Picnics are an enduring feature of Armenian life, gatherings where the shared traditions of food, stories, music, and dance keep the culture vibrant. Young and old come together to participate in familiar customs. Project SAVE Armenian Photograph Archives is proud to share its photos of picnics in America starting from 1900 and continuing through the decades. Many of these gatherings are organized formally, by churches, political, and social organizations, while others are simple gatherings of friends and family. The sound of the oud or zurna, the alluring aroma of barbequing meat, and the sight of traditional dances all contribute to the familiar ritual. The Armenian Apostolic Church follows the centuries-old tradition of blessing the first grapes of the harvest in early August. Each parish has a picnic to prepare madagh, or offering. In larger communities, the summer calendar fills up with opportunities to come together and eat, dance and hear the Armenian language and music. Friends and family gather after a long workweek and enjoy each other's company and share a meal. Often someone brings along an instrument. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, new immigrants arriving in America from the Ottoman Empire often sought out people from their home provinces. Over time, their descendants developed organizations as a way to keep the connection to their ancestors' village or province. These summer picnics were an opportunity to share a traditional dish with ancestral neighbors or listen to music with dance steps unique to their homeland. In the following photos, we include a selection featuring the people of Van, who call themselves Vanetzis; people from Sepastia, or Sepastatsis; people from Kesserig, and people from Kharpert. Armenian picnics continue today, teaching new generations traditions now celebrated throughout the Armenian Diaspora.
