When is Christmas and Theophany?
In 2026, Christmas and Theophany falls on Tuesday, January 6, 2026. It is classified here as a Armenian public holiday.
History of Christmas and Theophany
Christmas and Theophany on January 6 is both a major Armenian Apostolic feast and a nationwide non-working holiday. The Mother See explains that the Armenian Church preserves the early Christian practice of commemorating Christ’s birth and manifestation together, rather than separating Christmas on December 25 from Epiphany. It is not the January 7 Christmas used by churches following the Julian calendar; the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem is a separate calendar case and does not change Armenia’s civil date.
Celebration begins on January 5 with the Candlelight Divine Liturgy and continues with the principal liturgy on January 6. A blessing of water recalls Christ’s baptism, and worshippers exchange the Armenian proclamation announcing that Christ is born and revealed. Families may serve fish, rice with dried fruit, greens and other foods associated with ending the Nativity fast, though practice differs by household.
The 2026 law confirms January 6 as non-working while no longer treating January 3–5 or January 7 as automatic national days off. Religious observance continues beyond one date, but only January 6 carries this statutory status.
How Christmas and Theophany is observed
A nationwide non-working holiday on January 6, with major church services and holiday schedules across public offices, transport and commerce.
Traditions of Christmas and Theophany
Candlelight liturgy
Worshippers attend the evening service on January 5 and carry blessed light home as the feast formally begins.
Blessing of water
Priests bless water during the January 6 liturgy in a rite associated with Christ’s baptism and divine manifestation.
Christmas greeting and meal
Families exchange the traditional Nativity proclamation before sharing fish, pilaf, dried fruit and other foods after the fast.
Dates and observance rules are checked against the official Armenian legal and official guidance. Employer, school and local-service schedules can differ from the statutory public-holiday calendar.
History sources: Mother See: Nativity and Theophany, ARLIS: statutory January 6 holiday.
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