WE CONFESS
THE CHURCH YEAR
of the Armenian Church
Don't get drunk on wine - it makes you wanton - but let the spirit fill you! Let psalms, hymns and songs sound in your midst as the Spirit prompts them. Sing and shout with all your heart to the praise of the Lord! Always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord" (Ephesians 5:18-20)
In the Christian sense, a festival is not just an occasion to have a great celebration, but rather an opportunity to encourage the believers and strengthen them in their faith. Church festivals are occasions to gather in the church to praise God. In the festival we come to God and praise him, invite him into us and spiritually unite with him. Every Christian festival should be celebrated in a way that pleases the Lord and serves the salvation of our souls.
Church festivals commemorate important events related to the life of Christ. They bring blessings in the life of the individual Christian and are an opportunity to strengthen our faith and trust in God and to ask the Lord for his heavenly graces and gifts.
The place of the Christian celebrations is of course primarily the church, whose mysterious and incense-scented vaults create that pleasant atmosphere and the framework in which the believer rises above everyday worries and thoughts and encounters God. The believer's encounter with God is supported there by the rite, which is accompanied by spiritual songs, beautiful hymns, biblical readings, psalms and prayers. Our prayers on feast days are more solemn and solemn, giving thanks to God and our Lord Jesus Christ for the kindness shown us, His glorious works, and the salvation bestowed on us. At the same time, the individual believer is filled with hope that the Lord will pour out His bounty of love and mercy upon the assembled believers and give them the life-giving grace of the Holy Spirit. Filled with this grace we can resist various temptations in life, overcome difficulties and sorrows. And with the assurance of God's presence, we can find inner calm and inner peace.
In order to prepare us for the great Christian feasts, the Church has established special days of fasting before the respective feast days, so that the believer has the opportunity, through penance, prayer and fasting, to cleanse his body and soul from sin and thus be blessed at the Lord's table to approach. St. John Chrysostom, one of the Church Fathers, points out that "the greatest festival [...] is the clear conscience".
The Armenian Church calls upon and exhorts its believing children to prepare themselves for the great Christian feasts by self-examination, fasting and prayer, but at least at the five Feasts of the Tabernacle (major feasts), prepared in this way, to face the Lord's Table in reverence draw near and partake of the life-giving body and blood of the Lord.
Don't get drunk on wine - it makes you wanton - but let the spirit fill you! Let psalms, hymns and songs sound in your midst as the Spirit prompts them. Sing and shout with all your heart to the praise of the Lord! Always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord (Ephesians 5:18-20)․
In the Christian sense, a festival is not just an occasion to have a great celebration, but rather an opportunity to encourage the believers and strengthen them in their faith. Church festivals are occasions to gather in the church to praise God. In the festival we come to God and praise him, invite him into us and spiritually unite with him. Every Christian festival should be celebrated in a way that pleases the Lord and serves the salvation of our souls.
Church festivals commemorate important events related to the life of Christ. They bring blessings in the life of the individual Christian and are an opportunity to strengthen our faith and trust in God and to ask the Lord for his heavenly graces and gifts.
The place of the Christian celebrations is of course primarily the church, whose mysterious and incense-scented vaults create that pleasant atmosphere and the framework in which the believer rises above everyday worries and thoughts and encounters God. The believer's encounter with God is supported there by the rite, which is accompanied by spiritual songs, beautiful hymns, biblical readings, psalms and prayers. Our prayers on feast days are more solemn and solemn, giving thanks to God and our Lord Jesus Christ for the kindness shown us, His glorious works, and the salvation bestowed on us. At the same time, the individual believer is filled with hope that the Lord will pour out His bounty of love and mercy upon the assembled believers and give them the life-giving grace of the Holy Spirit. Filled with this grace we can resist various temptations in life, overcome difficulties and sorrows. And with the assurance of God's presence, we can find inner calm and inner peace.
In order to prepare us for the great Christian feasts, the Church has established special days of fasting before the respective feast days, so that the believer has the opportunity, through penance, prayer and fasting, to cleanse his body and soul from sin and thus be blessed at the Lord's table to approach. St. John Chrysostom, one of the Church Fathers, points out that "the greatest festival [...] is the clear conscience".
The Armenian Church calls upon and exhorts its believing children to prepare themselves for the great Christian feasts by self-examination, fasting and prayer, but at least at the five Feasts of the Tabernacle (major feasts), prepared in this way, to face the Lord's Table in reverence draw near and partake of the life-giving body and blood of the Lord.
The Annual Cycle
- Nativity and Theophany
- Lent
- Easter
- Pentecost
- transfiguration of the Lord
- Assumption of Mary into heaven
- Cross Exaltation Festival
- Hisnak or Advent season
THE FIVE HIGH STRENGTH
The Armenian Apostolic Church has five main festivals called "Taghawar toner" (Arm. Տաղաւար Տօներ). This designation most likely comes from the Old Testament Feast of Tabernacles (arm. Taghawaraharats ton / Տաղաւարհարաց Տօն). The Armenian word "taghawaraharats" is composed of the roots "taghawar" (hut, tent) and "harel" (to beat, to prepare). Since the Old Testament Feast of Tabernacles was celebrated over several days, believers and pilgrims had to pitch a tent or build a hut. The Armenian word "Taghawaraharats" was in all probability changed or shortened to "Taghawar".
The five main festivals of the Armenian Church were also celebrated for more than three days and many believers not only made the pilgrimage to the main festivals but also to other festivals to places of pilgrimage and lived there in tents (Arm. Taghawar / Տաղաւար). This tradition has been preserved in some places to this day. An example is the pilgrimage of the Iranian Armenians to the St. Taddäus church.
On the eve of the five main festivals, a special ceremony called the "pre-festival" (Arm. Նախատօնակ) is held. This is already considered the beginning of the respective main festival.
The Armenian Apostolic Church has five main festivals called "Taghawar toner" (Arm. Տաղաւար Տօներ). This designation most likely comes from the Old Testament Feast of Tabernacles (arm. Taghawaraharats ton / Տաղաւարհարաց Տօն). The Armenian word "taghawaraharats" is composed of the roots "taghawar" (hut, tent) and "harel" (to beat, to prepare). Since the Old Testament Feast of Tabernacles was celebrated over several days, believers and pilgrims had to pitch a tent or build a hut. The Armenian word "Taghawaraharats" was in all probability changed or shortened to "Taghawar".
The five main festivals of the Armenian Church were also celebrated for more than three days and many believers not only made the pilgrimage to the main festivals but also to other festivals to places of pilgrimage and lived there in tents (Arm. Taghawar / Տաղաւար). This tradition has been preserved in some places to this day. An example is the pilgrimage of the Iranian Armenians to the St. Taddäus church.
On the eve of the five main festivals, a special ceremony called the "pre-festival" (Arm. Նախատօնակ) is held. This is already considered the beginning of the respective main festival.
The classification of festivals
In the Armenian Apostolic Church, the saint is commemorated on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. During Great Lent, saints' days are observed only on Saturdays, and no saints' days are celebrated during the Easter Triad.
The Saints can be divided into three groups:
EN 
DE 
HY