Armenians are an ancient and original people, their culture has several millennia. Over the centuries, they were able to carry their cultural identity, language, faith. National customs convey the originality of thinking, values and ideas about the world of this ethnic group. Let's talk about interesting traditions of the Armenian people, their culture and rituals.
Origin of the people
The Armenian ethnos took shape at the turn of the first and second millennium BC on the territory of the Armenian highland. The people were formed by the assimilation of several tribes: Brigs, Urartians, Luvians, Hurrians, as well as a large number of small tribes. For centuries, the displacement and selection of national distinctive features took place. By the 6th century BC, the formation of the ethnic group as a whole was completed. During this period, Armenians settled on the lands of Anatolia, the Middle East and Transcaucasia, and today the people live partially in their historical borders. These territories have always been the object of desire of the invaders, so the Armenians had to learn to defend, negotiate and adapt, while maintaining their identity. In the 4th century AD, the Armenian people adopted Christianity, and more than once they will have to suffer for their faith. The history of Armenians is an endless series of oppression, capture, persecution. But in all these sufferings, the traditions of the Armenian people rallied people and allowed them to maintain their uniqueness.
Armenian language
Scientists conducted numerous studies of the Armenian language, trying to find its ancestors. However, all research allowed only to refer the language to the Indo-European group, in which it occupies a separate place. Of course, it was influenced by the languages of neighboring peoples, but it has an ancient core that does not go back to any of the known languages. As an independent dialect, the Armenian language was formed already in the 6th century BC. It belongs to the group of ancient written languages, since since 406 AD it has its own unique alphabet. Since then, he has hardly undergone a single change. The alphabet has 39 letters; except for deaf and voiced consonants, as in all Indo-European languages, it has a special sound - a deaf aspirated. Today, the language is presented in eastern and western versions, about 6 million people speak it all over the world. The presence of writing made it possible to preserve and disseminate the folk traditions of the Armenian people and convey them to modern representatives of the nation.
Religion
The Armenian Church is one of the oldest Christian communities. In the 1st century AD, the first Christian communities appeared on the territory of Armenia . The people adopted this religion in the 4th century. Dogmas and religious rites have a number of distinctive features that distinguish this branch from both Catholicism and the Byzantine version of Christianity, although this variety is closer to Orthodoxy. In 301, the Armenian state recognized Christianity as the state religion, becoming the first Christian state in the world. The culture and traditions of the Armenian people are determined by their ideas about the special mission of the nation, which preserves the ancient version of religion. For their faith, the Armenians more than once had to pay the lives of thousands of people. Religion had a huge impact on all spheres of the life of the people, and today the Armenian Apostolic Church is an important part of the national identity of Armenians.
The traditional culture of Armenians
The ancient Armenian culture, which has preserved pagan origins, has absorbed Christian traditions, is conservative and stable. The main rites were formed at the beginning of the first millennium and have archaic roots. Festive rites, the culture of everyday life, costume, architecture, art in Armenia have, on the one hand, unique features, on the other, they capture the numerous influences of neighbors and conquerors: Greeks, Arabs, Slavs, Turks, Romans. If you briefly describe the traditions of the Armenian people, they are very distinctive. In Armenia, family values are of great importance today. Difficulties in the survival of the ethnic group led to the fact that the Armenians greatly value family ties and conduct most of the rituals at home, among friends and relatives. The long unique history of the people has led the Armenians to have a very peculiar art. For example, the symbol of the nation are khachkars - unusual stone crosses, similar to which there is not in any culture of the world.
New Year celebration
Happy New Year, Armenians have a complicated situation. Historically, for centuries, the beginning of the year in Armenia was celebrated on March 21, the day of the vernal equinox, which was due to ancient pagan cults. This holiday was called Amanor. Despite the fact that this day has not been the official beginning of the year for more than 4 centuries, it is still an occasion for a festive family feast. Also in the country is celebrated the "second" New Year - Navasard. It also dates back to pagan traditions and has a long history. Today it is celebrated as the date of the change of agricultural cycles: one ends, the other begins. But this holiday is not universal, since the Armenian church does not recognize it because of pagan origin. On this day, it is customary to set the table with what the earth gave; the holiday is accompanied by fun, songs, dances. The real New Year on January 1 began to be celebrated from the 18th century at the behest of Catholicos Simeon. This brought together the old traditions and the influence of secular culture, including European. On this day, the whole family should gather at a table on which there must be a lot of national food, wine, which accompanies many traditions of the Armenian people. For children (photo attached to the article) special dishes and gifts are prepared, they are placed in New Year's stockings. The head of the family also presents presents to all family members. He raises the first toast, invites everyone to taste honey, so that all the days of the New Year will be sweet. On the table must be a ritual bread - tari haz - with a baked coin. The one to whom she gets, is declared the "lucky year".
