▁services , ▁most ▁often ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁annual ▁rem emb rance ▁of ▁the ▁Armen ian ▁Gen o cide . ▁Mad agh ▁is ▁typically ▁celebrated ▁with ▁community ▁gather ings ▁spons ored ▁by ▁churches , ▁which ▁include ▁public ▁offer ings ▁of ▁food . ▁Food ▁offer ings ▁often ▁include ▁l amb ▁ste w ▁with ▁pil af ▁made ▁from ▁bul g ur , ▁and ▁Armen ian ▁flat ▁bread ▁or ▁k ata h ▁bread . ▁ ▁Historical ▁orig ins ▁Some ▁religious ▁sch ol ars ▁assert ▁that ▁mad agh ▁( or ▁sometimes ▁mat al ) ▁has ▁its ▁roots ▁in ▁ancient ▁lit urg ical ▁sacrifice . ▁The ▁legit imation ▁of ▁the ▁mad agh ▁sacrifice ▁within ▁the ▁early ▁Armen ian ▁Christian ▁church ▁is ▁particularly ▁associated ▁with ▁Gregory ▁the ▁Ill umin ator . ▁The ▁mad agh ▁is ▁still ▁considered ▁ ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁religious ▁bless ings ▁in ▁the ▁contemporary ▁Armen ian ▁Church . ▁Contempor ary ▁church ▁leaders ▁assert ▁that ▁the ▁rit ual ▁today ▁is ▁im bu ed ▁with ▁a ▁new ▁set ▁of ▁religious ▁significance ▁within ▁the ▁canon ▁of ▁Orth odox ▁Christian ▁practice . ▁Contempor ary ▁interpret ations ▁link ▁the ▁mad agh ▁ ▁with ▁the ▁practice ▁of ▁Christian ▁ag ape , ▁or ▁commun al ▁fellow ship ▁and ▁love . ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁connected ▁with ▁the ▁practice ▁of ▁religious ▁char ity , ▁because ▁the ▁me al ▁is ▁often ▁given ▁to ▁the ▁community ▁for ▁free ▁and ▁is ▁associated ▁with ▁feed ing ▁the ▁poor . ▁ ▁M embers ▁of ▁the ▁Armen ian ▁di as por a ▁typically ▁associate ▁the ▁serving ▁of ▁the ▁mad agh