Myasopustnaya
The Orthodox Church celebrates the Ecumenical Meat-Safe Parental Saturday a week before the start of Lent - great post in 2018 will start on February 19.

The ecumenical parental Saturday is called "meat-fat" because the Sunday following it is called "Meat-fare week" - on this day, meat food is allowed for the last time before Lent. Sunday is also called the Small Maslenitsa, as the preceding Maslenitsa week.

Myasopustnaya is the first parental Saturday of the year, when the dead Orthodox Christians are especially commemorated in Orthodox churches. There are only seven parental Saturdays in the church calendar - all but one (May 9 - Commemoration of the Dead Warriors) have a rolling date.

On the Ecumenical Meat-Feast Parental Saturday, they pray especially for those whom untimely death overtook in a foreign country, far from relatives, in the mountains, at sea, in battle, from hunger or infectious diseases, during natural disasters, who did not have time to repent before death, and over whom the funeral rite was not performed.

Based on the apostolic teaching, the Holy Church established a common, ecumenical commemoration, so that no one would be deprived of her prayers, where, when and no matter how they ended their earthly life.

Story
By origin, the Ecumenical Meatless Parental Saturday is one of the most ancient. Special Universal Sabbath in the legends of Savva the Sanctified as early as the 5th century, although there is evidence of its earlier celebration.

On this day, according to legend, Christians, still not recognized and persecuted by anyone, gathered together to honor the memory of the tortured and executed brothers and sisters in faith who did not receive a proper burial.

The day of remembrance was not chosen by chance, since Sunday after the Ecumenical Meatless Parental Saturday is dedicated to a reminder of the Last Judgment of Christ, which at His second coming will be over all people and will determine the eternal fate of each person.

During the service, in particular, they recall the parable of the Last Judgment of the living and the dead, so that a person remembers that he will have to answer for his sinful deeds during the Judgment.

Proceeding from this, the Church intercedes not only for her living members, but also for all those who have died from time immemorial, especially those who died of sudden death, and prays for their Lord's mercy. Thus, the Church gives a chance for the salvation of the soul to everyone.

parent saturday
On parental Saturday, the departed are especially commemorated - in Orthodox churches these days they make a special commemoration of the dead Orthodox Christians.

The name "parent" is believed to have come from the tradition of calling the deceased "parents", that is, those who have gone to their fathers. And also because Christians prayerfully commemorated their deceased parents in the first place.

Especially, among the parental Saturdays, the Ecumenical ones are distinguished - these days Orthodox Church prayerfully commemorates all the dead in general, and special services are performed - ecumenical memorial services. There are two such Saturdays: Myasopustnaya and Troitskaya (on the eve of the feast of Pentecost, in 2018 it falls on May 26).

The rest of parental Saturdays, which are not ecumenical, are set aside for private commemoration of people dear to our hearts.

Traditions
The Great Requiem or "parastas", as a rule, is served in Orthodox churches on the eve of parental Saturday, that is, on Friday evening. funeral Divine Liturgy serve on Saturday morning, and after it - a common memorial service.

On this day, their deceased parents should be commemorated in the church - people give notes with the names of the relatives of the deceased to the clergy and pray for the repose of their souls in the afterlife.

The parishioners, according to the old church tradition, bring lenten products and wine to the temple, which are consecrated during the service, and later distributed to those who wish. On parental Saturday, it is also customary to give alms to the poor with a request to pray for the departed.

After visiting the temples, people go to the cemetery, where they put the graves in order and read prayers for the repose of the souls of deceased relatives.

The clergy believe that it is more important to defend the service in the temple on this day than to go to the cemetery, since our prayer to deceased relatives and close people is much more important than visiting the grave.

But, if it is not possible to visit the temple and the cemetery these days, you can pray for the repose of the deceased at home.

From ancient times, on parental Saturdays, it was customary to cook and eat an obligatory meal of the memorial meal - kutya, which was usually prepared from whole grains of wheat or other cereals with the addition of honey, as well as raisins or nuts. To date, few people follow this custom - kutya is mainly prepared for a commemoration.

