VARDAVAR

Vardavar is an Armenian holiday in Armenia where people pour water on each other. The history of Vardavar goes back to pagan times. The ancient holiday is traditionally associated with the goddess Astghik, who was the goddess of water, beauty, love and fertility. The celebrations associated with this religious rite of Astghik were called "Vardavar" because the Armenians offered roses to her as a celebration (vart means "rose" in Armenian, and var means "to burn/burn," which is why it was celebrated during the harvest). Some claim that it comes from a tradition going back to Noah, in which he commanded his descendants to sprinkle each other with water and release doves as a symbol of the memo...View all