National and Religious Holidays of Armenia
Day 2,585, 15:28
•
Published in Armenia 
•
by
•
by Arevik Garabed
January 1: New Year (Amanor)
Beginning on December 31 New Year is celebrated for an entire week. It most closely resembles Christmas in the USA with its focus on gifts, baking and laying the table for family and friends. The evening of December 31 is reserved for family, with visiting beginning January 1. The holiday lasts through Armenian Christmas (January 6).
January 6: Christmas (Surb Tsnund)
Armenians celebrate Christmas together with the Epiphany (baptism), kept by many who attend a neighborhood church. Families enjoy a traditional Christmas dinner of fish followed by pilaf, a rice dish cooked with dried fruit.
Between January 18 – February 7: Saint Sargis
St. Sargis Day is popular among young people. It is celebrated 63 days before Easter, on a Saturday falling sometime between January 18 and February 23. Carried forward from ancient times, the ritual involves eating salty pies and refraining from drink, believed to encourage a dream, in which the person giving the dreamer water will be their future spouse. Another part of their ritual involves putting a plate with flour outside the door to record St. Sargis’ entry, riding on his horse dressed in gold armor. A trace of footprints in the flour is considered as a good sign.
February 14: Purification (Trndez)
According to custom, this holiday is connected with the idea of purifying oneself with fire; religiously observed 40 days after Christmas. The ritual involves a bonfire, and many newlyweds will jump over the fire to purify their marriage. The celebration of the Trndez is pagan in origin and also equate with the coming of spring.
March 8: Women’s Day
Women’s Day is popular among Armenians; men presenting gifts and flowers to the women in their lives. In the cities, many treat their women to a night out on the town.
Between March 16 – April 14: Palm Sunday (Tsaghkazard)
Palm Sunday is celebrated one week before Easter, religiously marked by processions of boys and girls dressed in their best clothes. On Palm Sunday, churches are decorated with branches from willow trees and palm trees. Following a solemn morning service, the blessed branches are distributed to the faithful.
Between March 23- April 26: Easter (Zatik)
Celebrants of Easter greet each other with, «Christ has arisen»-«Blessed is the resurrection of Christ». During Lent (the 40 days before Easter), it is common for families to plant lentils or grain seeds on a tray covered with a thin layer of cotton, timed to sprout in time for Easter day. The sprouts are used as a “nest” for colored eggs and decorate the Easter dinner table.
April 7: Motherhood and Beauty Day
Motherhood and beauty day is the second official holiday dedicated to women.
April 24: Genocide Victims Memorial Day
Every year on April 24, Armenians all over the world honor the memory of 1.5 million victims of the 1915 genocide.
May 9: Victory and Peace Day
Victory Day (World War II) was universally observed in the USSR and is still held sacred in Armenia, which lost two-thirds of the soldiers it sent to the Great Patriotic War. On May 9 Armenians also celebrate the Day of Liberation of Shushi town.
May 28: Day of the First Republic
On May 28, 1918 the First Armenian Republic was formed after the defeat of the Turkish Army by Armenians at battles in Sardarabad, Bash-Aparan and Vanadzor.
July 5: Constitution Day
The Constitution of the Republic of Armenia was adopted through a national referendum on July 5, 1995.
Between June 28- August 1: Transfiguration (Vardavar, “The feast of water”)
In pre-Christian days the holiday was associated with the pagan goddess Astghikh, at whose temple worshipers laid flowers and sprinkled her idol with rose water (one of Vardavar’s meanings is “rose water”). It is also believed worshippers “baptized” each other by splashing water on each other during this, traditionally one of the hottest days of the year. The feast was transformed after the adoption of Christianity, though in modern times locals still splash passersby with cups (or buckets) of water. No one is immune from this latter day “baptism”.
August 12 – 18: Astvatsatsin: Blessing of the Grapes
The day devoted to the Mother of God is celebrated on a Sunday falling between the 12th and the 18th of August, the focus of the ceremony being the annual blessing of the grapes, which traditionally begins the grape harvest.
September: Holy Cross (Khachverats)
Khachverats is celebrated on the Sunday nearest September 14, and also serves as a memorial day for those who have passed away.
September 21: Independence Day
Independence Day celebrates the restoration of the Republic of Armenia in 1991, after a national referendum approved secession from the Soviet Union. The holiday is celebrated with military parades, speeches, fireworks and a number of open air concerts in Yerevan.
Beginning on December 31 New Year is celebrated for an entire week. It most closely resembles Christmas in the USA with its focus on gifts, baking and laying the table for family and friends. The evening of December 31 is reserved for family, with visiting beginning January 1. The holiday lasts through Armenian Christmas (January 6).
