Trinity Christmas Bazaar to Be Held Dec. 4-5

By Seta A. Buchter

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—Always an anticipated event, Holy Trinity Armenian Church of Greater Boston will usher in the holiday season with its annual Trinity Christmas Bazaar on Fri., Dec. 4, and Sat., Dec. 5, in the Charles and Nevart Talanian Cultural Hall on 145 Brattle St. in Cambridge. Bazaar hours are Friday from noon to 9 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

(L-R) Gregory A. Kolligian, Jr., and Ara Hollisian, bazaar co-chairmen, with Fr. Vasken A. Kouzouian, pastor, Holy Trinity Armenian Church

Bazaar co-chairmen are Gregory A. Kolligian, Jr., chairman of Holy Trinity’s Parish Council, and Ara Hollisian, both of whom have been chairing the bazaar for several years now. Along with their committees, they have been working tirelessly since the summer to ensure that this year’s bazaar offers something for everyone, from the young to the young-at-heart, including new booths and menu options.

“Our parishioners and friends look forward to attending each year to see friends, enjoy delicious food, and browse the many booths. This year’s bazaar is the perfect place for people to do their Christmas shopping as there will be a wonderful selection of gift items to purchase,” they said.

The bazaar’s traditional favorites include the ever-bountiful “Farmer’s Market,” with fresh fruits and vegetables; the “Country Store,” with nuts and sweets; the exciting Sports Silent Auction, where guests can bid on Boston’s favorite team tickets and sports memorabilia; the Silent Auction, offering an array of fabulous items to bid on; “The Punch is Right” for kids; jewelry; the Sweet Candy Shoppe; Made in Armenia Direct; poinsettias and beautifully decorated wreaths; KEZI (handcrafted jewelry); ArmenianVendor.com; Love on A Plate (Armenian cooking videos); raffles; and more. New this year are Touchstone Crystal by Swarovski and Tupperware.

Making his annual visit to the bazaar is Santa Claus, who will be stopping by on Sat., Dec. 5, from 1-2 p.m., to greet children of all ages and to pose for pictures.

The Trinity Christmas Bazaar would not be complete without the scrumptious Armenian gourmet foods, delicacies, and pastries that will be sold at various booths. Savor the delectable taste of choreg, paklava, kadayif, bourma, simit, boureg, puff pastry, apricot squares, manti, tourshi, hummus, sini and porov kufta, vospov kheyma, maamoul cookies, roojik and more. Purchase Boyajian Oils and Harvest Song Preserves for yourself or as gifts.

Delicious Armenian dinners of traditional lamb shish, losh, chicken kebab, and combo dinners, will be served on Friday from noon to 7:30 p.m., and on Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Kheyma will be offered on Saturday only. Take-out meals and an a la carte menu will also be available. This year, the bazaar will be offering optional seating for families with children.

Children will be able to enjoy the bazaar with their own special activities on both Friday evening and Saturday morning in the Peter Adamian Hall. The “Polar Express Pajama Party” will take place on Friday evening, from 7-9 p.m. Children are encouraged to come dressed in their comfiest Christmas pajamas as we watch this Christmas classic. The movie is recommended for children ages 6 and older (a supervising adult must remain on the church grounds); children ages 6 and under may attend with an accompanying adult. The movie running time is 92 minutes. On Saturday morning, “The Magic and Juggling of Robert Clarke,” aka “LuckyBob,” will entertain “children of all ages,” from 10:45-11:30 a.m. Admission is free for both “The Polar Express” and “LuckyBob.”

Raffle tickets for Apple prizes are available for purchase, for $5 each, $25 for 6, or $50 for 12. First prize is an iPad Air 2, wi-fi 64GB silver; second prize, an iPad mini 4, wi-fi 64GB silver; and third prize, an Apple Watch 38 mm, silver aluminum case, white sport band.

Parking courtesy—where it says “permit parking only”—is allowed around the immediate perimeter of the church complex over the two days of the bazaar.

The Bazaar Committee invites the entire community to its halls decked with boughs of holly, trees twinkling with lights, the aroma of food wafting through the air, and the spirit of Christmas evident everywhere on Dec. 4 and 5, as we usher in the Christmas season.

For more information, contact the church office by emailing office@htaac.org, or visit www.htaac.org/calendar/event/111/.