TEHRAN – In different provinces across the country, Christian Iranians are celebrating the New Year holidays since Sunday. There have been Christmas celebrations for centuries in a country whose majority is Muslim.

In some provinces of the country, the 12 days of Christmas celebrations begin with the birthday of Jesus Christ (PBUH) on December 25 and continue until the feast of Epiphany (baptism ritual) on January 6. However, in every region, each celebration differs in some ways.

Approximately 150,000 Christians live in Iran, and they are separated into two branches, Armenians and Assyrians.

The celebration of the birth of Christ (PBUH) by the Assyrians, the feast of Epiphany by the Armenians and the celebration of the New Year are all held jointly by the two branches.

As well as historical churches in Iran, there are modern churches that allow Christian worshipers to practice their rituals as they please.

Experts believe that to the untrained eye, Iran’s earliest churches may seem modest structures but they bear testimony to a vast panorama of architectural and decorative scenes associated with Armenian culture blended with other regional cultures: Byzantine, Orthodox, Assyrian, Persian, and Muslim.

St. Thaddeus, St. Stepanos, and the Chapel of Dzordzor are three photogenic ancient churches that constitute the Armenian Monastic Ensembles of Iran, which were collectively inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage in 2008. They are dotted in fresh and green lands of northwest Iran and are important pilgrimage sites for Armenian-Iranians and others from across the globe.

The centuries-old Vank Cathedral (locally called Kelisa-ye Vank) in Isfahan is also another iconic church and a sacred place for the Armenians who live in central Iran.

The Vank Cathedral is widely referred to as an everlasting masterpiece of architecture, which harmoniously blends Islamic motifs and elements with those of Armenians. Vank means “monastery” or “convent” in the Armenian language.

Constructed in the first half of the 17th century, with the encouragement of the Safavid rulers, Kelisa-ye Vank is a historic focal point of the Armenian Church in Iran.

Christians in northern Iran and Gilan, Mazandaran and Golestan provinces also celebrate Christmas along with their other fellow believers across the country.

Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians are the most significant religious minorities in Iran, with Christians constituting the bulk.

ABU/AM