Milwaukee Armenians

By David Luhrssen

Milwaukee, WI — On Sunday, January 11, the Armenian community of Milwaukee marked the conclusion of the holiday season with the celebration of the Feast of the Nativity and Epiphany of Our Lord Jesus Christ, traditionally observed as Armenian Christmas. The sacred observance offered the faithful an opportunity to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas—the birth of Christ—beyond the distractions of commerce and consumerism.

During the Divine Liturgy (Badarak), Rev. Fr. Guregh Hambardzumyan delivered a sermon emphasizing the profound significance of Christ’s birth. While every human birth is meaningful, he noted, no birthday has had a greater impact on humanity or the course of history than the birth of Jesus Christ. Fr. Guregh reminded the congregation that although each person has the ability to influence the lives of others, no one has touched as many lives or shaped the world as deeply as Christ.

Following the Badarak, Rev. Fr. Guregh, together with Rev. Fr. Nareg Keutelian, led the traditional Blessing of the Waters service. This deeply moving ceremony commemorates the baptism of Christ in the River Jordan by St. John the Baptist, marked by the descent of the Holy Spirit and the revelation by God the Father that Jesus is His beloved Son. The godfather of the cross for this year’s Blessing of the Waters was Noubar Kazazian, an active and dedicated member of the St. John’s Armenian Church community.

The celebration continued in the church’s cultural hall, where parishioners and guests gathered for the annual Armenian Christmas potluck dinner. The event fostered fellowship and community, featuring a generous and diverse assortment of both Armenian and American dishes, and provided a joyful conclusion to the day’s spiritual observances.

Through worship, tradition, and fellowship, the Armenian community of Milwaukee came together to honor the Nativity and Epiphany of Christ and to reaffirm the enduring spiritual meaning of Armenian Christmas.