There are 248 nations in the world, but there are many more groups within nations that may be distinguished because of language or other cultural aspects. Different races, societies, and nations have their own culture because of variations in historical circumstances, philosophies, specialties of personal and social life, geographical conditions, and religion. For example, it is difficult to find two rocks that can be exactly the same; it is also difficult to find two cultures that are exactly alike in every way. Armenian people are spread all over the world, just like my family and I. I remember the first time I came to United States. Everything was very foreign and strange for me, but in a good way. In the beginning it was very hard for my family and myself to get used to the things that we had not experienced in our own culture. One of them was English language, which I had very hard time to learn and understand. If one analyzes the Armenian culture they could find that Armenians have various customs depending upon the areas or countries they come from. However there are certain things that are typical for all Armenians.

In Armenian culture it is typical for children to live with their parents until they get married. It is like an unwritten rule that comes from our parents, and no one wants to break it. This practice could have negative effects by forcing someone to find the right education or job, based solely on where they live. For example, I would like to study at Harvard University, however every time I tell my mom about that, she tells me that she will think about it. This is very interesting because Armenian parents do not let their children too far away from them because it is part of our cultural ways. In contrast to Armenian culture, Americans let their children make independent decisions about their lives. Many American children leave home when they are teenagers. This fact does not concern many American parents. A lot of American children study or work in different states, away from their parents. In American culture, parents do not mind letting their children follow their dreams and keep their children with them. The only thing that they want for their child is to have a good future.


The second thing that makes Armenian culture different from Americans is food. Armenians like to eat at home. To make food and to wait for family to come together, it is a tradition which all Armenians practice each day. For each day they prepare three or four different types of food. In my culture, people go to the restaurants just for special occasions. On the other hand Americans in contrast to Armenians like to eat in restaurants. In the American culture the family comes together and makes a lot of food for occasions like Christmas or Thanksgiving.


Working long and hard, sometimes seven days a week and 12-14 hours a day are also typical for people of Armenian descent, which makes another difference from American culture. Armenians do not give up; they work a lot just to have a better life. To live just for “today” is also a very common way of thinking for Armenians. They use all their money on good cars, brand name clothes, and beautiful houses. In contrast, the Americans do not stress themselves, which I find it very commendable. They work their 8 hours a day and live for “tomorrow” by sending their money on life or health insurances.



Every culture has its unique description and characteristics. All cultures are different, and that difference comes from the people’s nationality, background, and understanding about certain things. By living when surrounded by other cultures, people can see and understand their cultural differences, but with that could not do anything to change them. This is culture which comes from our parents and will be passed on to our children.