On 11 October 2025 the Armenian community marks Surp Tarkmanchats, the feast of the Holy Translators, who created the Armenian alphabet and laid the foundations of Armenian culture and letters. It is one of the brightest of feasts, a symbol of the shared Armenian voice and of the spiritual unity of the nation.
Historical background
In 387 Armenia was divided between Rome and Persia. In the eastern part, subject to Persia, Armenian statehood continued to exist as a vassal realm under the Arshakuni dynasty. In this half-dependent region three great figures arose who laid the foundations of Armenian culture:
- Vramshapuh Arshakuni – the enlightened monarch of Armenia
- Saint Sahag – Catholicos and spiritual leader
- Saint Mesrob Mashtots – scholar, cleric, statesman, poet and translator
Together they resolved to create an Armenian script, to develop schools and to establish a distinctive national culture.
The creation of the Armenian alphabet
Saint Mesrob Mashtots travelled through the cultural centres of the world of his day – Edessa, Samosata, Constantinople – and after long labours created a perfect alphabet of thirty-six letters, which has remained unchanged to this day.
Returning to the capital Vagharshapat, together with Catholicos Saint Sahag and a host of disciples he:
- founded schools
- translated the Bible and spiritual books into Armenian
- composed original works
These men laid the foundations of an original Armenian culture and literature. The feast is dedicated to them – “Don Surp Tarkmanchats”.
How the feast is observed
Surp Tarkmanchats is celebrated twice a year:
- at the end of June or the beginning of July
- on the second Saturday of October
The day is dedicated to the honouring of knowledge, education and spiritual heritage. The faithful turn in prayer to the Holy Translators and pay tribute to their labours in preserving Armenian identity and culture.
Its meaning for Armenians
The feast carries a message about:
- the power of knowledge and education
- the unity and spiritual heritage of the people
- faith, spirituality and cultural identity
Surp Tarkmanchats is not merely a historical event – it is a symbol of the resilience and enlightenment of the Armenian nation, a feast that inspires each generation to value the culture and spiritual riches of its people.