Armenian calendar

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The Armenian calendar is the calendar traditionally used in Armenia, primarily during the medieval ages.

Contents

The Armenian calendar is based on an invariant year length of 365 days. Because a solar year is about 365.25 days and not 365 days, the correspondence between the Armenian calendar and both the solar year and the Julian calendar slowly drifted over time, shifting across a year of the Julian calendar once in 1,461 calendar years (see Sothic cycle). Thus, the Armenian year 1461 (Gregorian & Julian 2011) completed the first Sothic cycle, and the Armenian Calendar was one year off.

In A.D. 352, tables compiled by Andreas of Byzantium were introduced in Armenia to determine the religious holidays. When those tables exhausted on 11 July 552 (Julian Calendar), the Armenian calendar was introduced. [1]

Year 1 of the Armenian calendar began on 11 July 552 of the Julian calendar. [1] The calendar was adopted at the Second Council of Dvin. [2] Armenian year 1462 (the first year of the second cycle) began on 11 July 2012 of the Julian calendar (24 July 2012 of the Gregorian calendar).

An analytical expression of the Armenian date includes the ancient names of days of the week, Christian names of the days of the week, days of the month, Date/Month/Year number after 552 A.D., and the religious feasts. [3]

The Armenian calendar is divided into 12 months (de facto 13) of 30 days each, plus an additional (epagomenal) five days, called aweleacʿ ("superfluous").

Years in the Armenian era are usually given in Armenian numerals (written in Armenian letters) preceded by the abbreviation ԹՎ, for t’vin (թուին, meaning "in the year"). For example, ԹՎՌՆԾԵ, which means "the year 1455." Another prefix is Թ.Հ., standing for t’vin Hayocʿ (թուին Հայոց "in the Armenian year"). [4]

Months

The Armenian month names show influence of the Zoroastrian calendar [5] and Kartvelian influence in two cases (2nd and 3rd months). There are different systems for transliterating the names; the forms below are transliterated according to the Hübschmann-Meillet-Benveniste system:

Months of the year
#Armenian H-M
Romaniz.
MeaningEtymology/Notes
1 նաւասարդ nawasardnew year Avestan *nava sarəδa
2 հոռի hoṙitwoAccording to Vanakan Vardapet, it is related to the word հոր (hor) meaning "pit"
3 սահմի sahmithreeAccording to Vanakan Vardapet, it is related to the verb սահման (sahman) meaning "border"
4տրէtrē Zoroastrian Tïr
5քաղոցkʿałocʿmonth of cropsFrom Old Armenian քաղեմ (kʿałem) meaning "to gather" from PIE *kʷl̥-
6 արաց aracʿharvest-timeFrom Old Armenian արաց [6] (aracʿ), meaning harvest time, harvest of grape/fruit
7մեհեկանmehekanfestival of Mithra Iranian *mihrakān-; Zoroastrian Mitrō
8 արեգ aregsun monthFrom Old Armenian արեւ (arew) meaning "sun" from PIE *h₂rew-i- also meaning sun
9ահեկանahekanfire festivalIranian *āhrakān-; Zoroastrian Ātarō
10մարերիmarerimid-yearAvestan maiδyaīrya; Zoroastrian Dīn
11մարգացmargacʿ
12հրոտիցhroticʿ Pahlavi *fravartakān; Zoroastrian Spendarmat̰
13 աւելեաց [7] aweleacʿredundant, superfluous Epagomenal days

Days of the month

The Armenian calendar gives the days of the month names instead of numbering them – something also found in the Avestan calendars.

Zoroastrian influence is evident in five names: [5]

Days of the month
#NameArmenian TextMeaning/derivation
1AregԱրեգsun
2HrandՀրանդearth mixed with fire
3AramԱրամ
4MargarՄարգարprophet
5Ahrank’Ահրանկhalf-burned
6Mazdeł
7AstłikԱստղիկ Astłik
8MihrՄիհր Mihr (Armenian deity)
9Jopabertumultuous
10MurçՄուրցtriumph
11Erezhanhermit
12 Ani Անիname of a city
13Parkhar
14VanatՎանատhost, refectioner of a monastery
15AramazdԱրամազդ Aramazd
16ManiՄանիbeginning
17AsakԱսակbeginningless
18MasisՄասիս Mount Ararat
19AnahitԱնահիտ Anahit (Armenian goddess)
20AragatsԱրագած Mount Aragats
21GorgorName of a mountain
22Kordvik6th province in Armenia Major
23TsmakԾմակeast wind
24LusnakԼուսնակhalf-moon
25Tsrōndispersion
26NpatՆպատ Apam Napat
27 Vahagn ՎահագնZoroastrian Vahrām; Avestan Verethragna, name of the 20th day
28SimՍիմmountain
29VaragՎարագname of a mountain
30Gišeravarevening star

Holidays

Per Armenian law, 12 days are declared as non-working days. Non-working days include:

DateEnglish NameLocal NameRemarks
1-2 January New Year's Day ԱմանորTradition
6 January Christmas Day Սուրբ ԾնունդBased on the calendar used in Armenian Apostolic Church
28 January Army Day Բանակի օրIn celebration of Armenian Army formation on that day in 1992
8 March Women's Day Կանանց տոնWomen's Day
24 April Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day Եղեռնի զոհերի հիշատակի օրRemembrance of victims of Armenian genocide in 1915
1 May Labour Day Աշխատանքի օր International Workers' Day
9 May Victory and Peace Day Հաղթանակի եւ Խաղաղության տոն Shushi Liberation Day - on May 8, 1992 Armenian forces freed the city from Azerbaijani military forces, marking an important milestone in Artsakh liberation war for Armenians.

Victory Day : 9 May (World War II) was a holiday throughout the USSR and is still an official holiday in Armenia.

28 May Republic Day Հանրապետության օրEstablishment of the Democratic Republic of Armenia in 1918
5 July Constitution Day Սահմանադրության օր Adopted in 1995
21 September Independence Day Անկախության օրIndependence from the Soviet Union in 1991
31 December New Year's Eve Ամանոր

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Tumanian, B. (1973). History of Chronology.
  2. Book of Canon Law pdf, page 26
  3. Armenian calendar for 2021
  4. Harutyunyan, Khachik (2020). "Armenian Inscriptions of the Church of Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Part 1. The Chapel of John the Evangelist and Its Inscriptions". VEM (in Armenian). 12 (2): 165. Թ.(ՈՒԻՆ) Հ.(ԱՅՈՑ)
  5. 1 2 L. H. Gray, "On Certain Persian and Armenian Month- Names as Influenced by the Avesta Calendar," JAOS 28 (1907), 339.
  6. "արաց - Wiktionary". en.wiktionary.org. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
  7. "Hin Haykakan Tomar". haytomar.com.

Literature