Armenia, as a country with quite conservative roots, has made significant progress on the way to modernizing its dating culture in the past decades. Our traditions and families are extremely important to us, yet we all live in the modern world, and the Armenian dating culture is changing reflecting that. If you’re planning to date an Armenian, you’d better get familiar with some of the “rules” of the Armenian dating culture, and that’s what this post is about.
Armenian dating culture is more conservative than a typical Western one. Dating an Armenian you are expected to invest time and effort. Earning a date would not be easy, and you can expect your relationship to progress slowly. Also, in most cases, you will be introduced to the family earlier than you’d expect in Western cultures. And your partner’s parents will likely ask many questions.
In this post, you will get acquainted with what to expect when dating Armenians. You will also find out whether arranged marriages are common in modern Armenia or not. Also, how willing are Armenians to date or marry foreigners. Hope you’ll enjoy your reading, and find the information useful!
Note, that this post is about dating in the traditional sense of the word. So, don’t expect this to be a guide for getting some “sexy time” while in Armenia. 🙂 Also, in this post I’ll focus on hetero-normative dating scenarios, to keep it concise and informative. By the way, I invite my female readers to also check out my thoughts on safety of women traveling alone in Armenia.
As always, I will obviously enjoy reading your thoughts on the Armenian dating culture. So, feel free to share your impressions with me on Instagram or Twitter with #ArmeniaTravelTips. I am curious to read what you think about the topic, so I’m looking forward to it!
How do Armenians date? – Guide for guys
So, you’re a guy and want to go on a date with an Armenian woman? I do have some useful tips for you! You might have some difficulty obtaining your date as girls here might need their parents’ approval. They might like you, but they might still need to talk to their parents before coming to meet you. Don’t get surprised yet, there is more to come in our dating culture!
I also leave this YouTube video for you to check out. You may find something useful on how to get the attention of Armenian women!
Chances are high that after getting a date you might also need to meet her family. Also, expect to get asked many questions about you, your values, background, and family. That’s because Armenian families tend to be more protective towards their children in comparison to western ones. They really want to make sure you’re a good person and will protect their daughter no matter what.
Also, if you take a girl out on a date you might want to be a gentleman and pay for the date. Typically, an Armenian girl will appreciate your effort and will think of it as you showing a positive attitude. Remember, paying for your date doesn’t entitle you to anything. Don’t expect any physical intimacy at this stage. Armenian dating culture is a marathon, not a sprint.
Also, don’t forget about being romantic. You can organize some of your dates in these 7 romantic couple spots. It is guaranteed that you won’t disappoint her!
What is dating like in Armenia? – Guide for girls
In the Armenian dating culture, you might meet lots of guys who value virginity. If they take their relationship with you seriously they might prefer you to be a virgin. Traditional Armenian men might have second thoughts about you if they find out you’ve had a history of sexual relationships. So, to be on the safe side, you might want to talk to him about his beliefs before getting too serious with him.
Moreover, Armenian guys really like when you can cook. It is sort of a prerequisite skill you need to have if you want to stay with him long-term. Obviously, I’m joking a little bit but nice cooking skills are almost never a dealbreaker and might even be a turn-on for some 🙂 Please be aware that no matter how good you are you will never beat their mom’s cooking skills 🙂
You can get more information on what Armenian men are like from a woman’s perspective here. Who knows? You might end up liking the idea of marrying an Armenian man and relocating to our beautiful country 🙂
Do Armenians have arranged marriages?
In modern Armenia, arranged marriages are not common. There might be cases where parents introduce their friend’s daughter to their sons. If they like each other they might start going on dates. But, there is really not that much pressure to like each other. Parents technically just create an opportunity for their son to meet a girl or vice versa. These meetups usually happen when people get closer to the average age of marriage but are still not in a relationship.
In the past, you were likely to meet families that formed as a result of an arranged marriage. Many of such newlyweds were teenagers at the time when their parents arranged their marriages. It was pretty common in traditional Armenia to get married at an early age. Usually, parents would organize everything for their children and only make them participants in what they planned initially.
Can Armenians date or marry non-Armenians?
Yes, Armenians can date non-Armenians. Obviously, there are no limitations on ethnicity in the Armenian dating culture. With regards to only dating, I think more people wouldn’t mind. It can be an experience and exchange of some values and traditions for the couple. In some traditional and conservative families, this might still be an issue but in most cases, people will be free in their choices.
Marrying a non-Armenian is a different story, though. It really depends on the person and what they want in life. Some would consider marrying an Armenian as it’s important for us to keep our culture, language, and traditions. Also, there is a common perception that raising a child within your own culture is easier.
However, others might stand by the opinion that love is what matters in the end. In most cases, the children will still learn Armenian, attend an Armenian school, and be raised with Armenian values if the couple desires so.
Ultimately, the society at large cares about the culture being instilled in the future generations more than who you decide to marry. So, in most cases, if an Armenian decides to marry a foreigner, it would be accepted by most Armenian families and relatives. As long as they’re promised that your foreign partner is going to support teaching your kids the Armenian language and raising them with respect to our culture.
I think it will be fun to watch an Armenian dating show as we talked so much about it. In this reality show Armenians living in Glendale, Los Angeles, California go on blind dates to find the love of their lives. I really love it! If you like it, go start watching the show from the first episode.
Final thoughts on the Armenian dating culture
Armenian dating culture might be difficult for foreigners to perceive but it is definitely worth it. Armenians make good families and stay loyal to their values and give so much importance to the concept of family. Most likely, you will not regret dating or marrying an Armenian. But, as you have learned you might have to put in some effort! And if you are already at the stage when you want to enter into marriage relationship with an Armenian while being a foreigner, read my blog post on can foreigners get married in Armenia.
If you are interested in our traditions regarding marriage I have an interesting one waiting for you. You can explore a bit of a bizarre Armenian tradition called Red Apple. Surely, I will be waiting for you to share your thoughts about the Red Apple on Instagram or Twitter with #ArmeniaTravelTips. Can’t wait to see your reactions!
Featured image credits: Vlada Karpovich on Pexels
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