MARRIAGE
"Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."
Genesis 2:24
From as early as the 4th century, a rite of crowning for newly-married couples is mentioned by the early Christian writers. This would take place during the Eucharistic Liturgy. According to the teachings of St. John Chrsysostom, the crowns symbolized victory over passions for the couple and stood as a sign of the eternity of the sacrament. By the 11th century, the rite was separated from the Badarak.
In the Armenian rite, each act has a special meaning for the new life of the couple. Rings are exchanged and the right hands of the bride and groom are joined to symbolize the oneness of the couple. The crowns – narods are traditionally used in the rite – are signs of honor and glory and the new kingdom the couple will now rule (their new lives, their home). Drinking from a common cup of wine recalls the marriage at Cana and stresses the total sharing that will characterize married life.