July 30, 1900 (Monday)
[Aintab]
The great “water splashing” Bayram of
the Armenians. It has been a custom for ages among these people to keep this
day, “Bayram.” Early in the morning our neighbors began the sport of throwing
water on each other. Several young men stripped to the sin, excepting towells
<hung> about the wait, were drenching each other and women and children
who came in their way. I went to the college & spent a few hours with Mr
Merril taking on the gosple etc. In the afternoon my self and Bro Page engaged
in a water combat with our neighbors and spent nearly two hours in the contest.
We & they were soaking wet many times over and enjoyed the sport immensely.
Many accounts are given of the origin of this days celebration but they seem to
have very little connection with the spirit and practice of the day. Some say
it is in honor of the resurrection of Mary the mother of the Savior. Some say
it is to celebrate the “Transfiguration of the Mount.” Others connect it with
the ancient Armenian Idol named Vartavar to whom water was profusly poured
when special prayers were offered to his godship for rain in times of drough[t].
There may be but little good in the custom and yet I see no harm in the
innocent and friendly “ducking.” (Joseph Wilford Booth, Journal, July 30, 1900,
in Missionary in the Middle East: The Journals of Joseph Wilford Booth,
ed. James A. Toronto and Kent F. Schull [Provo, Utah: BYU Religious Studies
Center; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2024], 295)
As
the editors note:
The holiday of Vartavar, also called
“Transfiguration,” is really two holidays in one. It has its roots in a pre-Christian
holiday in which Armenians sprinkled water on each other in memory of the goddess
Asdig, but after Armenia’s introduction to Christianity it was changed to a commemoration
of the transfiguration of Jesus Christ. In popular practice the holiday was
more often celebrated with water sports. Sarafan, Briefer History of Aintah,
210; and Villa and Matossian, Armenian Village Life, 141-42. (Ibid., 295-96
n. 26)
This
stood out as it shows that early 20th century Latter-day Saints had
no objection to celebrating a popular holiday in the area they lived/were serving;
in reality, there is no issue with believing Latter-day Saints doing the same,
even if the holiday may have pagan origins or origins in a false religion, etc (cf.
the silly debates as to whether one should celebrate Halloween or Christmas in other
circles).
To Support this Blog:
