Festivals

Celebrating victory over Nazi Germany, Armenia also recognizes the liberation of Shushi and the establishment of the Artsakh army on May 9. An official public holiday, the event is accompanied by military events, parades, and memorializes fallen soldiers, and fireworks are held in the evening. Other former soviet regions also celebrate May 9 as Victory and Peace Day. 

This festival celebrates the dolma, one of Armenia's most beloved traditional dish, and takes place in a different place in the country each year. Dolma is stuffed grape leaves with a variety of fillings, most typically rice, vegetables, and minced meat. At the Dolma Festival, renowned cooks and home cooks alike prepare their signature dolma and participate in a tasting competition. Nearly 60 different types of dolma was presented at the 5th festival. 

This festival, an unofficial yet popular holiday, honors the former president Heydar Aliyev. Exhibitions and sculptures made of more than a million fresh flowers are displayed around the city. The celebration is accompanied by a folk festival, concerts, and fireworks. 

 A cultural initiative of President Ilham Aliyev and organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, this state-sponsored gala concert features performances by the country’s most talented musicians and composers, along with the national symphony orchestra and state choir capella, and with participation from international countries. The concert was first held in 1989 but ended in 1992 when the city of Shusha was captured during the First Nagorno-Karabakh war. It resumed again in 2021 after Azerbaijan successfully recaptured the city in 2020.

The Muslim holiday of Ramadan has been celebrated in Azerbaijan since 1993, after the collapse of the Soviet Union. During Ramadan, Muslims will fast during the day, visit the mosque and participate in prayers, and donate money to the needy.

Though this festival is referred to as the ‘birthday of Buddha’, it also celebrates Buddha’s enlightenment and passing and as such, is one of the most important events in the Buddhist calendar. Devotees visit the pagodas and make offerings of flowers and fruits, while abstaining from alcohol and other prohibited activities.