Every year on August 11, Armenia celebrates the important holiday — National Identity Day (Navasard), established as a state holiday in 2009 by the Parliament of Armenia. This legislative initiative was made by the ARF faction «Dashnaktsutyun», and the bill was presented by deputy Artsvik Minasyan.
On August 11, according to ancient Armenian chronicles, in 2492, before the Nativity of Christ, the ancestor of the Armenians, Hayk, defeated Bel, opening the opportunity for his descendants to freely exist and develop.
According to legend, Hayk Akhekhnavor (Aik-Luchnik), who went down in history as Hayk Naapet (patriarch-founder of the Armenian people, founder of the royal dynasty of Haykazuni), defeated the troops of the Assyrian tyrant Bel in the battle of Dutsaznamart (southeast of Lake Van, the middle reaches of the Ayots-dzor River) and laid the foundation for the future Armenian state.
In ancient times, festivities in honor of Navasard lasted several days. By the way, Navasard was the name given to the New Year's holiday and the first month of the year according to the ancient Armenian calendar, which was used in the country before the adoption of Christianity.
On one of these holidays, people drank sugary drinks and light wines. On Navasard's day, there were practically no drunk people, since an ancient Armenian proverb says: «The gods leave the most chaff on the drunkard's field». Even food was moderate during these holidays.
Due to the different climatic conditions of Armenia, various dishes were served on the festive table in different areas. In these dishes, first place was occupied by round wheat, which grew only in Armenia. Armenians placed bread baked from this wheat on the table so that the pagan gods of the Armenians would make the new year fertile. Probably one of the ancient Armenian sayings — in Navasard cannot borrow bread — is the result of these traditions. And therefore they always tried to put bread baked from DIY wheat on the holiday.
There is another ancient saying: «Without wine will come a new year, without ngatzahika — will be late». In ancient times, ngatzahik was the most famous seasoning. This appetite-inducing flower grew on the slopes of Masis (Ararat). It was collected and dried by Armenians living in the Masyatsotn and Tzhakatka regions, and then distributed throughout Armenia. And no matter what area the Armenian lived in, he always had a ngatzahik on Navasard. This tradition (to use dried ngatzahik in New Year's dishes) was a symbol of the national unity of Armenians. Ngatzahik connected all Armenians with Masis — in the heart of the Motherland.
Since 2008, a wider celebration of Navasard began, already at the state level. And so, in 2009, parliament decided on the official holiday — National Identity Day, which is celebrated on the day of the glorious victory of the ancestor of the Armenians, Hayk.