Armenia’s National Assembly has approved, in its second and final reading, legislative amendments to the Law on Holidays and Memorial Days, restoring the memorial days following the five major feasts of the Armenian Apostolic Church as official non-working days.
Under the new legislation, the memorial days following the following religious holidays will once again be public holidays:
Christmas
Easter
Transfiguration (Vardavar)
Assumption of the Holy Mother of God (Blessing of Grapes)
Exaltation of the Holy Cross
The amendments also stipulate that the government will no longer have the authority to create additional non-working days by shifting holidays to adjacent weekends.
The law introduces several other changes, including:
Citizen’s Day will continue to be observed on the last Saturday of April, except when May 1 falls on a Monday, in which case it will be celebrated on the last Sunday of April.
Armenian Cinema Day will be moved from April 16 to April 13.
Defender of the Homeland Day has been renamed Homeland Defender–Militia Member Day.
Father’s Day will now be observed on the third Sunday of June instead of June 17.
Constitution Day will remain on July 5, while State Symbols Day will be observed annually on August 23.
The government may designate non-working days for national minorities to celebrate their traditional holidays upon their request.
Mesrop Mashtots Day has been established on February 17.
Navasard, celebrating Armenian traditions, culture, and the unity of Armenians worldwide, will be observed annually on August 11.
Official celebration days for Yerevan and Armenia’s provinces will be introduced, beginning with the first Saturday following September 5, and observed on successive Saturdays according to a fixed schedule.
