“The night I looked at you
I found a dream that I could speak to
A dream that I can call my own…”
Etta James’s “At Last”  reminds me of an old Armenian tradition, where people might see their soulmate in their dream. Maybe you aren’t a hopeless romantic and think that this is just a myth. For you, dreams might just be the human imagination creating stories, but according to research, dreams reflect our unconscious desires and wishes. Luckily, the perfect Armenian celebration points you directly to your other half.
While all over the world, on February 14, couples celebrate Valentine’s Day. In Armenia, Armenians honor a festival dedicated to their patron of lovers, general Saint Sargis.
Just like Saint Valentine, Saint Sargis was a miracle worker. He helped the poor and took care of families in need. People believed that he would pass their prayers for love to God. There are many legends of Saint Sargis, but a well-known tale is that Sargis was the commander of Persian ruler Shapur II’s army. He was imprisoned and later killed when he refused to convert to Zoroastrianism. After that, the Armenian Apostolic Church consecrated commander Sargis, making him the patron and defender of love.
According to the legend, a damsel enchanted by Sargis’s charm let him escape the prison. Sargis jumped on his white horse and dashed away. Since then, the knight in shining armor on a white horse has become a symbol of love in the Armenian tradition.
Armenians celebrate Saint Sargis Day every year at the end of the winter season, more specifically 63 days before Easter. There are a few historic practices related to this festival. Besides the religious ritual, the popular traditions are loved among the youth.
The church distributes special salty cookies to the youth the day before Surb Sargis. They eat the salty cookie and put a glass of water by their bedside before going to bed, but they need to stay thirsty. Their future spouse is said to come up to them in a dream and offer them a glass of water. Depending on how full the glass of water is, that is the longevity of the couple’s union.
Traditions are an important part of people’s cultures. They reflect the nation’s mentality and worldviews. It is no secret that Armenians prioritize marriage and family life, so, naturally, their traditions reflect those priorities. I heard of the celebration a couple of years ago when I first moved to Armenia. I vividly remember my religion teacher talking about how she had seen her husband in her dream not knowing him in real life.
Religious or not, a believer in true love or not, the celebration has a way of bringing people together for the most meaningful feeling in the world – love.
Even the smallest gesture can show the other person how much they mean to us. We don’t need special days to celebrate love because it needs to be felt by the people around us every day.
Traditions from naming children born on this day “Sargis,” putting roasted wheat flour (pokhindz) on a tray in front of doorsteps for Saint Sargis to come and leave an imprint of his horse’s shoe to bless a family, weddings and so many others are widely celebrated in the nation.
We need lots of love and light around us in our world today. So, be it a salty cookie, chocolates, a warm hug, or even a bright smile, you can always become someone’s knight or knightess in shining armor on a white horse.
