Armenian water festival and the adventure of water games in the city

One of the reasons why Iranian people like to travel to Armenia is the closeness of this country's culture to Iran. Maybe that's why many Iranians choose to travel to the sights of Armenia for fun. Armenian festivals are famous among Iranians, one of the most popular of which is the Armenian Water Festival.

This celebration will be held in July next year, and due to the eagerness of Iranians to participate in it, in this article from Alibaba Tourism Magazine, we will introduce the Vardavar festival in Armenia and the exact date of its celebration.

What is the Armenian Water Festival?

When you see the first vapors due to water hitting your clothes and warm body in summer, the Yerevan water festival has actually started. The Armenian water festival, which is also called the Vardavar festival, has a long history, whose story goes back to the pagan era.

Armenia's Vardavar Festival or Armenia's Water Festival is one of the religious and national festivals of this country, which has various ceremonies. Among the ceremonies of this celebration, we can mention water games, singing and dancing.

Almost all Armenians of all ages participate in this national-religious celebration. When your feet open to party, you can't avoid getting wet. Because it doesn't matter to people whether they know you or not, they will welcome you with a bucket of water anyway.

During the water festival in Armenia, when you are playing with water, you suddenly see a fire engine that enters the festival area and sprinkles water on people. In some pictures of this celebration from previous years, it is seen that a part of the city is flooded like a lake.

One of the reasons why all Armenians, young and old, young and old, participate in this celebration is the association of playing with water in childhood. Yerevan Water Festival is full of the spirit of life because you can put aside all adult standards and play with water like children. Along with this water game, the noise of music and dance everywhere will make you ecstatic.

Be aware that on the day of Armenia's water festival, this celebration is held all over the country; Therefore, it is impossible not to get wet; Because it is possible that when you cross the sidewalk, someone will empty a bucket full of water on your head from the balcony of the upper floors of a building. From the moment you touch the first drop of water, you become part of the celebration.

Etiquette of participating in the Armenian Vardavar festival

Every ceremony has its own customs. Now that you are the guest of the Armenian people at the Armenian Water Festival; Therefore, you should observe the etiquette of participating in the Armenian Vardavar festival.

On the morning of the Water Festival, first of all, Armenians participate in the Epiphany of Christ, which is held in churches across the city. After that, the ceremony of sanctifying water and blessing fruits (especially apples) begins.

Another part of the ceremony includes the release of pigeons as well as prayers to prevent floods in the world. It is necessary to know that splashing water on people's heads with a bucket is not the only ceremony of the Armenian water festival, and people sing local hymns and dance with it in this celebration.

During the Vardavar festival of Armenia, native shows are also held and traditional games are played. The delicious and attractive part of this celebration is the traditional and local dishes of Armenia that you can enjoy eating and then go to the water park.

During the water festival, booths are set up where they sell works of art; So it is a good opportunity to buy some authentic and beautiful souvenirs from Armenia for yourself and your friends.

No one asks your permission or informs you before pouring a bucket of cold water; So you will be surprised every moment of Armenia's water festival day; Because there are no rules for water play during the celebration. Remember that in this celebration you will get wet as if you jumped into the pool; Therefore, do not take mobile phones and watches that are not waterproof with you.

Where is the Armenian Water Festival held?

There is a special reason behind holding the Yerevan water festival after the harvest. This celebration has actually become a symbol of purity and healing that will be held on a hot summer day. Vardavar festival is held in all cities and regions of Armenia.

Wherever you are in the city, you will get wet; Of course, this celebration is a little more lively in the city of Yerevan; Because more people come to this city to participate in the celebration.

Yerevan is the capital of Armenia and it is normal to be more crowded. It is almost safe to say that Yerevan has become the hub of the Vardavar festival or water festival in Armenia.

One of the sights of Armenia that is prohibited to enter during the year is the Swan Lake. On the day of the water festival, even the entrance to Swan Lake is free and people are allowed to enter the lake. The water of the lake becomes a great source for making the celebration more magnificent.

There is no hard way to celebrate yourself; Because this ceremony is held everywhere in the city.

From the moment you come out of your accommodation and hotel, you are actually in the heart of the celebration; Of course, if you want a little more hustle and bustle, you should go to the important squares and centers of the city where you are staying.

