Christians Celebrate
Christmas in Iran

Soudabeh Sadigh
December 26, 06

Tehran, December 25, 2006 (CHN Foreign Desk) --

Decorated Christmas trees might not be seen in every corner of Iran these days, but the occasion is celebrated by Iranian Christians every year. This year, the Iranian Christians have once again prepared themselves to celebrate the birth of Christ in their homeland by decorating Christmas trees, exchanging gifts, and attending services.
 
According to Albert Kochoei, chairman of Assyrian Association of Tehran or Motva d’ Tehran, considering that Jesus Christ was the messenger of peace and love, this year Iranian Christians will pray for the peace and happiness to prevail in the world.
 
A number of Christian denominations still live in Iran today and include Assyrians, Armenians, Catholics, Protestants and Evangelical Christians. Although a minority religious group in Iran, Christians of Iran are free to practice their religion and perform their religious rituals.

Christmas in Iran is known as the “Little Feast” to the Assyrians compared to the Easter which is called the Great Feast. For the first 25 days of December, a long fast is observed by the Assyrians. During these days no meat, eggs, milk or cheese is eaten. It is a time of peace and meditation, a time for attending services at the church. After the church service of December 25, Iranian [Assyrian] Christians enjoy Christmas dinner which they call the “Little Feast.”

In fact, Christmas Eve is the last day of the fast. Almost before dawn on Christmas Day, the people attend Mass to receive Communion and it is not until they have received this Communion that they are permitted to break their fast. The main dish for Christmas Day is a kind of chicken barley stew [called Harrissa]. It is cooked in large quantities and lasts for several days.

Gifts are not exchanged, but children get new clothes which they wear on Christmas Day.

“We have all tried to make ourselves ready for the Christmas Day. As you see churches are being painted and ready to celebrate this occasion. Nowadays, Christmas is taken more into consideration than before in Iran,” said Ashuriyan, an Iranian Christian.

“You can see Christmas trees in many places; and people are increasingly getting interested to know more about our religious rituals. That is why we really enjoy sharing our happiness with others as they like to do theirs with us,” he added.

“We do not celebrate Christmas here in the same way people do all over the world,” said an old Christian woman. “Our ceremonies are somehow similar to other Christians of the world, but there are also some differences. The most important thing for me as a grandmother is to buy the best gifts I can for my grandchildren and gather the whole family together on this day,” she added.

Except for Armenian Christians, other Christian groups in Iran celebrate 25th of December as the birthday of Jesus. Holding mass prayers is another ritual that is performed on Christmas Eve in most Iranian churches,” said Kochoei.
 
According to Dr. Ahmad Nourizadeh who has done a lot of research on the history of Christians, particularly Armenians in Iran, although Iranian Armenians who make up the majority of the country’s Christian population take January 6th as the birth of Christ, large numbers of Iranian Christians also celebrate the 25th of December along with other Christians in the world.
 
Sending an open message to the Christians of the world on the eve of the auspicious occasion of Christmas, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad congratulated them on the birthday of “messenger of love and friendship.”
 
Also to mark the arrival of the Christian New Year, different programs are organized to be held in the museum of Tehran’s Sa’ad Abad Palace from 2-4 of January 2007.
 
Merry Christmas!
 

foreigndesk@chn.ir