Parents' Saturday: what to do on this day. Parents' Saturday: Orthodox traditions

Parents' Saturdays- nine days of special remembrance for Orthodox Christians. Every Saturday is dedicated to the remembrance of the dead, but there are also specially designated Saturday days. They are called parental because parents are the people closest to us, but these days they pray not only for relatives.
All parent ones, except one (May 9), have a moving date.

On these days, funeral services are performed - funeral services. Please note that public worship may begin the night before (i.e. Friday) as The liturgical day begins in the evening.

Of the nine days of special remembrance of the dead, two Ecumenical days stand out memorial Saturdays: Myasopustnaya and Trinity. The main meaning of these “ecumenical” (common to the entire Orthodox Church) funeral services is prayer for all deceased Orthodox Christians, regardless of their personal closeness to us.

Parent's Saturday - a generalized name of the day special commemoration deceased. Special, not in terms of something different, but in terms of intensified ones. On this day, the entirety of the Church prays for the repose of the souls of deceased Orthodox Christians. For us – the living – this day of remembrance of our loved ones should, if possible, be spent in prayer. The leitmotif of all prayers for repose is forgiveness of sins. Dead already There is no time to repent and ask for forgiveness, but we can make every effort and ask God for mercy towards them. And the Lord, seeing our zeal, taking into account our deeds of prayer and alms (and alms can be given for the deceased), can forgive all the sins of a deceased person.
On parent's Saturdays Orthodox Christian, if possible, we need to attend the funeral liturgy and memorial service, pray during the service not only for our loved ones, but also for all deceased Orthodox Christians (in Church Slavonic - “departed from eternity”), then visit the cemetery and there perform a private prayer - a requiem mass, litia or, if time permits, read the 17th kathisma of the Psalter. It is most important. And about the meal - church rules this side of life is not regulated in any way. There is only one rule - moderation. In everything. And don’t forget: the main thing on this day is prayer.
Priest Pavel Konkov (magazine “Foma”)

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When are funeral services for parental Saturdays held in the church?

The liturgical day begins in the evening, so funeral services often begin in the evening of the previous day. The most important commemoration is at the Liturgy (usually served in the morning).

Is it necessary to go to the cemetery on Parents' Saturday?

Prayerful remembrance in a church is incomparably more important for the deceased than visiting a grave, but the first does not exclude the second. It is important to maintain a hierarchy: worship comes first, a trip to the cemetery comes second. Christians perform the ceremony at the grave or invite a priest.

Why do they bring food to the temple?

Initially, food was brought for a joint funeral meal. In our time - as a sacrifice to the clergy and clergy for the soul's sake.

One should be sober about the tradition of bringing food “to”, based on modern realities. No matter how hard the priests try, they can’t eat 30 loaves of bread or 20 packs of gingerbread, so it makes sense to bring food that will last for a long time. You can also make a donation to the church mug; the church has many needs, not just food.

Every year in church calendar Orthodox Christians are present special days dedicated to the remembrance of the dead. They are called Parents' Saturdays as a sign that it is for parents, as the main people in life, that we pray both when they are in health and when they are no longer in this world. The first Parent's Saturday is celebrated annually before the beginning of Lent. It's called "Meat Eating", and in this year falls on February 10th.

Meat Saturday - ancient holiday commemoration of all the dead Orthodox Christians who were innocently killed and tortured for their true faith in Christ. February 10 is a day that reminds us of the Great Judgment, the time of meeting with God. The clergy give everyone a chance to cleanse and save their souls from terrible sins to be honest and pure before yourself and our Lord.

The covenant of the Apostle James to pray for one another in the name of healing applies not so much to the body as to the soul. After all, it is she who is the focus of all human benefactors and reflects their emotional and physical state. It is we who can help our loved ones with prayers by gathering together and offering a single prayer to God.

Features and meaning

Ecumenical Saturday is called as a sign that on this day they pray and commemorate all deceased Orthodox Christians without exception.

Meat Saturday is celebrated on the eve of Maslenitsa and a week before the start of Lent - from this day on, believers must limit themselves to meat products to properly prepare for the long seven weeks of abstinence.

Parents' Saturday is named because mother and father are closest relatives, and first of all it is customary to pray for the peace of their loved ones. On this day, the church allows you to pray for people whose lives were cut short by their own will, and for those who are missing and not interred. The church also commemorates all those who lived during the Last Judgment of Christ and those who defended him from the attacks of unbelievers.

What you can and cannot do on this day

It is worth starting the day with a prayer for the dead. At home, near an icon or in a church, it is worth asking for the repose of the souls of those who are no longer with us. After church, you need to go to the cemetery to clean up the grave and light a candle in honor of the deceased.

