Newlyweds marks the beginning of spring. This day is one of the biggest Christian holidays of the spring cycle where the memory of the forty soldiers from Sebastia, who died martyrs without giving up the Christian faith, is celebrated.

The Feast of the Forty Martyrs in Sebastia - Newlyweds

In 320, forty soldiers in Sebastia refused the order to bow before Roman idols and offer sacrifices. When they claimed to do so because they believed in Jesus Christ, they were imprisoned, tortured, and brought to justice. They were sentenced to stand overnight in freezing water.

There was a hot tub nearby, and the soldiers were told that if anyone changed their mind and renounced Christianity, they could go to the hot tub and enjoy a delicious feast. But the boys bravely endured the suffering, praying and encouraging each other. Only one of them could not stand the freezing water. He secretly left the pool and went to the bathroom, but died at the very entrance.

A holiday of love, youth and marriage

This holiday is celebrated by married couples in the first year of marriage, those who got married after March 22 of the previous year.

In the past in Macedonia, the holiday of the Holy Forty Martyrs was associated with a number of customs and beliefs. Some of them are associated with the memory of the Holy 40 Soldiers of Sebastia, and others with the spring equinox, the day of spring and the revival of nature.

Different customs are practiced in different parts of Macedonia

According to some, young people who got married the year before Mladenci, on this day go to church where they light the candles from the wedding to burn.

On the evening of Mladenci, guests are invited to the youth home to wish them happiness in marriage and wishes for a newborn. In some cases, visits are also made to families who have received a newborn.

The women welcome the morning and knead cookies for a long, happy and sweet life, and serve the guests with them. The holiday always falls during Lent, so the food prepared for that day must be fasting. In addition to cakes, Mladenci eats honey, boiled nettles and cabbage to cleanse the blood.

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