Hospitality in Armenia
Not Guests but Family
When you choose to live in a new country many people might say “Welcome to Armenia,” but for repats, it’s really more of a “Welcome Home.” Anyone who has visited Armenia will tell you that Armenians are among the most, if not the most, hospitable people in the world, and when you choose to live in Armenia long term, you will see that hospitality simply becomes a way of life.
But why are Armenians so welcoming, and how can you be among those who are hospitable?
What does it mean to be hospitable in Armenia, and how can you make people feel appreciated when they are hospitable to you?
Let’s find out.
Rediscovering the Warmth of Your Roots
There are many reasons why Armenians are hospitable, but in a nutshell, a large part of it has to do with history and Christianity. Armenians have been witness to endless wars throughout history with the Persian, Ottoman, Russian, Arab, Assyrian, Chaldean, Mongol, Seljuk, Byzantine, and Roman Empires constantly battling on Armenian lands. Because of that, Armenians had to look out for each other to ensure survival, and over the centuries, Armenian hospitality culture became one of sharing food and drink, welcoming strangers, dancing, and laughter. Simultaneously, Armenia’s Christian tradition led to an increasingly hospitable culture.
What began as hospitality for the sake of survival blossomed into hospitality by nature. When foreigners decide to come to Armenia they are often taken aback by the wholesome nature of nearly all the Armenians they meet. For those who wish to live in such an environment, it can sometimes be difficult to know the nuances of Armenian hospitality as it may be overwhelming. The best way to navigate Armenian culture is to find your place in it by partially or wholly adopting it if you can. One of the best ways to do this, is to discover or rediscover your roots.
Family Gatherings: A Celebration of Reunion
There are few experiences you can have in Armenia that are more impactful than rekindling your roots. Repats often visit distant family members who welcome them as if they were immediate siblings, and the stories they tell around a table full of food is what leads many to maintain the same level of hospitality that was given onto them.
Repats will often start living among their family members and routinely visit them to have special but simple moments like sitting on balconies and sipping coffee. These are the experiences that people look for when they choose to live in Armenia.
Building New Connections
Of course, one does not have to visit family to be hospitable. The Armenian tendency to be welcoming often applies to friends you have just met, neighbors who live next door, and even strangers who you encounter in your everyday life.
Armenian hospitality is often expected in most interactions. Food and drink is practically a requirement and many times people will offer their guests a place to stay the night, even if they are neighbors. Oftentimes lasting friendships will be built off of the initial encounters many people have with the people they meet.
That being said, local Armenians hold more of an expectation on themselves to be hospitable and are more critical of themselves rather than others and understand if you are in a position to not return the favor. In that regard, Armenian hospitality is special because it is done by the cultural nature and not by a sense of reciprocation.
Armenian hospitality doesn’t always have to involve setting a table. Not everyone has a place where they can host their friends and family. This is precisely the reason Armenians will often fight over who gets to pay the bill, there is a strong desire to treat someone else. Therefore, if you want to build strong relationships in Armenia, there is no better way than adopting the same culture of hospitality you were shown.
The Role of Tradition in Repatriate Hospitality
Of all the great things Armenians are known for, their culture of hospitality is perhaps the most prevalent. For those who are looking to learn more about their heritage, witnessing and partaking in the Armenian tradition of hospitality is among the best ways to recognize the true value of being Armenian. To differentiate yourself as a person that dwells among a culture that considers the utmost hospitality the norm and disdains an inhospitable individual, is something to celebrate.
However, it is not simply setting a table that makes a host memorable, it's the conversations, toasts, stories, and laughter that emanate from that table full of food. For this reason, among many it is safe to live under the assumption that as a repat, you are not a guest, but rather “returning family.” From this disposition, you can come to understand your family, your homeland, and even yourself with a heartfelt connection that begins with the first bite of bread and cheese.
Hospitality as a Bridge to Your Heritage
We recommend to all our repats to accept this portion of Armenian culture and even become a part of it. Without a doubt, it is among those aspects of everyday life that people will appreciate the most and is what will leave a lasting impression among your friends, family, and neighbors.
Repats repatriate seeking a better life. Among the best ways to find a better life is to live in a healthy community of wholesome friends, family, and neighbors. The good news is that repats can often create this environment by not refusing the hospitality shown to them and being hospitable themselves.
Embracing one of the most valuable parts of Armenian identity is what creates a vibrant community in Armenia.
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