This April marks the 110th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, which historians cite as beginning on April 24th, 1915. Many people still overlook this historical event that many have, in many ways, swept under the rug. Over two million Armenians lived in the Ottoman Empire at the time of the event, and afterward, fewer than 400,000 remained. Ataturk, the Ottoman leader, orchestrated the eradication of the Armenian people as a means of putting down elements of the empire that might be less than loyal. During WWI, the massacre included the forced deportation, torture, and mass murder of more than a million people.
This event stands as brutal, systemic, and an attempted eradication of an entire ethnic group. Just as with other historical events, we share the responsibility to learn from and teach about events like this so that such atrocities don’t happen again. I first learned about, and later became interested in, the history of the Armenian people after a chance encounter with a family of Armenian-Iraqi refugees in the small Midwestern US community where we lived. Truthfully, I knew very little about Armenia before this time. I’m so grateful that they shared their story, history, and traditions with us!
To commemorate and remember this event, we’ve interviewed Lucine Kasbarian to provide more information and resources to share with adults and children.
What are some other books or websites that parents and teachers can use to introduce Armenia to children?
- Armenian Folk Tales and Fables collected by Charles Downing
- The Contest: An Armenian Folktale by Nonny Hogrogian
- David of Sassoun retold by David Kherdian
- Gadoo the Cat: An Armenian Folktale by Susan Kadian Gopigian
- The Armenian Earthquake by Chris Engholm (World Disasters series / Lucent Books)
- The Golden Bracelet retold by David Kherdian
- The Transcaucasus: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia by Thomas Streissguth (Former Soviet Republics series / Lucent Books)
For older readers and adults who want to learn more, the following books are a few places to start:
- The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian
- They Can Live in the Desert but Nowhere Else by Ronald Grigor Suny
- Operation Nemesis: The Assassination Plot that Avenged the Armenian Genocide by Eric Bogosian
- There Was and There Was Not: A Journey Through Hate and Possibility in Turkey, Armenia and Beyond by Meline Toumani
- The Fall of the Ottomans: The Great War in the Middle East by Eugene Rogan
Image: Armenian Foodie
Armenian tradition also includes the “fighting” of Easter eggs. One person holds the egg in their hand, forming a fist with only the top exposed above their fingers. The other individual holds an egg using their thumb and first two fingers. This person then taps or smashes their egg against the exposed part of the first person’s egg. One of the eggshells will crack—I have never experienced both eggs cracking. The person with the cracked egg then turns it over to expose the uncracked end. It is then hit again.
Traditionally, whoever had the egg with the uncracked side received the egg with two cracked ends, which they had defeated. This continues with everyone and all eggs until only one egg with at least one uncracked end remains. The person with this egg becomes the winner and will have good luck throughout the next year. No self-respecting Armenian would eat an Easter egg without “playing” it first.
Of course, there are many shenanigans going on. Selecting a strong egg is serious work. Some individuals tap the egg on their front teeth, sure that they could tell its strength that way. Others have theories about the egg’s shape determining its strength. Others have tried to sneak in fake wooden or marble eggs to fool their competitors. There are many techniques for hitting the eggs; some cheat and hit the egg at an angle instead of straight down. Those with the egg being hit sometimes loosen their grip, so the egg slips down and cannot be hit. I’m sure that there are as many techniques as there are Armenians playing.
Inviting odars, non-Armenians, over to fight eggs always brings a quizzical look. They usually expect eggs to be thrown at one another and are pleasantly surprised to find they won’t have “egg on their face”. Easter egg fighting, however, is NOT the way to find out that you boiled one batch of eggs twice and didn’t boil the other batch. Imagine everyone’s surprise at my table one year when the egg fighting began…some with dyed, but raw, eggs.
Because of egg fighting, an overabundance of eggs has to be dyed, so that people have many opportunities to compete….so be prepared for lots of egg salad and deviled eggs in the days to follow.”
I hope you’ve learned a little more about the history and culture of the Armenian people in this post, and welcome any additional insight and information you may have.
Lucine – thank you for taking the time to answer and provide these resources to others who would like to know more.
Amanda Mouttaki
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Thank you so much! I’m interested in learning more about this historical event that is rarely talked about. Thanks for sharing the resources for parents and kids!