Iran congratulates Christians on New Year

ISNA – Tehran
Service: Islamic Parliament
21/12/2011

TEHRAN (ISNA)-Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani in a message congratulated his Christian counterparts and Pope Benedict XVI on New Year.

He referred to valuable life of Jesus Christ had tried to give contribution to establishment of justice and promoting the spirituality as other prophets did and noted today the world in which injustice and oppression are dominating, Jesus Christ’s teachings should be heeded more.

Recent public uprisings and dissatisfactions around the world are the reflection of the failure of dictatorial and colonial governments and also laic thoughts, he added.

“Global crisis is the crisis of distancing from morality, spirituality and justice which reminds the contemporary man that the only way to reach freedom, security and peace is to resort to divine sources,” Larijani noted.

Christmas is the fourth most important Christian date after Easter, Pentecost, and Epiphany, a feast held January 6 to commemorate the manifestation of the divinity of Jesus.

Roman Catholics and Protestants celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25. Many Orthodox Christians use the Julian calendar, which places Christmas around January 6.

Early Christians, however, did not celebrate Christmas. There was disagreement about when Jesus was born and some early Christians opposed celebrating his birthday. In the fourth century Christmas was added to the Church calendar as a feast day.

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