Holidays Around The World � armenia flag

Armenia Remembers the Fallen on 1988 Earthquake Memorial Day

Noel — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 11:00:21 +0000

1988 Earthquake Memorial Day: December 7

1988 Earthquake Memorial Day is a public holiday in Armenia.
Also known as the Spitak Earthquake, it was an earthquake of magnitude 6.9 on the Richter scale, which had its epicenter in the Spitak region of Armenia. It occurred on December 7, 1988 at 11:41 Armenian local time. 25,000 people were killed due to old and poorly built structures. The day remains fresh in the memory of survivors and is
remembered in the history books of Armenia.

History of the 1988 Earthquake in Armenia

The whole city of Spitak was destroyed, and surrounding cities were damaged. Due to the extensive damage in the region, the destruction of medical support facilities, and the cold winter at the time, the Armenian Government had to ask for foreign aid. Armenia was still under the influence of the Soviet Union during the Cold War, but most Western countries came to the aid of Armenians after Mikhail Gorbachev made a formal request of aid to the United States, the first time such request ever happened after World War II. Humanitarian aid came in forms of rescue equipment, medical supplies, and search teams from all over the world. The city of Spitak was completely rebuilt at a nearby site, and many of the houses look like the houses from where the donations came, making it sort of an architectural global village. An album called Rock Aid Armenia was recorded in London, gathering names like Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, and Black Sabbath. And in Washington D.C., in 1990 a monument called Motherland was erected to remember the fraternal help to the Armenian people.

Armenia’s 1988 Earthquake Memorial Day Traditions, Customs and Activities

Even with significant help from foreign countries pouring in to help the Armenian region of Spitak, the rebuild of the cities has been slow, and some are still in the process or being rebuilt today. Not only did the earthquake leave deep wounds in the geographic region, but it also scarred the lives of many families. The day is remembered with sorrow. Radio and television stations remember the historical event, and the Armenian President visits the Spitak region, sometimes being received with indifference. Families visit their loved ones lost in the earthquake, and survivors gather with families and friends as they remember the day, sometimes honoring it with silence or concerts.

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Armenia Commemorates Constitution Day

Noel — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 10:00:40 +0000

Constitution Day: July 5

Constitution Day is a public holiday in Armenia.

July 5, 1915 was the day in which by referendum the Armenian people approved the Constitution of the Armenian Republic. In its article 117, the constitution sets the date of July 5 to be celebrated as Constitution Day in Armenia.

History of Constitution Day in Armenia

In 1991, the Soviet Union fell apart, and Armenia, as a former member of the Soviet Union, reestablished its independence. At the end of 1992, a draft of the constitution was presented to the government and political parties, and in March 1993 they put forward a revised version of the document.

However, during 1994, the opposition parties presented their own version of a constitution leading to disagreement. It wasn’t until 1995 that Armenia managed to put to referendum a new constitution. Armenians then voted unanimously to adopt the new constitution that recognized Armenia as a unitary, multi-party, democratic nation state. Yerevan was defined as the Armenian capital, and power was vested in the citizens to exercise their right to elect government representatives.

In 2005, a new referendum was held to revise the constitution in order for Armenia to be able to join the Council of Europe. There were reports of anomalies in the process of the referendum, but still the changes were accepted by 94.5% votes for the changes. Even as the opposition struggled to protest against the government’s handling of the process, the general population of Armenia remained steadfast in their opinion of the results, and the changes to the constitution were approved.

Armenia’s Constitution Day Traditions, Customs and Activities

Constitution Day is an opportunity to relax and rest from work. At schools there are events that focus on the constitution and Armenian law and educate children in their rights and obligations as Armenian citizens.

At the Government level there are the usual televised speeches that bring forth the importance of the constitution and what it represents for the future of Armenia. Yet, around the country there is a generalized feeling that these speeches are somewhat plastic. In Yerevan, the capital city of Armenia, it is a day to visit the Yerevan’s Vernissage, an arts and crafts market close to the Republic Square, with hundreds of vendors that sell everything from woodcarvings to hand knotted wool carpets.

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Republic Day Commemorated in Armenia

Noel — Fri, 27 May 2011 10:00:39 +0000

Republic Day: May 28

Republic Day is a public holiday in Armenia.

