Loading ...12 Reasons Armenians and Arabs Are Basically the Same
Armenian Socialite Khloe Kardashian with Arab American Rapper French MontanaBY: Marissa Ovassapian/Contributing Writer
As an Armenian working at an Arab media outlet, who speaks Arabic, and has traveled to the Arab World, I have come to notice many parallels between the Armenian and Arab cultures. As different as we may be, we share more similarities than most people realize. Here are 12 characteristics that Armenians and Arabs have in common:
1. We’re all fluent in Armanglish or Arabish
via GIPHY
Whether or not they immigrated here a year ago or 60 years ago, every Armenian and Arab’s English is still the equivalent of a code that needs deciphering. “Close your chest” and “open the lights” clearly mean “zip up your jacket” and “turn the lights on”
2. Confusing Holidays
Whether your family celebrates Christmas and Easter with the rest of America or not, you are used to the very sad reality that you’re not going to get a really delicious family feast until a week or even a month after the rest of the orthodox population in America feasts.
3. Weddings for “Extended Family”
“I’m busy next weekend because I have to go to my aunt’s cousin’s uncle’s son’s cousin’s cousin’s wedding” makes perfect sense to Armenians and Arabs. The best part about attending these weddings is the constant pressure from every adult to pick a mate and get married.
4. The Gourmet Meals
Ever try to go on a diet while living in an Armenian or Arab home? That’s a good one. Dolma… Mansef… 100 tons of buttery rice… It’s fine, you didn’t really want to lose weight anyways.
5. Superstitions
A funny part about growing up Armenian or Arab is all the superstitions and deep-seated fears the culture comes with. If I’m hanging out with friends and their shoes are upside down, I have to flip them right side up and do them a favor. SORRY JOHN, I JUST DON’T WANT YOU TO GET EATEN BY A PACK OF WOLVES AND DIE TONIGHT. More so, learning Armenian language can help you grasp the culture’s superstitions and deep fears, shedding light on its beliefs and traditions. It uncovers a rich history and heritage, unveiling the origins of inherited beliefs and superstitions through its unique alphabet and ancient lineage.
6. Late. ALWAYS LATE. No matter how important the event.
As we already know, being on time to everything from weddings to doctor’s appointments to court dates is an impossibility. Once, I had plans to meet with a professor in Jordan at a coffee shop at 4 PM. Naturally, I finished two lemon mint juices and a plate of kibbeh before he arrived. Armenian time, Arab time, it’s all the same thing: late.
7. We share LOTS of words.
The overlap between the Armenian and Arabic language is surprisingly large. For those of us western Armenian speakers, we’ve grown up saying “yalla”, “mashallah”, and multiple other Arabic words. Since birth, I have called cucumbers “kheyar”, and it wasn’t until I was 15 years old that I discovered “kheyar” was not Armenian at all – it is in fact Arabic
8. Celebrities
There have been countless times I casually mentioned “I am Armenian” and it was immediately followed up with “Oh, like the Kardashians?” On the flip side, revealing that I can speak Arabic generally sparks comments about DJ Khaled
9. Six Day School Weeks
Most of us ethnic youth will agree that going to school and learning Armenian or Arabic on the weekend at a school run by moms from Beirut was the best and most traumatic experience of your life. In addition to being educated on the language, music, religion, and history, we were also taught the forgotten art of military-style discipline. Standing in a corner on one foot with two arms up in the air was always a classic punishment tactic.
10. “Conventions”
Us Arab and Armenian youth are constantly going to meetings, conventions, sports weekends, and anything else that requires us to get packed into a hotel room like sardines. We discuss politics, compete against one another in multiple sports, and discuss how to become even more interconnected. From the Ramallah Club conventions to AYF Olympics; we are constantly on the move throughout the United States and other parts around the world, trying to explain to our white friends what a “convention” even is.
11. Our Love for Jewelry and Carpets
All Armenians and Arabs still have at least one family member who makes and sells jewelry, in addition to some family friend who appraises and sells carpets. In spite of our mafia-like jewelry and carpet connections, we still seem to never really enjoy these products. You’re not allowed to wear the nice gold and you’re banned from entering the living room with the Persian rug. These things are for guests to look at only!
12. Family and Friends EVERYWHERE.
When I traveled to Jordan, I somehow ended up living with the only Armenian family on our list, and of course, their first cousins in America attended my church back home in Chicago. What a crazy coincidence! Armenians and Arabs alike generally know at least one person from every country in the Middle East, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.