Prayer for the dead
Give rest, Lord, to the souls of your departed servants: my parents, relatives, benefactors (their names) and all Orthodox Christians, and forgive them all sins, free and involuntary, and grant them the Kingdom of Heaven.

During the church service, Orthodox people commemorate many generations of their deceased ancestors by name.

In 2018, Pokrovskaya parental Saturday is celebrated the day before the onset of the Intercession, namely October 13th. Despite the fact that the traditions of all memorial days are generally similar, there are certain nuances that should be taken into account in order to avoid trouble.

Before the beginning of the liturgy, it is necessary to put a note with the names of the deceased in a pre-prepared urn. You can also bring Cahors or treats to the temple, which are then distributed to the poor.

On this day, memorial services are performed in temples for the dead, during which they commemorate the deceased loved ones and pray for the repose of their souls. However, it is forbidden to order a memorial service for the deceased, who passed away voluntarily or was an unbeliever.

Many people doubt that it is possible to visit the cemetery before the Intercession Holy Mother of God. But the clergy do not forbid doing this, and even, on the contrary, recommend it. On this day, people clean up the graves, bring consecrated sweets or pastries.

Traditions of the Intercession Parental Saturday

If you wish, you can commemorate the deceased relatives by setting the table and inviting the closest friends and relatives of the deceased. But do not forget that the commemoration of the deceased is not a reason to have fun and abuse alcohol, and even more so, you do not need to do it at the cemetery.

On Intercession Parental Saturday, it is recommended to give up heavy and fatty foods and cook only lenten meals for the Saturday meal. According to one of the signs, if you want the deceased to come to dinner, you need to put extra cutlery on the table and fill the plate with various treats.

It is believed that as soon as all the household members go to bed, the soul of the deceased will descend to earth to visit their loved ones. Those who do not have the opportunity to visit the temple and order a memorial service can pray for the departed at home.

The soul of a deceased person has an inseparable connection with the earthly world. That is why the dead often remind of themselves and sometimes try to notify us of upcoming events and even protect us from danger. Most often, signals from another world come to us in dreams, so we invite you to find out what the deceased may dream of.

What does Pokrovskaya Parental Saturday symbolize?

Intercession parental Saturday is a holiday when you need to honor all the deceased relatives and acquaintances according to East Slavic traditions. This holiday is also called “parental” because, according to Christian beliefs, dead people end up in the same world with their parents.

In addition, it is worth saying that Intercession parental Saturday has a lot of different traditions. People go to churches, put candles for the repose, give special notes to the priest and pray for the repose of their souls in a better world. After visiting the church, they usually go to the cemetery, put the graves in order and commemorate loved ones.

It is customary to have a modest meal on this day. One of the main dishes on the table is kutya ( wheat porridge with raisins, nuts, sprinkled with honey). She is a kind of symbol of eternal life. It is customary to put more appliances on the table than there is a person. They believe that, on this day, the souls are close together, again come to the mortal earth.

After the parental Saturday, the Intercession and the last festivities followed. After the winter began, the cold and home gatherings. On Intercession parental Saturday, autumn meets winter, and if snow fell, then it was considered a Divine sign - “cover”.

Dimitri's parental Saturday in 2017 does not fall in November, as is usually the case, but at the very end of October. Why?

In 2017, parental Saturday was moved to October 28 due to the coincidence with the feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God (November 4).

The Day of Remembrance of the Dead on Saturday on the eve of the day of memory of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica (November 8, N.S.) was established after the Battle of Kulikovo, which took place on the feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in 1380.

Initially, according to the establishment of the Holy Prince Dimitry Donskoy, on this day all Russian soldiers who fell on the Kulikovo field were commemorated. Actually, this is another meaning of the name of the Saturday "Dimitrievskaya".

