Ambartsum - Ascension of the Lord in Armenia

The Day of the Ascension of the Lord in Armenia is called Ambartsum Celebrated 40 days after Easter, it is considered one of the most important events in the church calendar Ambartsum traces its origins back to the 4th-5th centuries The primary source of the holiday is the narration of the Gospel texts A well-known legend about the resurrection of Jesus Christ after the crucifixion For forty days Christ remained with his disciples and followers, with all the people on Earth And then, on the fortieth day, he called his disciples to the Mount of Olives (Mount of Olives), which is located in the vicinity of Jerusalem, and gave a blessing for the enlightenment of the common people He called on his followers to bring the Word of God to all peoples in all parts of the world, to teach the basics of beneficence, because only in this way, through righteous deeds and thoughts, can you save your soul The words of Jesus touched the hearts of the disciples to the depths of their souls They looked after their teacher, and Christ began to rise above them, soared in the air and soon disappeared behind the clouds After the Ascension of the Lord, angels descended from heaven to the apostles They told that Jesus was seated in the Kingdom of God, and also laid out the path for new righteous deeds After all, the Lord will return to Earth again This will be the time of the great Judgment, and until then the apostles must carry the foundations of faith to the people, do everything to save as many lost souls as possible In Armenia, a festive church liturgy takes place on Ascension As a rule, liturgies are held a week before the event, every morning Visiting a temple for believers is an unchanging tradition; people go to church with special reverence to find peace and tranquility here for the mind and heart The Day of the Ascension of the Lord in Armenia is also celebrated with many folk rituals that have come into modern times from the gray ages Folk celebrations for the great holiday mark a cycle of rituals called Jangyulum The word is very poetic: “gyul” means the concept of a flower, a rose, and personifies traditions associated with the spring rejuvenation of the earth and faith in a new, better life “Jan” is a glorifying exclamation that is used after a name In all regions of the country, folk celebrations are held, sometimes associated with ancient superstitions In some regions, for forty days after Easter, women do not do sewing work because they are afraid of going blind, and in others, all dairy products are excluded from the diet for forty days so that cows do not stop producing milk Folk festivities on Ambartsum are closely connected and intertwined with centuries-old rituals On this day, children go to the meadows to collect the most beautiful flowers and weave festive wreaths from them Young girls weave a special ceremonial wreath in the shape of a cross (Tsakhkamer) A ritual called the Lot is also performed Young beauties wear the brightest, most colorful outfits, embroidered with intricate patterns, and go to the mountains and meadows to fill their special jug Water from seven springs, sand from seven mountain streams, seven drops of dew and radiant inflorescences of seven different varieties are placed in it The earth on this day is considered fertilized; it gives the most valuable gifts It is customary to keep a jug with special contents open under the starry sky To transfer grace to their body, girls put personal items into the vessel: rings, earrings, pins or buttons, and then with special trepidation they take them out and wear them for a whole year The contents of the vessel are not thrown away, but used on the farm: water for dough, flowers for animal feed The day ends with evening festivities, songs, and dances Whole flocks of white doves are released into the sky - a symbol of goodness, purity, and hope