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105-524: Usually in January (date varies)( Armenian Apostolic ) Blaise of Sebaste ( Armenian : Սուրբ Վլասի , Surb Vlasi ; Greek : Ἅγιος Βλάσιος , Hágios Blásios ; Latin : Blasius martyred 316 AD) was a physician and bishop of Sebastea in historical Lesser Armenia (modern Sivas, Turkey ) who is venerated as a Christian saint and martyr. He is counted as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers . Blaise

210-509: A triduum from 1 to 3 February, with 2 February as the actual feast day. This festivity officially finalizes the end of Christmas for Catholics in Puerto Rico ; the festivities include a procession where the statue of Nuestra Señora de Candelaria (Our Lady of the Light) is carried on the shoulders. Others follow with lit candles until they reach the church where a Mass is celebrated. In the evening,

315-658: A 2018 survey by the Pew Research Center , in Armenia 82% of respondents say it is very or somewhat important to be a Christian to be truly Armenian. According to a 2015 survey 79% of people in Armenia trust it, while 12% neither trust it nor distrust it, and 8% distrust the church. As both Eastern and Western Armenia came under Persian and Ottoman rule, the Armenian Apostolic Church was the centre of many Armenian liberation activities. Early medieval opponents of

420-440: A beneficial year for beekeepers. Candlemas used to be an important date (Lostag) in the year. It was associated with payment deadlines, fixed employment relationships, and the beginning of the "farmer's year". In addition, many customs, weather proverbs , other sayings, and rhymes are related to this feast. The "farmer's year" began on Candlemas, and from then on, fieldwork or the preparations for it can be resumed depending on

525-483: A fire, and the remains of the building were demolished. A new primary school was built on the land, and most of the extensive grounds were sold off for housing. There is a 14th-century wall painting of St Blaise in All Saints Church, Kingston upon Thames , located by the marketplace, marking the significance of the wool trade in the economic expansion of the market town in the 14th and 15th centuries. In England in

630-483: A flowering of Armenian literature and a broader cultural renaissance. Although unable to attend the Council of Ephesus (431), Catholicos Isaac Parthiev (Sahak Part'ew) sent a message agreeing with its decisions. However, non-doctrinal elements in the Council of Chalcedon (451) caused certain problems to arise. Miaphysitism spread from Syria to Armenia, from where it came to Georgia and Caucasian Albania . At

735-512: A healer of bodily ailments, Saint Blaise was to become an expert on souls, then he retired for a time to a cavern where he remained in prayer. As bishop of Sebastea, Blaise instructed people as much by his example as by his words, and his great virtues and his sanctity were attested by many miracles. People were said to flock to him for cures of bodily and spiritual ills. He is said to have healed animals, who came to him on their own for his assistance, and in turn to have been helped by animals. In 316

840-557: A huge cross. He was convinced that God intended him to build the main Armenian church there. With the king's help he did so in accordance with his vision, renaming the city Etchmiadzin , which means "the place of the descent of the Only-Begotten ". Initially, the Armenian Apostolic Church participated in the larger Christian world and was subordinated to the Bishop of Caesarea. Its Catholicos

945-474: A hundred arms, like the giant of the fable. The fingers, teeth, feet of this voluminous saint are too scattered for us to undertake to bring them together. — Collin de Plancy, 1822 Armenian Apostolic According to tradition, the church originated in the missions of Apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus (Jude) in the 1st century. St. Gregory the Illuminator was the first official primate of

1050-893: A large and influential Armenian diaspora community with its own political parties, has more than 17 recognized Armenian Apostolic churches. The Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople in Turkey and the Armenian Apostolic Church of Iran are important communities in the diaspora. These churches represent the largest Christian ethnic minorities in these predominantly Muslim countries. The United Kingdom has three Armenian churches: St Sarkis in Kensington , London; Saint Yeghiche in South Kensington , London; and Holy Trinity in Manchester . Ethiopia has had an Armenian church since

1155-572: A letter to senator Andromachus, who wanted to reestablish the Lupercalia for purification. The so-called Gelasian Sacramentary mentions the celebration of the Presentation of Jesus, supporting the conclusion that Gelasius substituted a Christian festival for a pagan one. However, the Gelasian Sacramentary showed a strong Gallican influence and was compiled between AD 628 and AD 731. Hence it

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1260-517: A long beard and a bishop's mitre and staff. In this form, the effigy of Blaise remained on Dubrovnik's state seal and coinage until the Napoleonic era. Croatians all around the world celebrate the feast of Sveti Vlaho every year. In Cornwall the town of St Blazey and the civil parish of St Blaise are derived from his name, where the parish church is still dedicated to Saint Blaise. The council of Oxford in 1222 forbade all work on his feast day. There

1365-500: A morning Mass. The Blaise Castle Estate and the nearby Blaise Hamlet in Bristol derive their name from a thirteenth-century chapel dedicated to St Blaise, built on a site previously occupied by an Iron Age fort and a Roman temple. In Bradford, West Yorkshire a Catholic middle school named after St Blaise was operated by the Diocese of Leeds from 1961 to 1995. The name was chosen due to

