On March 9, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Day of the 40 Martyrs of Sebastien. They lived during the time of Emperor Licinius (308-324) and were soldiers of the Roman army stationed in Sevastia, a city in ancient Armenia.

March 9 is also the Day of Anti-Communist Political Prisoners of the 1944-1989 period.

Who were the 40 martyrs whom we commemorate on March 9

Christian soldiers, forty martyrs were killed for their faith, refusing to worship the gods, by order of the commander of that army, Agricola. Forty holy martyrs were tied to the lake in winter and left to freeze in the middle of the water.

But since they did not die, praying, they were pulled out of the water and their ankles were crushed with heavy hammers, and after being burned alive, they accepted the crown of martyrs.

The names of the 40 martyrs: Chirion, Candides, Domnos, Hesychius, Heraclius, Smaragdes, Eunoicus, Valens, Vivian, Claudius, Priscus, Theodulus, Eutychius, John, Xantius, Ilian, Sisinius, Hagius, Aetius, Flavius, Acachius, Ecdychius. . Their relics, what remained of the fire, were buried in Sevastia, and then dispersed throughout Christendom. Some of them can be found in Antima Monastery in Bucharest, as well as in other holy places in our country.

Traditions and customs March 9 – the Day of the Holy 40 Martyrs

March 9, known as the Day of Martyrs or the Day of Sorrow, in the folk calendar, this Christian holiday overlapped the beginning of the agricultural year, which is celebrated on the border between winter and summer.

Among the customs on the occasion of the Day of 40 Martyrs, there are also some that are characteristic of New Year’s rituals. The most common of them is the preparation of martyrs, also known as Sfinţi, Sfinţişori, Brădoşi, Măcinici. In memory of the 40 martyrs of Sebastien, Moldavian housewives prepare cakes baked in the shape of the number 8, from shortcrust pastry, smeared with honey and walnuts.

In Dobruja and Muntenia, the martyrs, smaller in size but still shaped like the number 8, are not baked, but boiled in water with sugar, cinnamon and walnuts, thus symbolizing the lake into which the holy martyrs were thrown. Martyrs are consumed after being taken to the church for consecration.

Folk tradition testifies to the custom of this day, according to which 40 or 44 glasses of wine are consumed on Martyrs’ Day. At the same time, Măcinici bonfires are lit in yards and gardens, in front of houses and in fields, people and animals are purified by sprinkling with holy water, observations and meteorological forecasts are made, and honey is taken from beehives. or the first swarms of bees cut the vine.

Also, on this day, graves and the gates of heaven are said to be opened to allow the souls of the dead to return to the living, who are waiting with chairs and tables set up by the Măcinici fire.

On March 9, numerous weather forecasts were made. It was said that the frozen ground on this day portends a frost-free autumn, and if the ground is not frozen, then the autumn frosts will fall early. Thus, people knew how to plan their field work.

March 9 is the day when the plow was brought out for plowing, thereby marking the moment that opened the cycle of spring holidays and the beginning of the new agricultural year.

March 9 – Day of anti-communist political prisoners of the period 1944-1989

March 9 is also the Day of Remembrance of the anti-communist political prisoners of the period 1944-1989, those who fought, often to the death, enduring unimaginable suffering in communist extermination prisons, against the establishment of a totalitarian political regime in Romania.

The draft law on declaring March 9 as the Day of Anti-Communist Political Prisoners of the Period 1944-1989 was adopted by the Chamber of Deputies at a meeting on November 22, 2011 with 285 votes “for”, 3 “against” and 6 “abstentions”. .

The Church remembers these Romanian fighters for faith and freedom at every Holy Liturgy, together with the heroes of all times and all places, because they sacrificed themselves in camps and prisons for the freedom, unity and dignity of the Romanian people.

The Romanian Patriarchate sent a call to the diocesan centers to perform memorial services for the victims of the atheistic communist regime on this day, defending faith in God and the dignity of the Romanian people, according to the press release of the Patriarchate, published on 06/14/2018 on the occasion of March 9.