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An Armenian mom loving her daughter[/caption]
Conversations among women living in Armenian households tend to focus on our culture and values, as well as our heritage and religion. Then there are also discussions regarding our food and language. Today, we have a look, through the decades, at what Armenian moms from around the world have had to say about their motherhood. Has the role of the Armenian mothers changed much over time?
Living in Beirut, Lebanon in 1956, an Armenian mom gave her comments on motherhood and how she felt about it. She saw it as a challenging task in those years, being expected by her community to maintain their heritage and culture within the household. She spoke of always wanting the very best for her children and making sacrifices for them, saying that, "Armenian moms love their family more than they love themselves, their love is unconditional towards their children."
What was life like for mothers in Armenia in the 1940's? A mother living in Yerevan, Armenia in 1947 shared how important it was always to ensure that the children were emotionally and financially supported. She felt it important for her family to be in a God-centered home where they could establish their faith, family, and the Armenian spirit. She felt that an Armenian mom's role was creating a warm, loving environment for her family.
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Three generations of Armenian women enjoying one another's company[/caption]
An Armenian mother residing in Abu Dhabi, UAE in 1981 mentioned that it was essential for her kids to inherit an Armenian spirit, and be proud of their heritage so that they might pass their values on to the next generation.
From Baku, Azerbaijan in 1983, one mom had this to say, "if you are an Armenian mom and hire a cleaning service, you clean things before and after the cleaners are done."
Life in the 1920's had Armenian mothers feeling much the same about motherhood. A mother from Beirut, Lebanon, stated that, in 1920 the importance of motherhood was to "love her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren." A mother was seen as one who takes care of the family by "providing food, of course, Armenian, made with love."
A mother in Athens, Greece in 1920 mentioned how Armenians place a lot of value on family, faith, their Armenian language, and cuisine. She said, "Armenian moms do everything with love, patience and in God's grace."
A women living in Burbank, America in 1920 loved looking into her children's eyes and seeing how they are "beautiful pieces of fabric in a tapestry of our history and our future."
[caption id="attachment_1474" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Armenian girls learn a traditional folk dance[/caption]
An Armenian from Fresno, America in 1978 said how important it was for her to ensure that her daughter values being an Armenian. She wanted her to know the cultural history and their Christian background. She shared with her daughter the stories of how her great- grandparents survived the genocide and came to America to build a life in Fresno.
"Love of family, community, religion and Armenian culture," these are characteristics highlighted by a women living in Astrakhan, Russia in 1915. She also mentioned the significance of making sacrifices for her family and preserving their heritage to be passed on to future generations.
We realize that not much has changed when it comes to motherhood and family values amongst these women over the years. They all lived in different cultural settings and at various times, yet each one has managed to instilling the Armenian values in their children, which as you can see have been passed down through the generations with love, as only an Armenian mother could do.
An Armenian mom loving her daughter[/caption]
Conversations among women living in Armenian households tend to focus on our culture and values, as well as our heritage and religion. Then there are also discussions regarding our food and language. Today, we have a look, through the decades, at what Armenian moms from around the world have had to say about their motherhood. Has the role of the Armenian mothers changed much over time?
Living in Beirut, Lebanon in 1956, an Armenian mom gave her comments on motherhood and how she felt about it. She saw it as a challenging task in those years, being expected by her community to maintain their heritage and culture within the household. She spoke of always wanting the very best for her children and making sacrifices for them, saying that, "Armenian moms love their family more than they love themselves, their love is unconditional towards their children."
What was life like for mothers in Armenia in the 1940's? A mother living in Yerevan, Armenia in 1947 shared how important it was always to ensure that the children were emotionally and financially supported. She felt it important for her family to be in a God-centered home where they could establish their faith, family, and the Armenian spirit. She felt that an Armenian mom's role was creating a warm, loving environment for her family.
[caption id="attachment_1473" align="alignright" width="300"] Three generations of Armenian women enjoying one another's company[/caption]
An Armenian mother residing in Abu Dhabi, UAE in 1981 mentioned that it was essential for her kids to inherit an Armenian spirit, and be proud of their heritage so that they might pass their values on to the next generation.
From Baku, Azerbaijan in 1983, one mom had this to say, "if you are an Armenian mom and hire a cleaning service, you clean things before and after the cleaners are done."
Life in the 1920's had Armenian mothers feeling much the same about motherhood. A mother from Beirut, Lebanon, stated that, in 1920 the importance of motherhood was to "love her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren." A mother was seen as one who takes care of the family by "providing food, of course, Armenian, made with love."
A mother in Athens, Greece in 1920 mentioned how Armenians place a lot of value on family, faith, their Armenian language, and cuisine. She said, "Armenian moms do everything with love, patience and in God's grace."
A women living in Burbank, America in 1920 loved looking into her children's eyes and seeing how they are "beautiful pieces of fabric in a tapestry of our history and our future."
[caption id="attachment_1474" align="alignleft" width="300"] Armenian girls learn a traditional folk dance[/caption]
An Armenian from Fresno, America in 1978 said how important it was for her to ensure that her daughter values being an Armenian. She wanted her to know the cultural history and their Christian background. She shared with her daughter the stories of how her great- grandparents survived the genocide and came to America to build a life in Fresno.
"Love of family, community, religion and Armenian culture," these are characteristics highlighted by a women living in Astrakhan, Russia in 1915. She also mentioned the significance of making sacrifices for her family and preserving their heritage to be passed on to future generations.
We realize that not much has changed when it comes to motherhood and family values amongst these women over the years. They all lived in different cultural settings and at various times, yet each one has managed to instilling the Armenian values in their children, which as you can see have been passed down through the generations with love, as only an Armenian mother could do.