Loading ...Orthodox Christians in the UAE celebrate Christmas
Dubai: Some of the Christian Orthodox communities in the UAE who observe Christmas on January 7 gathered for Christmas Day celebrations yesterday after marking the eve the day before.
The Orthodox community observes Christmas day on January 7, according to the old Julian calendar which was revamped in 1582 by Pope Gregory, prompting the move of Christmas day to December 25.
Many of the Orthodox Christians across the country attended a late-night mass on January 6 at their churches, which was followed by a feast to end their 45-day fast.
Nermine Kamel, a Coptic mother of two, who was assisting in a puppet show held at the Saint Mina Orthodox Church in Jebel Ali for the occasion, said that Orthodox Christians in Dubai attended a late mass from 7pm until midnight and then broke their fast at the church or with their families at home.
“As part of the Christmas celebrations at the church on January 7, we were focused on getting children to come to worship and attend the puppet show, which carried several messages about the meaning of this day. It also taught them how to appreciate their blessings and how to begin the New Year.”
Mariez Barsoun, a 20-year-old student at the same church, said her favourite part about Christmas is getting together with family and friends and sharing a meal.“We broke our fast at the Church because they had organised a big dinner for everyone after the late mass. On Thursday, we went to the church again early in the morning and now we have plans to go out for a buffet with the family and some friends.”
Many exchanged presents with their friends on Thursday as well, said Barsoun.
Sylvia Sedrak, a freelance designer, also observing Christmas on January 7, said it was the first time for her grandma and other relatives to come to Dubai, so she had her Christmas dinner after attending the mass on January 6.
“We had Christmas carols playing in the house and the entire family continued celebrating until 5am. It felt great to be together with them and have a traditional Christmas feast.”
For the Armenian Orthodox, their Christmas celebrations took place on January 6. Unlike other orthodox communities, where Christmas is known as the day Jesus Christ was born, Armenians celebrate on January 6 both the birth and baptism of Jesus Christ.
Nechteh Neo Apelian, an Armenian working in a startup company, said he celebrated Christmas with his family in a simple way and that the celebration was mostly focused on bonding and appreciating their blessings.
“I went to church in the morning on January 6 since dad is always very keen on us going to church every Christmas. After church, we got together at our place and had family and friends come over, We got a holiday turkey and good food,” he said.
Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, made a statement at the St Anthony Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Abu Dhabi last night on the occasion of the celebration of the Orthodox Christmas.
Shaikh Nahyan reiterated that the UAE, under the leadership of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is representing a model of fraternity and communication among all religions, hailing its permanent keenness to achieve good, peace and prosperity not only for the country’s residents, but for the Arab world and the region as a whole.
Source: m.gulfnews.com