Vardavar- Armenian Holiday at the Armenian Vank in Jerusalem

Vardavar is one of the most ancient Armenian holidays. It was celebrated by the pagan Armenians and, therefore, the holiday's customs of pagan times including spilling water on each other, making the pigeons fly etc., are still maintained. By tradition, Armenian month Navasard begins on the day when Noah finds his refuge on the Mount Ararat during the Flood and then comes down from the top. Noah orders his sons to pour water over each other for the memory of the Flood. Vardavar holiday is also related to the Flood and the Noah's decent from the Ark.







Vartevar, in Jerusalem, water splashing from left to right everywhere you walked in the cobble stone courtyard, you can see water being thrown on people from all angles. Water bottle splashing from left to right. Kids running screaming. Boys running with garbage bags in their hands, standing on roof tops, dumping gallons upon liters upon gallons on those sitting below. The win blowing slightly, the sun slamming the face, till it wants to burn on fire, the air moist with particles of water blowing through the air.


Footsteps, a big jump,
Slam the water slaps someone in
The face like a slapping flapping
Fish swung against the cheeks,
Rooted in a pagan holiday from
Thousands of years back, Vartevar
Commemorates the days of
A holy feast today in the Christian
Tradition, as Armenians from around the
World slam water on each other during this
Blessed holiday, cleaning of the soul of impurities.
As we run around with water bottles in our hands,
And slam each other with bottle after bottle
After bottle, all I can do is laugh, smile,
And continue the water fight of Vartevar.