Michink
Grigor
Aslanian, Arman Sirounian, Andrea Ogura, Kimberly A. Lastrilla
In our society
today, money is not only used as a monetary object but also as a non-monetary
object. Through research and interviewing, we have discovered that Armenians
practice something called “Michink” or “Micheng”
which translates to “mid-Lent.” Very little research has been
done on this particular subject. The special day called “Michink”
is a celebration during the middle of lent, to encourage people to persevere
until the end of lent. During this celebration, women would insert a coin
into a pastry and whoever received the slice with the coin would receive
good luck. There seemed to be many different aspects to this tradition
which are historical, cultural, and monetary. Through in-depth research,
interviews, and analysis, many discoveries have been uncovered about this
tradition called “Michink.”
301 A.D. was the year that Christianity was established as Armenia’s
national religion. Before Christianity, the Armenians had worshiped the
sun. During this time, a man named Gregory was going around Armenia preaching
Christianity. When King Trdat got word of this, he sentenced Gregory to
live the rest of his life in a very deep pit for the charge of blasphemy.
While Gregory was in the pit the King became ill and acted out his animalistic
instincts and took on the image of a beast. After no cure was found that
would heal him, Trdat’s sister finally freed Gregory to try and
heal Trdat with his Christian prayers. After praying endlessly for Trdats
forgiveness, Gregory was successful in healing the king. After Trdat was
cured, he adopted Christianity as the nation’s official religion,
and so Armenia became the first country in history to adopt Christianity
as its official religion.
Since then, Armenians have been devout Christians who celebrate during
Easter and have come up with their unique traditions which they practice
during this period. In Armenia and many other countries, they participate
in something called Lent or in Armenian “Medz Bahk”. “Medz
Bahk” literally translates into “Big Lent” or “Big
Abstinence.” This is a period of time that is given to them in order
to prepare for the Feast of Easter, and the spiritual reawakening people
experience. This period during Lent is forty days long and serves many
purposes.
Some of the opportunities that Lent provides is a time to renew people’s
commitment to God, reflect on people’s lives, and respond to Jesus’
call for love and mercy toward all of God’s children. These are
only some of the things that people try to accomplish during the “Medz
Bahk”. During this very special time during the year, Armenians
are able to guard themselves against worldly distractions and allow room
for the Holy Spirit to fill their bodies.
For many, they will try to gain the strength they desire to work at being
more loving, gentle, and humble. They try to accomplish these noble characteristics
through prayer, Bible study, and fasting. According to the Armenian Church,
“The heart of Lent is inner penitence and reconciliation with God.”
As Christians, this period of time is set aside to examine and evaluate
one’s life. Many of them will renew their spirits, but only if they
are able to repent for their sins and change their life for God.
Another important aspect of “Medz Bahk” is fasting and abstinence.
In Armenia they have terms for fasting which is “Dzom,” and
abstinence which is “Bahk.” This refers to a person who attempts
to stay away from an extravagant and excessive lifestyle, and sensual
pleasures. Abstinence requires religious followers to try and avoid consumption
of certain food products and culinary delights. Some of these include
different types of meat, fats, eggs, alcoholic drinks, and dairy products.
Instead of consuming these foods, they will resort to replacing their
diets with lots of vegetables and grain. Abstinence is not only for food;
it also pertains to material pleasures. Instead of buying things that
are unnecessary or being pleasured sensually, they emphasize prayers,
a very humble lifestyle, and spiritual values. Many times abstinence or
fasting is for a man to be reinforced and renewed by cleansing his soul,
and engaging in religious practices and leading a moral way of life.
Fasting is also a very significant part in Lent, and is supposed to strengthen
people’s spirituality. Along with refraining from certain food products,
people also try to stay away from frivolous entertainment, parties, and
movies. The Armenian Church suggests that every faithful Christian can
do some of the following in order to stay in the Lenten spirit. The first
thing they can do is set aside some time for daily prayer, spiritual readings,
and Bible study. It also suggested that people reduce their amount of
outside activities, and keep Wednesdays and Fridays open for fast days.
Lastly, the Armenian Church suggests that there should be a family effort
to integrate these activities into every member’s life during lent.