1470-440: A new job or extend their employment with the previous employer for another year, usually with a handshake. The custom of giving the servants a pair of shoes at Candlemas as a reward for further work or looking for a job was also widespread. In Hungary , a rich array of traditions surround this holiday. The feast is called Gyertyaszentelő Boldogasszony day. Nowaday the kids often dress up as bears, light candles and eat honey, but

1575-563: A portrait of the Virgin Mary , which he placed in a nunnery he founded over a former temple of Anahit . Bartholomew then converted the sister of Sanatruk, who once again martyred a female relative and the apostle who converted her. Both apostles ordained native bishops before their execution, and some other Armenians had been ordained outside of Armenia by James the Just . Scholars including Bart Ehrman , Han J.W. Drijvers, and Walter Bauer dismiss

1680-492: A special prayer is required. In iconography , Blaise is represented holding two crossed candles in his hand (the Blessing of St. Blaise), or in a cave surrounded by wild beasts, as he was found by the hunters of the governor. He is often shown with the instruments of his martyrdom, steel combs. The similarity of these instruments of torture to wool combs led to his adoption as the patron saint of wool combers in particular, and

1785-530: A vision in 971 to warn the inhabitants of an impending attack by the Venetians , whose galleys had dropped anchor in Gruž and near Lokrum , ostensibly to resupply their water but furtively to spy out the city's defences. St. Blaise (Blasius) revealed their pernicious plan to Stojko, a canon of St. Stephen's Cathedral. The Senate summoned Stojko, who told them in detail how St. Blaise had appeared before him as an old man with

1890-670: Is a church dedicated to Saint Blaise in the Devon hamlet of Haccombe, near Newton Abbot , one at Shanklin on the Isle of Wight and another at Milton near Abingdon in Oxfordshire, one of the country's smallest churches. It is located next to Haccombe house which is the family home of the Carew family, descendants of the vice admiral on board the Mary Rose at the time of her sinking. This church, unusually, retains

1995-609: Is a procession to the Anastasis ; all go in procession, and all things are done in order with great joy, just as at Easter. All the priests preach, and also the bishop, always treating of that passage of the Gospel where, on the fortieth day, Joseph and Mary brought the Lord into the Temple, and Simeon and Anna the prophetess, the daughter of Famuhel , saw Him, and of the words which they said when they saw

2100-649: Is a saint in the Catholic , Western Rite Orthodoxy , Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches and is the patron saint of wool combers and of sufferers from ENT illnesses. In the Latin Church , his feast falls on 3 February. In the Eastern Churches, it is on 11 February. According to the Acta Sanctorum , he was martyred by being beaten, tortured with iron combs , and beheaded. The first reference to Blaise

2205-639: Is based upon the account of the presentation of Jesus in Luke 2:22–40 . According to the Old Testament rules in Leviticus 12 , a woman was to be purified by presenting a lamb as a burnt offering , and either a young pigeon or dove as sin offering , 33 days after a boy's circumcision . The feast falls on 2 February, which is traditionally the 40th day of and the conclusion of the Christmas – Epiphany season. While it

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2310-457: Is believed to be the largest canonization service in history. 1.5 million is the most frequently published number of victims, however, estimates vary from 700,000 to 1,800,000. It was the first canonization by the Armenian Apostolic Church in four hundred years. The Army Chaplaincy Program of the Armenian Church is made up of more than 50 clergymen serving as military chaplains to

2415-531: Is closely linked to that of the Epiphany , during which the tasting of the rosca de reyes (kings cake) will determine who is responsible for organizing La candelaria . Whoever finds the muñeco (bean-shaped Christ Child]) in the cake is named godparent of the Christ child, who will then dress the niño dios (an image of the Christ child in the form of a doll) on Candlemas with richly decorated clothes. This Christ child

2520-467: Is customary for Christians in some countries to remove their Christmas decorations on Twelfth Night (Epiphany Eve), those in other Christian countries historically remove them after Candlemas. On Candlemas, many Christians (especially Catholics , Eastern Orthodox , and some mainline Protestant denominations including Lutherans , Anglicans and Methodists ) also take their candles to their local church , where they are blessed and then used for

2625-490: Is mentioned in Þorláks saga helga , an Icelandic saga about Thorlak Thorhallsson , the patron saint of Iceland. St. Blaise Church, Sao Bras, Goa , India was a small Chapel built in 1541 by Croatian sailors and traders settled in the village. It was elevated to a Parish Church in 1563. The church is a replica of the one in Dubrovnik, dedicated to St. Blaise, the patron of the city. In Italy, Saint Blaise's remains rest at

2730-494: Is possible that the addition of the celebration was not due to Pope Gelasius at all. Moreover, when Gelasius addressed Andromachus, he did not try to use his authority but contented himself to argue, for example, that the Lupercalia would no longer have the effect it once had and was incompatible with Christian ideals. This could be interpreted as evidence that he had limited influence on the Roman aristocracy. Centuries later, around

