CHRISTMAS AT ST. JOHN’S OF MILWAUKEE

By David Luhrssen

Milwaukee, WI- This season, St. John the Baptist Armenian Church observed the Christmas holiday with a month of special events stretching from mid December through early January.

On Saturday night, December 17, 2022, St. John hosted a concert by the Narek Bell Choir. Conducted by Rev. Fr. Hovhan Khoja-Eynatyan of St. James Armenian Church, Evanston, the bell choir gave a performance of sharagans and Western Christmas hymns. On Sunday, December 18, Santa visited St. John with gifts for the children. On Saturday, December 24, parishioners gathered despite the bitter cold for an evening of congregational caroling that has become customary at St. John during the holiday season.

The most important event, the reason for the celebration, is the Feast of the Nativity and Theophany, Armenian Christmas. St. John observed the first holiday on the church calendar on Sunday, January 8, 2023. In his homily, Rev. Fr. Guregh Hambardzumyan alluded to the way the holiday has been distorted in contemporary society. The greatest gift for the faithful, he said, is the birth of the Son of God in our world. Along with Rev. Fr. Nareg Keutelian, he performed The Blessing of the Water, commemorating the baptism of Jesus Christ in the River Jordan by John the Baptist. As godfather of Armenian Christmas, Michael Tange held the cross.

Afterward, the community celebrated with St. John’s annual Armenian Christmas potluck.