The date of next year's Armenian water festival

Every Armenian celebration has a special reason. Yerevan water festival is held at harvest time and as a reward for a year of hard work. This celebration will be held exactly 98 days (or 14 weeks) after Easter.

According to some data, the Armenian Water Festival will be held on July 7, 2024, i.e., Sunday, July 17, 1403, in the cities of Armenia; Of course, there are differences about the exact date of this celebration among different and reliable Armenian sites.

Some of these sites have said that the Vardavar or Water Festival of Armenia will be held on July 24 or 28. While Google has announced the date of the celebration on July 7 in the search results of Vardavar 2024 on its first page.

The important thing is that the date of this celebration changes every year; Because it should be held exactly 14 weeks after the celebration of Easter and the date of Easter changes every year.

Maybe that is why the exact date of the celebration has not been determined yet. The water festival in 2023 and the previous years has been held on a different date. In the table below, you can see the change of the date of celebration every year.

How many days is the Armenian Water Festival?

Armenia's Vardavar festival is held exactly 98 days (14 weeks) after Easter.

As we mentioned before; Because the day of Easter changes every year; Therefore, the day of Armenia's water festival will also change. This celebration is held in one day and throughout Armenia.

Special programs of Armenia Water Festival 2024

The Vardavar Festival of Armenia is one of the national-religious festivals of this country, which is held every year. This festival is traditionally associated with Astghik, who is the goddess of water, beauty, fertility and love.

In Armenia, festivals related to the god Astghik are called Vardavar. In the following sections, I will tell you where the root of the word Vardavar comes from.

This celebration is not just a simple water game and you should expect more beautiful events. The water festival has its own customs and ceremonies, which include the following.

• On the morning of the day of celebration, people celebrate the manifestation of Christ in the church.
• After the manifestation of Christ, the consecration ceremony of water and divine blessings such as bread and fruit (especially apples) is held.
• The next part of the ceremony includes the release of doves, which is a sign of special prayer for this ceremony.
• In the next stage, people pray to prevent a flood in the world.
• Ritual ceremonies and traditional dances along with the performance of pop and traditional music are an important part of the Armenian Water Festival.
• The most important and attractive event in the Vardavar festival is water-bathing; so that the whole surface of the city and all the people get wet; But the laughter does not disappear from their lips. People will spray water on you with any weapon they can, such as water buckets, hoses, and even water guns.
• Another tradition and ceremony of this festival is gift giving. People give gifts to their friends and family as a sign of friendship and love, which can include small gifts or even sweets.

History of Armenian water festival

The history of the Vardavar festival in Armenia dates back to before Christianity and actually to the time of paganism. This festival is associated with Astghik, who is the goddess of water, love, beauty and fertility in Armenia.

The festivals associated with this god are known in Armenia as Vartavar. The interesting thing about the naming of these festivals, like this Armenian water festival, is the meaning of the word Vartavar and its connection with the gifting of red and fiery flowers on the day of the festival.

According to a legend, the goddess Astghik (Astghik) spread love in the land of Armenia by sprinkling rosy blue. That is why the water sprinkling festival in Armenia is called Vardavar; Because in the Armenian language, the word “Vard” means “red or fiery flower” and the word “Var” means “rising”.

The best way to participate in the Armenian Water Festival

To participate in the Vardavar festival in Armenia, you must travel to this country in July. There are different ways to travel to Armenia and participate in this festival.

Perhaps, among all the methods, air travel is the best choice; Because you spend less time on the road.

– Land travel

You can choose a bus to travel by land to Armenia; Of course, if you have a car yourself and are bored of driving for several hours, it is a matter of separation and you can go on a trip with your own car.

Buses going from Tehran to Yerevan can be booked at the West Terminal (Azadi) and Beyhaqi Terminal (Argentina).

The number of buses at Azadi Terminal is more than Argentina; So it is more likely that they will have a bus to go to the Armenian water festival at a certain time.

The destination of the buses going to Armenia and the Armenian Water Festival is Yerevan, and the ticket price varies depending on the quality of service and the type of bus.

To travel by land to Armenia with a private car, you must first go to the “Nordoz” border in East Azarbaijan province. The road is long; So take comfortable things with you and of course food and drinking water.

Depending on the origin of the trip, you may be several hours on the way to the Armenian Water Festival. To reach the destination, which is Yerevan, you must first drive to Tabriz and then move to Jolfa.

