3 replies to this topic

[Arpa]

Forgive me for transposing this topic to its proper site.

The Webster's defines "culture" among others;
CULTURE; The concepts, habits, skills, art, instruments, institutions, etc. of a given people in a given period; civilization.
I will add to that things such as customs, folklore, fables and myhology of a people. Everything that cannot be classified as poetry, literature, history, politics and the like.
There my be some of us in need of reminding what "culture" is all about. There are those who think constantly talking about "charlatans", "bishops", "punchunis" and other miscreants and misfits belongs in the "CULTURE" section of this forum. Some have hijacked this forum to the point that very few of us dare or even care to enter. That is nothing short of "cultural terrorism". I wish our moderators and administrators would take heed and move him out of there, create a topic subject just for him where he can spread his "aromatic" effluum to his heart's content. In the meantime this may be a feeble attempt on my part to reclaim the site and really talk about "CULTURE".

NAVASARD-AMANOR
According to Ajarian Navasard is a native Armenian word with its roots buried deep in places as the Sanskrit et al where "nau" means "new" and "sard"- year, therefor- New Year. The Persians use the form too in such words as Nau-rooz which simply means "new day".
(Some may recognize "am" to man "year" as used in other languages such as Arabic to mean the same.)




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Author
Topic: HAPPY 4495
Eduard Markosyan
Junior Member
Member # 924

posted August 11, 2002 11:05 PM

In case you guys forgot, today is Navasard(the armenian new year). There once was a time, when we had 13 months
and 28 days in each month. There once was a time, when we used to celebrate our new year on August 11.

Posts: 26 | From: of what? | Registered: Aug 2002 | IP: Logged

edward demian
Member
Member # 218

posted August 13, 2002 02:06 AM

Very interesting. Where did you find this out? I thought that I had exhausted all there was to read about our history,
and now another pleasant tid bit. Please keep it up.

Posts: 163 | From: Palm Springs, California, USA | Registered: Jan 2001 | IP: Logged

SAS
Member
Member # 231

posted August 13, 2002 02:28 AM

quote:

Originally posted by Eduard Markosyan:
In case you guys forgot, today is Navasard(the armenian new year). There once was a time, when we
had 13 months and 28 days in each month. There once was a time, when we used to celebrate our
new year on August 11.

?????? ????????

[ August 13, 2002, 09:42 AM: Message edited by: SAS ]

Posts: 145 | From: Moscow | Registered: Jan 2001 | IP: Logged

Harut
Member
Member # 301

posted August 13, 2002 09:04 AM

quote:

Originally posted by Eduard Markosyan:
In case you guys forgot, today is Navasard(the armenian new year). There once was a time, when we
had 13 months and 28 days in each month. There once was a time, when we used to celebrate our
new year on August 11.

as far as i remember, there were 12 months with 30 days to each. and there was the 13th month, called "Havelyats",
which had the remaining 5 days.

--------------------
BA?!?!
============
Yes Harut, you remember corrrectly.
Another editorialet;
I wish our astronomers and calendar makers would get back to the 21st century and revise the calendar to fit the scientific atmosphere of today. I have no idea why the modern calendar was devised to comprise of 12 months. It makes no sense. The natural solar, lunar calendar would be best divided into 13 months of 28 days each which will leave an extra day every 4 years that can be esasily accomodated. I have suspicion that it was devised as such based on superstitions, i.e triksadecaphobia (fear of the number 13). Dose anybody still beileve those idiotic superstitions??!!

