Christmas is a great feast. It is the feast of thanksgiving, because the Savior Jesus Christ came into the world to become like us, though He w
as sinless, in order to save all people. Christmas is a feast of great joy; a feast that fills the whole world with the light that inspires happiness, because the Light of the Word has come.
The period of Christmas in the Orthodox Church starts with a 40 day fast, which begins on the celebration of the Apostle Philip. This Apostle was called by Christ, and then he called his friend Nathanael saying to him, “Come and see” what I have found.
We are all called to ‘come and see’ Christ who became a man for our salvation and to get to know Him as a concrete human being, a Hebrew, a teacher, and a prophet; to meet Him as a child of Mary, as the sun of the carpenter, as the Nazarene. Seeing all of this, our eyes and our hearts will be opened and become pure and we will see many wondrous things. We are not going to see Him any more as a human being, but the human being; not as the Hebrew, but the Hebrew; not as the teacher, but the teacher; not just as one of the prophets, but the prophet; not just as the son of man, but the Son of man prophesied by the prophet Daniel. We are not going to see him any more just as a son of God, but the Son of God begotten of the Father before all ages. We will see Him as the Word of God in the human body, the Icon of God in human form, and finally we will see Him as God Himself.
The Orthodox Church up until the day of Christmas celebrates many other feasts that are connected closely with Christmas in order for every believer to have a better understanding of the history of salvation and to experience more deeply, year after year, the work of God for our salvation.
Sometimes even without understanding it the whole world glorifies Him, because every part of the creation knows that the Savior is coming.
In many ministries of the Orthodox Church of Albania people participated in different celebrations linked with the Christmas feast. The Theological Academy ‘Resurrection of Christ’ in Saint Vlash, Durrës, organized a very beautiful and inspiring feast for Christmas. The Academy was decorated and the inner joy of welcoming Christ was expressed throughout the entire environment of the Academy. The students of Academy, the students of ‘Holy Cross’ high school, and the children of the ‘Home of Hope’ gathered on December 21st to celebrate together the coming of Christ into the World. The program was very rich with songs, poems, interpretations, and readings of different stories; the choir chanted the most beautiful hymns of Christmas. The atmosphere was even more beautiful when a play was performed by the children of Home of Hope. At the end of the program gifts were shared among the participants, remembering the greatest gift to the whole world, Jesus Christ.
The ‘Protagonists’ elementary school also organized a very beautiful program for Christmas. Many people were invited: clergyman, parents, young people etc. and this activity took place in the hall of the new school building. The festiveness of the celebration was seen everywhere, especially in the faces of the children. They sang songs, recited different poems, played the piano, and told to the guests what they have been learning during the year 2009. Their poems and songs were also recited in different languages, such as Albanian, English, Greek etc., displaying their linguistic talents. Many hugs and congratulation were given to the children; thanking them for their love, hopefulness, and go
odwill towards the Child Jesus.
The celebration of Christmas continued in other ministries as well. The Children’s Office of the Orthodox Church of Albania organized a very wonderful program for children all over Albania. Over 1600 children participated in this program. They learned more about this important feast and celebrated with their friends and teachers the joy that this feast brings. Every year this Office offers to the children a new and very rich program in order to increase their knowledge about the feast of Christmas and many new children participate each year. One of the programs of this feast is the Puppet Theatre that traveled all around Albania to perform shows for Christmas to more than 1200 children. This year’s puppet play was untitled ‘Little Drummer Boy’. The whole meaning of this play was to inspire children and to teach them that we should offer to Jesus everything that we have; as much as we have, but with a great love and joy, just as the little drummer boy did. The students of the Theological Academy prepare this play every year under the direction of the Children’s Office. Children enjoy these special programs of the great feasts because they learn a lot through the activities. Children express their joy in many ways: by laughing, by smiling, by playing and also by talking:
Manjola said: I liked very much the Puppet Theatre. It was the first time that I saw something like that. I would be very happy if the puppets came back again to my village.
Enea said: It is the second time that I saw the Puppet Theatre. I liked very much seeing the puppets acting out the story. They had beautiful clothes. I liked the Little Drummer Boy and the gift that he offered to the Baby Jesus.
Remisa said: I liked the whole program, the Puppet Show, the games, the songs etc.
Many other ministries of the Orthodox Church celebrated this feast. The joy and readiness to welcome the Baby Jesus into the world was felt everywhere and all the believers sensed that the heavens were saying ‘come and see’ because:
Christ is Born – God touches and fills the heaven and the earth.
Christ is Born – among people of goodwill.
Christ is Born – God came on earth.
Christ is Born – God offered man His love, joy and the sweetness of life.
Christ is Born – Glorify Him!
Translated by Ana Kërcyku
Edited by Anastasia Pamela Barksdale