Kara's+European+Nation+Profile

European Nation Profile

=**__Armenia__**= toc Armenia is a country located directly in between main land Europe and main land Asia. Armenia has a very rich religious background, many Armenians have Christianity faith. Food is a big part of their culture, the best meals in Armenia are home cooked. Many like to eat sarma, which is a grape leave wrapped around rice or meat that can be hot or cold. Chess and backgammon are popular games to be played in people’s free time. Armenia can be a very beautiful country when you explore it.

**Religion**
The main religion of Armenia is Christianity. The apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus had first introduced Christianity to Armenia. During that time paganism was widespread and practiced by the Armenian kings. Many temples had been put all around Armenia. A Greek-style temple in Garni, was restored in the 1960’s and it is still standing today. Many people practice the Christian faith in Armenia today. As this started happening many churches and monasteries were rebuilt. But some people don’t like to practice Christianity so the follow the old Armenian faith.

Armenians have many different religious holidays. The celebration of the New Year in Armenia is one of the oldest of all holidays. It is the first day on the Gregorian calendar, many say it is a time of renewal and to get rid of all your old bad habits and get good habits. Saint Sargi Feast Day is also a religious holiday celebrated 63 days before Easter Day. Many young people gather to celebrate this holiday. They fast all day then eat a piece of salty bread and drink no water, then the person who would give them a cup of water and that was believed to be their future wife or husband. On the Sunday closest to August 15th the Grape Blessing Day is celebrated. Church-goers go to a market and buy grapes on their way to church. They then enter the church as “forbidden fruit” and leave it blessed, it is one of the most beloved ceremonies in the Armenian Church calendar. That is some of the religious holidays Armenia has.

**Food**
Food in Armenia is very delicious and is full of meat and different spices and herbs. The restaurants in Armenia are very expensive and not as good as eating a home cooked meal. If you are ever in Armenia and you get invited to a dinner at someones house you should always go! It is very hard to find a good home cooked fresh meal when you are a tourist. Armenians foods are prepared seasonally using the freshest meats, vegetables, fruits, herbs, and spices available. If you go to dinner at another persons house you should always try everything at the table. If you do not try everything the cook considers it rude and a bad reflection to her culinary skills. When they eat at the table Armenians eat like Americans do. With forks, knives, spoons, etc. Armenians cooking is very delicious to many people but it can be bland because they use meat in almost every dish.

Snacks in Armenia are very much appreciated. Armenians might want a snack in between all their meals. Lamb is an ingredient that is essential in this case. Lamb is used to make lahamajun. Lahamajun is a pizza that is made with ground up cooked lamb on top. Also many people like to eat sarma. Sarma is a grape leaf that is wrapped around rice and/or lamb. Armenia has many different primary sauces. Armenian sauces are created right with the meal unlike the French do. There are many different kinds of Armenian foods that are delicious.

**Recreation**
In Armenians free time they like to play chess. Chess is very popular, if you want to learn chess they have chess academies you may attend. Many people take time out of their days just to go watch a chess tournament. Also, wrestling, weight lifting, judo, soccer, and boxing are very popular sports. Armenia was in the 1992 Olympics taking home three golds and one silver, despite having only five athletes. They were successful in weight lifting, wrestling, and sharp shooting. In the winter Olympics Armenia competes in alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, and figure skating. In the summer Olympics they compete in boxing, wrestling, weightlifting, judo, gymnastics, track and field, diving, swimming and sharp shooting. Tigran Gevorg Martirosyan is a weight lifter from Armenia. He won the bronze medal in the 2008 summer Olympics, with 338 kg in total. Armenia is very popular in all their sports.

In Armenia certain things may be rude to them. If you yawn in front of them they would find it very disrespectful. Many Armenians enjoy to dance in their free time also. While you dance you link pinkies with the people next to you, you dance in a circle or while weaving around the floor. The music is very easy to dance to, it is easy to learn. Once you watch it for awhile you will get used to the flow of the music and just join in the fun. Also, Armenia has many tourist stands where you can buy souvenirs to bring back with you. Armenia also has beautiful places you can visit. There are many other things that make Armenia unique.

**References**
 "About Armenian Food." 25 Mar. 2011. Web. .

 "About Armenian: The Religion." // Armenian Information //. Armenian Tourism Development Agency., 2003. Web. 2011. .

 "Armenian Holidays." // Mark the Day //. Spyder Web Enterprises LLC, 1999. Web. .

 Ney, Rick. "About Armenian Food." // Tour Armenia //. 25 Mar. 2011. Web. .

 "Sport." // Malta Armenia Diaspora //. 27 Apr. 2009. Web. 27 June 2009. .

 Straigh, Dorothy. // The World Book //. A ed. World Book, 2004. Print. World Book.

 "What Do Armenian People Eat?" // What Do They All Eat? // Web. .