Epiphany: Seeking and Seeing

Epiphany has finally arrived!  It’s been a long journey.  Some count it from the First Sunday of Advent, through the Christmas celebration to now (what some call Twelfth Night, or Christmas, as it is known by Armenians). It is a journey I’ve been making throughout my entire life. Here’s some of what I’ve been seeking and seeing along the way.

When I was a child it was my mother and grandmother who honored the memory of our family’s Armenian heritage.  These included the smells of favorite foods, the sounds of the oud, group dances and belonging to an Armenian Christian community. As an adult I began to awaken to the importance of embracing this culture.  I traveled to Armenia, met cousins in both this country and the “old” country, and celebrated some of the traditions surrounding the celebration of Armenian Christmas.

Now the claiming of traditions is being picked up by the next generation of my extended family.  They’re adding some of their own favorites, including another continent, to the story.

What are the traditions you remember and celebrate in your family tradition?

Sr. Ruth Poochigian, OP

Madison, Wisconsin