{"id":57425,"date":"2020-04-06T17:29:55","date_gmt":"2020-04-06T13:29:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.armgeo.am\/armenian-national-games\/"},"modified":"2020-12-01T13:14:55","modified_gmt":"2020-12-01T09:14:55","slug":"armenian-national-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.armgeo.am\/en\/armenian-national-games\/","title":{"rendered":"Armenian national games"},"content":{"rendered":"

Speaking about national games, many Armenians immediately remember kokh, chlik-dastan, seven stones, havala (leapfrog) and many other games. There are many Armenian national games and in this article, we will talk about some of them. From ancient times, games have been an integral part of Armenian life. In the Middle Ages theatrical and circus performances were also called games. Also during such performances, holidays and rituals people often sang playful funny songs.<\/p>\n

Children’s games were not only a way to entertain children, but also to develop them. From ancient times, Armenians attached great importance to the upbringing of children, especially boys. Since childhood, games have influenced not only the physical abilities, but also helped children to develop ingenuity and a competitive spirit. In addition, comic songs and poems developed in children a sense of humor.<\/p>\n

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Armenian national games \/ Photo by Hovik Charkhchyan<\/p><\/div>\n

Although games are very different, they all have one thing in common – competition and theatrical nature. Games were mainly different for people of different ages and genders. Games for boys were very different from games for girls. They required more physical strength.<\/p>\n

At different times in history, within different families there were unions that had their own special games. Within these unions, each gender and age group had their own meeting places, and each had their own time to play games. The number of participants in such groups could reach 200 people. They could get together, play and joke. The best place to hang out and play was either a large field or a roof.<\/p>\n

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Armenian national games \/ Barekendan<\/p><\/div>\n

Traditional game competitions and theatrical performances were mainly held during ritual ceremonies. Barekendan was distinguished by a variety of performances. According to ancient ritual, Barekendan was considered a day of madness and fun. As a rule, the whole community gathered in the middle of the village and started the celebration full of contests, games, songs and dances. At the end, everyone gathered around a large table for a feast.\u00a0 During this holiday, performances of many national games were shown.<\/p>\n\n