#1ALoves: Merry Christmas, But Make It Armenian
Hanukkah is here and Christmas is right around the corner — for those that celebrate, it truly is the most wonderful time of the year. And we’re celebrating the Armenian way, with another week of 1ALoves, where we round up some of our current cultural faves — from music to food to fashion — in Armenia and from Armenians across the globe.
So wherever you are in the world, keep Armenia in your hearts and minds. Merry Christmas!
Introducing the Winter Edition of Wild Food Adventures: Yeranos Mountains
Winter in Armenia is chilly, to say the least, but that doesn’t mean the adventures have to stop. On the contrary, 2492’s Wild Food Adventures: Yeranos Mountains is available all season. You’ll venture out into the mountains for a 3-course meal prepared with local ingredients by your local host, Davit, and dine with a view. The winter version of this experience also includes new starters, like creamy yogurt-based Armenian spas soup, while keeping favorites like Davit’s homemade almond vodka and barbecued pork, with vegetarian options available.
Both the journey and the destination are the stars of this Wild Food Adventure, which includes about 30 minutes of off-roading both to and from the experience location. Prices start from 45,000 AMD per person — book yours now!
Who We’re Following
@abraham.1992 | Kotayk Province
@hin_yerevan | Yerevan
What We’re Listening To
We’re back with another hit from Indie-Armenian folk band Katil, whose members started it with a vision of revitalizing Armenian folk music in Armenia while sharing it with the world. Featured on their sophomore album, the track “Laz Pari” takes a favorite old Armenian folk tune and infuses it with rock instrumentation that’ll have you bobbing your head along to the music in seconds. In their newly released music video of the same name, a family is busy preparing a meal in celebration of matagh, an Armenian Christian tradition in which a lamb is sacrificed to God, either to thank him for their good fortune, or to ask for it. But chaos ensues when a young boy develops a bond with the lamb chosen for slaughter, and refuses to go down without a fight.
What We Want
A Travel Experience to Remember Here in Armenia
If you’d like to support the work we’re doing right now to develop sustainable tourism and create local jobs in Armenia, consider donating to our current campaign. Give a little, and get a little too:
$50 — Early Access to Inside Yerevan 2023
Be the first to receive the newest version of our iconic crowdsourced maps of the city that feature the best and newest local spots, including restaurants, museums, cafes, bars, and shops, that are must-visits when in Yerevan. Give now
$75–2492 Travel Armenia Poster
Be the first to receive the newest version of our iconic crowdsourced maps of the city that feature the best and newest local spots, including restaurants, museums, cafes, bars, and shops, that are must-visits when in Yerevan. Give now
$100 — Wild Armenian Tarragon Salad Recipe
Have a taste of Armenia at home to share with your family and friends with this postcard that features a special Wild Armenian Tarragon Salad recipe, one of the main dishes featured on our Wild Food Adventures in Areni, created with our local hosts and an expert Armenian food historian. Give now
$150 — Vintage 1A T-Shirts
Donate and receive one of our vintage 1A t-shirts from our days raising money for nonprofit projects in Armenia by running in the Yerevan Half Marathon. (Limited sizes and quantities.) Give now
There’s more where that came from — check out our current campaign for more Christmas perks!
$500 — Yerevan Gastrotrip
$1,000 — Custom 3 Day Itinerary
$2,000 — “Inside Armenia” Tour
$3,000–2492 Road Trips
$5,000 — Wild Food Adventure: Areni Vineyards
$5,000 — Wild Food Adventure: Yeranos Mountains
$10,000 — Deluxe Wild Food Adventure: Areni Cliffs
$15,000 — Custom 1 Week Road Trip
This edition of 1ALoves was initially published as a newsletter on December 20, 2022.