Finally after three and a half weeks of fasting, all women get together
for “Micheng.” This is also known as “mid-Lent,”
and is a very special occasion. This celebration happens on the twentieth
day of lent and occurs on the Wednesday of the fourth week. This day marks
the success of restraint during the first half of lent. Although this
is a celebration, it is not a religious feast of any particular significance.
The main purpose of “Micheng” is to inspire and encourage
persistence, so that these people will continue on through the second
half of Lent until the end which is Easter Sunday. Not only is it designed
to keep spirits up, but it is also a way to bring people together and
give them strength to continue.
Michink has crept into the Armenian culture through years of tradition
and practice. The Armenian culture itself is a very vast subject. The
Armenian diaspora includes three main types of Armenians: Lebanese, Iranian
(Persian), and Armenian Armenians. With the passing of time these three
divisions of Armenians have adopted many different types of traditions,
but overall their underlying practices are essentially the same. This
concept remains true when applied to the tradition of “Michink.”
Persian-Armenians, who are the main group of people who are familiar with
this custom, are the ones who practice this tradition fervently. Even
the language of the Armenians, which is also called Armenian, differs
between these three groups.
These differences were brought about when Armenia, as a nation, was fragmented
because of the genocide of 1915. After the Turkish government put together
a mass genocide which claimed the lives of 1.5 million Armenian men, women,
and children, the survivors fled to nearby countries to escape persecution.
This is where the large division between the Armenian people and their
culture began. Many Armenians fled to Iran, and others fled to Lebanon
to find refuge from the Turkish military. Others, who lived to see another
day, tried to continue their lives in what remained of Armenia. Though
this process, at first, was difficult, the Armenians in these countries
flourished into very separate but equally prosperous ethnic groups rich
with culture and tradition. But along the way new traditions, and variations
of practiced traditions became commonplace among these three different
groups. The tradition of “Michink” was no different; it spawned
modified forms of practices, but in essence the practices were the same
and still shared a common heritage.
This can be seen in the different forms that the concept of “Michink”
has taken on within the Armenian community. Persian-Armenians who were
interviewed said that to them “Michink” is a dessert with
a penny hidden somewhere in it, which is prepared on the 20th day of Lent.
This tradition is widely practiced in the Persian-Armenian (Iranian-Armenian)
community. Almost every Persian-Armenian who was interviewed knew about
this practice, and said they prepare it themselves.
But through the use of research and interviews, it became evident that
“Michink” itself was not the pastry that was served at Easter.
“Michink” as Armenians know it, is defined as “middle.”
This “middle” that kept being mentioned by the interviewed
subjects, refers to the 20th day of Lent before Easter. This is the time
where the Iranian-Armenians have created a tradition where they take a
break from the practice of Lent, and on this day the “Michink Gatta”
is prepared and served. “Michink Gatta” is the actual name
of the pastry which is prepared during the “Michink” ritual,
and includes the coin. Iranian-Armenians who were interviewed claimed
that the pastry was cut into slices, similar to a pizza, and passed out
to whoever was present during the “Michink” dinner. Inside
the pastry was a coin hidden somewhere, and whoever got the slice with
the coin in it receives good luck, until next year when someone else gets
it. A video of the making of the actual Gatta can be found in this link:
http://home.perekrestok.am/english/features2001/2703.htm.
The end result is the “Michink Gatta” (top: Gatta being prepared;
below: end result is Michink Gatta which is on the left):
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Through some more detailed research, it was discovered that in the past,
when the tradition first began, a gold coin was inserted into the “Michink
Gatta” and that the gold coin would be the gift to the person who
received the slice with the coin in it. The reason why they used a gold
coin was probably because there wasn’t much else, if anything, that
was more valuable at the time. Even though they had different currencies
back when Michink was originated, such as different types of precious
stones, gold was definitely a universal currency that could be used by
everyone. For gold to be such an important thing back then, some may wonder
why they used it and not something else to put into the Gatta because
whoever received the gold coin would keep it as a souvenir and not use
it. Gold, being such a valuable thing to many had become a non-monetary
object when it came to “Michink.” Religion is such an important
part of Armenian lives that not only did they want to use the greatest
piece of metal to put in the Gatta, but also show God that they are willing
to sacrifice their money and not use it.
Nowadays
this tradition has been changed, and depending on the person asked, the
individual who gets the coin in the middle now receives either good luck
or a present from those people who did not find the coin in their slice
of “Michink Gatta.” So through the use of interviews it was
discovered that some Persian-Armenians have a practice of gift giving
to whoever gets the coin, and others say the coin just brings good luck.
