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Fermented Wishes:


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http://www.armenianow.com/2003/june13/fermentedwishes/001.jpg

 

 

By Gayane Mkrtchyan

ArmeniaNow reporter

The Armenian toast is not just about the drink, but about the words leading up to it.

A visitor to Armenia can learn a lot by sitting at a dinner table and listening to toasts. They are an art form here.

 

Some are short and sweet. Others are so long they leave guests wondering what the subject of the toast was.

 

All, though, have meaning. And there is an order to how they are given, whether to the host, to the guests, to the motherland, to ancestors . . .

 

As an art, it is natural then that some have become masters in the art of toast making.

 

Each table appoints a "tamada", the toast master, whose responsibility is to administer toasts. It is also proper for anyone who wishes to make a toast to first get permission from the tamada.

 

Samvel Muradyan, 41, has been an honored tamada for 20 years. He says he spends nearly every weekend offering he unique service, whether the occasion is joyful or sad.

 

The toast master enriches toasts with his flowery speech.

 

"I don't propose many toasts. During weddings I propose at most 5-6 toasts. But I can tell 100 toasts with suitable quatrains," says Muradyan.

 

Candidate of historical sciences Armine Stepanyan says that the Armenian word for toast ('kenats') means 'to somebody's life'. The initial meaning summarizes the idea of 'sacrifice to the King'.

 

A toast is the best way to wish somebody a long life, health and eternity.

 

Toasts are proposed standing. According to Armenian tradition, during all celebrations people drink to their mothers.

 

Another tradition is to propose the first toast to welcome somebody. If it is a wedding celebration, the first toast is to welcome the father and mother-in-law.

 

Gayane Gevorgyan, a 52-year old pedagogue, says, "When paying a visit to somebody, first you should drink to the host. The second toast can be proposed to his hearth and relatives."

 

According to Muradyan, people today are tired of much talking and listening to admonitions. "If previously during weddings an aged person used to drink to newlyweds, telling them his entire past and preaching to them, today it is different."

 

Muradyan mentions that the toast master should choose the right moment to take the lead in the feast, of course taking into consideration what kind of people surround him.

 

As a popular Armenian saying tells, "As the feasts goes on, the sweeter toasts become." Usually men drink vodka, while women prefer wine.

 

"When my glass is being filled, I usually ask to fill it half full, so that I can fill it up with my sweet speech," says Muradyan. "Many people say that 'you should leave some place for lips'. But shouldn't we fill it up with wishes?"

 

He mentions that alcohol beverages are usually bitter, but when you fill your glass with sweet words, you get so excited that what you drink seems sweet.

 

While proposing toasts, people usually fix their eyes on the glass. The glass gives some internal power to the toast master to express thoughts. People also get excited with the clink of their glasses that finalizes a toast, and after that, they drink. After drinking it is customary to say "anush", meaning, roughly, "to your enjoyment".

 

On sad occasions, according to Armenian tradition, glasses are placed upside down. While drinking to the deceased, people touch glasses so that there is no clink. But Muradyan says that this tradition is gradually being left behind. Today it is preserved only if the deceased was young. However, it was different in old Armenia. It was not permitted to drink to the deceased on the funeral day, as the soul was still on the earth.

 

Stepanyan explains, "Only seven or 40 days later it was allowed to drink to the deceased. It was thought that his or her soul was already in the sky. They drank to his memory and the immortality of the soul."

 

During a baptism ceremony a toast master has no right to propose any toast before a clergyman blesses the table, congratulates the godchild and godfather and gives the tamada permission to speak.

 

According to Muradyan, a tamada should be patient, compliant and polite. He should be able to attract any person quickly.

 

"My biggest secret is in being patient," Muradyan says. "If I don't bear and forbear, I can't be in my position. I don't drink at all, I have my special Jermuk. I always take with me special bells that I use when I feel that the noise increases and people don't hear each other."

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  • 1 year later...

Toast making is an interesting cultural phenomenon. Most of the time even one word (the most common one) used for toast making tells a lot about the culture. In Europe, most countries use different versions of "To your health". Understandably, think about it. The plaque and diseases during the Middle Ages, cold weather, different illnesses. There are some variations, but usually the main word for a toast is something that is lacking and sounds as a wish.

 

In Great Britain (with some variants in Ireland and Scotland) the most common is "Cheers". A depressed and sad nation finds joy in alcohol drinking, hens to cheer up, to be marry.

