Opinion
Sahagian: Save the ‘Tamada’!
We in the diaspora are losing one of the most pleasurable elements of our culture: toast-mastering, or tamadayutyun in Armenian.
This is ever more apparent when we gather for feasts and our glasses cling together for a mere “Genats.” We have lost the words that define Armenian gatherings, and we are losing the spirit of Armenian get-togethers. Yes, we do sing and dance. But the night is never complete without the eloquent long toasts of a tamada, or toastmaster.
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You are so right. The Tamada in the diaspora, especially in the U.S. is a lost art. Someone needs to set up workshops and seminars around the country on the art of tamadayutiun and its cultural significance.
The irony on all this is that “tamada” is a GEORGIAN word!
Delicious!