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Even unchurched people know the main Orthodox holidays – Easter and Christmas. These are great days for Christians. They are talked about and told from TV screens. After all, no matter how we relate to faith, it is impossible to deny that Orthodoxy for a person is part of the cultural code.
If you come to the service in the temple, it turns out that in Christianity there are much more solemn occasions and memorable dates. One of them is the memory of the Forty Holy Martyrs of Sebaste.
Why did they suffer and why do we remember them?
— The holiday is shrouded in the aura of a legend that has been truly popular with our ancestors for a long time. Today, few people know about him. There is a moralizing component in the history of the Forty Saints, however, like the majority of the Christian denomination, – said philosopher, religious scholar Alexander Kritsky.
When is the holiday celebrated
It is non-passing, i.e. always celebrated on the same date. So in 2023, the Orthodox Church honors the memory of the Forty Holy Martyrs of Sebaste March 22. Although before the adoption of the new calendar, it was celebrated 13 days earlier.
History of the Forty Holy Martyrs of Sebaste
Fast forward from 2023 to the XNUMXrd century AD. On the throne of the Roman Empire sits Constantine the Great, a ruler who, after three hundred years of persecution, recognized the rights of Christians. But you yourself understand: what is accepted in the capital reaches the outskirts with a delay.
On the periphery of the state was the province of Armenia. Only the name and a piece of land have it in common with the modern strange one. Most of it was located in Turkey. One of the major cities was Sevastia. The chief of this land was the pagan commander Agricolaus.
The year was 320. Tragic events took place in it, which turned forty people into the Sebastian martyrs.
Seven years since Constantine legalized the new faith. But idolatry is still strong in Armenia. One day, Agricolaus ordered the soldiers to sacrifice to the totems. Everyone obeyed except forty soldiers. They declared themselves Christians and could not go against their conscience.
Church legend says that Agricolaus first tried with a carrot and then with a whip to subdue the rebels. As a result, he threw their dungeon. But faith was strong. The brothers in Christ prayed and heard a voice: “He who endures to the end will be saved.”
The prisoners were subjected to various tortures. They took them to the lake in winter and put them in ice water. On the shore they melted a bath – to tempt the martyrs. One could not stand it and ran to warm himself. But as soon as he stepped on the threshold, he fell dead.
The Sebastian martyrs held out for a long time, even the guards were already asleep. Only one warrior, Aglaia, did not sleep. There was a struggle within him. Suddenly it became warm – the ice on the lake melted. In the rays of light, the guard saw how crowns appeared over the sufferers – 39 according to the number of those standing in the water. So the warrior realized that there is true faith. Stripped naked and joined the prisoners.
The command was furious. He commanded to beat the forty holy Martyrs of Sebaste to death. Dying, the prisoners glorified Christ. Their bodies were burned at the stake, and the bones were thrown into the river.
Three days later, the Forty Saints appeared to the Bishop of Sebaste and asked to take their remains out of the water. The priest did just that, the relics were buried with honor.
Here is such a tragic story of the feast of the Forty Holy Martyrs of Sebaste. The memory of the feat for the faith is honored by Christians.
Traditions of the Feast of the Forty Saints
First about the church. On the eve of March 22, it is worth attending the liturgy in the temple. During the sermon, the priest will surely tell the story of the Sebastian martyrs.
In Our Country, Christian holidays were often superimposed on folk holidays in the minds of people. So, the day before the Forty Saints is the spring equinox. Although the date is astronomical, it is very important for the people of the earth – it heralds the end of winter.
Birds return from warm lands at this time, so the housewives used to say: “The lark blessed the spring.” At the same time they baked muffins in the form of these beautiful birds. The cakes were handed out to the children. And those, before eating, performed a ritual. Someone simply put a bread bird on the window, and someone planted a lark on a stick and went to call spring. Sometimes the tradition prescribed to crush the muffin and feed the birds.
There is also an explanation for the veneration of the lark on this day. Say the bird during the flight often dives down, but does not break. Just as a bird is humble and trusts God, so the Forty Saints entrusted their lives to Christ.
What is the meaning of the holiday
He highlights self-sacrifice and intolerance for betrayal, as evidenced by the tragic fate of the martyrs. To be saved, it was enough to renounce the faith, but they did not succumb. I am sure that they are specifically trying to push this holiday to the last rows. Some forces are not interested in such spiritual education. Life is a great example of devotion to everything you own. Not necessarily religion. For example, love for the Fatherland, language, culture, – says Alexander Kritsky.
What were the names of the Forty Holy Martyrs of Sebaste?
History has preserved the names of the Forty Saints. Here they are: Kirion, Candide, Domnus, Hesychia, Heraclius, Smaragdus, Eunoikus, Valens, Vivian, Claudius, Priscus, Theodulus, Eutychius, John, Xanthius, Ilian, Sisinius, Angius, Aetius, Flavius, Akakiy, Ekdikiy, Lysimachus, Alexander , Elijah, Gorgonius, Theophilus, Dometian, Gaia, Leonty, Athanasius, Cyril, Sakerdon, Nicholas, Valery Philoktimon, Severian, Khudion, Meliton and Aglaia.