Armenian Christmas and New Year songs: the hymns, the greeting and the hits

For most Armenians, Christmas is not on December 25. The Armenian Church keeps it on January 6, so the season runs from New Year's Eve to Christmas as one stretch of visits, tables and songs. This guide covers the church music of the feast, the greeting you say, and the Armenian New Year and Christmas songs played most in the Armenly catalog. Every song here plays free on Armenly.

By The Armenly team. Written October 27, 2026.

Key findings

  • The Armenian Church celebrates the birth of Christ on January 6, the date Eastern Christians first kept, together with Theophany: the Nativity, the visit of the Magi and the baptism of Christ in one feast [1].
  • The canonical hymns of the season are "Zanjareli luso mayr" for Christmas Eve and "Khorhurd mets" ("Great Mystery") for Christmas Day [3].
  • The Christmas greeting is "Christ is born and revealed," answered with "Blessed is the revelation of Christ," and it is used for forty days after Christmas [2].
  • The most played New Year song in the Armenly catalog is "Nor Tari" ("New Year") by Tata Simonyan, with about 230,000 Spotify plays (catalog of September 17, 2026).

Why Armenian Christmas is on January 6

January 6 was the date on which Eastern Christians originally celebrated the birth of Christ, and the Armenian Church kept it [1]. It is also the Feast of the Theophany, so the one day remembers the Nativity, the adoration of the Magi and Christ's baptism [1].

The feast begins the evening before. Parishes hold the Christmas Eve service on January 5, and on January 6, after the Divine Liturgy, comes the blessing of water in memory of the baptism, with one parishioner given the honor of "godfather" of the cross [2].

The church music of Christmas

Two hymns belong to the feast. "Zanjareli luso mayr" is the Christmas Eve hymn, and "Khorhurd mets" (spelled "Khorhoort medz" in Western Armenian) is the Christmas Day hymn [3]. At the end of the Christmas liturgy, choirs sing "Khorhurd mets yev skancheli," which one diocese translates as "Profound mystery, and glorious" [2].

Both are sharakan, the hymns of the Armenian Church, and both are on Armenly in recordings by the Zark male choir.

What to say at Armenian Christmas

  • Krisdos dznav yev haydnetsav (Western) or Kristos tsnav yev haytnetsav (Eastern): "Christ is born and revealed" [2] [5].
  • The answer: "Blessed is the revelation of Christ" [2].
  • The fuller form starts with "Tzez yev mez medz avedis," good tidings to you and to us [5].
  • The greeting is used at the kiss of peace in church and for forty days after Christmas [2].
  • For the New Year, say "Shnorhavor Nor Tari" (Happy New Year).

The New Year comes first

The New Year, Amanor or Nor Tari, comes six days before Christmas, so the two run together as one season of visits and tables. The old customs were about starting the year clean and full: on December 31 families baked a ceremonial "bread of the year," known in different regions as krkeni, kloch or purnik [4]. On January 1, visitors were showered with symbols of abundance, and groups of boys aged ten to twelve went round the houses [4].

The tree is the tonatsar, the "holiday tree," and the gifts come from Dzmer Pap, "Grandfather Winter." Children's songs about him are a small genre of their own.

The most played Armenian New Year and Christmas songs

Armenly keeps a Christmas & New Year shelf that opens on Home from December 1 to January 14. These are the songs with a holiday title played most in the catalog, one per title, by Spotify plays as recorded on September 17, 2026, leaving out classical works. Play counts are indicative, not official chart figures.

Building a holiday playlist

  • For Christmas Eve or the morning of January 6, start with the two hymns, then a duduk or a choir.
  • For New Year's Eve, the pop songs above, then the kef shelf once the toasts start.
  • For children, Taline's holiday songs and the Kids & Family shelf.
  • Charles Aznavour, born in Paris to Armenian parents, recorded several Christmas songs in French, and Armenly carries them in French, English and Spanish.

Questions people ask

When is Armenian Christmas?

January 6. The Armenian Church celebrates the birth of Christ on that day together with Theophany, the date on which Eastern Christians first kept Christmas. The Christmas Eve service is on the evening of January 5.

How do you say Merry Christmas in Armenian?

The traditional greeting is "Krisdos dznav yev haydnetsav" (Western) or "Kristos tsnav yev haytnetsav" (Eastern), "Christ is born and revealed." The reply is "Blessed is the revelation of Christ." You can also say "Shnorhavor Surb Tsnund," Happy Christmas.

What is the Armenian Christmas hymn?

"Khorhurd mets" ("Great Mystery") is the Christmas Day hymn, and "Zanjareli luso mayr" the Christmas Eve hymn. Both are on Armenly in recordings by the Zark male choir.

What is the most popular Armenian New Year song?

In the Armenly catalog it is "Nor Tari" by Tata Simonyan, with about 230,000 Spotify plays. "Nor Tari" simply means "New Year."

Who is Dzmer Pap?

Dzmer Pap, "Grandfather Winter," is the Armenian Santa Claus, who brings children their presents at New Year.

Sources

Cite this page

The Armenly team, "Armenian Christmas and New Year songs: the hymns, the greeting and the hits." Armenly, October 27, 2026. https://armenly.com/guides/armenian-christmas-songs

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