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“Merry Christmas”! This was the greeting of the day which for the faithful is not only a feast day but also a spiritual reflection on life. Although the thermometer indicated a very low temperature which went below 0 degrees Celsius, the cold weather was not a barrier for the orthodox faithful of the capital city to go to church and to glorify the Christ’s birth. Their wishes, prayers and the lighted candles inside the church raised spirits.
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Actually the spirit of Christmas was in the air many days before as preparations were made to welcome the baby Jesus after many weeks of prayer and fasting. Celebrations started on the Sunday afternoon before Christmas when the faithful participated in the service of Holy Unction which took place in the cathedral “The Evangelism of the Theotokos”.
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On December 24th, early in the morning, the faithful took part in the beautiful service of the Great Hours of Christmas where many hymns and readings from the Old and New Testament announcing the birth of Christ were recited. Then the vespers and Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great proceeded.
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On the morning of Christmas Eve, at about 6 o’clock many parishioners participated in the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom and took communion to ready themselves to welcome Christ. It was a great joy for the numerous children who looked forward to the exultation of the feast. This was a day for everyone to stay close to one another, to pray and to be grateful. Everyone took time to reflect on his own life and faith and also to give good wishes and gifts.
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The atmosphere of Christmas was also very lively within the Holy Archiepiscopate where a reception took place for the representatives of other religious communities, state officials, famous intellectual citizens and many faithful. It is traditional to expect visits from politicians, leaders of religious communities, and members of the Diplomatic community.
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The President of the Republic of Albania, Bamir Topi, expressed his wishes by saying, “Religions have been a point of reference and the main protagonists for calming the waters in the most difficult circumstances. We have something to learn from them and on this special day we can easily convey such a message. I hope that Christmas finds all of you with more peace inside, devotion and a spirit of understanding in all the aspects of life. Health and prosperity for all Albanian people wherever they live and work”!
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The Prime Minister, Sali Berisha, also paid a visit to the Archiepiscopate and expressed his wish that, “On this great day, let us thank God for all the good things that our nation has had this year. This is a day of understanding and I would like to make a call for a spirit of understanding in all aspects”.
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The Head of the opposing party, the Leader of the Socialist Party, Edi Rama was part of the reception and shared his wishes as well, “May all those who are poor, unemployed and live difficult days have more hope and opportunities this coming year. We all need faith so that our dreams can come true”.
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Archbishop Anastasios was very pleased with his guests and emphasized that, “Christ is with us and the efforts of love proceed from Him”.
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The celebratory spirit continued everywhere in the city and hundreds of faithful were visiting the church the entire day. Afterwards they paid visits to each other’s family expressing their warm wishes and their excitement about the coming of Christ in the world.
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Isidor Koti
Translated by Juliana Kodheli
Edited by Melanie Linderman
