since 5 days before new year.
However in Islam story of Mary givng birth to Jesus (peace be upon him), Allah asked her to shake a nearby palm tree to get some nourishing dates. If so and knowing that palms do not give dates in Bethlehem in cold month of December then it could also be that the birth of Jesus was far earlier than December or January
There is also no relation between 1st January as first day of new year and Jesus’s birth. The Gregorian calendar and the new year comes from Pagan-mostly mithraism- traditions before foundation of christianity.Even though the start of counting is from Jesus’s birth year.
That’s all about the date. And now about turkey. Maybe you think Iranian Christians also eat turkey in new year. So you’re wrong. There is no such a tradition between Christians here. At least among Armenians, turkey is not a usual meal of the Christmas. Most of the time, Iranian Christians cook some meals which are mostly common within the Persian new year too; Vegetable Rice with fish. They used to think that’s a christian trasition which got to be a persian habit for all Iranians too. But later they realised there is not such foods in Armenia. They’re only Iranian Armenians who love to make Iranian food for new year.
By the way, Iranian Christians are divided in two groups. The first group like to celebrate Christmas. And the second group are those who don’t celebrate Christmas. The first group usually like any kind of celebrations and parties. So they even celebrate Persian New Year which is at the first day of spring on March 21. The second group neither celebrate the Gregorian New year nor goes to parties. There’s just no especial reason for that, maybe they’ve got so mixed with the Iranian culture and persian feasts.
Well, anyhow, some of Iranian Christians celebrate Christmas with all over the world. They decorate pine trees and all walls of house with beautiful little colorful bulbs and papers. Nowadays some of them use artificial trees and invite all relatives and friends for a big party and a delicious Iranian dinner.
Some of them also don’t celebrate it as such. They have a dinner for Jesus’s birthday and let their New year be only Persian New Year in spring. They think cutting pine trees will destroy the nature.
Along with Iranian Christians, some Iranians from other faiths i.e Muslims love to celebrate Christmas. Whether they want to celebrate an international event and be part of the big world or It happens they have Christian friends and they claim to invite them for a delicious dinner. Regarding the fact that saying a warm Merry Christmas to Christian friends can be joyful very often.
My Christian friends like a snowy Christmas. Indead Christmas without snow has a missing part. Most of the time, during Christmas it’s snowing here. Specially in north of Tehran there is usually good snowing in winters.
With snow, i remember Papa Noel walking in the streets with his gifts. Like those childhood cartoons that i used to watch. Maybe there is no harm for nature that people use artificial trees instead of having fragrance of fresh pine at home.
I don’t know how many little match-sellers in Hans Christian Andersen’s stories stay alive under snow. When it is snowing I always remember the poor and homeless and wonder why is christmas becoming so commercialised towards consuming personal needs and not target the helpless and the needy with love and attention.. Just a thought..
Let’s hope for good. Let’s hope that every kind of new years, Persian, Islamic, jewish and Gregorian bring us the good news of a union against injustice. Let’s hope for a world without poverty, ignorance and fanatism. Let’s wish our best wishes for our generation and the coming generations after us that they identify their purpose of being and help make this world a more tolerable one in which to breathe.
Christmas is coming again. I’m getting ready to call my Christian friends 6 days after new year. Let me tell you right now, from an Iranian Muslim woman to Iranians and all people around the world who will be light-hearted, at least for some days, for some hours, for a moment or as long as a smile:
“Merry Christmas to You all..”
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Hi Shahrazad,
Merry Christmas!
It was amazing for me to see a group of little kids in a government primary school perfrom today. The played the flute and sprinckles a the scent of the Christmas and New Year into the schoolyard, where little girls stood in lines, all veiled and all in blue longsleeved uniforms.
In many countries of the world Christmas is celebrated and the birth of Jesus is respected, at least if not as Christians, but at least as a teaher of high ethical values, forgiveness and peace.
