Federation of Youth Clubs of Armenia (FYCA) organized the forth “Vardavar International Festival” on July 23, 2017. For the fourth year in a row, the festival has united hundreds of young people all over the world and hundreds of fans of the holiday. The festival was aimed to present the Armenian national-traditional culture making public the uniqueness of the Vardavar holiday. As an educational, cultural event the festival was held in Garni and Geghard, the monuments that are considered to be treasury part of Armenian and world material culture.

 

Atom Mkhitaryan, the president of the Federation of Youth Clubs of Armenia, with the opening speech announced about the start of the Vardavar International Festival, highlighting the significance of the holiday and the splashing water on each other within the framework of the festive event. "I am glad that for the fourth year in a row we have managed to organize an international festival of the Vardavar holiday on the high level and host hundreds of young people, many foreigners and Diaspora representatives. Vardavar is one of the most beloved holidays of the youth, and it is very important to present it to the whole world", said Atom Mkhitaryan.

 

In addition to the celebrations, the traditional ceremony of splashing water on each other and the blessings of the youth, the Armenian folk songs were also included and performed by the Nairyan Vocal Ensamble. The Vardavar holiday theme pavilions were representing the traditions and handmade works of different regions of Armenia. Many of the regional representatives of the Federation of Youth Clubs of Armenia, the largest youth organization in Armenia, the festival organizer, also participated in the event. Coordinators of Aragatsotn, Armavir, Kotayk, Lori, Shirak and Tavush regional clubs joined the annual international festival.

For the first time this year, young actors were also welcomed to the guests during Vardavar Festival, embodying goddess Astghik and her lover Vahagn who are directly related to the Vardavar holiday. Armenian and foreign guests, as well as compatriots from Diaspora, had an opportunity to take a photo with the two important characters of the Armenian mythology.

The festival was organized with support of “Service for the Protection of Historical Environment and Cultural Museum-Reservations” NCSO, Nairyan Vocal Ensamble, “Armenian PR Association” Scientific-Informational NGO and World Armenian Youth Network (WostAYN).

 

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