12:00
Short story long meaning!
Armenian Christmas — two words thousand kilograms.
Christmas celebration in Armenia differs from all the other countries. I don’t know whether this is an aspect to be proud of or not, but well, that’s what we have.
Year by year, Armenian Christmas reaches the peak of ostentation. It’s essential for all Armenians to have rich-looked Christmas dinner tables in their houses. We constantly try to prove something to other people but not ourselves. And honestly, it doesn’t even matter at what price. Even though this may sound kind of bizarre, sometimes it seems that we are way too obsessed with impressing other people. We all want a low-key to show our relatives what a “secure life” we live. Let me tell you a secret or it’s not even a secret. Actually, nobody knows what is hidden under those “luxury lifestyle” imitations. So can we each at least try to live up to what we have? I guess all our mistakes come from that cultural depth.
But wait…
There is a much more important question to be raised at this point besides that eat-drink-party topic. Should we Armenians have celebrated this New Year or not? I’m pretty sure each of us had a specific answer to this highly debatable question — so there was neither wrong nor right.
We Armenians are experiencing difficult times these days. I don’t have to explain again all these horrowing things that we went and going through right now.
A fight over celebrating this New Year seemed endless to me. A lot of different reasonable and at the same time unreasonable opinions. Some were ready to betray those who wanted to celebrate the New Year, while others tried to bring out some little explanations as to why they wanted to do so. But as the days passed, it became clear to us that everyone had already made their New Year plans. I’m not saying this in a negative manner. No, I don’t have that initiation, and who am I to judge another. But the problem was actually something else, and that was what most of us misunderstood — It didn’t really matter if you celebrated the New Year or not, it didn’t really matter with whom and where, it didn’t really matter how much money you spent on the holidays, and what your New Year’s table looked like. Trust me, there are so many other important things to think and care about.
“I believe that life is a journey often difficult and sometimes incredibly cruel, but we are well equipped for it if only we tap into our talents and gifts and allow them to blossom”- Les Brown
This year’s “New Year” was all different — there was no festive mood, lovely spirit, and excitement about the coming year. An entire nation was mourning during holidays. And I don’t think that any Armenian was fully capable of celebrating this New Year. There was great sorrow in all our hearts. This scar is so deep, and it is unlikely for us to heal for a long time. Many of us celebrated New Year’s Eve at Yerablur Military Memorial Cemetery with our fallen heroes. If you looked from far to that holy place, you would have seen thousands of red balloons soaring in the air in memory of our soldiers. This “candlelight in the sky” was very touching and Yerablur Military Memorial Cemetery was completely unshakable on New Year’s eve.
Happy New Year & Merry Christmas to all my Armenians!