Many are sure that it is necessary to remember the dead with alcohol. The Church has been arguing with such a tradition for a long time - funerals are associated with prayers and repentance before God, and not with libations.

Some argue that you cannot work on Ecumenical Parental Saturdays. Not at all, this is completely wrong. The Church, of course, orders believers to rest on holidays, but if work is extremely necessary and benefits you and your family, you should not deny yourself work.

On Ecumenical Parents' Saturday, it is customary to prepare kutya and pies - the main dishes with which the dead are remembered. Kutya is a symbol of a person who has left the world of the living. Grain for bread is placed in the ground, it rots, producing fruits that we reap for cooking. Likewise, a person must be consigned to the earth so that the body decays and the immortal soul ascends to the Kingdom of Heaven. Kutya also serves as a symbol of the burial of all those who various reasons was not consigned to the earth, and whose spirit rushes about, unable to leave this world.

You can't be greedy on this day. It is necessary to feed the poor and needy or bring treats directly to the church so that the clergy can distribute the food to the suffering. Sharing your grief for the deceased on Ecumenical Parental Saturday is a mandatory ritual.

The main task of this day is to remind all people that there is a certain line between world of the dead and alive. But you should not treat death as the end of everything, since this is only the beginning, the transition from material life to eternal life next to God.

You should always remember that only those who have managed to reconcile with people, including themselves, will be able to enter the gates of heaven. That is why it is necessary to read prayers, always remember those who are not with us, and replay in memory the most pleasant moments of their lives.

Any negativity towards the dead should be released from the soul so as not to accumulate even more sin, and thereby release the deceased into another world in peace.

Ecumenical Saturdays in 2018

Days of remembrance of the dead are set before important church holidays so that believers seem to be reunited with their deceased relatives before the great church dates and did not forget about those who need their prayers in idle times.

Saturdays of remembrance of the dead will take place during Lent:

• March 3 - Saturday of the 2nd week of Lent;
• March 10 - Saturday of the 3rd week of Lent;
• March 17 is Saturday of the 4th week of Lent.

Parent's Saturday, which does not fall on Saturday, is celebrated after Easter - Radonitsa is celebrated on the ninth day (Tuesday, April 17, 2018). On this day it is worth visiting the cemetery and remembering the dead, because it is prohibited to do this directly on Easter.

Also, private Parent's Saturday is celebrated on the eve of May 9 - in churches they pray for those who died in the fight for their Motherland.

Ecumenical Saturday will also be before Trinity - this year it is May 26. On Trinity Parental Saturday, even those who committed one of the most strong sins, suicide.

Also private Saturday celebrated in November (3rd day) - Saturday is named after Dmitrievskaya and is dedicated to all the soldiers who died in the fight for their native land.

Very often people are interested in questions about what parents' Saturday means and what exactly needs to be done on this day. The Orthodox Church has established at least 8 calendar dates when it is possible to remember deceased parents and, in general, close people who were baptized during their lifetime.

However, the culture of remembrance combines a very interesting palette of church and folk traditions. And if you separate one from the other, you can understand how to commemorate correctly and what not to do.

We always cherish the memory of deceased ancestors, relatives, friends and just good acquaintances. At the same time, according to Orthodox tradition, it is customary for Christians to especially remember the dead several days a year. They are called parental Saturdays and in most cases the dates fall on the sixth day of the week, although this is not always the case.

If we talk about what date parental Saturdays and special days of remembrance of the dead will be in 2019, we get the following list:

1. Ecumenical Meat-Free Parental Saturday is celebrated on March 2.
2. During Lent, 3 parental Saturdays fall at once - in weeks 2, 3 and 4 (i.e. this year - March 23, March 30 and April 6).
3. And then there is a break associated with Holy Week and the celebration of Easter. The next day is (often called the parent day), which falls on May 7, 2019.
4. Then they remember all the fallen who fought for their Motherland during the Great Patriotic War, i.e. 9th May.
5. After this, the deceased are commemorated on Trinity Saturday - June 15. This is the second Ecumenical Parental Saturday, which is especially revered.
6. Then they salute all the fallen soldiers for the Tsar and the Fatherland - September 11th.
7. Intercession Parents' Saturday (memorial day according to established tradition) - October 12.
8. The last parent's Saturday in 2019 is celebrated on November 2 (it is called Dimitrievskaya).

The dates of these days are closely related to the most important church events (Lent, Easter and the Holy Day). Therefore, all dates are transitional - they change from year to year. The only exception is Memorial Day on May 9, which for obvious reasons is celebrated only on this date.

What to do in the temple and cemetery

First of all, believers certainly go to the nearest church to take part in the funeral service. As a rule, notes are submitted the day before, which indicate the names of deceased people (on Old Slavonic language, without last names and patronymics). During the service, you can place a lit candle for repose on a special memorial table. If you don't see it right away, they will always help you find it.

