In the Orthodox faith there are special days when it is necessary to remember deceased relatives. These days, the church always hosts a service, where people can come to pray for their loved ones. In the evening, funeral meals are held, observing Orthodox traditions.
What is parental Saturday in Orthodoxy?
There are two main Ecumenical Saturdays, when it is customary to remember all Christians who have been baptized: Meat and Trinity. They are necessarily accompanied by important services - ecumenical or general memorial services. There are also six other parental Saturdays: Radonitsa, Dimitrievskaya, Commemoration of the Deceased Soldiers and the 2nd, 3rd and 4th weeks of Lent. To understand what Meat-Eating Parental Saturday means, it should be said that on this day meat is prohibited, and it is called parental Saturday because of the need to remember close relatives, in the list of which parents are in first place.
According to Orthodox rules, these days it is allowed to pray for people who died a natural death, were killed, and even went missing and were not buried. Ecumenical Meatless Saturday is an ancient holiday when we remember all the dead Orthodox Christians who suffered for their faith in the Lord. It is believed that the living have a chance to help the dead with their prayers.
It is important to understand what Ecumenical Parental Saturday is and what to do and what not to do, since this day is very important for every Orthodox believer. In addition, many signs and ancient traditions are associated with it. Many are interested in why the dead are remembered on Saturday and not on another day, so, according to the Gospel, on this day of the week Jesus Christ was laid in a tomb and mourned.
Where is the funeral table located in the church?
Many believers visit the temple quite rarely, or from time to time, so they may not know the location of church attributes.
The funeral table should be looked for near the eve - a rectangular table with cells for candles, which are placed for the repose.
Some people believe that a candle can be placed anywhere, however, this is not always appropriate. Each church has long-established rules, so do not forget that there is a special memorial corner.
Before the service begins, the food brought should be placed on a side table. During the reading of the funeral rite, the priest sprinkles the donations with holy water.
After the service, the gifts brought are distributed to the priests, temple servants, the needy, as well as the poor and homeless wandering near the temple.
Help in organizing a funeral in Kyiv - funeral services in Kyiv
Parents' Saturday - what needs to be done?
The most important thing on such days is to attend church services and the obligatory reading of prayers for deceased relatives. When figuring out what to do on Parents' Saturday, we should also mention the tradition of believers to visit the cemetery on this day to lay flowers on the graves. The priests believe that it is more important to defend the service than to go to the grave, but if you cannot do either one or the other, then you can simply pray at home. Big Parents' Saturday is an occasion to gather in a quiet environment with loved ones and remember the dead.
What to do on Parents' Saturday in church?
The day before, a great memorial service is held in churches, but in the morning the Divine Liturgy for the repose and a general memorial service are held. People coming to church have the opportunity to submit notes with the names of the deceased and read memorial prayers. Many people are interested in what to bring to church on Parents’ Saturday, so according to old church traditions, you can take food from home, but only lean foods, and wine for the liturgy. After the consecration, the products are distributed to everyone. When leaving the church, it is necessary to give alms to the poor so that they pray for the departed.
How to commemorate on Parents' Saturday?
Increasingly, funerals for modern people are turning into a feast, where people enjoy food and talk about various topics, but in fact, in Orthodox traditions, it is necessary to pray at the funeral table. Before sitting down to the table, it is customary to perform a litia, or, as a last resort, you should read the prayer “Living Help” and “Our Father”. Great Parents' Saturday is a time to attend a church service and pray, remembering loved ones. You cannot remember the dead with wine, since this drink is a symbol of earthly joy.
What to cook for Ecumenical Parents' Saturday?
On this day, relatives gather around the table to remember their relatives. Lenten dishes are placed on the table, and an obligatory treat is kutia, a dish intended to commemorate the dead. They consider it a symbol of the burial of all people who were not interred, so their spirit rushes about and does not know how to leave the earth. If there is a meat-and-eating Saturday ahead, then be sure to prepare wheat grains, which should first be soaked for several hours. Dried fruits, nuts, seeds, poppy seeds, honey, syrup or marmalade are used as a dressing.
Prayer for departed Christians
Prayer is an opportunity to ask Heaven and the Lord God for the souls of our loved ones to be put to rest. Before reading a common prayer, it is best to write down a list of the names of the dead on a piece of paper in advance and read in order.
Common Prayer
Rest, O Lord, the souls of Your departed servants: my parents, relatives, benefactors (their names), and all Orthodox Christians, and forgive them all sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant them the Kingdom of Heaven.
It is worth saying that there are no specific rules for reading such prayers; the main conditions are strong faith and sincerity. Only in this way will the cherished words touch God and the deceased. Don't be afraid of emotions or showing feelings. Be honest and speak sincerely.
Subject:
- Parents' Saturdays
What can't you do on Parents' Saturday?
