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Public holidays in Armenia

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This article contains Armenian text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Armenian letters.

The following is a list of public holidays in Armenia.

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

Date English Name Local Name Remarks
1–2 January New Year's Day Ամանոր Tradition
6 January Christmas Day Սուրբ Ծնունդ Based on the calendar used in Armenian Apostolic Church
28 January Army Day Բանակի օր In celebration of Armenian Army formation on that day in 1992
8 March International Women's Day Կանանց տոն Women's Day
24 April Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day Եղեռնի զոհերի հիշատակի օր Remembrance of victims of Armenian Genocide in 1915
1 May Labour Day Աշխատանքի օր International Workers' Day
9 May Victory and Peace Day Հաղթանակի և Խաղաղության տոն Shushi Liberation Day - on May 8, 1992, Armenian forces freed the city from Azerbaijani military forces, marking an important milestone in Artsakh liberation war for Armenians.

Victory Day : 9 May (World War II) was a holiday throughout the USSR and is still an official holiday in Armenia.

28 May Republic Day Հանրապետության օր Establishment of the Democratic Republic of Armenia in 1918
5 July Constitution Day Սահմանադրության օր Adopted in 1995
21 September Independence Day Անկախության օր Independence from the Soviet Union in 1991
31 December New Year's Eve Ամանոր
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The following days are mentioned in relevant laws, but are not specified as non-working days:[1]

Date English Descript Local Name Remarks
21 February Mother Language Day Մայրենի լեզվի օր Corresponding to International Mother Language Day
8th Thursday before Easter Saint Vardanian's Day - the day of good activities and national tribute Սուրբ Վարդանանց տոն՝ բարի գործի և ազգային տուրքի օր
28 February Day of remembrance for victims of massacres organized in Azerbaijan SSR and protection of rights of Armenian refugees Ադրբեջանական ԽՍՀ-ում կազմակերպված ջարդերի զոհերի հիշատակի և բռնագաղթված հայ բնակչության իրավունքների պաշտպանության օր
7 April Motherhood and Beauty Day Մայրության և գեղեցկության տոն
16 April Day of Armenian Cinema Հայ կինոյի օր
Last Saturday (or last Sunday if last Saturday is April 24) of April Day of Citizen of Republic of Armenia Հայաստանի Հանրապետության քաղաքացու օր Introduced after 2018 Armenian revolution
8 May Defenders of the Country Day Երկրապահի օր Day of Yerkrapah veterans
15 May Family Day Ընտանիքի օր
16 May Students and Youth Day Ուսանողների և երիտասարդների օր
1 June Protection of Children's Rights Day Երեխաների իրավունքների պաշտպանության օր Corresponding to international Children's Day
14 June Day of Remembrance for the oppressed Բռնադատվածների հիշատակի օր
64th day after Easter Holiday of Saint Etchmiadzin Սուրբ Էջմիածնի տոն
1 September Knowledge and School Day Գիտելիքի և դպրության օր Knowledge and School Day marks start of school year
12 September Sparapet Day Սպարապետի օր Honors the memory of Mkhitar Sparapet
5 October Teachers' Day Ուսուցչի օր Corresponding to World Teachers' Day
Second Saturday of October Translators' Day Թարգմանչաց տոն Remembering the Holy Translators
10 November Day of local self-governance Տեղական ինքնակառավարման օր
7 December Day of Remembrance for Earthquake Victims and Disaster Resistance Երկրաշարժի զոհերի հիշատակի օր Remembrance of victims of 1988 earthquake
9 December Day of condemning and preventing genocides Ցեղասպանությունների դատապարտման և կանխարգելման օր

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

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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

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Vardavar

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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

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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

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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

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References

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  1. ^ a b "DocumentView". www.arlis.am. Retrieved 2019-12-10.
  2. ^ "ՀՀ ՕՐԵՆՔԸ "ՀՀ ՏՈՆԵՐԻ ԵՎ ՀԻՇԱՏԱԿԻ ՕՐԵՐԻ ՄԱՍԻՆ" ՕՐԵՆՔՈՒՄ ՓՈՓՈԽՈՒԹՅՈՒՆՆԵՐ ԿԱՏԱՐԵԼՈՒ ՄԱՍԻՆ". www.arlis.am. Retrieved 2022-01-07.
  3. ^ "Non-working holidays in Armenia". docs.google.com. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
  4. ^ "ԻՐՏԵԿ - Աշխատանքային օրացույց" (in Armenian). Retrieved 2020-01-28.
  5. ^ "ոչ աշխատանքային օրեր Հայաստանում" (in Armenian). Retrieved 2020-01-28.
  6. ^ "Armenians Celebrate Water Day Vardavar". libwin2k.glendale.edu. ProQuest 1398477055. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  7. ^ "Armenians Celebrate Vardavar Water Festival". libwin2k.glendale.edu. ProQuest 1922538551. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  8. ^ "Armenians To Mark Watery Festival of Pagan Goddess". libwin2k.glendale.edu. ProQuest 450645788. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  9. ^ "Armenia Remembers the Fallen on 1988 Earthquake Memorial Day". aglobalworld.com. Retrieved 2015-11-25.
  10. ^ "Armenia Earthquake Memorial Day". TheFreeDictionary.com. Retrieved 2015-11-25.
  11. ^ "Motherhood and Beauty Day Holiday Resource". Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  12. ^ "Armenia Motherhood and Beauty Day". The Free Dictionary-Farlex. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
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