Pagan Trndez in Christian Armenia - who celebrates the “fiery” holiday and why

The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates the Presentation of the Lord (Trndez) on February 14, the fortieth day after Epiphany. In Armenia, the holiday has two names: “turn and dzes” or “thearnendarach”, which means “The Lord is with you!”, “Towards the Lord!”. According to the church charter, on the eve of the holiday, on the evening of February 13, at the end of the evening service, Andastan is performed - a rite of consecration of the four cardinal directions, after which the candle blessing ceremony takes place. According to the oldest tradition, dating back to the pre-Christian era, a fire is lit from a blessed candle, symbolizing the saving light of Christ. The main participants of the holiday are young men and women, newlyweds or those who are just about to tie the knot. The main symbol of the holiday is a bonfire, over which young couples jump. It is believed that you should not separate your hands when jumping so that the union is strong. While the boys and girls are jumping, the elders sprinkle them with wheat and hemp seeds. In ancient times, they believed that during the ritual, the flame of a fire acquired a special energy of renewal and new life.

HAYA Festival

Worldwide legends in Armenia At HAYA Festival, we’re a group of music lovers who thrive on creating a magical experience for over a hundred thousand people every season. Whether you have a strong passion for music or you’re simply hunting for melodic thrills, if you believe in the power of music, we’ve got you covered. Based in the heart of the Republic of Armenia, we believe that music is a universal language that can unite people of all cultures and backgrounds, so we keep breaking barriers and organizing concerts also in the US, Europe, and the Middle East. It’s official, we’ve opened a new chapter in the history of Armenia’s culture, tourism, and economy. We not only offer a lineup of the hottest artists, but we also serve as a creative platform to present Armenia, the peaceful and blossoming country, thus putting it on the map and supporting global cultural initiatives at the same time. Our mission? As simple as it is, we aim at promoting peace and understanding between different cultures and nationalities, with a vision to advocate hope and social change, encouraging self-expression and sharing emotions with other humans who value bringing harmony to their hearts, as we do. So, mark the dates and come with friends. HAYA proved to be a magnificent extravaganza, surpassing anything that had preceded it. The festival captivated the attendees with its magical atmosphere, highlighted by unforgettable performances of French pop sensation ZAZ, legendary hip-hop artist 50 Cent, and the brilliant Led Zeppelin Symphonic project.

HIGH FEST International Performing Arts Festival

• 2024-01-31

HIGH FEST International Performing Arts Festival was established in 2003. The first edition was situated in Yerevan, Armenia, October 2-9. It is the flagship performing arts festival in Armenia. Over these years more than 500 foreign companies, 5000 participants and guests took part of the festival. HIGH FEST has Main and Fringe parts as well as Armenian Showcase and the special Iranian programme. The main goals of HIGH FEST (international performing arts festival) are developing of Armenian Performing arts, promoting Cultural Policy in Armenia and cultural rights of Armenian performing arts practitioners; promotion of Worldwide Culture in Armenia and Armenian Culture in other countries in the world; supporting Armenia in the process of integration between European countries in the field of culture; setting up and implementing programmes and events in art and culture for professional artists in order to promote open and a democratic society within Armenia. To realize our goals, we seek mutually beneficial collaboration with our stakeholders, government business sector, international and local organizations. Over past sixteen years, the Festival has significantly expanded and has drawn international attention. From 2006 it is announced by many performing arts networks as a main theatre festival of the former USSR countries (except of Moscow). Every year we have strong educational programmes, such as conferences, master classes, seminars and workshops, run by leading world specialists. As a result of international recognition Armenia joined several international theatre arts networks, namely: ASSITEJ, IETM, IFEA, ITI, ENCATC, ELIA etc.

Color Festival Yerevan

Inspired by Holi, a popular Indian festival with ancient Hindu roots, the Color Festival in Yerevan celebrates the arrival of the festive and joyous summer season. A free-for-all festival of colors, visitors should expect to smear and be smeared with a rainbow of colorful powders while meeting friends and dancing to music played by local DJs. Surely the most colorful event in June, the festival, which takes place on Mashtots Avenue, brings a playful start to summer holidays.

CYCLE OF BRIGHT IMPRESSIONS

Armenia has a lot to offer to a young tourism destination that is quickly gaining momentum in the world - bright moments and memorable events. National holidays and theatrical shows, international music, film and theater festivals, gastronomic festivals. Such as the Arisa festival in the village of Musaler, donkeys cook millet porridge with meat in huge cauldrons on the night of the third Sunday in September. Or a barbecue festival in Akhtala. The aroma of meat grilled on charcoal attracts guests to the fortress, where restaurateurs and amateurs compete in preparing the oldest dish. In Akhtala you will be offered to try more than 60 types of khorovats (kebabs), including vegetables. Even more varieties of another Armenian dish, tolma, are prepared at the festival in Sardarapat. In addition to a dozen types of dishes, when meat is traditionally wrapped in grape leaves, here is the dolma from Avrut, for example, where the tolma was prepared by wrapping it in bean leaves, or according to the recipe of the ancient Ani cooks - in the leaves of Pumpkin flowers. At the mulberry festival you can eat a juicy berry and try the famous mulberry, at the honey festival you can taste the products of peaceful and fighting Armenian bees, at the bread festival you can taste Armenian bread and circuses.