On this date in 1918, the Armenian National Council declared the independence of Armenia, proclaiming itself the new republic’s temporary government. The holiday is also known as First Republic Day.

History of Republic Day in Armenia

After the end of the Ottoman Empire’s hold on Armenia, Armenians found themselves under the rule of the Russian Empire that fought with Armenians against the Ottomans. In March 1917, after the Russian Revolution that took Tsar Nicholas and the House of Romanov from power, a provisional government was established. This government established the Special Transcaucasian Committee with the intent of healing the wounds of the previous regime.

Major concessions were made to Armenians who looked forward to future cooperation with Russia. However, in October, the Bolsheviks took power in Russia, and Armenia refused to recognize the communist Bolshevik government. A civil war broke out in Russia, and Armenians, still expecting the Bolsheviks to be removed from power, remained united to the Russians.
In February 1918, the groups formed the Transcaucasian Federation with Georgians and Muslims.

As peace meetings were held with the Ottomans, Georgians and Armenians were not happy with the evolution of the agreements and settlements that were being proposed. On May 26, Georgia declared its independence and signed a treaty of protection with Germany. On May 27, the Muslim National Council announced the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan. The Armenian National Council found itself lost and abandoned by its regional allies, and, led by Russian Armenian intellectuals, decided to declare its independence on May 28, following the dissolution of political unity of Transcaucasian countries.

Armenia’s Republic Day Traditions, Customs and Activities

Even though the Democratic Republic of Armenia was short lived, Armenians take pride in this first breath of life of an independent Armenian state. Republic Day was not celebrated during Soviet times, and only after the collapse of the Soviet Union did it gain more importance in Armenia’s annual celebrations.

The president and government officials raise the Armenian flag at the Presidential Palace in Yerevan, capital of Armenia. Outside the palace, the day is an opportunity for opposition leaders to protest against the government. The country’s streets are decorated with the national colors of red, blue, and orange. Across most of Armenia, it is primarily a day to be spent with family and friends, and politics is kept to a minimum during friendly conversation over khash, a typical Armenian dish made with the hooves, the shin bone, and the stomach of a cow.

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Victory and Peace Day Commemorated in Armenia

Noel — Sun, 08 May 2011 10:00:32 +0000

Victory and Peace Day: May 9

Victory and Peace Day is a public holiday in Armenia.

May 9 in Armenia is celebrated as Victory and Peace Day. It is a day to celebrate and remember the victory over the Nazi forces that capitulated on May 8, 1945 during World War II.

History of Victory and Peace Day in Armenia

Armenia participated in World War II as part of the Soviet Union. More than 500,000 Armenians fought alongside the Soviet Army, and nearly half of them died on the battlefield.

World War II started with the German occupation of Poland in September 1939, only to be ended after six years of a worldwide conflict. Armenians were part of the Soviet Red Army and participated in the Eastern Front of the conflict, in what is known as the Great Patriotic War. As the Allied forces entered Milan, Mussolini was caught, and he was eventually executed on April 28. Later on April 30, Hitler committed suicide as the Allies began to close in on Berlin.

German forces started to surrender all over Italy and Germany, culminating with the surrender of Nazi armies throughout Europe. Finally on May 7, General Alfred Jodl, Chief of Staff of the German Armed Forces High Command, signed the unconditional surrender of the German forces to the Allies. News of the surrender spread to the West on May 8, and celebrations began all over Europe.

In the Soviet Union, the end of the war was considered to be on May 9. As it was already May 9 in Moscow time when the surrender took place, the date has since been celebrated as Victory Day in all Soviet Republics. After the end of the Soviet Union, Armenia kept the same date for the countrywide celebration of Victory and Peace Day, a remembrance of the participation of Armenians in the Great Patriotic War.

Armenia’s Victory and Peace Day Traditions, Customs and Activities

Armenians on this day remember many of their ancestors that died during World War II on the Eastern Front as they fought for the Soviet Red Army against the German Nazis. Hundreds of war veterans, wearing their medals, pay tribute to fallen Armenians at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Yerevan’s Victory Park. In the park there is an eternal flame by which flowers are laid in memory of those that died during the war. Official ceremonies also take place at the same spot. Among the participants of the event are Armenia’s top officials and diplomats. The honoring of veterans continues during the day with concerts, which include both professional artists and amateurs.

