by Ani, age 9, asks if Christmas and Easter are pagan holidays, about Mount Ararat, and the Armenian alphabet
Dear Santa,
Barev from Yerevan. My name is Ani and I am 9 years old. My grandmother is very proud that our country was the very first in the entire world to make Christianity its official religion, and every Christmas and Easter she reminds us just how old our traditions really are.
My first question is a big one: are Christmas and Easter actually pagan holidays?
My second question is geography: what famous mountain can be seen from Yerevan?
My third question is from school: why does Armenia have its own unique alphabet?
I left you gata, a sweet pastry, and a small cup of Armenian coffee.
Love, Ani, age 9, Yerevan, Armenia
From the Desk of Father Christmas
Dear Ani, gata is a lovely, flaky treat, and the coffee kept me alert for the long stretch ahead. Now, to your big question, and your others.
Are Christmas and Easter actually pagan holidays?
Both holidays are, at their core, Christian celebrations, marking the birth and resurrection of Jesus. What historians point out is that as Christianity spread across Europe, it often arrived in places that already held older seasonal festivals, tied to the winter solstice or the arrival of spring, and over centuries some of the imagery and timing blended together rather than one simply replacing the other. Evergreen branches and the December date connect Christmas to old midwinter customs, while eggs, rabbits, and the very name Easter in English may trace back to old spring festivals celebrating new life. None of this changes what the holidays fundamentally celebrate for Christian believers, but it does explain why both carry a wonderful mix of very old symbols alongside their central religious meaning, a bit like your family own long, layered history.
What famous mountain can be seen from Yerevan?
On a clear day, you can see Mount Ararat from Yerevan, a majestic snow-capped peak that holds deep significance in Armenian culture and history, even though the mountain itself now lies just across the border in Turkey.
Why does Armenia have its own unique alphabet?
The Armenian alphabet was created around the year 405 by a scholar named Mesrop Mashtots, specifically so that religious and literary texts could be written in the Armenian language rather than borrowed scripts. It has remained in continuous use for over 1,600 years, a proud and enduring symbol of Armenian identity.
Give your grandmother my regards, and I shall see you very soon.
Ho ho ho, Santa
