Stand in the Lamp-Lit Dark of St. James Church on January 19
It is past ten at night in the Armenian Quarter of Jerusalem's Old City, and St. James Church has no electricity. The only light comes from oil lamps hanging in the darkness, swinging slightly as the congregation moves. The service runs from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m., and you are welcome to stand among the worshippers as the Armenian Patriarch leads Christmas mass. This is the heart of Armenian Christmas in Jerusalem — celebrated on January 19, thirteen days after the standard Orthodox date of January 6, and observed this way only here. Christmas Eve falls on January 18.
Before the service, walk the narrow streets of the Armenian Quarter as the community gathers. The Old City is quieter than at Latin Christmas in December, but the sense of occasion is no less intense — this is a celebration kept by a community that has called these streets home for centuries.
Follow the Motorcade from the Old City to Manger Square
The Armenian Patriarch, priests and a marching band make a motorcade procession from Jerusalem's Old City to Bethlehem. The procession continues on foot at Manger Square and into the Church of the Nativity. If you want to witness it, position yourself along the route in the Old City or head to Bethlehem and wait at Manger Square.
- The motorcade: Patriarch, priests and marching band depart Jerusalem's Old City for Bethlehem.
- The foot procession: Continues at Manger Square, entering the Church of the Nativity.
- The mass: Services run from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. in both Bethlehem and Jerusalem.
While in Bethlehem, the Church of the Nativity sits on Manger Square. Nearby you'll find the Milk Grotto and, in the neighbouring town of Beit Sahour, Shepherds' Field.
Ring in the New Year Twice — January 13 and January 1
Armenians in Jerusalem ring in the New Year on January 13. If you're in the city for the Armenian Christmas season, this gives you a second New Year's celebration after the standard January 1 — a quieter, community-centred evening in the Armenian Quarter and surrounding Old City streets.
The weeks between January 1 and January 19 are the sweet spot for an Armenian Christmas visit: the December crowds have thinned, the markets are still active, and you can experience the city's Christian communities marking their own calendars in sequence — Latin and Protestant in December, Orthodox and Armenian in January.
Eat and Shop Through the Old City's Market Streets
The Old City's market streets — running through the Muslim, Christian and Armenian quarters — are at their most atmospheric in the winter months. You'll find seasonal stalls, bakeries and small restaurants tucked into the lanes between the New Gate and the Armenian Quarter.
- Upper Via Dolorosa, near the New Gate: the Latin Patriarch's market runs until Christmas Eve, with proceeds going to the Catholic scouts club.
- Star Street, Bethlehem: the Bethlehem Christmas market and bazaar opens in November and runs through the season.
- Old City lanes: bakeries and food stalls in the Christian and Armenian quarters serve throughout the winter.
For a fuller Christmas market experience, Bethlehem is a short drive from Jerusalem and its Star Street bazaar is one of the region's most established seasonal markets.
Time Your Trip Around the Season's Concerts and Processions
The Holy Land's Christmas season stretches from late November through mid-January, and the Armenian celebration is the final act. If you want to build a trip around music and public events, here is what the city and its neighbours reliably host each year:
- Jerusalem: David Citadel Museum Old City church tour with a "Hallelujah" liturgical concert by the Barrocade Ensemble with Revital Raviv, on December 23 (11 a.m. concert and 12:30 p.m. tour, or 10:30 a.m. tour and 1 p.m. concert; NIS 90 combined, NIS 65 concert only; bookings via *2884 in Israel).
- Jerusalem: YMCA on King David Street hosts a Christmas Eve Family Carol Service on December 24, with carols at 7 p.m. followed by a service, communion and carols at 10:30 p.m.
- Bethlehem: December 22 "Shibat" Christmas Musical Concert at Ad-Dar Hall, Dar Annadwa, 7 p.m.; December 29 Bethlehem Christmas Festival with a 150-voice choir premiering "The Gift of Christmas," Ad-Dar Hall, 6 p.m.
- Bethlehem: Christmas Eve hourly short concerts at the Evangelical-Lutheran Christmas Church from 7 p.m.
- Abu Gosh: December 24 at 12 p.m., Kiryat Yearim Church — Vivaldi's Four Seasons and Motet; December 31 at 12 p.m. — "Christmas Oratorio – A Vocal Christmas Festival" (Bach Cantata no. 5, Saint-Saens, Poulenc); tickets NIS 110.
- Beit Jalla: December 19, St. Nicholas feast with scout parade.
- Nazareth: December 24 parade at 3:30 p.m. through the main street, fireworks at 5:15 p.m., Christmas Eve Mass at 7:30 p.m.; December 25 Masses at the Church of the Annunciation at 7 a.m. and a festive Mass at 10 a.m.
- Qasr Al-Yahud: January 18, Epiphany at the Jordan River baptism site — a procession led by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch and monks, with white doves released.
Note that Midnight Mass at the Basilica of the Nativity on December 24 requires a special entrance ticket. For the Armenian Christmas services in January, no such ticket is mentioned in the sources — but arrive early, as St. James Church fills.
Walk the Nativity Trail or Take a Day Trip to Bethlehem
If you have more than a few days, the Nativity Trail is a 160 km walking route from the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth to Bethlehem. Stops include Mount Tabor, Zababdeh, Nablus (Jacob's Well), Jericho and Wadi Qelt, where the St. George Koziba monastery clings to the cliff. The full trail takes days, but you can walk sections as day trips.
For a shorter excursion from Jerusalem, Bethlehem is the obvious choice — Manger Square, the Church of the Nativity, the Milk Grotto and, in Beit Sahour, Shepherds' Field. The Armenian Christmas procession ends here, and the town's Christmas market on Star Street is worth a wander. From Jerusalem, the Old City's Armenian Quarter and St. James Church are your base for the January celebrations; from there, Bethlehem is a short drive south.
Start with the dates: January 18 for Christmas Eve, January 19 for Christmas mass at St. James Church, and January 13 for the Armenian New Year. Build your flights and accommodation around those three days, and you'll see a side of Jerusalem's Christmas that most visitors miss entirely.