These are special moments when the pain of loss is illuminated by a bright feeling, just as the fire of a candle, albeit a little, still illuminates a gloomy room.

The Christian faith (like many other religions) proceeds from the fact that the true nature of man is immortal. This means that his soul lives in the afterlife world. Moreover, believers in Christ will one day be resurrected, so we parted with our loved ones only for a while, but not forever.

After this, you can stay in church for a few more minutes and go about your business - to the cemetery or home to be with your loved ones.

If the commemoration takes place on Parents' Day (), you can bring almost any food and drink to the church, except alcoholic ones. You should also not bring meat or meat-based products (sausages, smoked meats, etc.).

The food is usually simply given to those in need. The clergy, who at the same time commemorate the dead, can also taste it. By the way, each person can leave not only food, but also put a note there with the names of their deceased loved ones - they will be remembered especially.

Interestingly, this ritual is called “bringing food on the eve.” Among the people, the tradition is intertwined with bringing food and vodka to the grave, but this is far from the same thing. In fact, the church disapproves of libations in the cemetery, as well as at home, on Memorial Day.

Why bring food to the eve and give alms?

Sometimes believers experience a certain embarrassment, doubts and other unpleasant emotions associated with this ritual. Several questions arise at once, for example:

1. Do you need to carry food?
2. Will it really go to those in need?
3. Will someone use it for selfish motives - i.e. just eat for free, and not remember the deceased?

As in many everyday situations, these questions should be answered based on conscience and common sense. It is also useful to listen to spiritually mature people and clergy, who will certainly help resolve spiritual doubts.

NOTE

If the memorial day falls during a fast (for example, the 4th Saturday of Lent), you can bring only lean foods - fruits and vegetables in any form, unsweetened pastries, mushrooms, etc.

What not to do on a memorable day

There are quite a few folk traditions. associated with remembrance. The most famous of them is eating at the grave, leaving food and vodka on the table. If we talk about what needs to be done on Parents' Saturday, we can say: almost everything, but not this.

Orthodoxy does not consider it necessary to organize a funeral, as is customary among the people, with the help of food and alcohol, which are brought and placed at the grave. This tradition has long-standing pagan and partly Soviet roots, when a cut glass of vodka was placed at the burial site of fallen soldiers, on which a piece of bread was placed. There is nothing reprehensible in this gesture itself, because people in this way express their respect - they remember loved one.

On the other hand, it is no secret that if a glass is poured, someone will certainly drink it. Perhaps the person who poured the alcohol will drink it himself, and after the memorial, a stranger may even look at the grave. In addition, dogs or worse, rats may come running to eat.

It turns out that we are trying to act from the bottom of our hearts - to remember the person, to pay our last tribute to him. But the consequences of using food and especially alcohol (and strong alcohol) at the grave do not quite correspond to our noble goal.

However, this does not make it impossible to donate all the food to those in need, who may also be at the cemetery. Give the eggs and papa to any person, as your heart tells you. Perhaps he himself will ask about it, or maybe everything will be clear without words - this is the most convenient situation.

There are no specific recommendations or rules here, there is only one condition: alms are given from a pure heart. And of course, we are not talking about alcohol. We are talking specifically about the needy, i.e. about his need. And alcohol, whatever one may say, is a false need: something without which it is quite possible to live healthy and happy.

Official representatives of the church willingly share the Orthodox point of view on how to properly remember the dead. The priests are unanimous that the tradition of commemoration with the help of alcohol and leaving food on the grave has nothing to do with Orthodoxy. Therefore, it is better to listen to the Orthodox point of view if you want to correctly remember a deceased person.

Thus, the bright memory of the departed should not be overshadowed by everyday passions, to which it is better to devote as little time as possible. There is a simple and correct way to remember a person - to pray for him and do good (give alms).

• 1 When will Dmitrievskaya Parents' Saturday be in 2018, what needs to be done: what to do on this memorial day
• 2 When will Dmitrievskaya Parents' Saturday be in 2018, what needs to be done: Parents' Saturdays for 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021
  • 2.1 Parents' Saturdays in 2018 fall on the following dates:
  • 2.2 Parents' Saturdays in 2019 fall on the following dates:
  • 2.3 Parents' Saturdays in 2020 fall on the following dates:
  • 2.4 Parents' Saturdays in 2021 fall on the following dates:
• 3 Big Parents' Saturday in November 2018: what not to do
• 4 Dimitrievskaya Parents' Saturday in 2018, what to do on Parents' Saturday

Demetrius Parental Saturday is a memorial Saturday before the day of remembrance of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica (October 26, old style). For people of “Soviet” age who come to remember their deceased on Parental Saturdays, it is easier to remember this day by another date: where November 7 is the “red day of the calendar,” there is Dimitrievskaya somewhere next to it.

