By Adonia Agayan

YEREVAN, August 12 — In Armenia the holiday of Navasard is celebrated on August 11. Members of the Unity of Armenian Aryans and the Unity of the Armenian nationalists visited the Temple of Garni on August 10 and there celebrated the holiday.

“The holiday of Navasard — the Armenian ancient New Year, symbolizes Hayk Nahapet’s, the patriarch and forefather of the Armenian people, victory over the Babylonian tyrant Bel,” said Gohar Vardumyan, leading research officer at the Institute of History at the National Academy of Sciences.

According to a legend, about 4,500 years ago Hayk Nahapet defeated Bel’s army, which marked the dawn of the Armenian Republic.

“According to the ancient Armenian calendar, August 11 became the beginning of the new year called Navasard. The word itself is translate as nava — new and sard — year,” Vardumyan said.

She noted that on that day festivities were held throughout the Armenian territory — the whole royal court as well as the soldiers and ordinary people celebrated the holiday.

This holiday was devoted to the pagan gods. People believed that gods came down to earth and bathed in the Aratsani river and then went up to the heaven and from there participated in the holiday of Navasard.

Vardumyan also said that on Navasard an ox was sacrificed to the gods, and its blood was used to mark the foreheads of the holiday. According to her, on that day the tables even collapsed under the weight of various dishes, sweets and dried fruit. Royal hunting and horse racing were important events during Navasard.

Vardumyan added that modern ethnographers have more than once appealed to higher bodies requesting to make Navasard an official holiday.

Yerevan Report