The Armenian calendar is the calendar traditionally used in Armenia.
The older Armenian calendar was based on an invariant year length of 365 days. As a result, the correspondence between it and both the solar yearand 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 and Julian 2010/2011) completed the first full cycle.
Armenian year 1 began on 11 July 552 of the Julian calendar, Armenian year 1462 (the first of the second cycle) began on 11 July 2012 of the Julian calendar which coincided with 24 July 2012 of the Gregorian calendar.
An analytical expression of the Armenian date includes ancient name of Day of week, Christian name of Day of week, named Day of 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 are usually given in Armenian numerals, letters of the Armenian alphabet preceded by the abbreviation ԹՎ for t’vin “in the year” (for example, ԹՎ ՌՆԾԵ “in the year 1455”).
Months
The Armenian month names show influence of the Zoroastrian calendar, and, as noted by Antoine Meillet, Kartvelian influence in two cases. There are different systems for transliterating the names; the forms below are transliterated according to the Hübschmann-Meillet-Benveniste system.
| # | Armenian | H-M Romaniz. |
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 | 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 |
Days of the month
The Armenian calendar names the days of the month instead of numbering them – a peculiarity also found in the Avestan calendars. Zoroastrian influence is evident in five names.
| # | Name | Armenian Text | Meaning/derivation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Areg | Արէկ | sun |
| 2 | Hrand | Հրանդ | earth mixed with fire |
| 3 | Aram | Արամ | |
| 4 | Margar | Մարգար | prophet |
| 5 | Ahrank’ | Ահրանկ | half-burned |
| 6 | Mazdeł | ||
| 7 | Astłik | Աստղիկ | Venus |
| 8 | Mihr | Միհր | Mithra |
| 9 | Jopaber | tumultuous | |
| 10 | Murç | Մուրց | triumph |
| 11 | Erezhan | hermit | |
| 12 | Ani | Անի | name of a city |
| 13 | Parkhar | ||
| 14 | Vanat | Վանատ | host, refectioner of a monastery |
| 15 | Aramazd | Արամազդ | Ahura Mazda |
| 16 | Mani | Մանի | beginning |
| 17 | Asak | Ասակ | beginningless |
| 18 | Masis | Մասիս | Mount Ararat |
| 19 | Anahit | Անահիտ | Anahit |
| 20 | Aragats | Արագած | Mount Aragats |
| 21 | Gorgor | name of a mountain | |
| 22 | Kordvik | 6th province in Armenia Major | |
| 23 | Tsmak | Ծմակ | east wind |
| 24 | Lusnak | Լուսնակ | half-moon |
| 25 | Tsrōn | dispersion | |
| 26 | Npat | Նպատ | Apam Napat |
| 27 | Vahagn | Վահագն | Zoroastrian Vahrām; Avestan Verethragna, name of the 20th day |
| 28 | Sim | Սիմ | mountain |
| 29 | Varag | Վարագ | name of a mountain |
| 30 | Gišeravar | evening star |