Pagan Trndez in Christian Armenia - who celebrates the “fiery” holiday and why

The Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates the Presentation of the Lord (Trndez) on February 14, the fortieth day after Epiphany.

In Armenia, the holiday has two names: “turn and dzes” or “thearnendarach”, which means “The Lord is with you!”, “Towards the Lord!”.

According to the church charter, on the eve of the holiday, on the evening of February 13, at the end of the evening service, Andastan is performed - a rite of consecration of the four cardinal directions, after which the candle blessing ceremony takes place.

According to the oldest tradition, dating back to the pre-Christian era, a fire is lit from a blessed candle, symbolizing the saving light of Christ.
The main participants of the holiday are young men and women, newlyweds or those who are just about to tie the knot. The main symbol of the holiday is a bonfire, over which young couples jump. It is believed that you should not separate your hands when jumping so that the union is strong. While the boys and girls are jumping, the elders sprinkle them with wheat and hemp seeds. In ancient times, they believed that during the ritual, the flame of a fire acquired a special energy of renewal and new life.