SUNDAY OF EXPULSION – ARDAKSMAN GIRAGI

Many believe that God sent Adam and Eve away from the Garden merely because of the sin of eating the forbidden fruit. Certainly, they did not obey God’s word, and due to their disobedience, they were expelled from the garden. However, their disobedience was only one of the reasons for their expulsion. The more crucial reason was that they did not accept their sin, and they did not claim responsibility for their own wrongs. The Holy Scriptures tell us that after they had sinned, God asked Adam, “Have you …

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SUNDAY OF THE EXPULSION | ԱՐՏԱՔՍՄԱՆ ԿԻՐԱԿԻ

As of Monday we entered the period of Great Lent (Medz Bahk), and the Church has taken on a somber, mournful, and penitential manifestation. Beginning last Sunday, which was Poon Paregentan, the altar is closed with a dark curtain, symbolic of the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden.

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POON PAREGENTAN

Poon Paregentan, similar to Mardi Gras or “Fat Tuesday,” occurs on the Sunday before the Great Lent (Medz Bahk) in preparation for Easter. We celebrate Poon Paregentan (meaning vitality or the good life), which leads us into the longest season of fasting, known as the Great Lent. The Sunday prior to this great feast is when we remember the Good Life in paradise prior to Adam and Eve’s expulsion…

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EVE OF GREAT LENT

Poon Paregentan is the last Sunday preceding the six-week, forty-day period of Great Lent. It falls seven weeks prior to the Resurrection (Easter Sunday) and, along with the Feast of the Resurrection (Easter), is a moveable feast within an interval of thirty-five days between February 1 and March 7. The theme of Poon Paregentan is recalling man’s life of …

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SUNDAY OF THE JUDGE

The Gospel reading for the Sunday is the parable of the Unjust Judge. The judge is seen as hard-hearted and without principles, fear of God, or regard for people. A widow in the same town has been ill-treated and she has come to the judge for justice. Although her cause is just, the judge does not pay attention to her case.

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HOW DO ARMENIANS CELEBRATE EASTER?

On Easter day, Christians rejoice over the resurrection of our Lord. Armenians celebrate the joyous occasion with eggs that are dyed red, with which children and adults alike play tapping contests. The Easter Bunny tradition that began in the 17th century among Protestants in Europe is now popular all over the world,

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MEDIAN DAY OF LENT 2023

Wednesday, March 16, 2023, is the median day of Lent (Meechink). It is the 24th day of Lent and it falls on the Wednesday of the fourth week of Lent, ending the first half of our spiritual journey.

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THE SUNRISE SERVICE

Although there are references to a Sunrise Service in the Armenian Church as early as the 7th century, the service as we know it today is the work of the 12th century Catholicos, St. Nerses Shnorhali (The Graceful) whose music and prayers have greatly enriched the Armenian Church.

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POON PAREGENTAN

Poon Paregentan ushers the faithful into the Lenten period of fasting, penance, and reconciliation. Paregentan Sunday is the last day before the start of Lent. It is marked with good and abundant food, merriment, entertainment, and festivities of various kinds.

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