Vahe H. Apelian
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| Der Hayr Khatchadour Boghossian blessing pomegranates in Niece, France. Courtesy Hagop Boghossian |
First and foremost, let me tell you about George Cannon.
George Cannon was an “old timer” at Schering Plough, the first pharmaceutical company I started working for in the U.S., forty-seven years ago, starting on January 17 1977. I had landed in the JFK airport as another immigrant on July 9, 1976. My relative Henry Apelian, was the director of the company’s international division. He was instrumental in presenting my resume for possible employment, enabling my interview. I was hired.
George Cannon did not have a college degree but over the years he had advanced in rank. Indisputably he had become a master of technologies that are essential to pharmaceuticals. He carried himself well. He was an Afro American “cannon”, in his own right. If you ever taken a tablet that says “repetabs”, well, that technology was developed in Schring-Plough and he had worked on it.
I was new at the job and in the industry. At lunch, I used to sit with him and with a few others in the cafeteria and follow their conversations attentively. He made a point of having a class of water, and few slices of Lemmon, that were available for the take. He would squeeze a slice or two of lemon in the glass of water, then sweeten it with sugar, always available on the table. Voila, he made a lemonade for free! One day, the hot topic around the lunch table was an issue in the department. George Cannon eventually thundered in and asked, “Who left the department last?”. They gave a name. He then said, “blame him!”.
I was reminded of this story because I had posted what appears to be the intention of Catholicos Karekin II of All Armenians, to make blessing of pomegranates during New Year Armenian Apostolic church mass, a tradition.
A few years ago, I had read that pomegranates are being blessed now in the Armenian Apostolic Churches at New Year church mass. I had dismissed it as a hear say. The other day I read the following: “‘In 2015, His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, blessed pomegranates in the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin for the first time and established it as an annual tradition on New Year’s Eve (or day)..” (see the link below).
I found it odd. It is true that pomegranate is engrained in Armenian culture, so is especially the apricot, but the end of the year is not when pomegranate tree bears the fruit and winter is not when the fruit ripens. I find it odd, that pomegranates preserved for a few months, will be blessed on New Year Eve or day as a matter of making it a church tradition. Admittedly apricots, the prunus armeniaca, do not lend themselves for preservation as such, but pomegranates do. But nonetheless I find unseasonal blessing, odd. I think Catholicos Karkekin II of all Armenians wants to leave his mark on church tradition. But, I think blessing pomegranates during the new year mass, is a misconceived idea for a tradition, simply because it is not in harmony with nature to withstand test of time, as tradition dictates. Especially that actual fruits are required for blessing. But of course, it can be justified.
Do not get me wrong, I am not against blessing of pomegranates as a matter of principle, especially when I read the following the other day in NY Time. “As a Jesuit priest for more than two decades, the Rev. James Martin has bestowed thousands of blessings — on rosary beads, on babies, on homes, boats, and meals, on statues of saints, on the sick, on brides and on grooms. Never before, though, was he permitted to bless a same-sex couple — not until Monday, when the pope said he would allow such blessings”. I am sure you have heard the pope’s permission to bless gays and lesbians. I simply found blessing of pomegranate in the dead of the winter, odd.
I had posted about the blessing of pomegranates during the New Year mass, just to let interested readers know why I found it odd. I got a comment that my support of the PM Nikol Pachinyan, has blinded me against Karekin Catholicos of all Armenians.
What can I say? Faulting and blaming Nikol Pachinyan is turning into a cottage industry of sorts, and may turn into a tradition. It may well continue if or when he leaves office. That is why I was reminded what George Cannon said about the absent ex employee. Blame him……..
Note: Blessing of pommegrenates:
https://thearmeniankitchen.com/the-blessing-of-pomegranates-new/
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