Poghos Hovhannisyan on Tiarn’ndaraj

On February 14 the Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates the Tiarn’ndaraj or Candlemas as it is known in the West.

Priest father Poghos Hovhannisyan of Nubarashen district informed during the press conference today that Evening Services (Nakhatonak) are conducted on the night preceding the Feast Day. After that the Andastan is held during which the 4 sides of the earth are being blessed. The Tiarn’ndaraj is celebrated on the 4th of February. The morning of the Feast Day, Divine Liturgy is celebrated in Armenian Churches throughout the world.

“During the Andastan the clergymen go out to the churchyard with the candles in their hands and lit the fire. The fire is mainly connected with national tradition, as our church is a national church which means that it preserves the national traditions,” father Poghos Hovhannisyan stressed.

He also mentioned that the fire is not connected with paganism, “By jumping over the fire and going round it we break the pagan traditions,” he mentioned.