Over time, Demetrius Saturday became the day when all Christians “from the beginning (from the beginning of time) of the dead” are commemorated.

Dimitrievskaya Saturday is the last parental Saturday in 2017. The next parental Saturday will be February 10, 2018.

Dimitri's parental Saturday - what you need to know about memorial day

Dmitrievskaya parental Saturday falls on the next Saturday before the day of memory of the Great Martyr Dmitry of Thessalonica (the day of the angel Dmitry Donskoy). He was a warrior of the heavenly and earthly kings. He defended the earthly king from attacks, defended his country, people, history. And he loved, knew, worshiped and served the Heavenly King. He guarded the earthly king, and glorified the Heavenly one and led other people to worship God, to faith, so that, after sleeping, they could be united in the Kingdom of Heaven.

And the Dmitrievskaya parental Saturday was established after the battle on the Kulikovo field - by Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy. After the victory over Mamai in 1380, Dmitry Donskoy visits the Trinity-Sergius Monastery to commemorate the fallen soldiers. A little earlier, the abbot of the monastery, Reverend Sergius Radonezh, blessed two of his monks - Alexander Peresvet and Andrey Oslyabya - for the war against the Mongol-Tatar yoke. Both monks died in battle. And the monk himself during the war, when he lifted up his prayers to God, imbued with the Holy Spirit, saw how the soldiers fell and called each soldier killed by name.

Upon the arrival of Dmitry Donskoy to the monastery, a funeral service was performed, a commemoration of the Orthodox soldiers who fell on the battlefield, and a common meal were held.

Subsequently, such a tradition developed - to make such a commemoration annually, since there were 250 thousand dead in that battle and many families felt the bitterness of loss. A little later, they began to commemorate not only the soldiers, but also all the departed Orthodox Christians.

Parents Saturday - how to spend the day

On Dmitriev parental Saturday, people visit the graves of their relatives and loved ones. In churches and cemeteries, panikhidas, funeral litias (services) are performed, memorial dinners are arranged.

On the Dimitrov parental Saturday, Orthodox Christians go to churches, put candles to the Crucifixion, and not to icons, and write the names of their deceased loved ones in memorial notes. In notes, only the names of deceased relatives who were baptized during their lifetime can be mentioned.

You can pray for the unbaptized over their grave or at home. Another custom characteristic of Demetrius' parental Saturday is to bring food to the temple for the poor. During the service, this treat is consecrated and later distributed to those who wish. Also on this day, it is customary to give alms to the poor with a request to pray for the dead.

To commemorate your deceased relatives in church, you need to come to the temple for worship on the evening of Friday on the eve of parental Saturday. At this time, a great memorial service, or parastas, is performed. On Memorial Saturday morning, a funeral liturgy is performed, after which a common memorial service is served.

The commemoration of the departed is an apostolic institution, it is observed throughout the Church, and the liturgy for the departed, the offering of the Bloodless Sacrifice for their salvation, is the most powerful and effective means of asking the departed for God's mercy.

Church commemoration is performed only for those who were baptized in Orthodox faith.

Memorial services for suicides, as well as for those who are not baptized in the Orthodox faith, are not performed. Moreover, these persons cannot be commemorated at the liturgy. The Holy Church lifts up unceasing prayers for our departed fathers and brothers at every divine service, and especially at the liturgy.

It is imperative to commemorate the deceased on the day of his death, birth and name day.

The days of commemoration should be spent decorously, reverently, in prayer, doing good to the poor and loved ones, in thinking about our death and future life.

In the cemetery you can not arrange a feast and get drunk. There is an opinion that the commemoration of the deceased is an opportunity to skip a glass of another alcohol, but this is not so. The fate of the departed cannot be alleviated by this action. Only conscious prayer is able to convey our love to loved ones. It is also impossible on parental Saturday:

  • swear;
  • get drunk;
  • swear;
  • speak badly about the deceased;
  • grieve and cry.