When you reach Jolfa, you should move towards Siehroud to reach Nordoz border after Siehroud. If I consider the origin of your trip as Tehran, in general, each route I mentioned has the following distance.

• Tehran to Tabriz; 624 km about 6 hours and 24 minutes
• Tabriz to Jolfa; 139 kilometers, about 1 hour and 23 minutes
• Jolfa to Siehroud; 47 km about 50 minutes
• Siehroud to Nordoz border; 61.8 km about 1 hour and 12 minutes
• Nordoz border to Yerevan; 383 km about 7 hours and 16 minutes

– air travel

The fastest way to reach Yerevan and the Armenian water festival is to travel by plane. The flights that fly from Tehran to Yerevan are divided into the following 3 main categories.

• Non-stop flights with a flight duration of about 1 hour and 30 minutes
• One-stop flights with a flight duration of more than 5 hours
• Flights with more than one stop with a flight duration of more than 8 hours

Depending on how much you are in a hurry, you can choose one of the above flights for your trip; Of course, you should not forget the impact of the cost on the choice of flights.

– Traveling with a travel tour

Traveling with travel tours is pre-planned and the time you are traveling is like traveling in a private car except that you can sit by the window and enjoy the view and the route.

Travel tours have different costs according to the level and type of services they provide, and depending on the city of origin, they may go through different routes; But the final destination of all of them in Iran is Nordoz border and finally Yerevan for the Armenian Water Festival.

Accommodation in Armenian hotels

Vardavar festival or Armenian water festival is the only day in Armenia when people, neighbors and strangers are soaked with a bucket of water; But this is a sign of their goodwill and benevolence, not hostility and insult.

In other words, people do them a favor by pouring water on their heads on a hot summer day; So don't be upset if a bucket of cold water falls on your head from the top of a building; Because the kindness of the Armenian people includes you.

Before traveling to Armenia for the Armenian Water Festival, you should book your hotel or accommodation according to the destination city; Of course, you can do this when you arrive in Armenia; But booking a hotel will definitely give you peace of mind of having a suitable accommodation.

The best hotels in Armenia are located in the capital of this country, Yerevan. If you want to participate in one of the most passionate water festivals in Armenia, you should go to Yerevan. In the following, we will introduce the most popular 3 to 5 star hotels in Armenia.

• Grand Hotel Yerevan, 5 stars
• National Hotel Yerevan, 5 stars
• Multi Grand Pharaon Hotel Yerevan, 5 stars
• Bass Boutique Hotel Yerevan, 4 stars
• Opera Suite Hotel Yerevan, 4 stars
• Ani Plaza Yerevan, 4 stars
• Imperial Palace Hotel Yerevan, 4 stars
• Green Palace Hotel Yerevan, 4 stars
• Primer Hotel Yerevan, 3 stars
• Cascade Hotel Yerevan, 3 stars
• Cross Apart Hotel Yerevan, 3 stars
• Mia Casa Hotel Yerevan, 3 stars
• Kesabella Touristic House Yerevan, 3 stars

Recommendations for participating in the water festival

• Because you will get wet from head to toe during the Armenian water festival, it is better to wear dark colored clothes to avoid embarrassment.
• It is better to have a set of clothes with you to change if necessary.
• This is Armenia's water festival and no one will spare you or inform you before they dump a bucket of water on your head; So don't take any valuable devices such as mobile phones and smart watches or watches that are not waterproof with you to the celebration.
• Respect the ceremonies; Because you are a guest in Armenia and you must pay attention to the laws of the host country to make your trip enjoyable.
• If a stranger pours water on your head with a bucket or a waterfall falls on your head from the top of a building, don't get angry and don't treat people badly. It's part of the celebration, just enjoy it.
• Armenian water festival has no age limit and everyone participates in it; So take the children with you.
• Since you cannot take a mobile phone with you, keep an eye on the children so that they don't get lost in the crowd. It's better to be together so that you don't chase after each other for hours.

Armenian water festival; Cold shower in the street

Armenia's water festival is a national-religious festival that takes place every year in July, exactly 98 days (14 weeks) after Easter.

This celebration is a kind of reward for those who have worked hard for a whole year and now they celebrate it in the heat of summer with water games in the city. This celebration has a special ritual that is performed in the morning, and each of them has a meaning for the Armenian people.

If you want to participate in this biggest water game in 2024, you need to buy a plane ticket from Alibaba for July and then book a hotel.