{{Short description|Annual water festival in Armenia}} {{hatnote|"Water Day" redirects here. See also World Water Day.}} {{for|villages in Iran|Vardavar, Iran (disambiguation){{!}}Vardavar, Iran}} [[File:Vardavar 011 Vartavar.jpg|thumb|300px|Yerevan, 2011]] '''Vardavar''' or '''Vartavar''' ({{langx|hy|Վարդավառ}}, Homshetsi: ''Vartevor'' or ''Behur'')<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Hemşinlilerin 'Vartevor'u|url=http://www.agos.com.tr/tr/yazi/1950/hemsinlilerin-vartevoru|access-date=2020-10-19|website=Agos|date=14 July 2012 |language=tr}}</ref> is a festival in Armenia where people drench each other with water. It is included in the intangible cultural heritage list of Armenia.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://int-heritage.am/ich-list-of-ra/|title=ՀՀ ՈՆՄԺ Արժեքների Ցանկ|trans-title=List of Intangible Cultural Values of Armenia|language=hy|website=int-heritage.am|access-date=3 July 2025}}</ref>
==Origin== 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 “Vardavar” because Armenians offered her roses as a celebration (''vard'' means "rose" in Armenian and ''var'' means "to burn/be burning", this is why it was celebrated in the harvest time).<ref>{{cite book|author= Marty Crump, Bronwyn McIvor|title= A Year with Nature: An Almanac|publisher= University of Chicago Press|year= 2018|page= 215|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=Zy11DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA215|isbn= 9780226449845}}</ref> After the Christianization of Armenia, the Armenian Apostolic Church identified the rose with the transfiguration of Jesus and Vardavar continued to be celebrated along with the Feast of the Transfiguration.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2023-07-13 |title=Feast of the Transfiguration |url=https://www.stjohnarmenianchurch.org/feast-of-the-transfiguration/ |access-date=2024-02-20 |website=St. John Armenian Church |language=en-US}}</ref> Some claim it comes from a tradition dating back to Noah, in which he commanded that his descendants should sprinkle water on each other and let doves fly as a symbol of remembrance of the Flood.<ref>{{cite book|author= Very Rev. Fr. Vahan Ter-Minasyan|title= Unwritten scripts and old customs (in Armenian)|year= 1904|page= 145}}</ref>
The historian of ancient religions Albert de Jong explains that the water rite of Vardavar bears strong resemblance to a similar rite of the Iranian Zoroastrians of Yazd as part of the festival of Tir-o-Tištar.<ref>{{cite book |last1=De Jong |first1=Albert |editor1-last=Stausberg |editor1-first=Michael |editor-link1=Michael Stausberg|editor2-last=Vevaina |editor2-first=Yuhan Sohrab-Dinshaw |editor3-last=Tessmann |editor3-first=Anna |title=The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Zoroastrianism |date=2015 |publisher=John Wiley And Sons Ltd. |pages=124–125 |chapter=Armenian and Georgian Zoroastrianism}}</ref>
== Date ==
Vardavar is generally celebrated 98 days (14 weeks) after Easter in the republic and the diaspora when the Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates the Feast of the Transfiguration. In some regions, however, it is held on different days, and traditions differ too.
{| class="wikitable" |+Vardavar Celebration Days |- ! Year || Day |- | 2010 || July 11 |- | 2011 || July 31 |- | 2012 || July 15 |- | 2013 || July 7 |- | 2014 || July 27 |- | 2015 || July 12 |- | 2016 || July 3 |- | 2017 || July 23 |- | 2018 || July 8 |- | 2019 || July 28 |- | 2020 || July 19 |- | 2021 || July 11 |- | 2022 || July 24 |- | 2023 || July 16 |- | 2024 || July 7 |- | 2025 || July 27 |}
==Festival== thumb|The water festival in the center of Yerevan, 2014
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.
Federation of Youth Clubs of Armenia (FYCA) each year organizes the "Vardavar International Festival" which is a cognitive, educational and cultural festival. Every year it takes place in the medieval monastery of Geghard and old pagan temple of Garni. The festival aims to present the Armenian national and traditional culture.
In addition to the celebrations, the traditional ceremony of splashing water on each other and the blessings of the youth, the Armenian folk songs are also included and performed by the Nairyan Vocal Ensamble. The Vardavar holiday theme pavilions represent the traditions and handmade works of different regions of Armenia.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ankakh.com/article/74999/VARDAVAR%20INTERNATIONAL%20FESTIVAL%20-%20FOUR%20YEARS%20IN%20A%20ROW|title=Vardavar International Festival – Four Years in a Row|access-date=2019-07-01|archive-date=2019-07-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190701110021/http://ankakh.com/article/74999/VARDAVAR%20INTERNATIONAL%20FESTIVAL%20-%20FOUR%20YEARS%20IN%20A%20ROW|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Outside Armenia == Vardavar is also celebrated by Armenians in Russia<ref>{{Cite web|title=Moscow, Russia - 11 July 2021: people celebrate Vardavar holiday near The Armenian temple complex at Trifonovskaya Street in Moscow city. It is the re Stock Photo - Alamy|url=https://www.alamy.com/moscow-russia-11-july-2021-people-celebrate-vardavar-holiday-near-the-armenian-temple-complex-at-trifonovskaya-street-in-moscow-city-it-is-the-re-image438510057.html|access-date=2021-12-18|website=www.alamy.com|language=en}}</ref> and in Glendale, California.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.wdacna.com/event/445/Vartavar-Celebration-at-St-Peter-Armenian-Church-of-Glendale | title=Vartavar Celebration at St. Peter Armenian Church of Glendale | website=www.wdacna.com | date=2019-07-28}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Celebrating Vardavar from Tehran to Glendale – Asbarez.com |date=7 August 2011 |url=https://asbarez.com/community-links-celebrating-vardavar-from-tehran-to-glendale/ |access-date=2024-02-20 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-06-27 |title=Parks and Recreation Offers Fun in the Summer Sun for Everyone |website=Glendale News-Press |url=https://glendalenewspress.outlooknewspapers.com/2023/06/26/parks-and-recreation-offers-fun-in-the-summer-sun-for-everyone/ |access-date=2024-02-20 |language=en-US}}</ref>
==In popular culture== Vardavar was featured on episode 2 of season 3 of Mickey Mouse Funhouse on 1 March 2024. Minnie chooses the wrong outfit to celebrate Vardavar; they are then seen eating Khorovats (Armenian BBQ) and Tahn (Armenian yogurt drink). The episode marks the first-ever representation of Armenian culture at Disney.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.armradio.am/2024/03/02/vardavar-mickey-mouse-funhouse-episode-on-the-traditional-armenian-festival-premieres-on-disney-channel/|title=Vardavar: Mickey Mouse Funhouse episode on the traditional Armenian festival premieres on Disney Channel}}</ref>
==See also== {{Portal|Water}} * Public holidays in Armenia * Songkran
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://onnik.blogspot.com/2005/07/vardavar.html Vardavar 2005]
Category:Culture of Armenia Category:Holidays based on the date of Easter Category:Observances in Armenia Category:Armenian festivals Category:June observances <!--can happen in late June, though usually not--> Category:July observances Category:Summer in Armenia Category:Water-splashing festivals