Solemn celebration of feast of the presentation of our lord jesus christ to the temple

The feast of the presentation of our Lord Jesus Christ to the temple is one of the favorite holidays for the Armenian people, the ceremony of which begins on the evening of February 13th.

On the occasion of the feast, divine services were held in the churches of the Artsakh Diocese, after which the faithful people welcomed the holiday with folk songs and dances, and were treated to traditional dishes. And in the church of St. Stepanos in the village of Khachmach, with the great support of the godfather of this year, Mr. Norayr Grigoryan, the ceremony of holy baptism of the pupils, parents, and teachers of the village took place.

At the end of the ceremony, a festive fire was lit in the courtyards of all churches in memory of the torches with which the baby Jesus was greeted in the temple, before whom the gates of the east were opened, which had never been opened before, and according to prophecy, only the Messiah, the Savior of Israel, was to enter.

A number of traditions associated with the festive fire were circulated among the people. According to one of these traditions, the ashes left from the fire symbolized abundance, and it was often sprinkled on houses, lands, fields, wishing abundance, fertility in the year.

The fire-lighting ceremony heralded the beginning of the Feast of the presentation of our Lord Jesus Christ to the temple, because according to the church calendar, the day changes after the evening service. On the morning of February 14, a solemn holy liturgy was served in the churches of the Artsakh diocese on the occasion of the feast of the presentation of our Lord Jesus Christ to the temple. By order of His Holiness, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, the feast of the presentation of our Lord Jesus Christ to the temple was declared a day of blessing for the newlyweds. On this occasion, at the end of the liturgy, a ceremony of blessing the newlyweds took place.