Zatik

In the history of pagan Armenia there are no signs of constant worship of Zatik. Researchers believe that the Armenian Easter celebration of the same name, i.e. the resurrection of Christ goes back to the pagan counterpart. In turn, Zatik ascends and identifies with the cults of the resurrecting and dying deities , such as Adonis, Tammuz and others. In addition, the Iberians, neighbors of the Armenians, have several mythological characters similar in function or name, for example, Zadeni , the goddess of fishermen.

Zatik has a great similarity with the Palestinian Cedek , as well as Sydyk, the son of Shamash and the god of the spring-autumn Sun. According to Sanhuniaton, Sydyk was revered among the Phoenicians as the father of the Kabir gods. During the Hellenistic period, the Syrians recognized Zedek as the spirit of the planet Jupiter and having a connection with the Syrian hero Sandak, whom Apollodorus of Athens mentioned. The Luvian deity Sandon and Sand of Tarsus also had similar names and functions.

As a dying-resurrecting deity, the connection between Zatik and the Semitic deities can be traced through Sandak , the founder of the city of Kelenderis in Cilicia, and the father of Adonis .

According to the historians Sandalgyan and Tirikyan, the origin of the word is associated with zad , which in translation means to strike .

After the adoption of Christianity in Armenia, the word Zatik meant Easter , which is still accompanied by the theatrical mourning of Christ and other rituals among Armenians. The etymology of the word is associated with the word azatvel - to be liberated , in the meaning of resurrection.

The ancient Armenians prayed and worshiped him so that their land would be fertile, fruitful year, and each harvest brought only joy. The Armenians believed that the more you appeal to Zatik, the more harvest you will collect. Historians believe that before the adoption of Christianity, the Armenians were closely associated with pagan rites, since until 301, paganism was the fundamental "faith" of all Armenians. It is very difficult to understand how the name of the ancient God of fertility began to be called the main religious holiday. Accordingly, those who have just begun to be interested in the culture of the Armenian people cannot yet grasp the links “Armenian Easter = Zatik”. According to philologists, the consonance of the Armenian “azatvel” (liberation) and “zatik” gradually merged into one. Thus, Easter in Armenia and the whole Armenian people is called “Zatik”. The holiday falls on the first Sunday after the vernal equinox and the full moon, the usual period from March 20 to April 27. The sacred ceremony of lighting the trees is not only the main distinguishing feature of the Armenian Zatik, but also an occasion to celebrate this holiday in silence and tranquility. Armenians carry out lighting of trees only if they have a private house with a garden. The eldest woman in the house passes with a lit candle in the garden. Those who know about this custom draw a parallel between the name of the holiday and the ancient deity. Zatik for Armenians is, first of all, a family holiday. Children with their families come to the parental home, relatives go to each other with Easter baskets in which they put eggs painted in red, red wine and figurines. Easter baskets are not an obligatory attribute of the holiday, however, for convenience, more and more families use them just to bring all the gifts intact and safe. Aklatiz dolls are figures of people decorated with stones and a bow. They personify luck in the family, well-being, protect the couple from various failures that can bring misfortune to the family. Such figures are given only to married couples, lonely relatives are left without this small souvenir. There is no obligatory menu for the festive table, however, the Armenians prefer to put painted eggs in the center of the table that day, make up compositions from donated and independently made Aklatiz figures. As dishes on the table may be something that this or that family is used to cooking for any holiday. However, preference is given to dishes made from beans, pilaf, appetizers, sauces, and, of course, red wine. Like all pastries, Armenian women bake Easter cakes on their own and decorate them to their own taste. But it is worth noting that this is not a mandatory attribute of Zatik among Armenians. Zatik is one of the most important holidays of the Armenian people.

• Martiros Ananikyan. Zatik // Myths of Armenia. - Centerpolygraph, 2010. - ISBN 978-5-227-02375-9 .