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Today Armenia celebrates Vardavar - one of the favourite and jolliest
holidays for children and adults
11:15 27.07.2014
Today, July 27, Armenia is celebrating Vardavar, one of the Armenian
national-religious holidays, reborn with Christian faith, which has
its deep roots in pagan era.
In the Armenian Church, the Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord
Jesus Christ is celebrated 98 days following Easter.
The Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ is one of
the five main "Tabernacle" feasts of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox
Holy Church. It commemorates the transformation or the
"transfiguration" that came over Jesus while He was praying.
In the pagan era this holiday was traditionally associated with the
goddess Astghik, who was the goddess of water, beauty, love and
fertility. The festivities associated with this religious observance
of Astghik were named "Vardavar" because Armenians offered her roses
as a celebration ("vard" means "rose" in and "var" mean "rise"), this
is why it was celebrated in the harvest time.
After the adoption of Christianity Armenian church revived this
holiday, deeply loved by people. And the renewed holiday began to
symbolize Christ's transfiguration or brilliance when on Mount Tabor
Christ appeared in divine light before three of his disciples: Peter,
Jacob, John and prophets Elijah and Moses.
During the day of Vardavar, people from a wide array of ages are
allowed to douse strangers with water. It is common to see people
pouring buckets of water from balconies on unsuspecting people walking
below them. The festival is very popular among children as it is one
day where they can get away with pulling pranks. It is also a means of
refreshment on the usually hot and dry summer days of July.
http://www.armradio.am/en/2014/07/27/today-armenia-celebrates-vardavar-one-of-the-favourite-and-jolliest-holidays-for-children-and-adults/
From: A. Papazian
holidays for children and adults
11:15 27.07.2014
Today, July 27, Armenia is celebrating Vardavar, one of the Armenian
national-religious holidays, reborn with Christian faith, which has
its deep roots in pagan era.
In the Armenian Church, the Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord
Jesus Christ is celebrated 98 days following Easter.
The Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ is one of
the five main "Tabernacle" feasts of the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox
Holy Church. It commemorates the transformation or the
"transfiguration" that came over Jesus while He was praying.
In the pagan era this holiday was traditionally associated with the
goddess Astghik, who was the goddess of water, beauty, love and
fertility. The festivities associated with this religious observance
of Astghik were named "Vardavar" because Armenians offered her roses
as a celebration ("vard" means "rose" in and "var" mean "rise"), this
is why it was celebrated in the harvest time.
After the adoption of Christianity Armenian church revived this
holiday, deeply loved by people. And the renewed holiday began to
symbolize Christ's transfiguration or brilliance when on Mount Tabor
Christ appeared in divine light before three of his disciples: Peter,
Jacob, John and prophets Elijah and Moses.
During the day of Vardavar, people from a wide array of ages are
allowed to douse strangers with water. It is common to see people
pouring buckets of water from balconies on unsuspecting people walking
below them. The festival is very popular among children as it is one
day where they can get away with pulling pranks. It is also a means of
refreshment on the usually hot and dry summer days of July.
http://www.armradio.am/en/2014/07/27/today-armenia-celebrates-vardavar-one-of-the-favourite-and-jolliest-holidays-for-children-and-adults/
From: A. Papazian