{"id":714,"date":"2024-04-29T15:37:45","date_gmt":"2024-04-29T22:37:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/?page_id=714"},"modified":"2026-06-23T22:20:22","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T05:20:22","slug":"customs-etiquette","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/hy\/customs-etiquette\/","title":{"rendered":"Customs &amp; Etiquette"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Making the Sign of the Cross<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Making the Sign of the Cross is an ancient Christian custom, which is practiced in all ancient churches. When one enters a church, firsly because of the sanctity of the House of God and primarily because of the presence of the Host, Body, and Blood of Christ, the living God, one crosses oneself. We also make the Sign of the Cross before and after saying a prayer, receiving Holy Communion, when lighting a candle, kissing the cross or Gospel, or when one is censed by a priest or deacon. This pious custom reminds the faithful of the Crucifixion of our Lord and His Glorious Resurrection.\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Incense<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Incense is used in the church as a symbol of honor and dignity. Likewise, when someone is censed by a deacon or priest, one crosses oneself so that our prayers may ascend to heaven. The fire of the censor represents purity.\u200b<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lighting Candles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The faithful light candles and offer prayers either for the living or deceased, and in some instances, when making a vow. A person may ask for the intercession of any saint close to their heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-jetpack-tiled-gallery aligncenter is-style-square\"><div class=\"\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__gallery\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__row columns-3\"><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"2125\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/hy\/customs-etiquette\/img_0497\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0497.jpeg?fit=6000%2C4000&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"6000,4000\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_0494\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0497.jpeg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 1 of 3 in full-screen\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0497-1024x683.jpeg?resize=600%2C600&#038;strip=info&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0497-1024x683.jpeg?resize=683%2C683&#038;strip=info&#038;ssl=1 683w\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"4000\" data-id=\"2125\" data-link=\"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/customs-etiquette\/img_0497\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0497-1024x683.jpeg\" data-width=\"6000\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0497-1024x683.jpeg?ssl=1&amp;resize=2000%2C2000\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"2127\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/hy\/customs-etiquette\/img_0496\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0496.jpg?fit=6000%2C4000&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"6000,4000\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4.5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS Rebel T7&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1716073823&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;29&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;320&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.025&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_0496\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0496.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 2 of 3 in full-screen\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0496-1024x683.jpg?resize=600%2C600&#038;strip=info&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0496-1024x683.jpg?resize=683%2C683&#038;strip=info&#038;ssl=1 683w\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"4000\" data-id=\"2127\" data-link=\"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/customs-etiquette\/img_0496\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0496-1024x683.jpg\" data-width=\"6000\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0496-1024x683.jpg?ssl=1&amp;resize=2000%2C2000\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><div class=\"tiled-gallery__col\"><figure class=\"tiled-gallery__item\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"2126\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/hy\/customs-etiquette\/img_0495\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0495.jpg?fit=6000%2C4000&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"6000,4000\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4.5&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS Rebel T7&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1716073820&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;29&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;400&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.02&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;1&quot;,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"IMG_0495\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0495.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"Open image 3 of 3 in full-screen\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0495-1024x683.jpg?resize=600%2C600&#038;strip=info&#038;ssl=1 600w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0495-1024x683.jpg?resize=683%2C683&#038;strip=info&#038;ssl=1 683w\" alt=\"\" data-height=\"4000\" data-id=\"2126\" data-link=\"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/customs-etiquette\/img_0495\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0495-1024x683.jpg\" data-width=\"6000\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0495-1024x683.jpg?ssl=1&amp;resize=2000%2C2000\" data-amp-layout=\"responsive\"\/><\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Making the Sign of the Cross Making the Sign of the Cross is an ancient Christian custom, which is practiced in all ancient churches. When one enters a church, firsly&hellip;<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_about_page":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_gallery_page":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_contact_page":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_events_page":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_video_page":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_portfolio_piece":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-714","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Customs &amp; Etiquette - St. Sarkis Armenian Church<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/hy\/customs-etiquette\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Customs &amp; Etiquette - St. Sarkis Armenian Church\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Making the Sign of the Cross Making the Sign of the Cross is an ancient Christian custom, which is practiced in all ancient churches. When one enters a church, firsly&hellip;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/hy\/customs-etiquette\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"St. Sarkis Armenian Church\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-06-24T05:20:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0497-1024x683.jpeg?ssl=1&amp;resize=2000%2C2000\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stsarkischurchsd.com\\\/customs-etiquette\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stsarkischurchsd.com\\\/customs-etiquette\\\/\",\"name\":\"Customs &amp; Etiquette - St. Sarkis Armenian Church\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stsarkischurchsd.