Western calendar churches celebrate Christmas and eastern calendar churches celebrate Epiphany in Syria

NORTH AND EAST SYRIA — This morning, churches following the Gregorian, or western, calendar in Syria celebrated Christmas, while churches that follow the eastern calendar celebrated Epiphany.

Holy Liturgies and prayers were held in churches, in addition to recitals, hymns, musical performance by the Scout Bands of the churches.

The Syriac Orthodox Churches celebrates the baptism of Christ by John the Baptist in the Jordan River on 6 January. This feast is called the Epiphany or the feast of Dhna.

Epiphany is known around the world as the divine appearance and the coming of the Holy Spirit of Christ as a dove.

During the Epiphany, the baptism process takes place by dipping the child into water three times.