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 * Vardavar

Vardavar (Վարդավառ,, also transliterated Vartavar) is an Armenian festival during which (mostly young) people drench each other with water.

Vardavar was originally a pagan festival devoted to Astghik, the goddess of fertility and love. After Armenia's conversion to Christianity, it has been celebrated on the same day as the Feast of the Transfiguration of Christ by the Armenian Apostolic Church. In modern times, it has largely lost its religious nature and is instead an "opportunity to cool off from the summer heat." It is perhaps the most widely celebrated festival in Armenia after New Year's Day.

Besides Armenia, it is celebrated in Nagorno-Karabakh and some Armenian diaspora communities (e.g. Glendale, California).

Etymology
Its name is a derivative from “vard” in Armenian, which stands for “rose” in English

On the Vardavar day one can meet children and teenagers menacingly rattling their buckets and looking for somebody to pour water on everywhere in the towns and villages across Armenia. Often the adults also join in the fun. No one is allowed to feel offended or displeased by mischief on this day.

Evolution
The festival is perhaps the most popular of all traditional and religious events in the Armenian calendar, with youngsters and adults gleefully dumping water over hapless passers-by.

The celebration has now been absorbed into the Christian calendar, but was traditionally associated with Astghik, the Armenian goddess of water, beauty, love and fertility. The festival's name is derived from the Armenian word for rose, "vard." Early observers of Vardavar offered Astghik roses and sprinkled water on each other, or feasted near water in the hope that she would provide rain in time for harvest.

At Garni, pagan priests placed sacrificial knives in fire, as well as rose petals in earthenware jugs of water, before reading aloud from the Ukhtagir, a collection of pre-Christian folk stories and legends immortalizing Armenia's pagan gods written by Slak Kakosian, the founder of the Pagan Covenant, one of Armenia's main pagan organizations. Founded in 1990, the group now claims it has over 1,000 members.

Gregory the Illuminator changed it to the Feast of the Transfiguration

devoted to Atsghik, worship of water. celebrations took place near mountains springs where sacrifices were made to water spirits

98 days later

Vardavar is a summer holiday marking Christ's Transfiguration; it originated as a pagan harvest festival deicated to Astghik

Հայ եկեղեցին, Գրիգոր Ա Լուսավորչի կարգադրությամբ, նախկինում տոնել է հայկական տոմարի տարեգլխին, Նոր տարվա առաջին օրը՝ Նավասարդ ամսվա 1-ին, որ համապատասխանում է օգոստոսի 11-ին: Ըստ մեկ այլ տեսակետի՝այս կարգադրությամբ Գրիգոր Ա Լուսավորիչը քրիստոնեացրել է Նավասարդի հեթանոսական այն մեծ տոնը, որը հանդիսավորությամբ կատարվել է հեթանոսական Հայաստանի գլխավոր սրբավայրեր Աշտիշատում և նրանից քիչ հեռու ընկած Իննակնյա մեհյանի շուրջը (Մշո Ս. Կարապետ վանքի տեղում):

Հայկական թվականի հաստատումով (551 թ. = հայոց 1 թ.) Վարդավառի տոնը բաժանվել է Նավասարդից, կապվել Քրիստոսի Հարության տոնի շարքին և սկսել տոնվել ս. Զատկին հաջորդող 14-րդ կիրակի օրը՝տատանվելով հունիսի 28-ից օգոստոսի 1-ի միջև: Թեև բաժանվել է Նավասարդյան տոնից, սակայն պահպանել է Վարդավառ անունը և հեթանոսական այնպիսի սովորություններ, ինչպիսիք են վարդերով ու ծաղիկներով զարդարվելը, միմյանց վրա ջուր ցողելը, աղավնի թռցնելը ևն:

Vardavar, celebrated in August, is now observed in conjuction with the Feast of the Fransfguration

Feast of the Transfiguration

Although now a Christian tradition, Vardavar's history dates back to pagan times. The ancient festival is 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 “Vartavar” because Armenians offered her roses as a celebration (vart means "rose" in Armenian and var mean "rise"), this is why it was celebrated in the harvest time.

The festival


the Armenian equivalent of Greece's Aphrodite

Among Armenia's traditional holidays Vardavar is certainly the biggest summer festival.

Water is thrown by the bucketful on anyone, strangers or acquaintance: no matter the age, gender or public position. And those watered are rarely angered.

Vardavar is celebrated 98 days (14 weeks) after Easter. 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 or late June.

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