Haykakan Oratsuyts;
Untill the time of the introduction of the Roman Calendar Armenians had their own. It was based on the lunar and solar cycles. During the first millenium BC Armenians used a solar calendar where the year was divide into 12 months of 30 days each with another extra 5 days known as "havelyats". The 12 months were; Navasard, Hori, Sahmi, Tre, Qaghots, Arats, Mehekan (Meheki), Areg, Ahekan(Aheki), Mareri, Margats, Hrotits ans of course... Havelyats. The months were either named for gods such as Ahekan or occasions like Qaghots=Harvest.
Days of the month had names of their own as well. They were either named after gods or sacred sites. They were 1.Areg, 2. Hrand, 3. Aram, 4. Margar,5. Ahranq, 6. Mazdegh, 7. Astghik, 8. Mihr, 9. Dzopaber, 10. Mourts, 11. Erezkan, 12. Ani, 13. Parkhar, 14. Vanatour, 15. Aramazd, 16. Mani, 17. Asak, 18. Masis, 19. Anahit, 20. Aragats, 21. Grgour(Grgor), 22. Gordi(Gardouiq), 23. Dznmak, 24. Lousnak, 35. Tsron, 26. Npat, 27. Vahagn, 28. Seyin, 29. Varag, 30. Gisheravar. The names of the Havelyats month were; 1. Loudz, 2. Eghjerou, 3. Pazasnot, 4. Artakhour and 5. Dzkravori.

Dividing the day into 24 hours has been used in Armenia as early as the 4th c. AD. Each hour had its own name as well. Names of the days of the week is not different from other peoples' customs as; Mishabti(Later Kiraki from the Greek "day of the Lord"), Erkoushabti, Erekshabti, Chorekshabti, Hingshabti, Vetsshabti (later changed to Ourbat), and of course Shabat.

Navasard was assigned August 11 in the year 428 AD when the Roman calendar was oficillay adopted.
Armenian date begins in the year 2492 BC there fore the year 2002 would be 4494. So, Eduard you may have lide by one year. Forgiven!!

There is more about Haykakan Metz Tvakan and Haykakan Poqr Tvakan. Maybe later.

PS. Sireli SAS, you may want to ask Garo how to transmit in Armenian script.

[Arpa]

Another look at NAVASARD:
Ancinet Indian Nw Year, nava-sarda or ancient Iranian nava-sarhadou.
In ancient Armenia it followed the last day of the 13th month, Havelyats and it was the largest festival. (It coincides with Aug. 11 of the modern calendar). It was the beginning of the year both in civil and religious sense. Celebration of Navasard attracted the largest crowd so much so that every activity would stop and the entire day was dedicated to the festivities. The pilgrims, the entire population, the army, the royal palace, the princely houses and the clergy would gather at Taron and Bagrevand near Npat Mountain at the banks of the sacred river Aradzani where the sacred temple Bagavan was located. There is where ceremonies were performed to worship the gods Aramazd, Anahit(the onmi-fruitful godess) and others. The main events were not only limited to sacrifices of heifers and bulls but it was also highlighted by the exchange of gifts and other favors. Music, games, dances, plays, war games and other competetive games were the order of the day.
According to legend that day the gods and godesses would bathe in the waters of Aradzani and Euphrates and then acsend to the snow capped mountains to watch, protect and enjoy the festivities. According to Strabo, that day the aristocratic ladies would offer themselves to their lovers and present them their virginity thereby sanctifying fertilization. It was customary to sacrifice young cows and bulls and annoint themselves with the blood as symbols of purity and the beginning of life.
King Artashes, a poet in his own right has echoed the festive mood of the day in his poem;

þà ï³Ûñ ÇÝÓ ½ÍáõË Í˳ÝÇ,
ºõ ½³é³õûïÝ Ü³õ³ë³ñ¹Ç,
¼í³½»ÉÝ »Õ³Ýó »õ ½í³·»ÉÝ »Õç»ñáõ³ó,
Ø»ù ÷áÕ Ñ³ñáõ³ù »õ ÃÙµÏÇ Ñ³ñϳݻ³ù,
àñå¿ë ûñ¿ÝÝ ¿ ó·³õáñ³óþ£

O give me the smoke of that chimney,
On this morn of Navasard,
Let the deer run and the antler gait,
Blow the horns and beat the drums,
As only fit to the law of the Kings.