Many prohibitions regarding this day are fictitious. Although there is a widespread belief that you can clean and work on this day, the main thing is to first visit church and read prayers, and the rest of the time can be spent as you see fit. There are other prohibitions regarding this day:
- Universal Parental Saturday implies compulsory attendance at church, and there many begin to remember people by having snacks and drinking alcohol. The Church considers these traditions pagan and prohibits them.
- You cannot leave alcohol at the grave of deceased relatives, especially if they often drank during their lifetime, since this can only aggravate the situation of his soul.
- Understanding what Ecumenical Parental Saturday is, what needs to be done on this day, and what is prohibited, it is worth pointing out that you cannot be sad, quarrel, curse or speak badly about the deceased.
- You cannot organize lavish banquets and prepare a lot of dishes. Only lean dishes should be on the table.
- The memorial Saturday of Meat and Fat prohibits the consumption of meat and meat products.
What to avoid
Our people have a strong tradition of remembering the dead. But it is not only Christian in origin. If you are an Orthodox person or at least at the level of tradition associate yourself with Orthodoxy, then you don’t need to do everything that came to us from paganism or contradicts Christianity.
- There is no need to turn the wake into magnificent celebrations.
- You cannot drink alcohol in the cemetery.
- You cannot leave a glass of vodka, bread or any treat on the grave. This is not a Christian, but a pagan tradition.
- You cannot be baptized in photographs, monuments or monuments.
- On Parents' Day there is no need to quarrel and conflict, much less use foul language.
- There is no need to remember the sins and shortcomings of the deceased.
In the end, any parent's Saturday is a day of concentrated prayers, bright sadness and memories of loved ones whom we have lost. And also that our turn will come someday, and it would be good to prepare for this with the help of confession and communion.
Prayers for Parents' Saturday
On this day, prayer requests are mandatory, and you can ask for both close and distant relatives. They help souls find peace and find their way in another world. The living cannot help their deceased relatives in any other way. Prayer on Parental Saturday for the departed helps sinners to cleanse themselves. You can ask for people who were killed, died in an accident, and so on, since all people are one before God.
Folk signs for Parents' Saturday
There are many superstitions associated with this day that have been formed over many years. To believe in them or not is the decision of each person.
- Many signs and superstitions on parental Saturday are associated with the feast, so on this day you cannot clear anything from the table or wash the dishes after the evening meal, since it is believed that deceased relatives will come to eat at night.
- On this day it is customary to bake pancakes, and the first one must be placed separately for the deceased. If the first pancake fell to the floor while frying, then before picking it up, you need to read a prayer of protection. Otherwise, death may occur.
- Marriage on this day prophesies trouble.
- When figuring out what Ecumenical Parents' Saturday is and what needs to be done, it should be mentioned that the weather conditions on this day were used to judge what spring would be like. If the weather is clear, then spring will be fine. When there was thunder, we listened to the first peals, so if they were from the north side, it means that spring will be cold, and if from the east, then it will be warm and dry.
Why bring food to church for a memorial service?
Each religion has its own opinion on this issue. For example, pagans believe that funeral gifts pass to the next world, and the deceased will be able to taste them. Hinduism views the offering as payment to the gods for forgiveness of the sins of the deceased.
The Orthodox Church has a different attitude towards such a ritual. In Christianity, it is believed that a person in the afterlife remains as an individual, losing his biological needs. After all, the body is no longer there, only the soul remains. What then does this tradition imply in the Orthodox religion?
Many leave this world with a heavy load of sins accumulated throughout life, without having time to repent on earth. And only loved ones with their prayers, alms and good deeds are able to help the deceased. Almsgiving will be more effective if after it we ourselves become kinder.
Ritual for money on Parents' Saturday
Memorial days are considered the ideal time to contact deceased relatives and ask them for help. There are simple conspiracies for Ecumenical Parents' Saturday to attract financial well-being. A simple ritual will help you enlist the help of the spirits of the family, who will help throughout the year.
- During the day, purchase the sweets that you need to put in the alms basket in the church.
- When leaving, buy six candles and light them for the repose of six of your relatives.
- As you light each candle, ask the Lord for the repose of the soul of the deceased, calling his name.
- After this, read the funeral prayer, followed by a conspiracy.
Radonitsa, or Fomina's week
What date Radonitsa will take place depends on Easter. Radonitsa is celebrated on the second Tuesday after Easter and one day after St. Thomas Sunday.
The concept “Radonitsa” comes from “joy”. It is believed that one should not mourn the passing of relatives, one should be happy for them that they have “passed on to eternal life.”
It all starts with the Divine Liturgy, then everyone says prayers during the funeral service and only then goes to the cemetery. The graves are put in order, flowers are brought, candles are lit. The Church does not encourage leaving food near graves - this is considered a pagan relic. It is better to give food to the needy or bring it to the temple. You should also not drink alcohol or smoke in burial places.
We need to give alms and help in every possible way those who need it.
It is not recommended to do gardening and vegetable gardening. In addition, it is better to postpone washing, cleaning and sewing to another time.
