Who will drink water this night?
On January 29 young Armenians will eat a salty cookie and hope to dream their future betrothed at night. As the old adage goes, whoever gives them water in their dream will become their future spouse.
This year the Feast of St. Sarkis is celebrated in Armenia on January 30.
The holiday comes with the blessing of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, who proclaims the day for youth.
Young boys and girls associate fulfillment of their hopes with St. Sarkis, a saint of the Armenian Apostolic Church
As the story is told, God made His presence known to St. Sarkis. 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 Sarkis 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. Sarkis 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. Sarkis 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. Sarkis 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. Sarkis 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.
