Gata Festival
Celebrated in September, this festival in Khachik village features all things gata related. Gata is a traditional Armenian sweet bread made from a combination of oil, eggs, milk cream and flour. The highlight of the festival includes a two and a half-meter round gata. Several villagers work many days in advance preparing this colossal gata, which requires over 250 kilograms of flour and 50 eggs! Villagers bake it in 10 large pieces and arrange the final product on a table, where they stick the pieces together with honey and decorate the gata with braids and ornaments. The festival officially begins with a gata blessing and cutting ceremony. The festival officiate symbolically distributes the first pieces to soldiers who are stationed at the village’s military base. After the ceremony, visit the various food stands to taste different varieties of gata. Once you have had your fill of gata enjoy traditional Armenian music and dance.
Gata on sale at the festival (Photo by Susanna Safaryan, My Armenia Program, Smithsonian Institution and USAID)
The two and a half-meter round gata (Photo by Susanna Safaryan, My Armenia Program, Smithsonian Institution and USAID)
Traditional gata is round due to its usual preparation in a tonir oven. Typically baked for more holidays like Easter and the New Year, it is also prepared for weddings and when sending young men off to their compulsory military service. Gata recipes are closely guarded by families and passed on through generations, usually through oral traditions and long hours spent in the kitchen. Preparing gata is challenging. It requires a great amount of skill to
Cultural Attractions
Ethnography Story: Gata Making
Bite into a slice of gata, a traditional Armenian sweet bread, to experience a truly Armenian taste. Made with oil, eggs, milk cream and flour, gata is a sweet treat prepared for special occasions.