2835-533: Is seen as a venerable institution that unites all Armenians." Stepan Danielyan, a scholar on religion, argued in 2013 that "When Armenia became independent with the collapse of the Soviet Union, a great deal was expected of the church, but those expectations have not been fulfilled. The church continues to ignore the things most people are worried about – vitally important social, economic and political problems and endless corruption scandals." In independent Armenia,

2940-627: Is similar to the American Groundhog Day traditions. In the Szeged area, it was believed that if the candle did not go out at the time of consecration, there would be a good honey harvest. Being a lucky charm these candles have been placed on doorknobs. Also in Göcsej , a piece of a burning candle was placed on the navel of a patient with a bloated stomach and covered with a glass cup, because according to folklore, its extinguishing flame sucked out

3045-719: Is the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia , headquartered since 1930 in Antelias , Lebanon . The Catholicos of Etchmiadzin has pre-eminent supremacy in all spiritual matters over the See of Cilicia, which however administers to the dioceses under its jurisdiction as they see fit. The Armenian Catholic Church is completely distinct from the Armenian Apostolic Church and is headed by its own Patriarch-Catholicos. The Armenian Apostolic Church has two patriarchates of high authority, both under

3150-474: Is the patron saint of the city of Dubrovnik and formerly the protector of the independent Republic of Ragusa . At Dubrovnik, his feast is celebrated yearly on 3 February, when relics of the saint, his skull, a bit of bone from his throat and his right and left hands are paraded in reliquaries . The festivities begin the previous day, Candlemas , when white doves are released. Chroniclers of Dubrovnik such as Rastic and Ranjina attribute his veneration there to

3255-529: Is the last feast of the Christmas cycle. Candlemas in those countries is also considered the day of crêpes . Tradition attributes this custom to Pope Gelasius I , who had pancakes distributed to pilgrims arriving in Rome. Their round shape and golden color, reminiscent of the solar disc, refer to the return of spring after the dark and cold of winter. Even today, a specific symbolism can be associated with preparing

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3360-413: Is the medical writings of Aëtius Amidenus ( c.  AD 500 ) where his aid is invoked in treating patients with objects stuck in the throat. Marco Polo reported on the place where "Messer Saint Blaise obtained the glorious crown of martyrdom", Sebastea. The shrine near the citadel mount was mentioned by William of Rubruck in 1253, although the ruins are no longer visible. It is said from being

3465-465: Is then brought to the church to be blessed. Memories of these events are often passed down from generation to generation in families. Following this is the family meal. Whoever draws the bean on Epiphany must also prepare tamales , believed to echo Mexico's pre-Christian past with its offerings of maize. The whole family is invited to this meal (often the same people as for the Rosca at Epiphany), which gives

3570-623: Is up to every individual to decide whether they are Armenian or not, regardless of religion. Candlemas Candlemas , also known as the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ , the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary , or the Feast of the Holy Encounter , is a Christian feast day commemorating the presentation of Jesus at the Temple by Joseph and Mary . It

3675-621: The Armed Forces of Armenia . They organize various religious programs in the military, including delivering lectures and prayers. It is jointly funded and sponsored by the Ministry of Defence of Armenia and the Armenian Apostolic Church. All army chaplains are commissioned officers in the armed forces who hold a military rank. It was established in 1997 on the basis of a joint initiative of Catholicos Karekin I and Defense minister Vazgen Sargsyan . Since 2011, combined clergy company has taken part in

3780-781: The Armenians in 335, it seeks to correct irregularities in the initiation rites of baptism and the eucharist in use in the Armenian Church by articulating the practices in Jerusalem. In so doing, it reveals the divergent forms being practiced in Armenia , which have strong echoes of old East Syriac Rite . Orthopraxy was conceived by Vrtanes and his Armenian colleagues in terms of liturgical performance in Jerusalem. In 353, King Papas (Pap) appointed Catholicos Husik without first sending him to Caesarea for commissioning. The Armenian Catholicos

3885-595: The First Council of Dvin in 506, the synod of the Armenian, Georgian , and Caucasian Albanian bishops was assembled during the time in office of Catholicos Babken I . The participation of the Catholicoi of Georgia and Albania was set to make clear the position of the churches concerning the Council of Chalcedon. The "Book of Epistles" mentions that 20 bishops, 14 laymen, and many nakharars (rulers of Armenia) participated in

3990-522: The Third Council of Dvin where the Chalcedonian dyophysite christological formula was rejected. However, again like other Oriental Orthodox, the Armenian Apostolic Church argues that the identification as "monophysitism" is an incorrect description of its position. It considers Monophysitism, as taught by Eutyches and condemned at Chalcedon, a heresy and only disagrees with the formula defined by

4095-663: The Tsarist government of the Russian Empire moved to confiscate the property of the Armenian Church. Like all Oriental Orthodox churches, the Armenian Church has been referred to as monophysite by both Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox theologians because it rejected the decisions of the Council of Chalcedon , which condemned the belief of one incarnate nature of Christ ( monophysis ). The Armenian Church officially severed ties with Rome and Constantinople in 610, during