It is important to know that remembering does not mean sadness. To remember means to pray. The soul cannot die, it passes into another world - which one depends on the person during his lifetime. If he sinned, then the soul will suffer and languish. Only prayer, which is read by relatives with special trepidation, will help save her from this. Therefore, every parental Saturday it is necessary to remember your loved ones with a prayer from a pure heart. The one who reads it conveys the love and gratitude that he could not give to his loved one during his lifetime.

Saturdays of commemoration of those who introduced themselves are special. They are called parental, due to the fact that all the deceased went to their parents, ancestors. How to spend this day, and what not to do, read here.

What not to do on Dimitriev parental Saturday

On this day, it is forbidden to scold the dead. Only good things should be remembered about them, otherwise you can anger their soul.

It is believed that it is strictly forbidden to commemorate the dead with alcoholic beverages. However, if your family has such a tradition, then try to do it in moderation. The souls of the dead may become angry because of drunkenness during the memorial meal.

Also, during the commemoration, one cannot laugh or sing songs. Despite the fact that the holiday is not of a mourning nature, do not forget that on this day you remember loved ones who are no longer among the living. Therefore, the fun will be inappropriate.

If your deceased relative committed suicide or was not a believer during his lifetime, then you will not be able to commemorate him in the church and put a candle for the repose of his soul. In this case, you can pray for him at home.

What Not to Do on Parents' Saturday

Many superstitions are associated with the prohibitions on the memorial day. It is not forbidden these days to do housework and gardening, but only after going to church and reading a memorial prayer.

Most believers, when visiting a cemetery, pour alcohol into a glass at the grave or pour vodka over it, believing that if the deceased liked to drink, then they help him so much. It is unacceptable to do this, since the soul of the deceased may suffer for the sin of drinking wine even after death.

In the cemetery you can not arrange a feast and get drunk.

Dimitri's parental Saturday in 2017 does not fall in November, as is usually the case, but at the very end of October. In 2017, parental Saturday was moved to October 28 due to the coincidence with the feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God (November 4).

The Day of Remembrance of the Dead on Saturday on the eve of the day of memory of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica (November 8, according to a new style) was established after the bloody battle on the Kulikovo field, which took place on the feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos in 1380.

At first, on this day, they prayed for the repose of precisely those at the cost of whose lives the victory was won. Over time, Demetrius Saturday became the day when all Christians “from the beginning (from the beginning of time) of the dead” are commemorated.

As on other parental Saturdays, a funeral Liturgy and a memorial service are served in the morning. On the eve of the evening, the Great Panikhida - Parastas is served. The translation of this word from the Greek - "foreshadowing", "intercession" - reflects the meaning and meaning of parental Saturdays for believers.

People whose earthly journey has ended can no longer correct their mistakes and repent of their sins, but the living can ask the Lord for mercy for them. Every day, Christians pray for their dead loved ones, and 7 times a year the entire Russian Orthodox Church turns to God, interceding for all her dead children.

Dimitrievskaya Saturday is the last parental Saturday in 2017. The next parental Saturday is February 10, 2018.

Those believing Christians who clearly adhere to church canons come to worship at church on the evening of Friday on the eve of parental Saturday. At this time, a great memorial service, or parastas, is performed. All troparia, stichera, hymns and parastas readings are dedicated to prayer for the dead. On the morning of Memorial Saturday itself, a Divine Liturgy for the dead is performed in the churches, after which a common memorial service is held.

To commemorate your deceased relatives in the church, you need to prepare notes in advance with the names of the deceased. In a note in large block letters, you must write the names of those who should be remembered. All names must be in ecclesiastical spelling and in the genitive case. As a donation to the temple, it is customary to bring lenten products - bread, sweets, fruits, vegetables. But meat products or alcohol (except for Cahors) are not supposed to be donated.

On Dmitriev's parental Saturday, all believing Christians visit the graves of their deceased relatives, memorial services and funeral litias are served in temples, churches and cemeteries, and they arrange memorial meals.

