If you’re Armenian, you might have remembered a great excuse to drench your siblings, relatives and friends with water on an unbearably hot summer day. Although at the time, you couldn’t believe your parents were actually allowing you to soak other people, while getting dripping yet yourself, this Armenian festival known as “Vardavar” has a richer history than just summer time fun.
Typically celebrated around 14 weeks after Easter, Vardavar’s origins can be traced to pagan times, where it was associated with the goddess of water, love and fertility - Astghik.
The etymology of the word “Vardavar” stems from “vard” meaning “rose” in Armenian. The explanations for the rose connection are quite varied.