4200-645: The Virgin Mary on the island of Tenerife , one of the Canary Islands (Spain). Our Lady of Candelaria is the patron saint of the Canary Islands. The Basilica of Candelaria in Candelaria, Tenerife is considered to be the main church dedicated to the Virgin Mary in Canary Islands and has been a minor basilica since 2011. Her feast is celebrated on 2 February (Candlemas, Fiesta de la Candelaria ) and 15 August as

4305-599: The 18th and 19th centuries, Blaise was adopted as the mascot of woolworkers' pageants, particularly in Essex , Yorkshire , Wiltshire and Norwich . The popular enthusiasm for the saint is explained by the belief that Blaise had brought prosperity (as symbolised by the Woolsack ) to England by teaching the English to comb wool. According to the tradition as recorded in printed broadsheets , Blaise came from Jersey , Channel Islands . Jersey

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4410-581: The 1920s, when groups of Armenians were invited there after the Armenian genocide by Turkey; however, membership numbers are low in the early 2020s. The Armenian Apostolic Church is "seen by many as the custodian of Armenian national identity." "Beyond its role as a religious institution, the Apostolic Church has traditionally been seen as the foundational core in the development of the Armenian national identity as God's uniquely chosen people." According to

4515-559: The 5th century, Armenians had a spoken language, but no script. Thus, the Bible and liturgy were written in the Greek or Syriac scripts until Catholicos Sahak Part'ew commissioned Mesrop to create the Armenian alphabet , which he completed in c.  405 . Subsequently, the Bible and liturgy were translated into Armenian and written in the new script. The translation of the Bible, along with works of history, literature and philosophy , caused

4620-678: The Armenian Order of Saint Blaise . In Italy he is known as San Biagio . In Spanish -speaking countries, he is known as San Blas, and has lent his name to many places (see San Blas ). Several places in Portugal and Brazil are also named after him, where he is called São Brás (see São Brás ). Many German churches, including the former Abbey of St. Blasius in the Black Forest and the church of Balve , are dedicated to Saint Blaise/Blasius. Saint Blaise ( Croatian : Sveti Vlaho or Sveti Blaž )

4725-400: The Armenian Apostolic Church and sent him to Caesarea to be consecrated. Upon his return, Gregory tore down shrines to idols, built churches and monasteries, and ordained many priests and bishops . While meditating in the old capital city of Vagharshapat , Gregory had a vision of Christ descending to the earth and striking it with a hammer. From that spot arose a great Christian temple with

4830-481: The Armenian Apostolic Church has often been criticized for its perceived support of the governments of Robert Kocharyan and Serzh Sargsyan despite the formal separation of church and state in Armenia. According to former Prime Minister Hrant Bagratyan religion and state management "have completely gotten mixed up". He described the church as an "untouchable" organization that is secretive of its income and expenditure. Large-scale construction of new churches in

4935-733: The Armenian Apostolic Church is allowed to preach on the territory of the Republic of Artsakh. However, the law did make processes available for other religious institutions to get approval from the government if they wished to worship within the Republic. Outside of West Asia , today there are notable Armenian Apostolic congregations in various countries. In 2024, the church had 600,000 members in North America and 10,000 members in South America; they also had 25,000 members in Europe. Lebanon , home to

5040-454: The Armenian Apostolic Church resumed its activities. There were weddings, baptisms, and every Sunday Patarag at a free will attendance basis. The Armenian Apostolic Church since 1989 restored or constructed more than 30 churches worldwide. In 2009 the Republic of Artsakh government introduced a law entitled "Freedom of Conscience and Religious Organisations", article 8 of which provided that only

5145-510: The Armenian Church in Armenia included the Paulicians (7th-9th centuries) and the Tondrakians (9th-11th centuries). The power relationship between Catholic and secular rulers was sometimes a source of conflict. In 1037 king Hovhannes-Smbat of Ani deposed and imprisoned Catholicos Petros , who he suspected of holding pro-Byzantine views, and appointed a replacement catholicos. This persecution

5250-419: The Armenian Church's loyal service to foreign invaders: "The Armenian Apostolic Church is a conscientious tax structure, which every conqueror needs." Gerard Libaridian argued that because Armenians consider the church a national institution, it "must be respected and guarded at all times. Therefore the critical attitude regarding Armenian historical institutions is rarely applied to the Armenian Church, as it

5355-514: The Basilica on Monte San Biagio , a mountain named in his honour, over the town of Maratea , Basilicata , shipwrecked there during Leo III the Isaurian 's iconoclastic persecutions, on their first journey out of Sebastea to Europe. In the small village of Sicilì in Campania , Saint Blaise’s feast day is celebrated on 3 February 3 but also on 14 May. Locals come to the shrine dedicated to him to show their respect and devotion but also to ask him for help with healing someone who has fallen ill where

