30 January 2010, 10:00
Armenia celebrates the blessing day of all beloveds
On January 30, the Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates the St Sargis Day - the patron of all people in love. All the churches named after this Saint held celebratory liturgies.
Saint Sargis is one of the most cherished saints of Armenians. In 2007, the Catholicos of All Armenians Garegin the Second proclaimed the St Sargis Day to be the Day of all people in love. Under the legend, brave commander Sargis, together with son Martiros and fourteen soldiers perished in the name of Christianity, having refused to enter the Zoroastrianism.
"This holiday is fixed in our religious calendar; the folklore is also praising it," Airapet Babayan, Priest of the St Sargis Church and spiritual pastor of the Arabkir Yerevan-based community, said to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.
He treats negatively the possibility of celebrating St Valentine Day in Armenia: "We have our own saint, why should we follow others? Valentine is the saint of other nations; we don't have him in our religious calendar. St Valentine admits free marriages; while we say here that people should marry with the blessing of their parents. That is, we emphasize parents' blessing and family strength."
Under the national tradition, at the night on the eve of the holiday, young people should eat a salty flat cake. After that, in expectation of revelations, they should neither eat nor drink. People believe that at night they will see their intended in their dreams.
Author: Lylyt Ovanisyan Source: CK correspondent