The morning of Dmitriev Saturday must begin with a visit to the church and a prayer for the repose of the souls of the deceased Christians. Unlike other parental days, Dmitrievskaya Saturday still has a special meaning: established after the Battle of Kulikovo, it reminds us of all those who died and suffered for the Orthodox faith.

If it is not possible to visit a temple or a cemetery, you can pray for the repose of the deceased in a home prayer.

Dmitrievskaya Saturday for our distant ancestors was the day of transition from autumn to winter. Therefore, if after the Feast of the Intercession there were unfinished business, then by this day they tried to finish everything and complete the preparations for severe frosts.

The Slavs called this day Autumn Grandfathers or Grandfather's Saturday. As on other memorial days, the women were busy general cleaning. They cleaned the yards, washed all the benches, windows, tables. What needed to be whitewashed or repaired. Before Grandfather's Saturday, the whole family had to wash themselves, after which they left water and a broom for the deceased relatives.

On Dmitriev's parental Saturday, the dinner was special and was held a little differently than on other memorial days. They began to remember the dead already on Friday, and for this they necessarily acquired a new white tablecloth, which was used to cover the memorial table. The hostesses prepared traditional Slavic funeral dishes - kutya, uzvar, pancakes, pies, as well as favorite dishes of deceased relatives.

Funeral pies were especially treated that day, since on the table you could find a huge variety of them with different fillings - with meat, cabbage, cottage cheese, and so on. Moreover, the form must be oblong. Also, each housewife tried to cook as many meat dishes as possible - roast, jelly and even ham could be found on the tables. But the traditional and basic was stuffed pork head.

Candles were put on the table on Friday and Saturday, informs the site. So it was believed that the family thus gives a sign to the dead that they are not forgotten and remembered. After all, they used to believe that all the dead on this day descend to earth to their native homes. Therefore, they tried to gather a family in ancestral dwellings. Be sure to remember what the deceased were during their lifetime, about their good qualities and deeds. Also, the oldest in the families told the youth the history of the family and genealogy.

On Friday, after the whole family had dinner, the mistress of the house cleaned the entire table, covered it with a clean tablecloth and arranged cutlery with food. Then she invited all the deceased relatives to the table.

The next day, on Saturday, at the memorial meal, each member of the family set aside one spoonful of each dish on a separate plate, and then it was all left overnight for the deceased. This was done so that the souls of the dead could come home and get enough food with the whole family. A bowl of water and a towel were placed next to the plates so that they could wash themselves after the meal. On Dmitriev Saturday, they always helped the poor and starving - they gave generous alms, fed pies and asked them to pray for the souls of the departed.

These days the Church prayerfully commemorates all the dead Christians. A special, ecumenical memorial service is served in the temple.

A week before Lent, on the Saturday before the Week of the Last Judgment. On the day preceding the remembrance of the Last Judgment, Christians pray to the Righteous Judge to show His mercy to all the departed Christians.

With God, everyone is alive. In the Church, we feel connected to all the dead Christians. Pentecost is the birthday of the Church. On the eve of this day, the Church prays for Christians who have crossed the threshold of earthly life.

“Parental” Saturdays began to be called, because Christians prayerfully commemorated, first of all, their deceased parents. These days in the temple, after the Liturgy, a special funeral service is performed - a memorial service.

2nd week of Great Lent - March 11
3rd week of Great Lent - March 18
4th week of Lent - March 25

Throughout Great Lent, there are very few days when it is possible to celebrate the full Liturgy, and hence the main church prayer for the departed. In order not to deprive the dead of prayer intercession during this period, the Church established three special day to pray for them.

These days of commemoration of the departed exist in the liturgical practice only of the Russian Orthodox Church.

After the liturgy, a thanksgiving service is performed for the gift of victory and a funeral litia.

From this day on, the Charter of the Church again, after a long break for Great Lent and Easter days, allows the church-wide commemoration of the dead.