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5460-427: The Canary Islands is celebrated in addition to 2 February also on 15 August, the day of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary in the Catholic calendar. For some historians, the celebrations celebrated in honor of the Virgin during August are a syncretized reminiscence of the ancient feasts of the Beñesmen. The Roman church's custom of blessing candles by the clergy found its way to Germany. The German conclusion that if

5565-411: The Council of Chalcedon. The Armenian Church instead adheres to the doctrine defined by Cyril of Alexandria , considered as a saint by the Chalcedonian churches as well, who described Christ as being of one incarnate nature, where both divine and human nature are united (miaphysis). To distinguish this from Eutychian and other versions of Monophysitism this position is called miaphysitism . Whereas

5670-429: The Council, Catholicos Abraham wrote an encyclical letter addressed to the people, blaming Catholicos Kurion of the Georgian Church and his adherents for the schism. The Council never set up canons; it only deprived Georgians from taking communion in the Armenian Church. Despite this, the Albanian Church remained under the jurisdiction of the Armenian Church while also in communion with the Georgian Church. In 1903,

5775-400: The Divine Liturgy." Monastic women deacons generally do not minister in traditional parish churches or cathedrals, although the late Sister Hripseme did minister and serve during public liturgies, including in the United States. The Armenian Church's last monastic deaconess was Sister Hripsime Sasounian (died in 2007) and on 25 September 2017, Ani-Kristi Manvelian, a twenty-four-year-old woman,

5880-423: The Great War and the Armenian Genocide), the Armenian Apostolic Church was composed of four patriarchal provinces, comprising at that date seventy-two, six, and two dioceses in Turkey , Russia , and Iran , respectively. The Armenian Apostolic Church currently has two sees . First, there is the Catholicos of All Armenians residing in Etchmiadzin , Armenia , at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. Second, there

5985-436: The Lord, and of the offerings which the parents presented. And when all things have been celebrated in order as is customary, the sacrament is administered, and so the people are dismissed. Christmas was, in the West, celebrated on 25 December from at least the year AD 354 when it was fixed by Pope Liberius . Forty days after 25 December is 2 February. In the Eastern parts of the Roman Empire, Roman consul Justin established

6090-453: The Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, stated on television that a non-Apostolic Armenian is not a "true Armenian". A spokesperson for the Armenian Apostolic Church stated that it is his personal view. The statement received considerable criticism, though Asoghik did not retract his statement. In an editorial in the liberal Aravot daily Aram Abrahamyan suggested that religious identity should not be equated with national (ethnic) identity and it

6195-407: The Sunday between 2 and 8 February inclusive. If this Sunday happens to be the last Sunday before Lent , i.e. Shrove Sunday or Quinquagesima ( Swedish : Fastlagssöndagen , Finnish : Laskiaissunnuntai ), Candlemas is celebrated one week earlier. In the Philippines, Our Lady of Candles is also the patroness of Western Visayas region. In Silang, Cavite , her feast is observed locally as

6300-441: The West, there had been no group honouring St. Blaise prior to the eighth century. According to the Acts , while Blaise was being taken into custody, a distraught mother, whose only child was choking on a fish bone, threw herself at his feet and implored his intercession. Touched by her distress, he offered up his prayers, and the child was cured. Traditionally, Saint Blaise is invoked for protection against injuries and illnesses of

6405-410: The acceptance of Christianity by the Arsacid-Armenian rulers was partly in defiance of the Sassanids . When King Tiridates III made Christianity the state religion of Armenia between 300 and 301, it was not an entirely new religion there. It had penetrated the country from at least the third century, and may have been present even earlier. Tiridates declared Gregory to be the first Catholicos of

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6510-426: The bears' foretelling is still a well-known event. Folklore has it that on this day, the bear comes out of his den and when he sees his shadow (meaning it's nice and sunny), he gets scared of it and goes back to sleep, which is thought to mean that it will be cold again. If, on the other hand, there is no shadow, he stays outside, knowing that this is the last attempt of winter and that the weather will soon ease. This

6615-407: The case of a married priest (Der Hayr), the wife of the priest generally plays an active role in the parish and is addressed by the title Yeretzgin. In limited circumstances, the Armenian Church allows for divorce and remarriage. Cases usually include either adultery or apostasy. On April 23, 2015, the Armenian Apostolic Church canonized all the victims of the Armenian genocide ; this service

6720-422: The celebration of the Hypapante . Pope Gelasius I (492–496) contributed to the spread of the celebration but did not invent it. It appears that it became important around the time of the Plague of Justinian in 541 before slowly spreading west. The ancient Romans celebrated the Lupercalia in mid-February, in honor of Lupercus , the god of fertility and shepherds. The celebration of Feralia occurred around

6825-473: The church. It is sometimes referred to as the Armenian Apostolic Orthodox Church , Armenian Church or Armenian Gregorian Church . The Armenian Apostolic Church should not be confused with the fully distinct Armenian Catholic Church , which is an Eastern Catholic Church in communion with the See of Rome . The Armenian Apostolic Church believes in apostolic succession through the apostles Bartholomew and Thaddeus (Jude) . According to tradition,