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Armenian Genocide Memorial Day Commemorated in Armenia

Noel — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 10:00:37 +0000

Armenian Genocide Memorial Day: April 24

Armenian Genocide Memorial Day is a public holiday in Armenia.

Armenia remembers the Armenian Genocide in April 24, 1915. This is recalled by Armenians as the Great Calamity, and it was systematic and deliberate genocide from the Ottoman Empire towards Armenians during and after World War I, resulting in one and a half million deaths.

History of Armenian Genocide Memorial Day in Armenia

Armenia became part of the Ottoman Empire under the rule of Selim II from 1524 to 1574. As a minority of Christians in a Muslim Empire, Armenians were discriminated against and guaranteed limited freedoms. Great Britain, France, and Russia pressured the Ottoman government to improve the treatment of minorities. Even though there were some efforts to change the situation, laws were ineffective and Armenians remained as second-class citizens.

In November 1914, the Ottoman Empire entered World War I. The Ottoman Empire then tried to recover lost territories from the Russians, but they lost and were forced to return to Constantinople as losers. This defeat was then blamed on Armenians that supported the Russians. War Minister Enver Pasha, humiliated by the defeat, ordered all Armenian units in the Ottoman forces to be sent to an unarmed labor battalion. This was the beginning of the logistical preparation for the Armenian Genocide.

From 1915 to 1917, several Armenian cities were surrounded under false pretexts of rebellion. The population was killed and property was seized. Political propaganda showed Armenian intellectuals as a threat to the Empire and was used to justify the killing of 250 Armenian intellectual and community leaders on April 24, 1915. Under an approved law, the Tehcir Law, the Ottoman Empire legalized the confiscation of properties from Armenians.

Armenians were taken from their homes and forced to march for hundreds of miles without food or water into the Syrian town of Deir ez-Dor and the surrounding desert, later to be killed. Studies have unraveled a long list of concentration camps, and witnesses have recounted atrocities from the Ottoman armies against Armenians. It is the most studied genocide after the Holocaust.

Armenia’s Armenian Genocide Memorial Day Traditions, Customs and Activities

On this day Armenians all over the world recall the memories of the Armenian Genocide. They gather around the many memorials that have been erected across 25 countries to commemorate the event. Armenians still struggle to have the Armenian Genocide recognized internationally by Turkey, and this day is a day to put more political effort into its recognition.

In Yerevan, capital of Armenia, hundreds of thousands of people gather at the Tsitsernakaberd Genocide Memorial to lay flowers in memory of Armenians killed during the genocide. The 250 Armenian notables that were killed on April 24 and the hundreds of other intellectuals and community leaders killed during the event are considered martyrs by most Armenians.

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International Women’s Day Celebrated Around the World

Noel — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 11:00:20 +0000

International Women’s Day: March 8

International Women’s Day is a public holiday in several countries worldwide.

Generally observed worldwide, International Women’s Day offers people the opportunity to highlight challenges that women face around the world and signs of hope for the work done to promote women. While some cultures have removed the political nature of it and use it as a day to show love to women, others have retained the strong political themes, promoting human rights for women around the world. The day is typically not considered a public holiday, but is given prominence in many parts of the world.

History of International Women’s Day

March 8, 1857 marks when women in New York protested, demanding better working conditions and better wages. The protesters were dispersed by the police, and two years later, the women created their own labor union. More protests were held in following years on the same date of March 8. In 1910, Copenhagen hosted the first international women’s conference, and an International Women’s Day was instituted, though no date was officially set.

On the eve of World War I, women from all over Europe came together in peaceful protests on March 8, 1913. March 8 entered the calendars as International Women’s Day first in the former USSR as a celebration of heroic and patriotic Soviet women that participated in the communistic construction of the USSR and defense of the Motherland. Since then, the date has found its way in the calendars of countries all over the world.

International Women’s Day Traditions, Customs and Activities

In countries like Albania, Italy, and Russia, yellow mimosas and chocolates are common gifts given to women on International Women’s Day. Many other Eastern European countries also have flower-giving customs. In Poland, feminist demonstrations are held in many major cities. In Benin and many other African countries, the day is used to highlight the public health, human rights, and socioeconomic problems that women have to struggle with. Armenia has combined the day with its own Beauty and Motherhood Day on April 7 to make a month-long celebration of women between the two days.

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