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Public holidays in Armenia

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The following is a list of public holidays in Armenia.

Legal holidays and remembrance days[edit]

Non-working legal holidays and remembrance days[edit]

Per Armenian law, 12 days are declared as non-working days.^{[1][2][3][4][5]} Non-working days include:

Other legal holidays[edit]

The following days are mentioned in relevant laws, but are not specified as non-working days:^[1]

Other traditional, international and professional holidays, as well as religious holidays, can also be celebrated in Armenia. National minorities can also celebrate their national holidays.

Reshuffling by government[edit]

The Government of Armenia is allowed to swap working and non-working days. It usually makes use of this e.g. declaring Easter Monday non-working, while the next Saturday becomes a working day instead.

Other memorable days[edit]

Vardavar[edit]

Every year, 14 weeks after Easter, Armenians celebrate Vardavar (Վարդավար), a lively festival where people soak each other with water using hoses, buckets, spray guns, and other tools.^[6] Regardless of who you are or where you are, you will get wet if you are out and about during Vardavar.

The origins of Vardavar trace back to ancient Armenian pagan traditions. Historically, on this day known as Water Day, Armenians made offerings of red roses to Astłik, the goddess of water, beauty, love, and fertility.^[7] The name "Vardavar" itself is a blend of the words "vard" (meaning "rose") and "var" (meaning "burn") in Armenian.

Despite its pagan roots, Vardavar has been seamlessly integrated into Christian Armenian culture. Following Armenia's conversion to Christianity in 301 AD, the explicit pagan elements were removed from the celebration.^[8] However, the festival's essence, symbolized by the joyous and communal water splashing, remains a beloved tradition.

Armenian Earthquake Memorial Day[edit]

Armenian Earthquake Memorial Day is a day of remembrance in Armenia for the earthquake of magnitude 6.9 on the Richter scale^[9] that struck in northwest Armenia (then part of the Soviet Union) on 7 December 1988. The earthquake damaged much of the country's infrastructure, especially in the cities of Spitak, Leninakan (now Gyumri), Kirovakan (now Vanadzor), and Stepanavan,^[10] along with other small towns and villages near the epicenter.

Each year, 7 December is recognized by the government of Armenia (and the de facto government of Nagorno-Karabakh) as a day of remembrance of the tragedies that stemmed from the earthquake in 1988.

Motherhood and Beauty Day[edit]

Motherhood and beauty day (Armenian: Մայրության և գեղեցկության օր) is an official holiday in Armenia dedicated to women. While March 8 celebrates all women, April 7 is mother's day.^[11][12] April 7 is the Feast of the Annunciation in the calendar of the Armenian Apostolic Church. It is expected to give presents to one's own mother. Celebrating each woman as beautiful in her own way, mothers are particularly happy to receive flowers.

See also[edit]

• Public holidays in the Republic of Artsakh

References[edit]