6930-449: The circumstances. On Candlemas, the farmer should have had half of the winter food stock for his cattle. Depending on the proverb that one can eat by daylight on Candlemas, the time in which people worked with artificial light sources came to an end, as did when the women sat in the spinning room. On this day, on the other hand, the "servant's year" ended. The servants were paid the remainder of their annual wages and could or had to look for

7035-399: The close association of the Armenian Apostolic Church with the Armenian government, calling the Church an "untouchable" organisation that is secretive of its income and expenditure. After the Bolshevik revolution and the subsequent Soviet occupation of Armenia , all functioning religious institutions in the NKAO were closed down and clergymen often either exiled or shot. After a while

7140-411: The connections of Bradford to the woollen industry and the method that St Blaise was martyred, with the woolcomb. Due to reorganisation, the school closed down when Catholic middle schools were phased out, and the building was sold to Bradford Council to provide replacement accommodation for another local middle school which had burned down. Within a few months, St Blaise school was also severely damaged in

7245-590: The conversion of Abgar V as fiction. According to Eusebius and Tertullian , Armenian Christians were persecuted by kings Axidares , Khosrov I , and Tiridates III , the last of whom was converted to Christianity by Gregory the Illuminator . Ancient Armenia was the first state to adopt Christianity as a state religion , which has been referred to by Nina Garsoïan as "probably the most crucial step in its history." This conversion distinguished it from its Iranian and Mazdean roots and protected it from further Parthian influence. According to Mary Boyce ,

7350-422: The council. Almost a century later (609–610), the Third Council of Dvin was convened during the reign of Catholicos Abraham I of Aghbatank and Prince Smbat Bagratuni , with clergymen and laymen participating. The Georgian Church disagreed with the Armenian Church, having approved the christology of Chalcedon. This council was convened to clarify the relationship between the Armenian and Georgian churches. After

7455-417: The crêpes. A tradition is to flip the crepes in the air with the right hand while holding a gold coin (such as a Louis d'or ) or some other coin in the left hand to have prosperity throughout the year. One has to ensure that the pancake lands properly back in the pan. In Belgium, it is customary to eat pancakes. All the candles in the house should be lit. It is believed that a clear sky on Candlemas foretells

7560-653: The current tradition of Liichtmëssdag in Luxembourg is a holiday centered around children. In small groups, they roam the streets in the afternoon or evening of 2 February, holding a lighted lantern or homemade wand, singing traditional songs at each house or store, especially "Léiwer Härgottsblieschen". In exchange for the music, they hope to receive a reward in the form of sweets or loose change (formerly bacon, peas, or biscuits). La Virgen de la Candelaria or Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria (Our Lady of Light or Our Lady of Candles), popularly called La Morenita , celebrates

7665-463: The date that bears awake from hibernation : Per la Candelera, l'ós surt de l'ossera ("on Candlemas, the bear leaves its den"). Accordingly, bear festivals, where a man in a bear costume scares and annoys the populace, are celebrated in some areas of Catalonia around carnival . The original meaning was linked to the popular belief that they were held at Candlemas. In Swedish and Finnish Lutheran churches , since 1774 Candlemas has been celebrated on

7770-416: The disease. The women of the village of Hercegszántó were used to roll red, white and black yarn together with the candle. After the consecration of the candle, necklaces were made from the yarn and worn by the children until the first spring sky. In the once Hungarian commune Vinga such necklaces were worn until Holy Saturday ) when they were burnt. A descendant of an ancient torchlight procession,

7875-601: The festival an aspect of family and sharing. The Virgin of Candles is the patron saint of the city of Puno in Peru, held in the first fortnight of February each year. It is one of the largest festivals of culture, music, and dancing in Peru . In terms of the number of events related to the cultures of the Quechua and Aymara peoples and of the mestizos of the Altiplano , and also in terms of

7980-510: The festivities may continue with a giant bonfire and singing. Some families in the countryside burn their dried Christmas trees on this date as a culmination of the holiday season. The Virgin of Candles is the patron saint of Jacaltenango , and her feast marks the end of the Christmas season. Dressing and adoration of the Christ Child and family meals with tamales on Candlemas are an important Mexican tradition. The customs of this feast

8085-660: The first Candlemas festival dedicated especially to the Virgin Mary, coinciding with the Feast of Purification on 2 February. Before the conquest of Tenerife, the Guanche aborigines celebrated a festivity around the image of the Virgin during the Beñesmen festival in the month of August. This was the harvest party, which marked the beginning of the year. Currently, the feast of the Virgin of Candelaria in

8190-509: The governor of Cappadocia and Lesser Armenia , Agricola, began a persecution of him by order of the Emperor Licinius , and Blaise was seized. After his interrogation and a severe scourging, he was imprisoned and subsequently beheaded. The legendary Acts of St. Blaise were written 400 years after his death, and are apocryphal and, possibly, fictional. The legend narrative is as follows: Blaise, who had studied philosophy in his youth,

