Mount Ararat with the historic Khor Virap monastery visible at center-left

Holidays & Festivals

Navasard, the ancient Armenian New Year originally fixed to the heliacal rising of Sirius around August 11, commemorates the legendary patriarch Hayk's defeat of the Babylonian tyrant Bel — an event Armenian tradition dates to 2492 BC, from which the traditional Armenian calendar reckons its year zero. Pre-Christian celebrations lasted weeks with feasting, athletic contests, and bonfires.

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Illuminate
Armenia

Navasard, the ancient Armenian New Year originally fixed to the heliacal rising of Sirius around August 11, commemorates the legendary patriarch Hayk's defeat of the Babylonian tyrant Bel — an event Armenian tradition dates to 2492 BC, from which the traditional Armenian calendar reckons its year zero. Pre-Christian celebrations lasted weeks with feasting, athletic contests, and bonfires. 

618Holidays & Festivals