Haikakan S'rj, Armenian Coffee, defines its lifestyle. Once thought to be a legacy of Ottoman Turkish rule, it is now understood to have originated in Yemen, with caravans bringing the beans north and then west, where it infiltrated both Asia and Europe.
In Armenia, there are few holidays, covered with such spirit of mischief and childishness, as Vardavar. Despite its serious origin (a holiday is the church one, and it is called the Transfiguration of the Lord), Vardavar is considered the funny and amusing holiday, because the main rite of this day is the sprinkling water on everything and everyone!
The social and economic upheavals that followed the earthquake of 1988 combined with the political collapse of the Soviet Union to create a catastrophic public health situation in Armenia.