8295-551: The governor of Cappadocia and of Lesser Armenia, having arrived in Sebastia at the order of the emperor Licinius to kill the Christians, arrested the bishop. As he was being led to jail, a mother set her only son, choking to death of a fish-bone, at his feet, and the child was cured straight away. Regardless, the governor, unable to make Blaise renounce his faith, beat him with a stick, ripped his flesh with iron combs, and beheaded him. As

8400-404: The governor's men led Blaise back to Sebastea, on the way, they met a poor woman whose pig had been seized by a wolf. At the command of Blaise, the wolf restored the pig to its owner, alive and unhurt. When he had reached the capital and was thrown in prison to await execution, the old woman whose pig he had saved came to see him, bringing two fine wax candles to dispel the gloom of his dark cell. In

8505-754: The independence period and the negligence of endangered historic churches by the Apostolic church (and the government) have also been criticized. In recent years, a few high-profile leaders of the church have been involved in controversies. In 2013 Navasard Ktchoyan, the Archbishop of the Araratian Diocese and Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan were alleged to have been partners with a businessman charged with laundering US$ 10.7 million bank loan and then depositing most of it in accounts he controlled in Cyprus. In 2011 it

8610-476: The jurisdiction of the Catholicos of All Armenians : List of eparchies: Source: Source: The Armenian Church does not ordain women to the priesthood. Historically, however, monastic women have been ordained as deacons within a convent environment. When ordained to the diaconate, "men and women are ordained to the diaconate using the same rite, with both having functions of chanting the Gospel and serving in

8715-505: The latter of the two apostles is said to have cured Abgar V of Edessa of leprosy with the Image of Edessa , leading to his conversion in AD 30. Thaddaeus was then commissioned by Abgar to proselytize throughout Armenia, where he converted King Sanatruk 's daughter, who was eventually martyred alongside Thaddeus when Sanatruk later fell into apostasy . After this, Bartholomew came to Armenia, bringing

8820-526: The national culture and preservation of the national identity of the people of Armenia." Among others, ethnographer Hranush Kharatyan has questioned the constitutionality of the phrase "national church". In 2009, further constitutional amendments were drafted that would make it a crime for non-traditional religious groups to proselytize on adherents of the Apostolic Church. Minority groups would also be banned from spreading 'distrust' in other faiths. Hrant Bagratyan , former Prime Minister of Armenia, condemned

8925-758: The number of people directly and indirectly involved in its realization, it stands with the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro and the Carnaval de Oruro in Bolivia as one of the three largest festivals in South America . At the festival's core are music and dance performances organized by the Federación Regional de Folklore y Cultura de Puno , consisting of more than 200 dances in more than 150 dance sets. These include "native dances" from

9030-655: The office of an "archpriest". There is a St Blaise's Well in Bromley , London where the water was considered to have medicinal virtues. St Blaise is also associated with Stretford in Lancashire . A Blessing of the Throats ceremony is held on February 3 at St Etheldreda's Church in London and in Balve , Germany . The blessing is performed in many Catholic parish churches, often at the end of

9135-420: The patronal feast of the Canary Islands. As in many regions, Catalonia has a weather proverb asserting that bad weather on Candlemas predicts good weather to come, and vice versa: Si la Candelera plora, l'hivern és fora; si la Candelera riu, l'hivern és viu ("If Candlemas cries, winter is gone; if Candlemas laughs, winter is alive") Traditionally, Candlemas was identified in mountainous areas of Catalonia as

9240-533: The prefix "mono-" (< Greek μονο- < μόνος) means "single, alone, only", thus emphasising the singular nature of Christ, "mia" (μία "one" FEM ), simply means "one" unemphatically, and allows for a compound nature. In recent times, both Chalcedonian and non-Chalcedonian churches have developed a deeper understanding for each other's positions, recognizing their substantial agreement while maintaining their respective positions. According to The Armenian Church by Archdeacon Dowling published in 1910 (before

9345-587: The quinquennial Armenian Independence Day Parade on Republic Square in Yerevan . The status of the Armenian Apostolic Church within Armenia is defined in the country's constitution . Article 8.1 of the Constitution of Armenia states: "The Republic of Armenia recognizes the exclusive historical mission of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church as a national church, in the spiritual life, development of

9450-508: The rest of the year; for Christians, these blessed candles serve as a symbol of Jesus Christ , who is the Light of the World . The Feast of the Presentation or Purification is one of the oldest feasts of the church. The pilgrim Egeria recorded how it was celebrated in Jerusalem in the 380s: But certainly the Feast of the Purification is celebrated here with the greatest honour. On this day there

9555-475: The same time. The Lupercalia has frequently been linked to the presentation of Jesus at the temple, particularly by Cardinal Caesar Baronius in the 16th century especially because of the theme of purification that the two festivals share. However, this is probably inaccurate since Lupercalia was not celebrated in Jerusalem, and it was only there that one finds some celebrations of the presentation of Jesus around this date. Pope Gelasius I had much earlier written

