As many people in the world are preparing to celebrate Christmas – traditionally associated with the birth of Christ – did you know that some countries, regions and even localities celebrate that event on January 6, or what the rest of the world considers the Feast of the Epiphany. As examples, but certainly not comprehensive, January 6 is celebrated as the birthdate of Christ by many Armenians and Greeks; the Irish refer to January 6 as Little Christmas, but in the Scottish Highlands, Little Christmas is used to refer to New Year’s Day, while January 6 (Epiphany) is known as the Feast-day of the Kings. In Norway and Sweden, Little Christmas Day is celebrated January 13, and in Scandinavia, Christmas Eve is sometimes referred to as "Little Christmas.” In other parts of the world (e.g., Slovenia, Ukraine), we find numerous references to “Little Christmas” and even to “Old Christmas.”
But it’s actually more complicated than that – as you will guess from today’s Useless But Compelling Fact Question. And if you want a present, try to get the complete and correct answer:
Why do Armenians in Armenia not celebrate Christmas on December 25, but rather on January 6 AND (bonus question) . . . explain why, if that is true in Armenia, the Armenian Patriarch travels from Jerusalem to Bethlehem on January 17, with celebrations and services starting that evening and continuing in the Cathedral of the Nativity, as Christmas Day is celebrated January 18????