The origin of Syrian Christians or the Nasranis, the Saint Thomas Christians can be traced down to the 1st century. They have been residing in Kerala since centuries now. These Brahmins of Kerala converted themselves to Christianity long back in 52 AD by one of the 12 apostles of Christ; Saint Thomas. The Syrian Christians of Kerala are limited to Kerala only and claim to be the oldest Christians in the world. Though a minority, the Christians in Kerala are counted more than the Christians residing countrywide. These Syrian Christians are commonly known as Nasranis, derived from the Arabic word Nazraya, which means Christians. In this article we will discuss about the traditions, beliefs and lifestyle of Nasranis.
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Marriage : The marriages of Syrian Christians are monogamous and maintain a strict community endogamy. They still practice Arranged marriages, although prospective spouses are consulted before finalizing the marriage. Nowadays, Syrian Christians are also open to love marriages where the families simply go through the formalities of arranging the marriage. Since, residence is patrilocal, soon after the marriage the wife starts living in the husband's house. They may move out to a different house, if they want to; but, if there is only one son in the family, parents may continue to reside with the couple.
Syrian Christians follow a tradition of permanent marriage in Kerala, because of which divorce is very rare in their case. However, there are a few cases in which women assert their individuality to be different from that of the husbands, especially if she is independent and is not willing to accept a role of a housewife. Still, the divorce rate in Syrian Christian marriage is quite low.
Festivals : The Syrian Christians in Kerala follow the usual list of Christian festivals. However, the orthodox Christians maintain lent for twenty-five days prior to Christmas and fifty days prior to Easter. The orthodox Christians eat only vegetarian meals and do not consume alcohol during this period.
The week of Easter is of utter importance to them. It is celebrated with special church services on Palm Sunday and also every evening including Good Friday. On Pesaha (Maundy) Thursday there is a special church service with Holy Communion. Family members get together for Easter breakfast and break the Lenten fast by eating meat and special bread made for the occasion.
Hope this article helped you gain an insight of the traditional and cultural value of the Syrian Christians in Kerala. Aramaic, the language spoken by the Syrian Christians is the third most spoken language in Kerala. They are skilled people who hold the 19% population of Kerala.
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Native Traditions Followed By Syrian Christian Of Kerala
Aanand Keshav
06 December, 2016 at 2:39 pmThank you very much for the complete information you shared about the traditions and rituals followed by Syrian Christians of Kerala. It is amazing and unique in itself. I appreciate your effort!
Bhushan Verma
02 December, 2016 at 12:44 pmI wonder if the Syrian Christians of Kerala, India claim themselves to be the oldest Christians in the world. This post is really significant as it is unique in itself. Nice information. Many thanks!
Rohit Anand
01 December, 2016 at 1:27 pmYou blog posts have always been admirable as it helps readers find they want. I like the way you cover the basic things in your blog post that are very helpful and applicable. Much appreciated...!!!
Raushan Raj
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Saffy Luce
29 November, 2016 at 4:29 pmSounds like you have an outstanding knowledge of Kerala\\\'s rituals and traditions. Kerala people are known for their traditions and cultures in all over India. And you demonstrated it beautifully. Great!