Traditions

In the Armenian tradition, the bride’s  friends and the women of her future family participate in a communal  bath. The goal is getting ready for the event and making sure the bride  does not conceal any physical impairments. The women also take part in  making and embroidering a pillow which the new couple will enjoy on  their wedding night. That is the origin of the Armenian wish for  newlyweds: “May they get old on one pillow” (mek bartsi vra tseranan), a  wish for a long union. All villagers  provide food and refreshments for  the party, and everyone is included in the celebration.

Khlvlik (mischievous devil) is one of Salmast’s old traditions observed towards the
end of the fall season, during the month of November. It is a fun activity enjoyed
by village children and adolescents who at dusk would wear costumes and
disguises, walk from roof to roof and lower bags into the interiors while singing
songs with special lyrics. Each home’s dwellers must fill the bags with treats like
dried fuit, candy, nuts and cookies. Bags that are returned empty to the result in
pranks and tricks on the household. This Armenian village tradition is remarkably
similar to the Day of the Dead (El Dia de los Muertos) in Mexico, and to the
Halloween tradition in America.