3. Day of Remembrance of Orthodox soldiers, for the Faith, the Tsar and the Fatherland on the battlefield of those killed - September 11

The commemoration was established by decree of Catherine II during Russian-Turkish war(1768–1774). In modern liturgical practice, it is often omitted.

On the Saturday preceding the day of memory of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica (November 8). Installed by the right-believing prince Dmitry Donskoy after returning to Moscow from the battle on the Kulikovo field (1380). In 2017, due to the coincidence of the Saturday before the day of memory of St. Demetrius and the feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, Dmitrievskaya parental Saturday was postponed to October 28.

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Intercession parental Saturday - the day when Orthodox believers in a special way remember loved ones who have passed away - in 2017 falls on October 7

This day has no fixed date - according to church calendar, it precedes the main autumn church holiday Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, which the Orthodox celebrate on October 14.

The funeral service is transferred from Saturday to Sunday if the parental Saturday coincides with the day of the presentation of the Apostle John the Theologian, which the Orthodox Church celebrates on October 9th.

Intercession parental Saturday 2017: the history of the holiday

Intercession Saturday is one of the Ecumenical requiems. In the Orthodox faith, there are only three of them: before the Trinity, during Great Lent and on the eve of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos. These days are considered very important for all believers, because on such holidays it is customary for the whole world to pray for the repose of each deceased. It is worth noting that the history of such a holiday as Intercession parental Saturday is exactly the same as that of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, who saved people during the defense of Constantinople.

It is worth noting that Pokrovskaya parental Saturday appeared much later than Pokrov, and is not celebrated as widely. Initially, this celebration was dedicated to people who gave their lives to protect their country. By the way, the Intercession parental Saturday appeared around the 16th century and since that time has been celebrated annually on the eve of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos.

Intercession parental Saturday 2017: holiday traditions

Of course, on such a holiday as the Intercession Parental Saturday, quite a lot of different services will be held, which are strongly recommended to be visited by all believers. Almost every one of us has a person for whom we need to light candles and pray. And this is best done on Pokrovskaya parental Saturday. But still it is considered that this is an ordinary day, with a slight difference. It is Intercession parental Saturday - this is the day when the dead can be helped to get into the kingdom of heaven.

Saturdays

"Parental" days are the days of special commemoration of the dead, on which, through the prayers of the Church, the dead can receive relief or release from afterlife punishments. And also because Christians first of all prayerfully commemorated their deceased parents. the dead go to the next world to their parents, forefathers

The Sabbath day was also not chosen by chance - it is the last day of the week, since the final cycle of the week begins on Sunday, or the "week" when nothing is done, and not on Monday, as is commonly believed in the world.

The clergy explain that Sunday, as the first day, is a new stage in life, while Saturday, as the final stage of life (the parallel of birth and death), according to the Charter, is considered to be the day of commemoration of the departed.

Among such Saturdays, when a special commemoration of the dead Orthodox Christians is performed in Orthodox churches, the Ecumenical - Meat and Trinity Saturdays are especially singled out, on which the Orthodox Church prayerfully commemorates all the dead in general and special services are performed - universal requiems.

The remaining parental Saturdays are not ecumenical and are set aside specifically for the private commemoration of people dear to our hearts. Requiem in Greek means "intercession". This is a funeral service, where believers pray for the repose of the dead, ask the Lord for mercy and forgiveness of sins for them.

What to do on Pokrov Parental Saturday

Intercession parental Saturday is a holiday when you need to honor all the deceased relatives and acquaintances according to East Slavic traditions. This holiday is also called “parental” because, according to Christian beliefs, dead people end up in the same world with their parents. In addition, it is worth saying that Intercession parental Saturday has a lot of different traditions.

Traditions

First of all, on the holiday of October 7, you need to go to church. On this day, divine liturgies are held there, where all Christians pray for the repose of the souls of the dead.

On Intercession Parental Saturday, people usually bring with them notes of repose with the names of deceased loved ones.

