View source for Public holidays in Armenia

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{{Contains special characters|Armenian}}

The following is a list of '''public holidays in [[Armenia]]'''.

== Legal holidays and remembrance days ==

=== Non-working legal holidays and remembrance days ===
Per Armenian law, 12 days are declared as non-working days.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.arlis.am/DocumentView.aspx?docid=136426|title=DocumentView|website=www.arlis.am|access-date=2019-12-10}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.arlis.am/DocumentView.aspx?docid=158030|title=ՀՀ ՕՐԵՆՔԸ "ՀՀ ՏՈՆԵՐԻ ԵՎ ՀԻՇԱՏԱԿԻ ՕՐԵՐԻ ՄԱՍԻՆ" ՕՐԵՆՔՈՒՄ ՓՈՓՈԽՈՒԹՅՈՒՆՆԵՐ ԿԱՏԱՐԵԼՈՒ ՄԱՍԻՆ|website=www.arlis.am|access-date=2022-01-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vR5choBCsF0sNu71IhElOvFSlrvgEnt6fXPeECKA0RPPtPD_TOXMeR2VPSkgcUFqE0lNK0M9paYpN8G/pubhtml|title=Non-working holidays in Armenia|website=docs.google.com|access-date=2018-12-03}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.irtek.am/views/calendarw.aspx|title=ԻՐՏԵԿ - Աշխատանքային օրացույց|language=hy|access-date=2020-01-28}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| url=https://www.advantour.com/armenia/holidays.htm|language=hy|access-date=2020-01-28 | title=ոչ աշխատանքային օրեր Հայաստանում }}</ref> Non-working days include:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! 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 (Armenia)|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 (Armenia)|Republic Day]]|| Հանրապետության օր || Establishment of the [[Democratic Republic of Armenia]] in 1918
|-
|5 July ||[[Constitution Day]] || Սահմանադրության օր ||[[Politics of Armenia|Adopted]] in 1995 
|-
|21 September ||[[Independence Day (Armenia)|Independence Day]]|| Անկախության օր || Independence from the [[Soviet Union]] in 1991 
|-
|31 December ||[[New Year's Eve]] || Ամանոր ||
|-
|}

=== Other legal holidays ===
The following days are mentioned in relevant laws, but are not specified as non-working days:<ref name=":0" />
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Date !! English Descript !! Local name !! Remarks
|-
|19 February ||Book Giving Day - [[Hovhannes Tumanyan|Hovhannes Tumanyan's Birthday]]|| Գիրք նվիրելու օր - Հովհաննես Թումանյանի ծննդյան օր ||
|-
|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
|[http://parliament.am/legislation.php?sel=show&ID=5390 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 Day|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 Armenian earthquake|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 ==
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 ==

=== Vardavar ===
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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Armenians Celebrate Water Day Vardavar |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1398477055 |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=libwin2k.glendale.edu| id={{ProQuest|1398477055}} }}</ref> 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 mythology|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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Armenians Celebrate Vardavar Water Festival |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1922538551 |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=libwin2k.glendale.edu| id={{ProQuest|1922538551}} }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Armenians To Mark Watery Festival of Pagan Goddess |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/450645788 |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=libwin2k.glendale.edu| id={{ProQuest|450645788}} }}</ref> However, the festival's essence, symbolized by the joyous and communal water splashing, remains a beloved tradition.

=== Armenian Earthquake Memorial Day ===
Armenian Earthquake Memorial Day is a day of remembrance in [[Armenia]] for the [[1988 Armenian earthquake|earthquake]] of magnitude 6.9 on the [[Richter magnitude scale|Richter scale]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Armenia Remembers the Fallen on 1988 Earthquake Memorial Day |url=http://aglobalworld.com/holidays-around-the-world/armenia-earthquake-memorial-day/ |accessdate=2015-11-25 |website=aglobalworld.com}}</ref> 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]],<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |title=Armenia Earthquake Memorial Day |url=http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Armenia+Earthquake+Memorial+Day |accessdate=2015-11-25 |website=TheFreeDictionary.com}}</ref> 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 Republic|Nagorno-Karabakh]]) as a day of remembrance of the tragedies that stemmed from the earthquake in 1988.

=== Motherhood and Beauty Day ===
Motherhood and beauty day ({{langx|hy|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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Motherhood and Beauty Day Holiday Resource |url=http://www.marktheday.com/nationholidaydates/arm_motherhoodandbeautyday.aspx |accessdate=22 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Armenia Motherhood and Beauty Day |url=http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Armenia+Motherhood+and+Beauty+Day |accessdate=22 May 2012 |publisher=The Free Dictionary-Farlex}}</ref> 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==
{{Portal|Holidays|Society}}
*[[Public holidays in the Republic of Artsakh]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Public holidays in Armenia}}
{{Armenia topics}}
{{Asia topic|Public holidays in}}
{{Public holidays in Europe}}

[[Category:Public holidays in Armenia| ]]
[[Category:Lists of public holidays by country|Armenia]]
[[Category:Culture of Armenia]]
[[Category:Society of Armenia]]
[[Category:Observances in Armenia]]
[[Category:Armenia-related lists|Holidays]]