Cooling Off In Yerevan: Ancient Vardavar Tradition Brings Relief

People with buckets jumped into the fountain on central Republic Square in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, pouring water on each other in celebration of the Vardavar tradition. A security forces' vehicle joined the party with its water cannons amid the hot summer day on July 7. Armenians date Vardavar back to pre-Christian times. It has survived to this day as a festivity of joy, purification, and forgiveness.