Armenian calendar

Calendar
The Armenian calendar is the calendar traditionally used in Armenia, primarily during the medieval ages. The Armenian calendar is based on an invariant year length of 365 days. Because a solar year is about 365.25 days and not 365 days, the correspondence between the Armenian calendar and both the solar year and the Julian calendar slowly drifted over time, shifting across a year of the Julian calendar once in 1,461 calendar years (see Sothic cycle). Thus, the Armenian year 1461 (Gregorian & Julian 2011) completed the first Sothic cycle, and the Armenian Calendar was one year off. In A. D. 352, tables compiled by Andreas of Byzantium were introduced in Armenia to determine the religious holidays. When those tables exhausted on 11 July 552 (Julian Calendar), the Armenian calendar was introduced. Year 1 of the Armenian calendar began on 11 July 552 of the Julian calendar. Armenian year 1462 (the first year of the second cycle) began on 11 July 2012 of the Julian calendar (24 July 2012 of the Gregorian calendar). An analytical expression of the Armenian date includes the ancient names of days of the week, Christian names of the days of the week, days of the month, Date/Month/Year number after 552 A. D., and the religious feasts. The Armenian calendar is divided into 12 months of 30 days each, plus an additional (epagomenal) five days, called aweleacʿ ("superfluous"). Years in the Armenian era are usually given in Armenian numerals (written in Armenian letters) preceded by the abbreviation ԹՎ, for t’vin (թուին, meaning "in the year"). For example, ԹՎ ՌՆԾԵ, which means "the year 1455." Another prefix is Թ.Հ., standing for t’vin Hayocʿ (թուին Հայոց "in the Armenian year").

The Armenian month names show influence of the Zoroastrian calendar and Kartvelian influence in two cases (2nd and 3rd months). There are different systems for transliterating the names; the forms below are transliterated according to the Hübschmann Meillet Benveniste system:

+ Months of the year # Armenian H MRomaniz. Meaning Etymology/Notes 1 նաւասարդ nawasard new year Avestan *nava sarəδa 2 հոռի hoṙi two From Georgian ორი (ori) meaning "two" 3 սահմի sahmi three From Georgian სამი (sami) meaning "three" 4 տրէ trē Zoroastrian Tïr 5 քաղոց kʿałocʿ month of crops From Old Armenian քաղեմ (kʿałem) meaning "to gather" from PIE *kʷl̥ 6 արաց aracʿ harvest time From Old Armenian արաց(aracʿ), meaning harvest time, harvest of grape/fruit 7 մեհեկան mehekan festival of Mithra Iranian *mihrakān ; Zoroastrian Mitrō 8 արեգ areg sun month From Old Armenian արեւ (arew) meaning "sun" from PIE *h₂rew i also meaning sun 9 ահեկան ahekan fire festival Iranian *āhrakān ; Zoroastrian Ātarō 10 մարերի mareri mid year Avestan maiδyaīrya; Zoroastrian Dīn 11 մարգաց margacʿ 12 հրոտից hroticʿ Pahlavi *fravartakān; Zoroastrian Spendarmat̰ 13 աւելեաց aweleacʿ redundant, superfluous Epagomenal days

Per Armenian law, 12 days are declared as non working days. Non working days include:
DateEnglish NameLocal NameRemarks1 2 JanuaryNew Year's DayԱմանորTradition6 JanuaryChristmas DayՍուրբ ԾնունդBased on the calendar used in Armenian Apostolic Church28 JanuaryArmy DayԲանակի օրIn celebration of Armenian Army formation on that day in 19928 MarchWomen's DayԿանանց տոնWomen's Day24 AprilArmenian Genocide Remembrance DayԵղեռնի զոհերի հիշատակի օրRemembrance of victims of Armenian genocide in 19151 MayLabour DayԱշխատանքի օրInternational Workers' Day9 MayVictory and Peace DayՀաղթանակի եւ Խաղաղության տոնShushi Liberation Day on May 8, 1992 Armenian forces freed the city from Azerbaijani military forces, marking an important milestone in Artsakh liberation war for Armenians. Victory Day : 9 May (World War II) was a holiday throughout the USSR and is still an official holiday in Armenia.28 MayRepublic DayՀանրապետության օրEstablishment of the Democratic Republic of Armenia in 19185 JulyConstitution DayՍահմանադրության օրAdopted in 199521 SeptemberIndependence DayԱնկախության օրIndependence from the Soviet Union in 199131 DecemberNew Year's EveԱմանոր