The Anticipation for Trndez

Have you ever jumped over a large fire for fun? Every year Armenians around the World do. Granted, jumping over the fire is symbolic, but it was honestly just fun when I was a kid. From then on, Trndez forever became one of my favorite holidays.

History

As a child, I considered Trndez "Armenian Valentine's Day." Still, it is actually a Christian holiday dating back to Pagan times. It means "the Lord is with you" and goes by Candlemas Day and Tyarndarach. It is typically celebrated 40 days after Jesus's Birthday, aka Christmas. It is a feast of purification in the Armenian Apostolic and Catholic Churches. The pagan celebration was a holiday to worship the sun and fire, the initial symbol of the coming spring and fertility. On this day, people gather around the massive festive fire at churchyards singing and dancing, then proceed to take a lit candle home to their families to burn their own bonfire from the same flame. This flame symbolizes the Lord's light and warmth. The newlyweds family invites friends and family to celebrate with food, music, dancing, and drinking at home with the family. One toast is offered for everyone to make a wish in hopes for it to come true. During the gathering, a bonfire is lit. As people gather around, newlyweds jump over and then follow everyone else. Jumping over the fire is a symbol of the holiday and the joy and happiness of newlyweds and their families; however, in pagan times, the fire was worshiped, and the superstitious beliefs were that the fire would get rid of misfortune and threats and people would make a wish, hoping for the wish to come true as they jumped over. If you'd like to learn more about Trndez, click here.

My Story

As February approaches, so does Trndez. As I said above, I considered Trndez "Armenian Valentines Day," One of the core reasons I chose to come and participate in Birthright Armenia at this time is because of the national holidays I would be able to experience. Women's Day, Easter, Vardavar, and Trndez. Compared to New Year, Christmas, and the 4th of July, some of these might not sound too interesting. But for me, these were fundamental holidays that I attributed to my Armenian heritage. As an American Armenian, my Armenian experience is the traditions my family brought from immigrating from Armenia 30 years ago, this month. I was fortunate enough to grow up in the most prominent Armenian diaspora community in the World; Glendale, California. 

I lived in Glendale every other year until I was 16, then I finished high school in Las Vegas, Nevada, and then went and graduated college from the University of Nevada, Reno. Due to this, unlike many international Armenians, growing up I had access to a lot of the food, culture, and language. Yet, through immigration, assimilation, and generational changes, my experience of the holiday is unique to that of other diasporan Armenians and even those in Armenia and this is my experience: as a child, my immediate family would all drive over to my great uncle's house. We would arrive, and so would about 40 others. As the entire family catches up, you can smell the fantastic aromas of the food that my grandma and great-aunt prepared all day long in the kitchen. The food always included Tolma, various salads, including my favorite; Oliver, chikofte, rice, potatoes, homemade pickles and dips, and the comforting smell of khorovats on the maghal (gill). Once the sunset, dinner was served. We would all sit around the table and enjoy a very long dinner with stories, jokes, and celebratory drinking. As a kid, since I was not allowed to drink, I remember that my grandpa would clink the shot glass on my nose with every toast. Once dinner would wind down, we would clear off the table as my uncle went to prepare the bonfire. Once the bonfire was ready, we would all gather around. One at a time, people would jump over the fire, newlyweds going first - that's why I call it Armenian Valentines Day - then the elderly, children, and adults. I would always want to stay outside with my sister, trying to jump over the tiny flame left towards the end. Once we were all done, we would go to continue the celebration inside the house. The table would be set with all types of sweets. Most importantly, baklava, Sujuk, ttu lavash, candy, chocolate. We would all sit around drinking tea and the adults' coffee and then celebrate by dancing and singing. The night would go on for long, and the joy and entertainment this holiday brought me as a kid is what has made it such a wonderful memory. What Next?

As I embark on this journey in Armenia, I can see the correlation and similarities of experience and tradition between those in Armenia and those within the Diaspora Community in Glendale. It has only been four days, and I can’t even imagine what the next four months will be like. Soon, I will be able to see how Trndez and many other holidays are celebrated and how everyday life is experienced here in Armenia. Besides, Birthright Armenia took me on a fantastic excursion to Bjni Fortress, Bjni Church, and Arzakhan (Neghuts) Monastery on Saturday, and I am looking forward to many other exciting events to visit, see, feel, and experience Armenia.

If you are also looking for this opportunity, I highly recommend researching and seeing if Birthright Armenia or Armenian Volunteer Corps is a good fit for you.

I will keep you updated on my future experiences soon.