Speaking to One Another - The International Raoul Wallenberg ...

descendants of rescued villagers from differentcountries of the world gather in Armenia. Duringthe night from Saturday to Sunday traditionalharisa is cooked in big pots on open fires nearthe monument. People from Musa Ler and theirfriends and relatives from Armenia and residentsof surrounding villages gather around the monumentand spend the night near fireplaces cookingharisa, remember their grandfathers’ storiesand tell each other about the wanderings of theirparents and relatives after the survival. Thesegatherings are accompanied by rhythmic drumbeatsthrough the night, which add more significanceand ritualism to the event. Our narrator inthis case was local and not someone from MusaLer:2009 celebration of the Survival of Armenian Populations ofMusa Ler.“We here (meaning Armenian residents of places surrounding the monument devoted to the rescue ofthe Armenian population of Musa Ler ) wait the entire year for the Musaler Day and get prepared for thatday. Everyone cooks harisa on that day, but we try to bring it from that place, because that one is sacred.People from Musa Ler collect money ... no, not from us ... and then we receive assistance from somewhere.They prepare more than hundred pots this way. The number increases every year, as well as thenumber of sacrificed animals. We do not know exactly how many pots; we just see them lined up. If youask them they would say 100, 110 and 120. The number of pots depends on the age of Musa Ler. . Initially40 pots were being prepared in memory of the 40 days of resistance, but now the number depends onthe anniversary date. The priest does not sanctify the meat during the slaughter; he comes in the afternoonbetween 1 and 1:30 when the harisa is ready and blesses it, and only after that the harisa is distributed.The celebration starts on Saturday evening and ends the next day, Sunday evening, because assoon as harisa is distributed an artistic performance starts, then those guests who have their own foodwith them sit under the trees and keep on celebrating until the late night...they leave only when everythingis over.”95