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The feast of St. Sarkis the Captain was celebrated yesterday, February 19. St. Sarkis is an iconic saint of the Armenian Church, a martyr who gave his life in the 3rd century at the hands of the Persians. He refused to renounce his faith while in the service of the Persian Kingdom. We also celebrate the martyrdom of his young son, and the 14 Persian soldiers who chose to protect him, against their king’s orders.

St. Sarkis is also the patron saint of love in the Armenian culture. Apart from the circumstances of his death, there is a traditional story that holds that St. Sarkis’s life was saved by a women who upon seeing him, fell in love. The two of them rode away on a white horse.

Aghablit

This feast is also celebrated in a curious folk tradition. Young people make and eat really salty cookies before they go to sleep. According to tradition, this causes them to have odd dreams, which they interpret as having something to do with the person they will one day marry.

In Armenia, the feast of St. Sarkis is celebrated somewhat like Valentines Day in the West: with flowers, balloons, and candy.

This photo (figure 1) was taken with one of the kids from Ghoghanj Children’s Center, where my wife and I both teach. Six of the students and I were walking around letting people know that we were participating in a crafts fair, selling goods that the children made for the feast of St. Sarkis. We were inviting them to come and check out the fair. Not everyone was happy to see a giant heart approach them on the street. I suppose it was odd in retrospect. Many shied away. In frustration, we climbed the Cascade to give Yerevan a big hug, whether it wanted one or not.

St. Sarkis was canonized and beloved by the Armenian people, because of his sacrifice and his courage. He was Roman by birth, but his memory has lived on the hearts of the faithful of the Armenian Church. Balloons and salty cookies aside, its important that we remember St. Sarkis and giants like him. They guide us today, and give us insight as to how we can be better Christians, better people. Sacrifice and love… these seem like two things of which we desperately need more.

Update: Here are photos of the crafts, which the kids made with the help of Annie, as well as the bazaar we participated in.