Huffington Post includes Vardavar in 8 most probable water festivals of world

The American Huffington Post periodical introduced the 8 most probable water festivals of the world which includes Armenian Vardavar, as well, “Armenpress” reports. Celebrated in Armenia,Vardavar is a water festival derived from both Christian and pagan roots. According to tradition, the pagan goddess Astghik would spread love and rosewater around the country while the God Vahagn would protect the people. Similar to other water festivals, Armenians go onto the streets and spray one another with water during Vardavar. However, they also have a tradition of releasing pigeons or doves into the air.

This New Year's event is one of the most popular festivals in Thailand, which says quite a lot. Observed in mid-April,Songkran originally stemmed from a Hindu celebration. Now it is considered to bean enormous water fight party, cooling people off during Thailand's hottest time of the year.

This past summer, Seattle Party Camp launched an event called, appropriately,"The World's Largest Water Fight." The all-day festival was an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for water fights while raising money for charity. Although they fell short of the world record, more than $55,000 was fundraised forCamp Korey, a recreational organization for kids with life-threatening medical conditions.

AlthoughThingyan is also a mid-April New Year's celebration, this water festival has very different traditions than Songkran.Thingyan stems from Buddhist tradition, and still holds a significant amount of cultural significance in Myanmar. Between throwing buckets of water onto anyone in their path, villagers also take this time to focus on doing good deeds for one another.

This festival is very important for the Dai ethnic minority of China. Similar to Songkran,the Dai Water Splashing Festivalis three days long. On the first day, villagers shop at a special outdoor marketplace. On the second day, they float lanterns down the Lancang River, which is said to ward off bad spirits. The climax of the festival is on the third day, when participants dress up in their finest clothes, gather at a Buddhist temple and engage in a deliberate water-splashing ritual.

Also known as the "Water and Ham Festival,Fiesta del Agua y del Jamon is a celebration of San Juan Batista, known in English as John the Baptist. Once the clock strikes midnight on June 23rd, a crazy water fight commences. After everyone is watered-out, the town parties with beer and fireworks.

Also known asthe Cambodian New Year, Chaul Chnam Thmeyshares similar elements with Songkran and Thingyan. However, this festival is more focused on spiritual cleansing and good deeds, with crafts, music and dance performances integral to the holiday. Participants bathe themselves with holy water, and sprinkle perfumed water on monks and statues of Buddha.

The good people at NYC4nerds.com knew that the Big Apple deserved a big water fight. On June 29th, 2013,the group organized a monstrous water fighton the Great Lawn in Central Park, attracting thousands of participants andthe media's intrigued eye.