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On 28-th of July Armenia celebrated one of the most beloved summer holidays both by children and adults- Vardavar. Vardavar is famous Armenian water festival during which all people drench each other with water.
Now Vardavar is a Christian holiday- this day Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ. However the feast dates back to pagan times. The ancient festival was dedicated to the worship of Astghik , the goddess of water, beauty, love and fertility. According to a legend, goddess Astghik spread love through the Armenian land by sprinkling rosy water, that is why the feast is called Vardavar, where “vard” literally means “rose”.
On Vardavar day in Armenia 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. People splash water on each other as a symbol of purity.
Vardavar is the only day during the year here in Armenia for a legitimate use of water for showering neighbors and strangers. But this “douche” is rather a sign of good will and well-wishing than hostility and insult – the pourers do a kind of favor to those poured by sharing with them a good portion of cool water on a hot summer day. So, do not feel hurt or disappointed if somebody pours a bucketful of cool douche upon your head. But if you happen to be somewhere out on that day, the best thing you can do under the circumstances is to relax and try to get pleasure out of this holiday, and, why not, get a bucket for yourself and join the fun.
Vardavar is the best way to become cool during hot summer days in Armenia and it is loved by the tourists too who join the locals and have fun with them.
Vardavar can become one of the pretences to come to Armenia. So book a tour with Armenia Holidays to discover all its beauty, interesting holidays, rich culture, history of the centuries and many other things.
Photos taken from www.armeniasputnik.am