“Golden Apricot” film festival

“Golden Apricot” is an annual film festival held in July in Yerevan (Armenia) with the assistance of the Ministry of Culture of Armenia. Until 2011, the film festival had three main programs: international fiction and documentary film competitions, as well as the “Armenian Panorama” competition. In 2011, a new short film competition program “Apricot Kite” appeared. In the first year of the film festival, only films by Armenian filmmakers took part in it, but since the second film festival, foreign filmmakers have increasingly participated in it. The Golden Apricot International Film Festival is twinned with the Rotterdam and Busan International Film Festivals. The main prize of the festival is “Golden Apricot”.

YEREVAN - CITY BREAKING STEREOTYPES

It’s logical to start your trip around Armenia from Yerevan. The capital of Armenia is one of the oldest cities in the world with a rich history and unique atmosphere. The city, which is 29 years older than Rome, breaks stereotypes: the past here harmoniously combines with the present, and the conservative east neighbors the advanced west. Yerevan doesn't look his age at all - he's very fashionable The concrete jungle of multi-storey residential boxes is diluted with the warmth of the stonework of old buildings; the characteristic shade of tuff has given Yerevan the status of a “pink” city. In Yerevan, no one is in a hurry: street cafe workers leisurely mow the lawns and serve coffee to visitors leisurely leafing through a magazine or flipping through gadgets; in the mornings at the Cascade, instructors practice yoga with those who wish, and in the evenings, choreographers perform folk dances. On the streets you can find works by the best sculptors of the modern world, in museums - mysterious artifacts, in galleries - works of classics of Armenian and world painting, in the flea market - brilliant creations of modern painters, ceramists and jewelers. Evening Yerevan attracts with concerts of classical music, sounds of folk, jam sessions of jazz musicians, music of night clubs, performances of the most unusual musicians, wine bars of Saryan Street, the opportunity to plunge into the atmosphere of the capital’s iconic institutions, see a show of singing fountains, enjoy delicious food in fashionable restaurants and Armenian fast food - don’t be afraid of street food eateries that serve excellent tzhvzhik, kabab and khorovats. And, most importantly, try to get a local friend on social networks in advance, who will reveal to you all the secrets of the ancient, but very modern city.

WINTER IN ARMENIA / UNTOUCHED SNOW, KILOMETERS OF CONTINUOUS DRIVE

• 2024-01-30

Ride jeeps along snow-covered roads, master snowmobiles, stay at a ski resort and... dive into an ice hole in Sevan. In winter, the lake is covered with a crust of ice, the mountain ranges are covered with snow, the slopes of Aragats are favored by freeriders, and the Gorge of Flowers - the ski resort of Tsaghkadzor - attracts skiers, snowboarders, cross-country skiing and orienteering enthusiasts. There are all opportunities for practicing your favorite sports; thanks to the local climate, virgin soil does not become crusty, and untouched snow holds the board perfectly. The ski center in Tsaghkadzor is located a 40-minute drive from the airport on the picturesque slopes of Mount Teghenis. Trails of all difficulty levels start at the top of the mountain, where the Litner chairlift with heated seats takes you there. In Tsaghkadzor there are no queues for the ski lifts, and all instructors speak Russian! The highest ski point is 2819 m, which is only 10 m lower than the highest ski station in Courchevel. In clear weather, from the first stage of the cable car you can see Sevan, and from the top of Teghenis - Ararat. The third stage of the cable car is a route for lovers of real extreme sports. If you go from the top to the pass, then along the ridge of the neighboring mountain, virgin fields and snowboard slope, you get 8 km of continuous drive - a real paradise for skiers! The cozy resort town boasts not only exciting trails, but also respectable hotels and chic restaurants where there is no strict dress code. In addition, players in the local hospitality industry offer world-class facilities and services at very attractive prices.

ARMENIA / DISCOVERING THE COUNTRY OF UNFORGETTABLE IMPRESSIONS

• 2024-01-30

Armenia. This is a modern country at the junction of East and West, whose age is estimated at thousands of years. These are oases of wild nature and protected areas, temples and boutique hotels lost in emerald forests, Cyclopean fortresses and mountain peaks instead of skyscrapers. Armenia is steep routes and jeep driving along the edge of the abyss. This is a relaxing holiday in mountain resorts and metropolitan spas. This is the drive of the night capital, live music from art cafes and jazz clubs. Armenia is church chant under the arches of domes that inspired Leonardo da Vinci. This is the cult of Mesrop Mashtots, who created the Armenian written language. Armenia means delicious stops in authentic restaurants and peasant houses, eco-food, Armenian hospitality, rich cuisine, lavash baked in tonir and aromatic coffee brewed on hot sand. These are wines from Areni Noir - a local grape variety, the first vine of which was planted after the Flood by the biblical patriarch. These are the capital's wine streets, secluded wineries and the world's oldest “winery” in the Vayots Dzor terroir cave, 6,100 years old. These are the cellars of a cognac factory, and getting out of them is more difficult than climbing Mount Ararat. Armenia is home to boutiques of fashion designers and jewelers. These are high-quality shoes by craftsmen who continued the tradition of the world's oldest shoemakers, whose leather shoes are exhibited in the historical museum. Armenia is full of interesting people and colorful humor of local residents. This is a country that gives unforgettable impressions and where you always want to return.