 

On the continent "To your health" is the most common with some exceptions like in Romania they say "good luck". Poor Romanians were deprived of luck for a long time.

 

The third group is Serbs, Ukrainians, Armenians and Jews. What we all have in common is the word or the meaning of the toast, which always is related to Life. "Budomo" in Ukrainian, "Zjively" in Serbian, "Genatz" in Armenian, "L'chaim" in Hebrew. I don't think that needs explanation.

 

And my favorite is in Turkish: "Serefe" - To Honor! ;)

 

On this page you can find a long list of toast words:

 

http://awa.dk/glosary/slainte.htm

 

Genats!!!

 

PS: I have heard one tamada in Armenia long time ago and the toast was really piece of art. In short something like: Lets drink for the 200 years old oak tree that we gonna plant tomorrow and that we will cut off to make our cofins out of it! :D

 

GENATS! :D

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In short something like: Lets drink for the 200 years old oak tree that we gonna plant tomorrow and that we will cut off to make our cofins out of it! :D

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This made me remember my close friend in Yerevan. When we are in some qef and eveyone is bored he likes to wake everyone up by begining his kenats with the following phrase:

 

"Hargeli seghanakitsner ev apaga gerezmanakitsner..." :)

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PS: I have heard one tamada in Armenia long time ago and the toast was really piece of art. In short something like: Lets drink for the 200 years old oak tree that we gonna plant tomorrow and that we will cut off to make our cofins out of it! :D

 

Hmmmmm ... something is fishy ... REAL Armenians would have done the genatz to the oak tree "derrrev, derrev ..." :toast:

 

;)

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This made me remember my close friend in Yerevan. When we are in some qef and eveyone is bored he likes to wake everyone up by begining his kenats with the following phrase:

 

"Hargeli seghanakitsner ev apaga gerezmanakitsner..."  :)

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One time I was the official Tamada, since I was the best man to one of my best friend's wedding! There is an inscription of a famous Bulgarian Khan that says: "Even if a human being had a good life he dies and another one is born..." and so forth. I paraphrase it: Even if a human being has had a good life at one point he gets married.." :) The parents of the bride were mad at me...and probably still are!! :D

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One time I was the official Tamada, since I was the best man to one of my best friend's wedding! There is an inscription of a famous Bulgarian Khan that says: "Even if a human being had a good life he dies and another one is born..." and so forth. I paraphrase it: Even if a human being has had a good life at one point he gets married.."  :) The parents of the bride were mad at me...and probably still are!! :D

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Smile, smile Gamavor ... As far as I have seen in my life your type's "death" is swift and mersiless ;) And than you wonder around with a surprised expression, like "how could this happen to me?" :D

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Then again, who can forget this classic by Toumanian;

 

:wine:

 

http://armenianpoetry.com/arm/1030.html

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ehhhh!! sax ellnes Arpa jan

 

 

shutov mi qani tari heto menq enq skselu asel mer erexeqin :)

Edited by Edward
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ehhhh!! sax ellnes Arpa jan

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Voghj lines Edo Jan!

 

Must WE teach our EA brothers to speak Armenian and forget all those Turkish words.

 

"Sax/sagh" is a Turkish word.

 

The Armenian is "voghj" as in "voghj-aroghj", "kentani ev aruyg/healthy".

Let Hovannes speak. He did not say "sagh lineq erekheq", he said "Apreq erekheq", i.e "voghj mnaq erekheq".

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Voghj lines Edo Jan!

 

Must WE teach our EA brothers to speak Armenian and forget all those Turkish words.

 

"Sax/sagh" is a Turkish word.

 

The Armenian is "voghj" as in "voghj-aroghj", "kentani ev aruyg/healthy".

Let Hovannes speak. He did not say "sagh lineq erekheq", he said "Apreq erekheq", i.e "voghj mnaq erekheq".

style_images/master/snapback.png

 

thanks Arpa! Enough already with those f..ing Turkish words.

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:) ay martik yes hima asumem sagh/sax lineq, problem e da?

 

qani anqameq asel bales? janit mernem, xurban qez,

 

janit xurban bala jan.................es 4 barerits vor mekna heyeren? bayts asumeq che? im mers indz asele shat, hima amen barits kaxvenq qani maqur zut haykakan barrer kan u sksenq drantsov khosel!~~~~~~~ehhhhhh :) :bandage:

Edited by Edward
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