Of the Anna Temkina and you can Lilit Zakaryan, Department of your Sociology away from Personal Health insurance and Sex, Western european College or university at the St.Petersburg, Russia and you may National Academy of Sciences, Armenia
Karmir khndzor (Armenia)
Research your ex love – using assessment their virginity – in order to affirm honour and you may standing away from her family can be acquired during the various ‘piece ceremonies’ inside the patriarchal societies throughout the Mediterranean societies in order to Latin Western peasantry and you can Indian castes, because Dark ages (Kandiyoti 1988, Carpenter 2005, Ortner 1978: 19). The thing is that are present toward habit of blaga rakija in Macedonia. Women virginity is associated with public reputation because a great female’s reputation throughout the personal framework is defined by how ‘pure’ otherwise ‘polluting’ she is (Ortner 1978: 24-26). Which trust has been ‘implemented by the health-related and often slightly significant command over women’s personal and particularly sexual behaviour’ (Ortner 1978: 19). According to Simone de- Beauvoir, virginity is an excellent patriarchal construct and therefore objectifies female because the Most other (1949 ).
Karmir khndzor is actually barely mentioned about Armenian ethnography on the late nineteenth and you will early twentieth years given that Armenian society is actually generally hushed to the affairs from sex. Mainly male ethnographers didn’t take a look at the marriage evening ceremonies in the adequate detail making use of their people informants. Should your fiance is actually extremely young, the newest ritual was not did toward wedding night anyway and you may is actually put off for many years (Shagoyan 2011: 497). Reddish apples regularly enjoy a different sort of character on regional rituals accompanying the loss of the latest bride’s virginity (Shagoyan 2011). Because the a symbol of fertility in accordance with an erotic meaning, apple was applied as a gift package to have gold accessories, talented on the bride-to-be. The newest round form of the latest good fresh fruit represented ethics and you will brilliance and the newest virginity of your own bride to be is actually at the same time translated because the her ‘integrity’ (tselostnost, compare with tselka, ‘virgin’).
The modern kind of karmir khndzor which is being used during the Armenia and in several diasporic groups shot to popularity during Soviet period towards increase away from urban migration on the 1970s. This new ritual has got the adopting the laws and regulations: With the morning following the relationships, a tiny band of people (the latest couple’s godmother or groom’s mommy, maternal brother or partnered brother), usually 2 or 3, render mom from bride to be a tray away from apples, chocolate and cognac. The newest groom’s mommy invites the 
lady neighbours or romantic household members, again several female, more to have coffees, teas, candy and you can good fresh fruit. Brand new godmother incisions brand new apples with the four parts and you will offers him or her on site visitors. Cakes in the shape of a fruit also are the ideal current. This new routine is sold with three steps: examination, sanctioning and validation. Pursuing the groom’s mother or other girls search for contours out-of blood for the bedsheet of your own bridesmaid partners (examination), the newest fiance receives something special in the eventuality of this lady affirmed virginity otherwise a conviction and censure if there is inability (sanctioning). About step three, a red-colored apple or a tray with apples is distributed since the recognition on the bride’s mom, who awaits which sign followed by nearest and dearest otherwise neighbours at the their home (Shagoyan 2011, Pogosyan 2010).
Profession look conducted in the mid-2000s revealed that karmir khndzor was performed most carefully and you can vigilantly in the rural places that gender norms was indeed more traditional and hierarchical. In the metropolises, this new practice got an even more moderate means – new ritual was performed although virginity investigations are a great deal more easy (Temkina 2008, 2010). Multiple change have helped change the fresh new habit due to the fact 2000s (Temkina 2008, 2010, Pogosyan 2011). First, the fresh routine has been articulated on public discourse by the news, NGOs and the ladies way, and also in informative discourse, educational programmes and you can college or university courses toward sex, sociology, psychology and you will equivalent procedures. Virginity has become politicised immediately following several NGOs (Wo-men’s Money Center of Armenia, UTOPIANA, WOW) arranged shows geared towards deconstructing the fresh ritual that have titles such as ‘Yellow Fruit is to have eating’ and you can ‘I ask you to definitely the newest funeral of the Yellow Apple on 8 out-of .’ It’s swayed brand new impression from karmir khndzor by the young years just who became expected to view it just like the an enthusiastic old-designed habit of intimacy control. Next, they turned you’ll be able to to manufacture virginity. Ladies who had premarital relationships you are going to simulate its virginity because of their husbands and you will/or moms and dads-in-law of the in the process of a medical hymenoplastic process in order to rebuild the fresh new hymen and you may have shown the cultural love and honourable womanliness. From the medicalising the newest karmir khndzor behavior, gynecologists could help girls to create an everyday biography and to enhance their lifestyle odds to own a normal elizabeth even more preferred having couples to will not be involved in brand new routine otherwise in order to ‘save’ the fresh new ladies’ virginity. Since the sexual relationship turned a whole lot more liberal and you may considered to be belonging to an independent fields off individual life, karmir khndzor was directed in order to an excellent ceremonial and you can cultural icon within the this new federal wedding and has now missing the relationship in order to virginity, as for analogy is the situation regarding a married relationship veil for the Russia.
Karmir khndzor are trapped on the tensions ranging from national term and you may modernity. Given that routine stands for Armenian community and you can conventional intercourse spots, individuals who reject the newest ritual exposure getting considered to be below best Armenian residents and you will women. Yet , people who rigidly stick to the routine might be thought to be backward and you can conventional by the its opponents. not, pro- and you may swindle- thinking to help you karmir khndzor work better looked at as being located towards the a range. Both men and you may females may object towards the virginity test acting as a process off control of the intimacy and personal lifetime. Some days, lady may want to remain the virginity just before wedding in order to consider it an important social society you to encourages kinship solidarity. Some may commit to preserve their virginity, but dislike their public verification following the matrimony. Many young adults evaluate low-relationship gender due to the fact acceptable for both males and females and you may envision karmir khndzor wholly archaic. Since the patriarchal gender system destroyed its rigidness, the range of ranks concerning habit imply insufficient people social opinion about the routine (select in depth issues to own undertaking the fresh new routine when you look at the Pogosyan 2010).
References
Poghosyan, Good. 2010. Some of the options that come with this new sales of the society “Red apple”: Traditions and Modernity within the Armenian Community, Yerevan: Gitutyuan, 359-367
Shagoyan, Grams. 2011. ‘” One week, eight evening”: Views of one’s Armenian relationship, Institute out of Archaeology and you may Ethnography regarding Federal Academy out of Sciences, RA, 496-509