Vardanank - Day of Mercy and National Hero Tribute in Armenia

The Armenian calendar, like the Orthodox calendar, is based on the Julian calendar Therefore, most holidays in the Armenian community are celebrated with a two-week delay in relation to the Roman Catholic Church The counting of years in the Armenian Church begins on December 7, 552, that is, from the Second Synod in Dvin and is called the “Great Age of Armenia” In 451, the Avarayr Battle took place on the banks of the Tgmut River in the village of Artaz To support the feudal warriors and defend their homeland and faith, the village residents joined the troops If you believe the legends, then everyone took part in the battle, from old men and women to children The leader of the army was Vardan Mamikonyan, an Armenian commander and prince Although he understood perfectly well that the enemy’s forces were many times greater than them, he was not going to give up Although the soldiers and residents fought bravely against the Persians, they failed to win The uprising was smashed to smithereens, most were killed on the battlefield, including Vardan The survivors split into small groups and hid in the mountains Although the battle was lost, the spirit of the Armenians could not be broken The Persians, frightened by the size of the uprising, nevertheless returned the right to self-government in Armenia Thus, Mamikonyan and his army fulfilled their duty and showed the spiritual strength and invincibility of the Armenian people Vardanank Day is celebrated in the first week of Barekendan (or Maslenitsa, the beginning of Lent) on Thursday But this is not only a church holiday, but also a state one On this day, patriotic celebrations are organized throughout the country The huge Armenian diaspora also maintains and honors its traditions, so in many countries where Armenians live, you can see similar celebrations The invincible mountain people deeply honor their history and national heroes Therefore, this day is one of the most important in their calendar Mamikonyan is numbered among the saints in the Armenian Church