January 6: Christmas (Surb Tsnund)
Armenians celebrate Christmas together with the Epiphany (baptism), kept by many who attend a neighborhood church. Families enjoy a traditional Christmas dinner of fish followed by pilaf, a rice dish cooked with dried fruit.
Between January 18 – February 7: Saint Sargis
St. Sargis Day is popular among young people. It is celebrated 63 days before Easter, on a Saturday falling sometime between January 18 and February 23. Carried forward from ancient times, the ritual involves eating salty pies and refraining from drink, believed to encourage a dream, in which the person giving the dreamer water will be their future spouse. Another part of their ritual involves putting a plate with flour outside the door to record St. Sargis’ entry, riding on his horse dressed in gold armor. A trace of footprints in the flour is considered as a good sign.
February 14: Purification (Trndez)
According to custom, this holiday is connected with the idea of purifying oneself with fire; religiously observed 40 days after Christmas. The ritual involves a bonfire, and many newlyweds will jump over the fire to purify their marriage. The celebration of the Trndez is pagan in origin and also equate with the coming of spring.
March 8: Women’s Day
Women’s Day is popular among Armenians; men presenting gifts and flowers to the women in their lives. In the cities, many treat their women to a night out on the town.
Between March 16 – April 14: Palm Sunday (Tsaghkazard)
Palm Sunday is celebrated one week before Easter, religiously marked by processions of boys and girls dressed in their best clothes. On Palm Sunday, churches are decorated with branches from willow trees and palm trees. Following a solemn morning service, the blessed branches are distributed to the faithful.
Between March 23- April 26: Easter (Zatik)
Celebrants of Easter greet each other with, «Christ has arisen»-«Blessed is the resurrection of Christ». During Lent (the 40 days before Easter), it is common for families to plant lentils or grain seeds on a tray covered with a thin layer of cotton, timed to sprout in time for Easter day. The sprouts are used as a “nest” for colored eggs and decorate the Easter dinner table.
April 7: Motherhood and Beauty Day
Motherhood and beauty day is the second official holiday dedicated to women.
April 24: Genocide Victims Memorial Day
Every year on April 24, Armenians all over the world honor the memory of 1.5 million victims of the 1915 genocide.
May 9: Victory and Peace Day
Victory Day (World War II) was universally observed in the USSR and is still held sacred in Armenia, which lost two-thirds of the soldiers it sent to the Great Patriotic War. On May 9 Armenians also celebrate the Day of Liberation of Shushi town.
May 28: Day of the First Republic
On May 28, 1918 the First Armenian Republic was formed after the defeat of the Turkish Army by Armenians at battles in Sardarabad, Bash-Aparan and Vanadzor.
July 5: Constitution Day
The Constitution of the Republic of Armenia was adopted through a national referendum on July 5, 1995.
Between June 28- August 1: Transfiguration (Vardavar, “The feast of water”)
In pre-Christian days the holiday was associated with the pagan goddess Astghikh, at whose temple worshipers laid flowers and sprinkled her idol with rose water (one of Vardavar’s meanings is “rose water”). It is also believed worshippers “baptized” each other by splashing water on each other during this, traditionally one of the hottest days of the year. The feast was transformed after the adoption of Christianity, though in modern times locals still splash passersby with cups (or buckets) of water. No one is immune from this latter day “baptism”.
August 12 – 18: Astvatsatsin: Blessing of the Grapes
The day devoted to the Mother of God is celebrated on a Sunday falling between the 12th and the 18th of August, the focus of the ceremony being the annual blessing of the grapes, which traditionally begins the grape harvest.
September: Holy Cross (Khachverats)
Khachverats is celebrated on the Sunday nearest September 14, and also serves as a memorial day for those who have passed away.
September 21: Independence Day
Independence Day celebrates the restoration of the Republic of Armenia in 1991, after a national referendum approved secession from the Soviet Union. The holiday is celebrated with military parades, speeches, fireworks and a number of open air concerts in Yerevan.
Facebook
Twitter
Discord
Comments
V+S
V+S good to be reminded 🙂
I thought all Christian denominations (at least the 5 biggest) were celebrating Christmas on the 25 of December.
Queenie, We celebrate 6th of JAN. 🙂 do you guys as well ?
No, we are old fashioned. 😃
We celebrate on 25 December.
I believe Russian Orthodox celebrate it on the 6th as well. I do know that Syriacs, Copts and Ethiopians do it on the 6th. (I think on the religious side, we stayed with the Julian calendar, rather than adopt the Gregorian one)
Nice!
o7
🙂
hon nayir honnnnnn hahahahha