Christmas has been and gone for many, but not for members of the Armenian community in the West Bank town of Bethlehem. The community uses a
Christmas has been and gone for many, but not for members of the Armenian community in the West Bank town of Bethlehem.
ADVERTISEMENTThe community uses a different calendar.
The Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem led ceremonies in the Church of the Nativity, believed to be the birthplace of Jesus.
Christmas is celebrated three times in Bethlehem every year.
Many Christians mark the date on December 25, based on the Gregorian calendar, while several Orthodox Christians commemorate the event to recognise the birth of Jesus on January 7.
Some Armenian churches celebrate on January 19, making them the last of the Eastern Churches to mark the event.