Dubai: Orthodox Christians across the UAE are gearing up to celebrate their own traditional Christmas festivities.
Around the world, Orthodox adherents will gather for Christmas Eve mass on Friday and meet once again on Christmas Day on Saturday which is considered to be the original holiday under the Julian calendar.
Under the current Gregorian calendar instituted by Pope Gregory in 1582, Christmas Day was reset to December 25 resulting in the modern holiday date.
Coptic Christians across the UAE will mark the end of their 45-day lent with a feast following church mass services on Friday evening.
This is also a time for traditional exchange of gifts to celebrate the spirit of giving.
Andrew Nashat is a 24-year-old deacon of the Saint Mina Coptic Orthodox Church in Jebel Ali which is expecting hundreds of its members for the mass on Friday evening.
A holiday puppet show for children in the congregation is planned at the church for Christmas Day to impart the meaning of the holiday for Coptic Christians and to help youngsters prepare for the new year ahead.
“This one of the most important traditions we do every year with our families,” Nashat told Gulf News. “This is symbolic of Jesus being born and we want to thank him. It is a very special time for us.”
Worshippers look forward to the Christmas Eve mass to catch up on family ties, see family friends and renew their religious commitments.
“We sing festive hymns and say thanks, it’s a happy place to be,” said Nashat who will attend the service with his mother and brother in Dubai followed by a buffet lunch on Saturday.
Andrew Azmy, 27, said he cherishes the holiday as a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus.
“Jesus is the reason for the season,” Azmy, an Egyptian Coptic Christian, told Gulf News. “This is our time for the festive season with all of the decorations. It’s a very special occasion.”
Azmy will attend mass with his parents and is looking forward to a Christmas day lunch with family and friends, he said.
For the Armenian Orthodox, their Christmas celebrations will took place on Friday (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.
The Armenian community in Dubai and the Northern Emirates will gather at Sharjah’s Saint Gregory the Illuminator Church to pray, drink holy water and hear the Christmas sermon.
The Armenian church services are traditionally followed by Christmas lunch when visitors to homes are offered a traditional mix of fruits, walnuts and Choreg (a sweet bread with raisins).
