Holidays

(official holiday)
Observed on January 1

   New Year is celebrated for a whole week, starting on December 31. During this time, New Year cookies are baked, and tables are set with food and various kinds of sweets. Throughout the week, people exchange gifts and congratulatory wishes, and their homes are open to welcome everyone. Visits begin on January 1 and continue until January 6, which marks Christmas.

     Armenian children believe that Dzmer Pap (Santa Claus) brings gifts on New Year’s Eve. Several days or even weeks before the holiday, children write letters to Dzmer Pap, telling him what gifts they wish to receive.

(official, religious holiday)
Observed on January 6

    Christmas—the Birth of Christ—is celebrated by people all over the world. Armenians observe this day as an important Christian religious holiday, along with the Epiphany (Baptism of Christ), and attend church services. A key part of the ritual is the "Blessing of Water," during which water is blessed with holy chrism, symbolizing Christ’s baptism.

     The most beautiful and meaningful parts of the holiday take place both at home and in church. Many families attend church services on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. Afterward, they gather for a traditional Christmas dinner. According to tradition, the main dish is fish and rice, prepared with butter. Wine is also served during the meal.

(official holiday)
Observed on January 28

     In the Armenian calendar, January 28 is marked as Army Day. This day holds great importance for the Armenian people, as the Armenian army is the sole protector of the state and the nation, and our future depends on the strength of our army.

     On January 28, 1992, the Supreme Council of the Republic of Armenia adopted a resolution regarding Armenia's Ministry of Defense, marking the beginning of the creation of a national army.

(religious holiday)
Observed in January or February (movable)

     St. Sargis is a beloved religious observance and is very popular among young people. It is celebrated 63 days before Easter, on a Saturday that falls between January 18 and February 23. On the night of the holiday, young people eat salty pies and refrain from drinking water to encourage vivid dreams. They believe that St. Sargis decides their fate, and that the person who gives them water to drink in their dreams will become their future spouse. People also place a plate with flour outside their homes to create a record of St. Sargis’s horse riding through the flour. It is believed that St. Sargis appears with lightning speed on his radiant horse, and that the traces left in the flour serve as a good omen, bringing them luck.

(religious holiday)
Observed on February 14

     According to religious custom, this holiday is associated with the idea of coming forward to the Lord with fire, 40 days after His birth. The Armenian Church celebrates it on February 14th, 40 days after January 6th, which gives it its religious name: "Coming Forward to the Lord." The main ceremony involves a bonfire, symbolizing the arrival of spring.

(official holiday)
Observed on March 8

     Women's Day is widely celebrated among Armenians. Men give gifts to women, and the streets are filled with flowers. People typically celebrate the day with friends, enjoying time together at cafes, restaurants, or at home.

(religious holiday)
Observed in March or April (movable)

    Easter (Zatik) is the favorite and most anticipated holiday in the Christian world. On this day, people greet each other with the words: "Christ is Risen from the dead" – "Blessed is the resurrection of Christ." During the 40-day Lenten fasting period leading up to Easter, Armenian families place lentils or other sprouting grains on a tray covered with a thin layer of cotton, keeping it in a light place in the house until Easter, when the sprouts appear. These green sprouts symbolize spring and the awakening of nature. People place colored eggs on the "grass" to decorate the Easter table.

(official holiday)
Observed on May 1

    On May 1, Armenia and several other countries around the world celebrate International Workers' Day. The holiday was first observed in 1890 in Austria-Hungary, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Belgium, the USA, and several other countries.

(official holiday)

Observed on May 28

    On this day in 1918, the Armenian people restored what remained of historic Armenia to statehood after half a millennium of lost sovereignty. The celebration of this day marks the beginning of the modern Armenian quest for independence. Though short-lived, the 1918 Republic was absorbed into the USSR for seventy more years, yet it inspired a spirit of hope and self-determination for future generations. This is an official national holiday.

(official holiday)

Observed on July 5
   The Constitution of the Republic of Armenia was adopted on July 5, 1995, through a nationwide referendum. Constitution Day is one of the official holidays of the Republic of Armenia, celebrated every year on July 5 to commemorate the adoption of the country's fundamental legal document. This day symbolizes the adoption of the country's basic law and the supremacy of law and justice, reaffirming the country's independence and democracy.

(religious holiday)
Observed in July (moveable)
     In the traditional Armenian range of holidays, Transfiguration is a major summer holiday, celebrated 14 weeks after Easter. In pre-Christian Armenia, this holiday was associated with the pagan goddess Anahit, to whose temple both the young and the old went on pilgrimage. The word "Vardavar" has two meanings: "the flaming of the rose" and "to sprinkle with water." According to the legend, the goddess Astghik spread love across the Armenian land by sprinkling rosy water and presenting roses. The god Vahagn kept and protected that love, constantly fighting against evil. After the adoption of Christianity, the feast was transformed. Nowadays, on Vardavar, everyone pours water on one another, and no one feels offended or displeased by the mischief of the day.

(official holiday)
Observed on April 7
    Motherhood and Beauty Day is the second official holiday dedicated to women. March 8 is dedicated to all women, while April 7 is Mother's Day. People give presents to their mothers. It is noteworthy that Armenians celebrate an entire month dedicated to women, from March 8 to April 7.

(official holiday)
Observed on May 9
    Victory Day was observed throughout the former USSR and continues to be celebrated in Armenia. The remembrance of World War II and its fallen soldiers is observed on different days in various countries, while in Armenia, this holiday is celebrated on May 9.

This day holds double significance for the Armenian people. Symbolically, on the same day in May 1992, the ancient Armenian fortress town of Shushi was liberated. Every year on this day, the Armenian people express their gratitude and deeply honor the veterans of the Great Patriotic War and the Artsakh War, as well as all those who gave their lives for a free and independent future.

(religious holiday)

Observed in August (movable)
     Every year, on the Sunday closest to August 15, the Armenian Church celebrates the Feast of the Assumption of St. Mary, the Holy Mother of God. This feast is one of the five major feasts of the Armenian Church and is the oldest one dedicated to St. Mary.

During the Feast of the Assumption of St. Mary, the Ceremony of the Blessing of the Grapes takes place. On this day, grapes are blessed in the church, symbolizing the fruits of the harvest, and the entire year’s harvest is also blessed. This ceremony highlights the connection between the divine and the earthly, where the fruits of nature are sanctified, and the faithful acknowledge God's provision.

(religious holiday)
Observed in September (movable)
     Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is the last one of the five major feasts of the Armenian Apostolic Church. It is the most important feast among the feasts dedicated to the Holy Cross, as it is dedicated to the history of the return of the Holy Cross from imprisonment, its elevation and glorification. In the Armenian Apostolic Church the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is celebrated on Sunday during the period between September 11-17. And the Monday following the Feast is a Memorial Day.

(official holiday)
Observed on September 21
    Independence Day is an official holiday in Armenia. The restoration of the Republic of Armenia in 1991, after 70 years of sovietization, followed a national referendum on secession from Soviet Union