MARIETA

ASATRYAN
HALLOWEEN
IN ARMENIA
 HALLOWEEN
• When growing up in Armenia, I have always imagined Halloween as this strange and scary
holiday that the Americans celebrate. Yes, Americans only – because I would only watch
American movies depicting Halloween, and I would read about the origins of Halloween and
its celebration in textbooks for my English class.
• But I could never even imagine that, by the time I reached my late twenties, Halloween will
have crept into the minds of the young Armenians as something to be celebrated on October
31st.
• Yes, Halloween is now a ‘thing’ in Armenia. But unlike the US, Armenians aren’t carving
pumpkins, decorating houses, or even trick or treating. Halloween celebration is just dressing
up and going to a club or a bar to spend some fun time in a good company.
HALLOWEEN,,,
YES, HALLOWEEN IS NOW A ‘THING’ IN ARMENIA. BUT UNLIKE THE US, ARMENIANS AREN’T
CARVING PUMPKINS, DECORATING HOUSES, OR EVEN TRICK OR TREATING. HALLOWEEN
CELEBRATION IS JUST DRESSING UP AND GOING TO A CLUB OR A BAR TO SPEND SOME
FUN TIME IN A GOOD COMPANY.
WHY HALLOWEEN HAS BECOME A THING IN ARMENIA
ARMENIANS HAVE BEEN CELEBRATING HALLOWEEN FOR ABOUT THE LAST 8 YEARS.
THERE ARE TWO REASONS FOR HALLOWEEN’S POPULARITY. FIRST,   GLOBALIZATION AND
WESTERNIZATION ARE GETTING MORE WIDESPREAD, AND SMALL NATIONS ARE MORE
EASILY CONVINCED TO ADOPT WESTERN PRACTICES. THE INTERNET AND MEDIA, BEING
FULL OF EVERYTHING HALLOWEEN RELATED, HAVE TOO MUCH OF AN IMPACT ON THE
MILLENNIAL POPULATIONS WORLDWIDE, INCLUDING ARMENIA.
ANOTHER REASON FOR HALLOWEEN’S DEVELOPMENT IN ARMENIA HAS BEEN THE
INCREASED NUMBER OF STUDENT EXCHANGE PROGRAMS IN ARMENIA. IN THE LAST
DECADE, THOUSANDS OF ARMENIAN STUDENTS WENT ABROAD ON EDUCATIONAL
PROGRAMS. THEY GOT A CHANCE TO SEE HOW HALLOWEEN WAS CELEBRATED IN THOSE
COUNTRIES.  AND UPON RETURNING, THEY WANTED TO SHARE AND RELIVE THOSE
EXPERIENCES. THEY DIDN’T WANT TO DIFFER FROM THEIR FOREIGN PEERS.
ADD IN THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF ARMENIAN DIASPORA DECENDENTS THAT
HAVE GROWN UP IN WESTERN SOCIETIES, AND HALLOWEEN’S SLOW ZOMBIE-CRAWL INTO
ARMENIAN CULTURE WAS INEVITABLE.
,
,
CRITICISM
THE INTRODUCTION OF HALLOWEEN INTO ARMENIAN CULTURE HASN’T GONE
UNNOTICED AND UNCRITICIZED HOWEVER.  ALMOST IMMEDIATELY,
HALLOWEEN’S POPULARITY FACED CRITICISM FROM THE CLERGY. THEY
REFERRED TO THE HOLIDAY ES THE DEVIL’S CELEBRATION. THE ARMENIAN
INTERNET IS ALSO FULL OF SOME RELIGIOUS ARTICLES CALLING UPON PEOPLE
NOT TO CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAY.
HALLOWEEN WAS ALSO NOT WELCOMED BY GEN X-ERS AND OLDER FOLKS
EITHER. THEIR MAIN CONCERN WAS THE PERILS OF WESTERNIZATION, SUCH AS
LOSING THE ARMENIAN CULTURAL IDENTITY. IN FACT, I CAME ACROSS AN ANTI-
HALLOWEEN EVENT ON FACEBOOK THAT SOME OF MY ARMENIAN FRIENDS
SHARED. APPARENTLY THERE IS GOING TO BE A PROTEST AGAINST HALLOWEEN
CELEBRATION IN ARMENIA ON OCTOBER 31 ST.
HOWEVER, DESPITE ALL THE BACKLASH, THE HOLIDAY IS STILL BECOMING MORE
AND MORE POPULAR. MOST PEOPLE SEEM TO SHARE THE OPINION THAT THERE
IS NOTHING WRONG WITH TRYING ON DIFFERENT COSTUMES AND JUST HAVING
FUN!
THE END