The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrated VARTAVAR- AYLAGERBUTYUN – BAYDZARAGERBUTYUN (Lord Jesus Christ changing appearance on Mount Tapor and taking on the light. Feast of Glory) on Sunday, July 11, which is one of its 5 big holidays.
In accordance with the tradition, the Patriarch of the Armenians of Turkey, Sahak II, presided over the ceremony at the Üsküdar Surp Garabet church on the day of the church’s annual celebration, the “Love Table”. Senior Father Krikor Damadian performed the Holy Offering. Church deacons and readers served the Lord’s Supper. Kadıköy Surp Takavor church choir members sang the hymns under the direction of their conductor Sevan Şencan. Üsküdar Surp Haç Church clergyman Father Husig Hergelyan, Father Şirvan Mürzyan, the church’s clergyman Father Bedros Buldukyan and the head of the Surp Garabed church foundation Nurhan Engin and members of the board of directors were also present at the ceremony.
At the end of the Holy Offering service, Patriarch Sahak II gave sermons in Armenian and Turkish about the Vartavar Feast. In his sermons he spoke as follows:
“Today we celebrate Vartavar Feast, one of the important holidays of our Church. Vartavar is a very old holiday celebrated by Armenians during pagan times. ‘Vart’ means rose. ‘Vartavar’ also means change that comes from rose. In ancient times, Armenians adorned their idols with roses and watered them. Then they would wet each other. This tradition has continued with us. Only our Church Fathers and Clergy said; let us combine this tradition with the ‘Feast of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ’. For when Jesus Christ appeared to his disciples on the mountain, His Image was changed. His hair and beard turned white. The lights started to shine. And there the Deity of Jesus Christ appeared. On this great feast, our Ancestors said; The real rose is Jesus Christ himself. Actually, the rose is a shrub. It is the most shapeless of all plants and is a thorny bush. But from it comes the most beautiful flower in the world. That’s why our Ancestors did not mind combining the ‘Aylagerbutyun – Baydzaragerbutyun – Transfiguration Feast’ with the old Vartavar Feast.”
Then, the ritual prayers were read for all those who sleep in the Lord. Afterwards, the church was left in a procession and after the “Antasdan” ceremony in the garden, the ceremony ended with the last blessing of His Beatitude the Patriarch and the Lord’s prayer. Afterwards, Sahak II released the white doves, the symbol of peace, into the sky.
While the Vartavar feast ceremony and the sermon of Patriarch Sahak II were broadcast live on the Patriarchate’s Facebook account, the number of believers attending the ceremony and their attention to complying with the pandemic conditions drew attention.
