Haikian Calendar 4518

Navasart (new year) was the name of the first month of the ancient Armenian calendar, and the first day corresponds to August 11th in the Gregorian calendar that we use today and commemorated the beginning of Armenian history. According to legend, on August 11, 2492 BCE, the patriarch Hayk killed the Babylonian tyrant, Bel, thus founding the Armenian nation. August 11, 2026, according to the “Haikian calendar” (Հայկեան տոմար), which was the oldest one in use, is 1 of Navasart of the Armenian year 4518. The day marks the beginning of the Haikian calendar. This calendar was created to make the holidays more accessible. It denotes both when the holidays are according to the Haikian calendar and also when the holidays are, where applicable, according to the liturgical calendar. After the adoption of Christianity many of the holidays were given biblical explanations and moved to align with church holidays. [example- Zatik is supposed to land on the first full moon after the spring equinox, marking the birth of the gods of thunder, lightening and fire. Zatik (to divide) marks the uncoupling of spring from winter. The church has rebranded Zatik as Easter, so in the year of 4518 the Haikian calendar marks Zatik as March 22nd, where the liturgical calendar marks it as March 28th.] This calendar allows us to explore the roots of these holidays while also sharing when these holidays are celebrated modernly in the homeland and in the diaspora. This knowledge, research and illustrations were gathered and created for the zine Ancient Fires // Future Waters: Reclaiming Ancient Armenian Rituals that was created with Kamee Abrahamian The illustrations for this print were taken from the image created for Tsmernayin Arevatarts (Winter Solstice) in Ancient Fires // Future Waters. Tsmernayin Arevatarts, among other things which you can learn about in the zine, commemorates the death and rebirth of the unconquerable sun, who represented the greatest visible fire of all. A commonplace tradition was a water blessing ceremony called churorhnek, wherein myuron (sacred oil) would be poured into a river and folks would collect the blessed water, particularly to bathe newborns and those who were ill. Families would also keep some of the water to use throughout the year, adding small amounts in their water source for everyday drinking. Risograph print.