9660-500: The sun appeared on Candlemas, a hedgehog would cast a shadow, making a "second winter", was the origin of the modern American festival of Groundhog Day , as many of Pennsylvania 's early settlers were German. Catholic churches in France , Belgium , and Swiss Romandy celebrate Candlemas ( French : La Chandeleur , Dutch : Maria-Lichtmis ) on 2 February. Tradition says that manger scenes should not be put away until Candlemas, which

9765-526: The throat and from every other illness". Then the priest makes the sign of the cross over the faithful. One of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, Blaise became one of the most popular saints of the Middle Ages. His followers became widespread in Europe in the 11th and 12th centuries and his legend is recounted in the 13th-century Legenda Aurea . Saint Blaise is the saint of the wild beast. He is patron of

9870-436: The throat tissues interfering with breathing during sleep. (Non-OSA sleep disorders are typically invoked with the intercession of St. Dymphna since these are more neurological in nature.) There are multiple relics of Blaise in a variety of churches and chapels, including multiple whole bodies, at least four heads and several jaws, at least eight arms, and so on: With a little research, we would find Saint Blaise armed with

9975-467: The throat. In many places, on the day of his feast the blessing of St. Blaise is given: two candles (sometimes lit), blessed on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord ( Candlemas ), are held in the form of a cross by a priest over the heads of the faithful or the people are touched on the throat with them. At the same time the following blessing is given: "Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from every disease of

10080-580: The time did not have an alphabet, its clergy learned Greek and Syriac . From this synthesis, the new Armenian Rite came about, which had similarities both with the Byzantine and the Antiochian Syriac rite. Christianity was strengthened in Armenia in the 5th century by the translation of the Bible into the Armenian language by the native theologian , monk , and scholar , Saint Mesrop Mashtots . Before

10185-527: The wool trade in general. He may also be depicted with crossed candles . Such crossed candles are used for the blessing of throats on his feast day , which falls on 3 February, the day after Candlemas on the General Roman Calendar . Blaise is traditionally believed to intercede in cases of throat illnesses, especially for fish-bones stuck in the throat. He is also called upon to aid in protection against obstructive sleep apnea since this involves

10290-421: The year 1392 or 1400, an image of the Virgin Mary that represented this invocation was found on the seashore by two Guanche shepherds from the island of Tenerife ( Canary Islands ). After the appearance of the Virgin and its iconographic identification with this biblical event, the festival began to be celebrated with a Marian character in the year 1497, when the conqueror Alonso Fernández de Lugo celebrated

10395-488: Was a doctor in Sebaste in Armenia, the city of his birth, who exercised his art with miraculous ability, good-will, and piety. When the bishop of the city died, he was chosen to succeed him, with the acclamation of all the people. His holiness was manifest through many miracles: from all around, people came to him to find cures for their spirit and their body; even wild animals came in herds to receive his blessing. In 316, Agricola,

10500-532: Was certainly a centre of export of woollen goods (as witnessed by the name jersey for the woollen textile). However, this legend is probably the result of confusion with a different saint, Blasius of Caesarea ( Caesarea being also the Latin name of Jersey). Blaise (Icelandic: Blasíus ) was prominent in Iceland, in particular Southwestern Iceland, where he was known for his purported miracle-working powers. Saint Blaise

10605-506: Was highly criticized by the Armenian clergy, forcing Hovhannes-Smbat to release Petros and reinstall him to his former position. In 1038 a major ecclesiastical council was held in Ani, which denied the king the right to elect or remove a catholicos. Architecture historian Samvel Karapetyan (1961-2016) has criticized many aspects of the Armenian Apostolic Church, especially its role in Armenian history. Karapetyan particularly denounced what he called

10710-536: Was ordained in Tehran's St. Sarkis Mother Church as the first parish deaconess after many centuries. Women also serve as altar girls and lay readers, especially when a parish is so small that not enough boys or men are regularly available to serve. Women commonly serve the church in the choir and at the organ, on parish councils, as volunteers for church events, fundraisers, and Sunday schools, as supporters through Women's Guilds, and as staff members in church offices. In

10815-690: Was represented at the First Council of Nicea (325). St. Vrtanes I , the third Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church (333–341), sent a letter with specific questions to Macarius , the Orthodox Bishop of Jerusalem (312-335/36), taken to Jerusalem by a delegation of Armenian priests on the occasion of the Encaenia , in dedication of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in September 335. In Macarius's letter to

10920-453: Was revealed that Ktchoyan drives a Bentley (valued at $ 180,000-$ 280,000). Pointing out the 34% poverty rate in Armenia, Asbarez editor Ara Khachatourian called it "nothing but blasphemy". He added "Archbishop Kchoyan's reckless disregard and attitude is even more unacceptable due to his position in the Armenian Church." In October 2013 Father Asoghik Karapetyan, the director of the Museum of

11025-643: Was still represented at the First Council of Constantinople (381). As Gregory was consecrated by the bishop of Caesarea, he also accepted the Byzantine Rite . However, the Armenian Church, due to the influence of the Church in Edessa , the large presence of Syriacs in Armenia, as well as the number of Syriac priests that arrived in Armenia with Gregory, also cultivated the West Syriac or Antiochian Rite. Since Armenians at

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