Facts about Armenian holidays. Very interesting description for each holiday. Armenians must know about this, I want to show everybody the value of our holidays.

1. ArmenianPublicHolidays
January 1, 2- NewYear – is celebratedawhole weekafterthe holidaywhich startsonDecember31, by
bakingNewYearcookiesandwitha table ladenwithfoodanddifferentkindof sweets.Duringthisweek
people exchangegiftswithcongratulationsandtheirhousesare opentowelcome everyone.
January 28– National ArmyDay – ArmenianNational Armywascreatedin1992
March 8– Women’sDay – InternationalDayof WomenisverypopularamongArmenians.All womenget
presentsandflowersfromtheirfamily,friendsandcolleagues.
April 7 –Day of Maternityand Beauty – This dayis alsodedicatedtowomen.Mothersreceivegiftsand
flowersfromtheirchildren.The periodfromMarch8th to April 7this consideredthe Monthof Women.
April 24– CommemorationDayof the Genocide Victims’ –Everyyearon April 24, Armeniansall overthe
worldcommemorate ArmenianMartyrs’Day- the day on whichtheyrememberthe 1,5 millionsof
victimsof the 1915 genocide.InArmeniatensof thousandof peoplemake aprocessionto
Tsitsernakaberdtopaytheirrespectstothose whoperishedinthismassiveattempttoeliminate
Armenianpeople.
May 9– Victoryand Peace Day – The Victoryof WorldWar IIand the Memorial forits deadisan official
holidayinArmenia.Onthisdaythe heroesof WW II march throughthe RepublicSquare.
May 28 –Day of the FirstRepublic–In 1918 the Republicof Armeniarestoreditsstatehoodafterhalf a
millenniumof lostsovereignty.
July 5– ConstitutionDay. –The Constitutionof the Republicof Armeniawasadoptedthroughanational
referendumonJuly5,1995.
September21- Independence Day –The thirdRepublicof Armeniaannouncedthe resultsof anational
referendumonsecessionfromSovietUnionin1991.
December7– Day of Remembrance of Victimsof the 1988 Earthquake- A devastatingearthquake in
1988 killedthousandof people anddestroyedmostof the Republic’sinfrastructure.
January 6– Christmas– isthe Birthdayof Christandis celebratedbypeopleall overthe world.The
Armenianscelebrate thisChristianholidaytogetherwiththe Epiphanyandgotochurchesin their
neighborhoodsandcelebrate thesetwoholidaysall atonce.Accordingtotraditionthe majordishis
consideredtobe fishandrice porridge.
February- St. SargisHoliday – ThisholidayisverypopularamongArmenians,especiallyamongyoung
people andhasbeenwell preservedtodate.There isnoexact date forobservingitandit iscelebrated
on a Saturdayfrom January18 to February23, 63 daysbefore Easter.Onthe nightof the holidayyoung
people,eatsaltypiestodreamat night.Theybelieve thatSt.Sargisdecidestheirfate andthe person
whogivesthemwaterto drinkintheirdreamswill become theirfuture spouse.
February 14– Purification(Trndez) –Accordingto religiouscustomthisholidayisconnectedwiththe
ideaof comingforwardto the Lord withfire,after40 daysof hisbirth.The ArmenianChurchcelebrates
it onFebruary14th - 40 daysafterJanuary 6th, fromwhichoriginatesthe religiousname:coming
forwardto the Lord. The mainceremonyof Trndezisa bonfire,whichsymbolizesthe comingof spring.
February 19- April 7– Periodof Great lent - In the periodof the Great Lent,people,refrainingfrom
bodilypleasuresandsinsgetpreparedforthe Feastof the GloriousResurrectionof OurLord JesusChrist
by meansof abstinence andrepentance.Bothspiritual andmoral andbodilyabstinence are considered
to be important.Ourchurch fathershave calledthe periodof the GreatLend as “Karasnordats”,as the
periodof fastinglasts40 days.
April 1- PalmSunday(Tsarzardar– Tree Decorating) – PalmSunday(Tsarzardar) – is the penultimate
Sundayholiday,anditiscelebratedone weekbefore Easter.The majorpartof the ceremonyisdevoted
to the awakeningof spring.PalmSundayisalsoa holidayforyoungpeople.The customs,whichare
observedonthe holiday,are atestamenttothis.On thispeople wearwreathsmade of willow branches
on theirheads.
April – Easter – Easter isthe favorite andthe mostanticipatedholidayinthe Christianworld.Everybody
greetseachotheron thisday: “Christhas arisen” – “Blessedisthe resurrectionof Christ”.Thisisthe
greatestholidayof the ArmenianChurchwhichbeginsonGood Fridayand laststhroughoutthe

2. weekend.A long-standingEastertraditionisthe coloringof Eastereggs.Colouredeggs,especiallythe
redonessymbolize the bloodof Christ.InArmeniaatraditional game isplayedwhere hardboiledpace
eggsare distributedandeachplayerhitsthe otherplayerseggwiththeirown.Thisisknownas"egg
dumping"or"egg jarping".The winnergetsthe eggsof the loser.
May 17- AscensionDay(Hambartsum) –AscensionDayisthe holidayof love andenjoyment,whichis
celebratedoutdoorsinthe blossomof May,40 daysafterEaster.
July 15- Transfiguration –Vardavar (The feastof water) – inthe traditional Armenianrange of holidays
Transfigurationisthe greatestholidayof the summer,whichiscelebrated14weeksafterEaster.Inpre-
ChristianArmeniathisholidaywasconnectedwithpagangoddessAnahittowhose heathentemple the
youngand the oldwentto on pilgrimage.The wordVardavarhastwo meanings:“the flamingof the
rose”and “to sprinkle withwater”.Onthe dayof thisholidayeverybodypourswateronone another
startinginthe earlymorningandno one mustfell offendedordispleased.
August 12- Grape BlessingDay - thisholidayiscelebratedonthe nearestSundayof August15.
Catholicosof ArmenianChurchblessesthe grape harvest.