Tsakhkazard
Many traditions of the Armenian people combine Christian and ancient pagan holidays. In the last week of Lent, a week before Easter, the holiday of spring - Tsakhkazard (an analogue of our Palm Sunday) is celebrated. On this day, it is customary to decorate homes with the help of willow and olive branches, consecrated in the church. On this day, the Armenians go to church, where they put willow wreaths on their heads. At home, a festive table with lean dishes is served. This day is associated with the beginning of spring. People give each other flowers, congratulating on the awakening of nature.
Wardawar
If we list the interesting traditions of the Armenian people, then it is worth recalling the Vardavar holiday, which is celebrated at the height of summer, 14 weeks after Easter. In fact, it resembles the famous Russian holiday of Ivan Kupala. On this day, it is customary to pour water over each other, sing and have fun. Also on this day, people decorate themselves with roses, give flowers as a sign of love and arrangement. On this day, it is customary to launch pigeons into the sky. Vardavar has deep pagan roots, but the Armenian church found in it many echoes of the Bible, and therefore the holiday became a nation-wide.
Wedding ceremonies
Since the family and family ties are of great value to the Armenians, all the most important milestones in the family are surrounded by special customs. So, the national traditions of the Armenian people can be seen in wedding ceremonies. The Armenian wedding is amazing in scope and hospitality. In small villages, literally, all the people come to the wedding. The wedding ceremony begins with a conspiracy, during which the most respected members of the groom's family (only men) go to the bride's house with a request for her hand. After the men have agreed among themselves, the bride can choose a dress, and relatives begin to prepare for the wedding. But the main rite is still preceded by an engagement. A festive meal begins in the groom's house, where he and his relatives collect the cooked gifts and go to the bride's house. There, in a festive atmosphere, he gives the bride's parents and herself, jewelry is necessarily included in the list of presents. Parents bless the young and specify the date of the wedding, jokingly discuss the size of the dowry. For the bride is always given in the dowry a sum of money, kitchen utensils, household items.
The wedding feast begins with a church ceremony, instead of the witnesses for the wedding, “godfathers” are chosen. Usually these are respected relatives on the part of the bride and groom. There are many toasts during the wedding. The first dance of the young is obligatory, during which they are showered with money with the wishes of welfare. Each stage of preparation for the wedding ceremony has its own established rites: from dressing the bride and groom to the menu of the festive dinner. Wedding traditions of the Armenian people (photo of the couple can be seen below) today often lose their original identity, turning into typical European celebrations. But there are families who continue to observe the rituals, and therefore there is still the opportunity to see these beautiful and grandiose festivities.
Birth of a child
Large large families are the original traditions of the Armenian people. Various holidays are organized for children, they pamper them, often give gifts. Therefore, the emergence of a new family member is always a huge event, which turns into a big celebration. Karasunk - the rite surrounding the birth of a child - covers a large period of time before and after the appearance of the baby. The main character is the Tatmem, a cross between the midwife and the priest. She helped to give birth, participated in the washing of the baby before baptism. 40 days after birth, the mother first brought the baby herself to the temple. Before this, a large cleansing ceremony was carried out, during which she was doused with water 40 times, she gave 40 nods, and round-shaped jewelry was put on her, which she wore without taking off. Today the rite has been simplified, but it is imperative that a big celebration is held in the parents' house, they are given money for christening and wish the baby health.
Funeral rites
The original traditions of the Armenian people on the burial of the deceased, like all other customs, have two sources: paganism and Christianity. In general, the rite differs little from those in Christian practice. But there is a specificity. So, before taking the deceased from the yard, they lift and lower the coffin three times, sprinkle carnations on the road in front of the funeral procession, women say goodbye to the deceased, then they are taken to the side, and the oldest man in the family says farewell words. At the commemoration, there is always a ritual dish - khashlama, food trays are brought to the cemetery.
Traditional costume culture
In any culture, a costume is a reflection of the philosophy and characteristics of the people. The traditions of the Armenian people are manifested in their national clothes, which retains its features from ancient times. Men had several types of clothes: for everyday life, elegant and for war. The costume consists of a body shirt and a caftan - an archalukh. It can be up to the knees or to the middle of the hips. From above the waist was tied with a scarf. Pants could be wide or narrow. The structure of the women's costume is the same, but is divided only into home and holiday. Women's caftan has always been fancifully decorated, the skirt is welcomed with maximum length. The woman’s head was covered with a scarf and a hat that resembled a pill.