Roses in the water

Vartavar — a festival of joy and tolerance
The people of the South Caucasus are very proud of their traditions. It is these traditions that give the region its unique character.

Vartavar is a traditional Armenian festival, which dates back to pagan times, when it was dedicated to Astghik, goddess of love and beauty. Vartavar in Armenian means “roses in the water”.
In ancient times during the festival people sang, danced, dancing, and gave flowers to each other. They offered bunches of roses to Astghik.

They also sprinkled rose water on each other and gathered near the water to ask the goddess to bring good aharvest.
Then the Armenian Apostolic Church included Vartavar in the calendar of religious feasts. It symbolizes the Transfiguration of Jesus upon the Tabor mountain. Vartavar is currently celebrated on the 98th day after Easter, from the 28th of July to the 1st of August. Usually it is one of the hottest days of the year, no one recollects it raining at Vartavar. Now there is no rose water or roses, and not everybody keeps the fast, but one of the elements has remained — pouring water on each other.
This year Vartavar was celebrated on the 11th of July. In all Armenian churches there was a service. From early in the morning children with buckets and plastic bottles are ready to pour water. According to the tradition, their first and main “victims” are young girls, but already at three in the evening everybody sprinkles water on everybody: children, adults. Yerevan streets are full of wet people.
One of the main rules of the festival is to not be offended (wet clothes dry up quickly in the July sun), as it's a festival of joy, laughter and happiness. People believe that this spirit of happiness, tolerance, forgiving and solidarity will enter everyday life and people's and nation's relations.
Susanna Petrosyan. Yerevan. Exclusively for VK