ARMENIANS CELEBRATE BIRTH OF CHRIST WORSHIPPERS ATTEND MANY AREA SERVICES.Byline: Dominic Berbeo Staff Writer As Christmas gifts and other yuletide traditions fade in the minds of some Southlanders, thousands of Armenians in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. celebrated on Thursday their version of the birth of Christ. In Armenian neighborhoods of Glendale and Van Nuys, worshippers packed churches to celebrate the traditional blessing of the water and exchange of gifts. ``We had more than 2,000 people at today's Christmas service,'' said Stepan Kabadian, the chairman at St. Mary's Armenian Apostolic Church The Armenian Apostolic Church (Armenian: Հայ Առաքելական Եկեղեցի, Hay Arakelagan Yegeghetzi), sometimes called the Armenian Orthodox Church or the in Glendale. ``The water is blessed and everyone takes home a cup of the holy water symbolizing water used to baptize bap·tize v. bap·tized, bap·tiz·ing, bap·tiz·es v.tr. 1. To admit into Christianity by means of baptism. 2. a. To cleanse or purify. b. To initiate. 3. Christ.'' He said the Armenian Church has been celebrating Christmas in this fashion for about 1,700 years. In Van Nuys, about 1,500 attended Christmas services at St. Peter Armenian Church. As told in the New Testament, the Three Kings, or magi Magi (mā`jī), priestly caste of ancient Persia. Probably Median in origin, they were, according to Herodotus, a tribe rather than a priestly family. Zoroaster is thought to have been a Magus. , came from the East to pay homage to the newborn Jesus. They were identified as Melchior, an elderly Persian with a long beard bringing the gift of gold; Caspar, a young and beardless Indian offering frankincense frankincense: see incense-tree. frankincense Fragrant gum resin obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia (family Burseraceae), particularly several varieties found in Somalia, Yemen, and Oman. , a royal fragrance; and Balthasar, a black Arabian bearing the gift of myrrh myrrh: see incense-tree. myrrh symbol of gladness. [Flower Symbolism: Flora Symbolica, 176] See : Joy , a bitter gum resin valued for its medicinal purposes. Today, scholars believe the three wise men were probably astrologers from Persia. CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1 -- 2) The Rev. Shnork Demirjian, above, speaks to the crowd during Christmas services at St. Peter Armenian Church. Some placed candles for lost loved ones. Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer (3) A woman prays during a Three Kings ceremony at St. Peter Armenian Church in Van Nuys on Thursday. |
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