Valentine's day in Armenia - St. Sargis or St. Valentine?

valentine's-day-armenia

The Armenians have the opportunity to congratulate the celebration of the lovers twice a year. The first celebration is St. Sargis’ day (the Armenian variation of St. Valentine), and the second one is the well known and favourite St. Valentine's Day.

Despite the old history of St. Sargis holiday, the majority of the Armenian youth, regardless of national apostolic tradition, celebrate Valentine's Day with greater enthusiasm and love. 

St. Sargis – the Armenian holiday of lovers

S. Sargis commander is one of the most beloved saints of Armenians. With his son Martiros and 14 brave warriors, he died for Christian faith. On the Feast of St. Sargis, young people have the opportunity to feel the meaning of love through liturgy, but the idea of the holiday is not limited to salt cookies. 

Traditions of St. Sargis’ day

On the night before this holiday, young people eat a salt pie and do not drink water hoping that their future husband or wife will bring water in their dream and they will see her/him at last. 

Another prominent habit of that day is to place a plate full of flour on the roof of the house and wait for the trace of Sargis’s horseshoe.

St. Valentine’s day

Valentine's Day as a holiday of love is celebrated on February 14. Almost nothing about Christian Valentine's life is known.

Legend tells that the bishop of Terne, a young man, had a special approach to the young lovers, helping them to write letters with love confession, giving flowers to young brides and so on. But then the Roman emperor banned the imperial soldiers from falling in love and getting married, and Valentin married the soldiers secretly. 

The streets of Armenia during Valentine's Day are decorated with heart-shaped souvenirs, and lovers hurry to congratulate and confess each other to love.

Let’s spend St. Valentine’s day together with Gardman Tour and let’s not forget to participate in the events of St. Sargis’s day!

Gardman Tour, 16.01.2019