Christmas Comes but Twice a Year

Many Latinos and Armenian Americans will carry on the traditions of their homeland today by celebrating Christmas and the arrival of the three wise men with religious ceremonies and family feasts.

Children in Mexico and many Latin American countries today celebrate el Dia de los Tres Reyes Magos, or the Day of the Three Kings. Families distribute gifts to commemorate the day the three wise men brought gifts to the newborn Christ child. Christmas Eve is usually reserved for the religious celebration of the birth of Christ.

“The anticipation of Los Reyes Magos has all the children behaving because if they don’t behave, they won’t get gifts,” said Huntington Park Mayor Rosario Marin.

She said children in many Spanish-speaking countries write letters to the three kings asking for toys, just as other children write to Santa Claus.

Among other celebrations throughout Southern California for the Day of the Three Kings, the city of Huntington Park will host a procession tonight on Pacific Boulevard, in the main business district. The procession, which is expected to draw 10,000, will be led by three wise men, a camel, a horse and an elephant.

On the Eastside, Los Angeles City Councilman Nick Pacheco is hosting a toy giveaway today at several housing projects. The councilman will read stories to children about the significance of the Day of the Three Kings.

Many Armenian Americans observe Christmas in January, a tradition dating back to the early Christian church.

Father Shnork Demirjian of St. Peter Armenian Apostolic Church in Van Nuys expects 1,500 worshipers at morning services today. Demirjian will sprinkle holy oil into a tub of water before immersing a cross, symbolizing the baptism of Jesus that followers believe occurred on his 30th birthday.

“It’s so special. It just links you to your grandparents’ tradition,” said Chatsworth resident Ani Hamalian, 39.

But the pull of Dec. 25 cannot be ignored, and today’s spiritual celebration will mark the second Christmas in as many weeks for most Armenian American families.

“You can’t get out of it. Santa Claus is there on the 25th, so what are you going to do,” said Sam Boranian, St. Peter’s Sunday school superintendent. Boranian’s family of six children and 16 grandchildren gathered on Dec. 25 for gift exchanges and a holiday meal.

“But there’s the spiritual part of it,” Boranian said. “If you have deep faith, you’re going to come and attend the services [today].”

St. Peter’s also recognizes both holidays, holding a candlelight service on Dec. 24 with Christmas carols sung mostly in English.

In the home, an Armenian Christmas calls for servings of dried fruits, nuts and sweets. “That shows the hospitality of the Armenian people and that they are rejoicing in the birth of Christ,” Demirjian said.

In the United States, many Armenians don’t get the day off, and tradition must take a back seat.

“Back home [in Lebanon], we visited everybody for Christmas,” Hamalian said. “But here it’s kind of hard. It’s the middle of the week and everybody’s working.”

Hamalian’s family still adheres closely to the Armenian Christmas tradition. Her mother, Zarouhi, spent most of Wednesday preparing food from her native village of Aintab, Turkey.

With two grandchildren and another daughter, Lina, looking on, Zarouhi Hamalian baked buereg, or meat turnovers, and stirred a pot of wheat and yogurt soup. Nivig--a dish made from Swiss chard, chick peas and tomato sauce and eaten only at Christmas--sat on the counter awaiting the rest of the family’s arrival.

“Christmas is as important here as it was in Lebanon,” Ani Hamalian said. “Plus, my father, who passed away in 1993, always wanted us to have this tradition continued. We remember him more [at Christmas] and it’s more special.”

Times religion writer Larry B. Stammer contributed to this story.