Since very little research has been done on this topic, we were not able
to find out this aspect of the “Michink Gatta.”
Today in the United States, many Armenians (mainly in Southern California)
continue to carry on the tradition of “Michink” on the 20th
day of Lent. However, there are a few minor differences, but the meaning
of it has not changed at all throughout the centuries. One minor difference
in the “Michink” today is the transformation of the gold coin
into a nickel or penny. Below are pictures of the coin and it being prepared
to be put into the pastry.
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The
gold coin is very seldom used today and most people, who bake the Gatta,
put some type of small coin in it. The reason for this transformation
is that gold coins have become rare to our modern day society, and most
people who receive gold today would probably either use it or save it
for monetary purposes. A penny or five cents is not a big deal to anyone
today, and no one would regret saving it for good luck and not being able
to spend it. Saving a penny because a person feels will bring luck to
them will most likely have greater value to the person rather the penny
itself as a monetary object. There is not much a person can get today
with a penny if they can get anything at all. However, if the person received
the penny from a slice of “Gatta” during “Michink,”
they would cherish that penny and the penny would bring them hope, and
happiness psychologically, rather than through a monetary exchange.
Another reason why gold coins are not used today and have been replaced
with loose change is that “Michink” has become such a communal
event, that it is not just mothers baking it and placing the coins in
the Gattas themselves. Bakeries in most Armenian communities sell them
today with the penny or nickel baked right inside of them ready to be
bought, taken home, and served. In Glendale, California, there are probably
at least ten different bakeries that sell it because of the huge demand
for it from the people in that area. Bakeries would be unable to put gold
coins or any other expensive coin in hundreds of Gattas for us to have,
because after all, they do need to make some profit off of what they sell.
We also would not be able nor would we want to go to a bakery and pay
a lot of money for a Gatta that has a gold coin baked inside of it. Using
simple pennies and nickels makes it easier on the bakeries as well as
the consumers.
During “Michink,” gold coins and money are not the only things
that are put into the Gatta and instead it has become a form if gift-giving.
Some families bake a button (or something else similar to it) inside the
Gatta, and whoever receives the slice with the Gatta not only will have
good luck for a year, but they will receive gifts from everyone at the
gathering of “Michink”. The monetary use here becomes the
buying of the gifts and giving it to the one who collects it, and the
button becomes a symbol of the fortunate from getting good luck.
This seemed very interesting because none of the other two types of Armenians
practice this tradition in exactly the same way. The Armenians, who have
migrated to the US directly from Armenia, do not put a coin in a pastry
during Lent; they put it in meatballs called “Kuftes” during
an Armenian girl’s wedding. Armenians who stayed in Armenia after
the genocide have a practice, where the women from the bride’s side
of the family go to the bride’s house on the day of her wedding
to help her prepare. During this time “Kuftes” are served
to everyone there, and whoever finds the coin in their “Kufte”
is said to have received good luck. This tradition is quite similar to
one of the Persian-Armenians, but to Armenians from Armenia it is a different
tradition altogether. Even though both traditions have a similar underlying
concept to it, these two types of Armenians find them to be completely
different and separate.
Efforts made to contact Lebanese-Armenians were fruitless, because they
seemed to know nothing about the practice of eating “Michink Gatta”
during Lent.
Whoever was contacted, though, claimed that the only reason they practiced
it was because of the influence of a Persian-Armenian friend or spouse.
This seemed interesting because once again traditions are being altered,
and new ways of doing them might be spawned through this sharing of traditions
and rituals.
Another interesting aspect that was discovered was the large participation
that women had in this celebration. Women were known to celebrate “Michink”
because they uphold the traditions. They make the extra effort to put
into practice the old traditions to help honor the old customs. Since
“Michink” falls on a Wednesday, it may be necessary for a
man to work to help maintain the family’s financial status. So the
women stay at home and prepare for this feast. Some churches also celebrate
this feast with their patrons. Potluck dinners are also common for this
celebration. The women get together and they help each other get through
the fasting of lent.
Links to
Websites:
http://www.armenianhistory.info/christianity.htm
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07023a.htm
http://www.armeniancross.com/TheChurch/ReligiousHistory/Fasting.html
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