Armenians celebrate today Merelots, remembering their departed loved ones

YEREVAN, Jan. 7. /ARKA/. Friday, January 7, is celebrated in Armenia as the Day of the Dead, a day of prayer and remembrance for the faithful departed. It follows the Feast of the Nativity of Christ.

Previously this day was a day off, but late last year Armenia’s parliament passed a government-designed bill that cut the number of days off working Armenian citizens used to have in the first month of each new year.

According to bill, the days off are December 31, January 1, 2 and January 6 (on January 6 the Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates Christmas). January 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7, which used to be days off are now working days. 

The bill was approved by the ruling Civil Contract party of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan despite the objections of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

The bill was actively advocated by Economy Minister Vahan Kerobyan, who argued that five additional working days add as much as 90 billion drams to the overall Gross Domestic Product.

Some opposition lawmakers voted against the proposal saying that cutting New year holidays would affect the owners of recreation and leisure facilities.

The Remembrance Day (Merelots) follows each of the five major feasts of the Armenian Apostolic Church - Holy Nativity and Baptism, Holy Resurrection, Transfiguration of the Lord (Vardavar), Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Exaltation of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord.

Merelots was declared a holiday by a previous government on June 26, 2008 at the suggestion of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. -0-