Today Armenia celebrates St. Sargis Day

The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates today the holiday of St. Sargis, the patron of the young and those in love. Being initiated by Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin II, St. Sargis Day has been marked as a youth holiday for already several years. Historically St. Sargis was a Christian commander in the 4-th century, who was killed along with his son Martiros by a Persian king for refusal to change his faith.

St. Sargis Day is celebrated 63 days before Easter, on a Saturday falling sometime between Jan. 18 and Feb. 23. Marking the feast day of St. Sargis, unmarried Armenian women eat a piece of salty bread, ideally after fasting all day, in the hope of dreaming about their future husband. Tradition says the man who brings them water in the dream will be the man they marry.

On Saturday, a Divine Liturgy will be celebrated in all churches bearing the name of St. Sarkis. Following the Liturgy a special ceremony of blessing of young people will be offered.

St. Sargis has been one of the most popular saints for Armenians, especially for teenagers and lovers. There is an interesting tradition in Armenia related to this holiday. The night before St. Sargis Day, the teenagers will go to church, firmly keeping an "Aghi plit" (salty cookie) in their pockets, which must be eaten before going to sleep. The salty cookie will make them thirsty and in their dreams whoever offers them a drink of water, will be their future husband or wife.

On the night preceding the feast of St. Sargis faithful people place a tray full of gruel before the door believing that while passing near their door at dawn St. Sargis will leave his footprint on the gruel symbolising the fulfillment of their dreams.

The holiday comes with the blessing of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, who proclaims the day for youth.

As the story is told, God made His presence known to St. Sargis. His message to the great warrior was that the time had come for him to depart from his land to one where he would be directed. St. Sarkis, along with his son Mardiros, departed to the land of Armenia for a period of time, then to Khorasan, Persia, where St. Sarkis was appointed General of the armies of King Shapur, who was a staunch pagan. It was then that he and his son were called to fight for Persia against the armies of the Roman Empire. Shortly after the defeat of the Romans armies by the Persians in 363 A.D., Saint Sargis returned to Khorasan, where he continued to teach Christianity to his troops with a renewed enthusiasm.

King Shapur, displeased with St. Sarkis' practice of Christianity, tested his allegiance to God and encouraged him to worship the pagan gods of his faith. St. Sarkis bravely refused. King Shapur became enraged, and ordered St. Sargis to worship his pagan gods. In defiance, St. Sarkis fearlessly attacked nearby idols and images before him demonstrating complete contempt for the heathen worshippers.

Retaliatory attacks from both sides ensued, wherein during one of the incidents, Mardiros, the son of St. Sargis was killed, and St. Sarkis himself was seized and dragged into a dungeon to await his fate. He was condemned and sentenced to decapitation.

In his final hours, St. Sargis offered his last prayers, "Oh my Lord, Christ, my God, hear all those who utter my name in their hour of need, for they remember my martyrdom in their prayers. " A voice answered, "Your wishes shall be granted and your requests fulfilled, and you shall come to enjoy favors which have been prepared for thee." Saint Sarkis was tragically executed on the dawn of the new moon.

St. Sargis is known as the all powerful warrior and Saint riding on a white charger, who, in the blink of an eye, reaches those calling to him for help.