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stsarkischurchsd.com\\\/customs-etiquette\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stsarkischurchsd.com\\\/customs-etiquette\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/stsarkischurchsd.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/IMG_0497-1024x683.jpeg?ssl=1&amp;resize=2000%2C2000\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-04-29T22:37:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-24T05:20:22+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stsarkischurchsd.com\\\/customs-etiquette\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"hy-AM\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/stsarkischurchsd.com\\\/customs-etiquette\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"hy-AM\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stsarkischurchsd.com\\\/customs-etiquette\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/stsarkischurchsd.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/IMG_0497-1024x683.jpeg?ssl=1&amp;resize=2000%2C2000\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/stsarkischurchsd.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/IMG_0497-1024x683.jpeg?ssl=1&amp;resize=2000%2C2000\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stsarkischurchsd.com\\\/customs-etiquette\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stsarkischurchsd.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Customs &amp; Etiquette\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stsarkischurchsd.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stsarkischurchsd.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"St. Sarkis Armenian Church\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stsarkischurchsd.com\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stsarkischurchsd.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"hy-AM\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stsarkischurchsd.com\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"St. Sarkis Armenian Church\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stsarkischurchsd.com\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"hy-AM\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stsarkischurchsd.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/stsarkischurchsd.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/02\\\/cropped-thumbnail_St-Sarkis-Logo-BW-020624.png?fit=811%2C249&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/stsarkischurchsd.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/02\\\/cropped-thumbnail_St-Sarkis-Logo-BW-020624.png?fit=811%2C249&ssl=1\",\"width\":811,\"height\":249,\"caption\":\"St. Sarkis Armenian Church\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/stsarkischurchsd.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Customs &amp; Etiquette - St. Sarkis Armenian Church","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/hy\/customs-etiquette\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Customs &amp; Etiquette - St. Sarkis Armenian Church","og_description":"Making the Sign of the Cross Making the Sign of the Cross is an ancient Christian custom, which is practiced in all ancient churches. When one enters a church, firsly&hellip;","og_url":"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/hy\/customs-etiquette\/","og_site_name":"St. Sarkis Armenian Church","article_modified_time":"2026-06-24T05:20:22+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0497-1024x683.jpeg?ssl=1&amp;resize=2000%2C2000","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/customs-etiquette\/","url":"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/customs-etiquette\/","name":"Customs &amp; Etiquette - St. Sarkis Armenian Church","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/customs-etiquette\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/customs-etiquette\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0497-1024x683.jpeg?ssl=1&amp;resize=2000%2C2000","datePublished":"2024-04-29T22:37:45+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-24T05:20:22+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/customs-etiquette\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"hy-AM","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/customs-etiquette\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"hy-AM","@id":"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/customs-etiquette\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0497-1024x683.jpeg?ssl=1&amp;resize=2000%2C2000","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IMG_0497-1024x683.jpeg?ssl=1&amp;resize=2000%2C2000"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/customs-etiquette\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Customs &amp; Etiquette"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/","name":"St. Sarkis Armenian Church","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"hy-AM"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/#organization","name":"St. Sarkis Armenian Church","url":"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"hy-AM","@id":"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/cropped-thumbnail_St-Sarkis-Logo-BW-020624.png?fit=811%2C249&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/cropped-thumbnail_St-Sarkis-Logo-BW-020624.png?fit=811%2C249&ssl=1","width":811,"height":249,"caption":"St. Sarkis Armenian Church"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}}]}},"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/PfjY5G-bw","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/hy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/714","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/hy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/hy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/hy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/hy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=714"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/hy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/714\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2152,"href":"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/hy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/714\/revisions\/2152"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stsarkischurchsd.com\/hy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=714"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}