Man's Day Is Army Day: Opposition MP Against Father's Day Celebration

On June 17, we will not choose the best father, but this day will serve as another occasion to express gratitude to fathers. This is how Zaruhi Batoyan, an MP from the Civil Contract faction, justified her legislative initiative to mark June 17 as Father's Day in Armenia during the latest meeting of the National Assembly's State-Legal Affairs Committee.

Earlier, we reported that the Armenian government had approved the MP's proposal to make amendments to the law on "Holidays and Commemoration Days in the Republic of Armenia." Batoyan noted that Father's Day is celebrated on different days around the world; for example, in the USA, Mexico, India, and Japan, it falls on the third Sunday of June.

"This is also a gesture of thanks not only to those fathers who show love and care for their biological children but also to those who have fathered many children in need of it," emphasized Batoyan.

The question of choosing a date for Father's Day sparked intense discussion during the committee meeting. The MPs were curious why Batoyan selected June 17. Some suggested choosing a date that corresponds with the birth of a notable Armenian figure, similar to April 7, which is associated with the goddess Anahit.

Batoyan explained that Father's Day is primarily celebrated in June worldwide and is a movable holiday; however, in Armenia, movable holidays are based on ecclesiastical holidays, hence the choice of a seemingly random date. She also mentioned consulting ethnographer Hranush Kharatyan to find a significant day for Father's Day, to which Kharatyan replied that there wasn't any.

"In general, I believe each father is significant in his family. I chose June because it allows for outdoor family events," Batoyan stated.

KP MP Arusyak Julhakyan announced that she found information online about Vahagn, the pagan god, whose name is associated with the 27th day of every month in the Armenian calendar. "If we want to associate Father's Day with some symbol, we can celebrate it on June 27," she suggested.

The chairman of the committee, KP MP Vladimir Vardanyan, agreed that the idea of celebrating Father's Day was good, but he was not in favor of the chosen date. "In the USA, a specific date has been chosen based on a particular person's story who raised a large family alone after the woman's death. I apologize, but we are almost copying these dates and transferring them to our reality. Who is the most famous Armenian father in our reality, and whose birth date could symbolize such a day? We haven't achieved great results in this regard; however, we should find some logic in the significance of the day. For instance, I would declare Father's Day every Saturday evening," Vardanyan remarked.

Gegham Nazaryan, an MP from the 'Armenia' faction, expressed that he personally, not on behalf of his faction, declared himself against this celebration and would vote against it. "This holiday strikes fathers and men. Fathers do not need such a holiday; they are responsible for everything. I am convinced that we should not have a Father's Day. Their holiday is every day, and this is not a holiday but a day of responsibility. Now, who is the best father: the one who raised his children alone or the one who raised them well with his wife? No man will support having such a day, as the day for men is the army's holiday. By the way, all men are obliged to be fathers," he stated.

Although he announced that he would vote against it, he ultimately abstained from voting, and Batoyan's proposal was sent to the agenda for discussion at the plenary session of the National Assembly. In conclusion, Zaruhi Batoyan assured that she was open to discussions regarding the selection of the Father's Day.