Madagh
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''Madagh'' is an Armenian custom of commemorating victims through requiem services, most often associated with the annual remembrance of the
Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily t ...
. ''Madagh'' is typically celebrated with community gatherings sponsored by churches, which include public offerings of food. Food offerings often include lamb stew with
pilaf Pilaf (), pilav or pilau () is a rice dish, or in some regions, a wheat dish, whose recipe usually involves cooking in stock or broth, adding spices, and other ingredients such as vegetables or meat, and employing some technique for achieving ...
made from
bulgur Bulgur (; ; ; ), or Borghol (), is a cracked wheat foodstuff found in Egyptian cuisine, South Asian cuisine and West Asian cuisine. Characteristics Bulgur is distinct from cracked wheat, which is crushed wheat grain that, unlike bulgur, has ...
, and Armenian flat bread or ''katah'' bread.


Historical origins

Some religious scholars assert that ''madagh'' (or sometimes ''matal'') has its roots in ancient liturgical sacrifice. The legitimation of the ''madagh'' sacrifice within the early Armenian
Christian church In ecclesiology, the Christian Church is what different Christian denominations conceive of as being the true body of Christians or the original institution established by Jesus Christ. "Christian Church" has also been used in academia as a syn ...
is particularly associated with
Gregory the Illuminator Gregory the Illuminator ( – ) was the founder and first official Catholicos of All Armenians, head of the Armenian Apostolic Church. He Christianization of Armenia, converted Armenia from Zoroastrianism in Armenia, Zoroastrianism to Chris ...
. The ''madagh'' is still considered one of the most important religious blessings in the contemporary Armenian Church. Contemporary church leaders assert that the ritual today is imbued with a new set of religious significance within the canon of Orthodox Christian practice. Contemporary interpretations link the ''madagh'' with the practice of Christian ''agape'', or communal fellowship and love. It is also connected with the practice of religious charity, because the meal is often given to the community for free and is associated with feeding the poor.St. Hagop's Armenian Church
/ref> Members of the
Armenian diaspora The Armenian diaspora refers to the communities of Armenians outside Armenia and other locations where Armenians are considered an indigenous population. Since antiquity, Armenians have established communities in many regions throughout the world. ...
typically associate the serving of the ''madagh'' with an annual commemoration of
martyr's day
, the anniversary of the massacre of Armenian intellectuals throughout the
Anatolian peninsula Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...
, which took place on April 24, 1915 (
Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily t ...
). Although, for many, it is an apt time for partaking in ''madagh'', ''madagh'' celebrations take place throughout the summer months. The connection of the ''madagh'' to commemoration of the Armenian genocide in Turkey may be a contentious point, as the genocide is not officially recognized within Turkey. This past uses the term "genocide" to accurately reproduce the understanding and interpretations of those populations that are enacting the ritual and is in keeping with most scholarly accounts. Moreover, despite its association with the genocide, the ''madagh'' may be used as part of other requiem services (''Hokehankisd''), including victims of other massacres or departed loved ones.


Food and festivities

Such events are popular in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
as well as in the sizable Armenian descent population concentrated in Southeastern WisconsinPhyllis Sides.
Annual Armenian Picnic Shared Food, Fellowship
" ''Racine Journal Times'' June 25, 2007
and Northern Illinois. The events are often an opportunity to showcase traditional
Armenian cuisine Armenian cuisine () includes the foods and cooking techniques of the Armenians, Armenian people and traditional Armenian foods and drinks. The cuisine reflects the history and geography where Armenians have lived and where Armenian empires exi ...
. At such feasts, particularly in the Midwestern USA, the ''madagh'' is typically celebrated wit
Lamb Stew
an

(click links for recipes). Older men from the community dig large pits in the earth the night before the feast, in which the communal pots of pilaf and lamb stew are roasted. On the day of the festival, which is free and open to the public, the presiding priest blesses the food and asks for God to remember the departed who are being commemorated as part of the Requiem Service. After the blessing, families line up with pots and bowls into which volunteers pass out the communal lamb stew and pilaf. Occasionally, one of the few remaining living survivors of the
Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenians, Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily t ...
will be brought in to join the event. When such an honored guest is present, feast attendees typically gather around to hear a first-person account of the history as lived in 1915 through the eyes of a child. As of 2004, it was believed that there were only four remaining living survivors of the genocide in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. Annual ''madagh'' festivals are important cultural and community events apart from their historic connection to commemorating Armenian genocide. You may see young men playing soccer or throwing a football while the old men play backgammon in the shade. After the eating is finished, an Armenian band may play
Armenian folk music Armenian folk music is a genre of Armenian music. It usually uses the duduk, the kemenche, and the oud. It is very similar to folk music in the Caucasus and shares many similar songs and traditions with countries around Armenia, namely Georgi ...
for traditional dancing. Dancers line up next to each other, link pinkie fingers, and move their feet in pattern to the music as the line snakes around the pavilion. At most festival celebrations, guests attending the festival but unfamiliar with the history would be unlikely to note a connection to the genocide.


See also

* Matagh *
Kourbania ''Kourbania'' (, pl. from and ultimately from , sacrificial rite analogous to Jewish qorban) is a Christianized animal sacrifice in parts of Greece. It usually involves the slaughter of lambs as "kourbania" offerings to saints. In antiquity ...


References


External links


Hye Etch


* Se

{dead link, date=January 2018 , bot=InternetArchiveBot , fix-attempted=yes for ''Madagh'' dates on the east coast of the US. Armenian genocide commemoration Armenian genocide memorials Culture of Armenia