SOme time back, even in the bilingual kindergartens in the capital, Tehran, celebrating Christmas and Halowwen was banned through a direct order of the corresponding authorities as a reflection of Western culture. Somehow, the New Year fever and the market of gifts and cards and this little world that shares more and more every moment, all made it possible for our people who usually don;t know what they do is finally approved by the government and authorities or it is not, to share with the Christians of their country and the Christians of the world and pay their due respect in the Eve of their sacred day.
The same applies to Hanuka, which is much more obscure within the borders of our land, the land which had been and is still the home of its Jewish community for more than 25 centuries.
It was a pleasure viewing the Muslim and Christian children of Iraq in their schools with their thin Santa and their Muslim instructors, the celemoneis that made the followers of fierrent religions celebrate together, and I wish that this honest and respectful behavior in the war-torn Iraq, from the children of this beautiful country inspire the rest of our Middle East
Amen
meery Christmas Christians of Middle East and The world! Happy Hanuka Jewish people of Middle East and the World!
Elinor, WOW. i didnt know that. It’s good news that they’ve celebrated christmas in Iranian schools along with Iranian christians. Also i am glad for Iraq. I remember when i was at school, we were not even allowed to wear white socks!! lol
Every extremism finally gets to be more moderate though. Even if this extremism in Iran, just has made people to act so hypocritically. Outside somebody and inside houses somebody else..
Merry christmas and Hanukah to you and all too.
Shahrazad,
haha just joking, the change is inevitable, Amen 
I remember when we( girls) were called ( bad names) in the school for wearing white tennis shoes, white socks were out of question! I guess the smelly socked finally changed the ideas about kids wearing socks that were not white, believe me, if it was in their power they would have decided on the color of the night gowns, hehe, well they do change, I hope they hurry up a bit though, before the end of this new century
Awww, my white sneakerssssssssss. I could not wear them at school. I remember once i got punished to stay out of class bcs my nails were shiny and the idiot principle thought they’re nail-polished. Good bad old days.. You know!
Yes, changes are inevitable, though i do think every revolution brings extremist days with itself. Even irreligious ones. And after sometime everything again will get more free.
Now, students live in heaven in compare of our era.
Shahrazad, the students of today are either more used to the situation, or they have learnt to deal with them, they are not as much scared, the whole thing has turned to be a game and this is a game every one is aware of, a game of pretending to be religious to please, to gain, to stay safe, to seek a position, and if there is truely some one religious, believe me they are harrassed, the poor real religious ones, because of the deeds of the like-minded society of theirs!
elinor, you made good point i think. Our people are getting so hypocrite as i mentioned.
And i am one of them who get harassed from both irreligious and religious ones. Ghiyafeye ghalat andaz..
Wonderful!
Before anything else, Salaam and Merry Christmas to all : ) I wish you a great time with your family and friends.
I learned so much Shahrazad! I didn’t know Iranian Christians celebrated Christmas on the 6th of January! I knew some Christian sects in Lebanon do so as they believe January 6th to be the day Jesus was baptized, however I do not know much of the history behind the dates and I could wrong! What I do remember from conversations with Christian friends is that the birth of Jesus was not celebrated until some time after Christianity was founded,and so no one knows exactly when he was born.
As you mentioned in your beautiful article, to celebrate this day with remembering the less unfortunate, helping others, being kind and respectful to each other and implementing the teachings of Jesus is what will strengthen its spirit and truly make it a holy day.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading and looking forward to more!
All the best,
xoxoxo
Tee
Dear Shahrazad, kindly re-phrase the word sect when you are referring to the Armenian Church. Some people will misunderstand the word. The name is Armenian Apostolic Church. If Armenians are a sect then who is a church??? lol
Tee, thank you dear. See how you inspired me with your wonderful sentence.
Raffi, There are many more sects in Christianity just like Islam. It’s just like when muslims say X Islamic school of thought for their different secs. So who is the school here then?