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Today the Armenian Church celebrates the Feast of St. Sarkis, the patron of the young and those in love. 

By the order of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, the Feast of St. Sarkis the Captain and his soldiers-companions is proclaimed day of blessing of the youth.

In the whole world, the patron of all lovers is the St. Valentine, whose celebration is observed on February 14. But Armenia has its own national patron of all loving hearts. It’s the St. Sarkis. Captain St. Sarkis is one of the most beloved saints among the Armenian nation. Together with his 14 soldiers-companions he was martyred for the sake of Christian faith. St. Sargis Day is celebrated 63 days before Easter, on a Saturday.

On the night of the holiday, young people eat salty pies and don’t drink water to encourage dreaming at night. They believe that St. Sarkis decides their fate, that the person who gives them water to drink in their dreams will become their future spouse. People also put a plate with flour outside the door to have a record of St. Sarkis’s horse riding through the flour. They believe St. Sarkis appears with lightening speed on his radiant horse, and that the traces left in the flour serve as a good omen to bring them luck. In people’s imagination St. Sarkis is handsome and appears with a spear, a gold helmet and gold armor.