In addition, the holiday of October 7 is notable for the fact that people bring food and wine to church with them to celebrate the liturgy and commemorate the dead. Then, all this is given to those who need it.

How they commemorate in the church

In Orthodox churches, on the eve of parental Saturday - on Friday evening, the Great Panikhida is served, which is also called the Greek word "parastas". The Divine Liturgy for the dead is served on Saturday morning, followed by a common memorial service.

On this day, one should commemorate their deceased parents in the church - people submit notes with the names of loved ones of the dead and pray for the repose of their souls in the afterlife.

According to the old church tradition, the parishioners bring lenten products and wine to the temple for the celebration of the liturgy, which are consecrated during the service, and later distributed to those who wish.

Memorial Traditions

Commemoration of the dead is one of the many traditions of Orthodoxy. On this day, memorial services are held in churches, memorial liturgies aimed at maintaining the memory of people who left the earthly world and freeing the latter from the sins they once committed through prayers.

© SPUTNIK/ SERGEY PYATAKOV

The memorial day on Intercession Saturday was established in the middle of the 16th century - Ivan the Terrible punished on a certain day - on Saturday, on the eve of Intercession, to commemorate the soldiers who died during the storming of Kazan in 1552. But, the Orthodox Church recognized this day only 40 years later - officially decree about the annual commemoration of the fallen during the capture of Kazan on the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, Patriarch Job published in 1592.

Over time, on this day, they began to commemorate not only the fallen soldiers, but also their own deceased relatives - this tradition has been preserved to this day.

This Saturday was called "commemoration" or "parental" because, according to the Christian faith, the dead go to the next world to their parents, forefathers. In addition, the ritual of remembrance begins with the names of the closest people - our parents.

On this day, one should commemorate their deceased parents in the church - people submit notes for deceased relatives, as well as for their souls to the priest, and also pray for the repose of their souls in the afterlife. But, if you could not visit the church, you can put a candle for your dead in front of the icons of the house and pray for them.

After visiting the temples, the Orthodox go to the cemetery, read prayers for the repose of the souls of deceased relatives, put the graves in order.

Customs and signs

On this day, according to tradition, the Orthodox arrange modest meals and remember those who are not around - they put more cutlery on the table, and among the funeral food they always serve a ritual dish - kutya (wheat porridge with raisins, nuts, poured with honey) - symbolizing faith to eternal life and resurrection.

© SPUTNIK/ NATALIA SELIVERSTOVA

Sorrow for loved ones who had gone to another world in villages and villages was closely intertwined with entertainment - the last festivities fell on Pokrovsky Saturday. And after the Intercession, the time of Pokrovsky evenings and home gatherings began - this tradition has its roots in the pre-Christian period of the Slavs.

The custom of commemorating the dead existed among the pagans - they had special Saturdays, in which they remembered their loved ones who died untimely.

The main sign that has been preserved for many centuries of the existence of the holiday is associated with the weather. It is generally accepted that on Parental Saturday, autumn and winter meet for the first time in a year, and the snow that fell on this day is a Divine sign - “cover”.

“On Pokrov before lunch - summer, after lunch - winter,” they said among the people.

Pokrovsky Saturday in Belarus is called - "Pokrovsky Grandfathers". Belarusians believe that on this day the dead come to the homes of their living still close people, and therefore they prudently prepare a memorial dinner for them.

The people believed that Grandfathers should be pleasing in every possible way, because they, holy guests from the Other World, miss the living, wish people well and grieve about separation.

People believed that not to remember the soul was to show disrespect for the dead. But along with respect, there was also the fear that if the souls of the dead were offended, they would not help the living in their affairs.

Prayer for the dead

Give rest, Lord, to the souls of your departed servants: my parents, relatives, benefactors (their names) and all Orthodox Christians, and forgive them all sins, free and involuntary, and grant them the Kingdom of Heaven. During the church service, Orthodox people commemorate many generations of their deceased ancestors by name.

The material was prepared on the basis of open materials


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