[Arpa]

http://www.armeniano...x400/nowruz.jpg


http://www.armeniano...ranian_new_year

(Please note that Navasard and Nowruz are not necessarily synonymous. The former means New Year while the latter means New Day)

NAZIK ARMENAKYAN
ArmeniaNow
By Gayane Mkrtchyan
ArmeniaNow reporter
Groups of Iranians walking around Yerevan streets with families or in the company of friends is a sight heralding Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, marked at around the vernal equinox time.
Like every March over the past few years thousands of Iranians choose to observe their holiday in Armenia. The holiday usually begins on March 20 and continues for ten days. Isanfur Menohil, an airline company worker, had arrived in Yerevan from Tehran together with her relatives. She says that for Iranians it is becoming a tradition to celebrate Nowruz abroad. She says they chose Armenia following the advice of their friends who spent Nowruz in Yerevan last year. “Prices are very affordable, unlike they are in Tehran. Besides, life here is more ‘open’; we can go around here without headscarves and it is also quite an experience for us,” says the young woman. According to head of the Armenian Economy Ministry’s Department of Tourism Mekhak Apresyan, as many as 20,000 Iranian citizens visited Armenia during the Nowruz period in 2010, their number in 2009 during the same period was 8,700. This year, some 28,000 are likely to have spent their Nowruz in Armenia. “From year to year the number of tourists visiting Armenia from Iran is observed to grow. Last year a total of 140,000 citizens of Iran crossed the border into Armenia. And 70 percent of such visitors are families. They also visit our historical and cultural monuments, and even complain that information panels at such sites are not available in Persian,” says Apresyan. Apresyan notes that this year efforts are made to exclude complaints from Iranians visiting Armenia. Last year they made some complaints regarding the quality of some services, and especially high charges for taxi services. Huyan Olipur, a 29-year-old student at the Yerevan Engineering University, has been in Armenia for five years. This year he has some guests from Iran on the occasion of Nowruz. He says his friends complain especially about taxi drivers, who take advantage of their being foreigners and charge more for their services. Abbos Zakhari, 28, from Isfahan, visiting Yerevan together with his friends for the first time this year, says that he followed the advice of his sister, who was in Armenia for Nowruz in 2010. “Soon I will open my own travel agency in Iran, and in the future I plan to recommend this country for travels. Armenia is beautiful, but I think some services need improving,” says Zakhari. He notes that drivers and traffic policemen in Armenia usually do not speak English, which limits tourists’ contacts, and that there are very few information panels, which complicates travel. According to expert Tigran Davtyan, nearly 300 million people in the world observe Nowruz. “Iranians prefer spending their holidays in Armenia because in their country it is banned to listen to a variety music and drink alcoholic beverages. Besides, both countries have good-neighborly relations and a streamlined visa regime,” says Davtyan. Iranian tourists also confirm that in Armenia they have an opportunity to listen to singers they like, such as Andi, Kouros, Leila, and others. Expert Davtyan says that Armenia has no vast experience of accommodating such an influx of tourists within such a relatively short period of time as one week and in this sense the Yerevan mayor’s office has much work to do. “Because it is due to tourists that large amounts of money come to Armenia. I reckon that an additional $20 million enter Armenia due to Nowruz,” says the expert. Visiting tourist Zakhari, who plans on opening a travel agency in his native Iran, estimates one Iranian tourist spends $700-1,000 on average during a trip to Armenia. Zakhari and his friends had Armenian brandy bottles in their bags as they spoke to ArmeniaNow. They confessed they could not take those brandies with them to Iran, but added that instead they would have time to enjoy the drink while still in Armenia.

[Yervant1]

11:08 11/08/2015 » SOCIETY

Ancient Armenian New Year, Navasard, marked on August 11

Navasard – Day of National Identity is marked in Armenia on August 11. The day was designated as a public holiday by the Armenian parliament in 2009. 

In pagan Armenia the New Year was celebrated on August 11. The feast was called Navasard.

Ancient sources bear out that Navasard – New Year was adorned with solemn and splendid festivities, which lasted several days. There were carnivals, cavalcades, various games with participation of the king, noblemen and plain folk. Various open-air celebrations were often held at night around the fire at holy shrines, according to Gargule.net.
Many legends have been told about this most beloved feast; it is said that on this very day the Armenians’ forefather Hayk had a stunning victory over his enemy Bel and gave start to the history of Armenians. It was also believed that this day Noah’s Arc landed on the peak of Mount Ararat, and so the yearly celebrations of Navasard-New Year were to reconfirm the beginning of the new era of humanity.
 

Source: Panorama.a