In ancient times, Dmitriev's Saturday was considered the day when one needed to say goodbye to autumn and welcome winter. If before the onset of the Intercession they did not have time to thoroughly prepare for severe frosts, it was Dmitriev’s Saturday that was considered the final stage of preparation for winter.

On this memorial day they held general cleaning residential premises and garden plots. In the morning they attended a funeral service, in the afternoon they went to the graveyard to visit deceased relatives. In the evening we had dinner. Tables were covered with new linen tablecloths white. They displayed traditional funeral dishes (pies, kutya, pancakes with various fillings, uzvar).

When will Dmitrievskaya Parents' Saturday be in 2018, what needs to be done: what to do on this memorial day

It’s good if on the third of November you can go to the cemetery and visit the graves of your loved ones. According to tradition, sweets and pastries are brought to the deceased, however, some people also remember the habits of relatives that they had during life, and take drinks or cigarettes with them, which are also placed on the grave. The clergy assure that this is not necessary, since when a person dies, he leaves everything bad habits which were inherent in him.

https://i1.wp.com//wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Dmitrievskaya-parental-Saturday6.jpg?resize=600%2C400

If you are unable to visit the cemetery, then go to the temple to pray for the souls of the departed, or do it at home. There is a tradition of giving out treats to neighbors so that they “remember” your loved ones. Following traditions that have been established since time immemorial, you can arrange a funeral lunch or dinner.

When will Dmitrievskaya Parents' Saturday be in 2018, what to do: Parents' Saturdays for 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021

Parents' Saturdays in 2018 fall on the following dates:

Ecumenical Parental Saturday (meat and meat) - February 10, 2018. Saturday of the 2nd week of Great Lent - March 3, 2018. Saturday of the 3rd week of Great Lent - March 10, 2018. Saturday of the 4th week of Great Lent - March 17, 2018 .Commemoration of deceased soldiers - May 9, 2018. Radonitsa - April 17, 2018. Trinity Parents' Saturday in 2018 - May 26, 2018. Dimitrievskaya Parents' Saturday - November 3, 2018. The Ministry of Internal Affairs explained the trip of riot police in bulletproof vests with weapons for tangerines

Parents' Saturdays in 2019 fall on the following dates:

Ecumenical Parental Saturday (meat and meat) - March 4, 2019. Saturday of the 2nd week of Great Lent - March 23, 2019. Saturday of the 3rd week of Great Lent - March 30, 2019. Saturday of the 4th week of Great Lent - April 6, 2019 .Commemoration of deceased soldiers - May 9, 2019. Radonitsa - May 7, 2019. Trinity Parents' Saturday in 2019 - June 15, 2019. Dimitrievskaya Parents' Saturday - November 2, 2019.

Parents' Saturdays in 2020 fall on the following dates:

Ecumenical Parental Saturday (meat and meat) - February 24, 2020. Saturday of the 2nd week of Great Lent - March 14, 2020. Saturday of the 3rd week of Great Lent - March 21, 2020. Saturday of the 4th week of Great Lent - March 28, 2020 .Commemoration of deceased soldiers - May 9, 2020. Radonitsa - April 28, 2020. Trinity Parents' Saturday in 2020 - June 6, 2020. Dimitrievskaya Parents' Saturday - October 31, 2020.

Parents' Saturdays in 2021 fall on the following dates:

Ecumenical Parental Saturday (meat and meat) - March 8, 2021. Saturday of the 2nd week of Great Lent - March 27, 2021. Saturday of the 3rd week of Great Lent - April 3, 2021. Saturday of the 4th week of Great Lent - April 10, 2021 .Commemoration of deceased soldiers - May 9, 2021. Radonitsa - May 11, 2021. Trinity Parents' Saturday in 2021 - June 19, 2021. Dimitrievskaya Parents' Saturday - November 6, 2021. Christmas tree collection points in Moscow, until what date they will be open, map, addresses of points, why recycling is needed

Big Parents' Saturday in November 2018: what not to do

On this day it is forbidden to scold the deceased. You should remember only good things about them, otherwise you may anger their soul.

Also, during remembrance, you should not 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, fun will be inappropriate.

Dimitrievskaya Parents' Saturday in 2018, what to do on Parents' Saturday

Parents' Saturdays are days of special remembrance of the dead, when with our prayers we can provide great help to our family and friends who have passed on from earthly life. Five of them are reserved for commemorating deceased relatives, two more and the memorial services performed at the same time are called ecumenical. Parental Saturdays require observance certain rules which all believers should know.

On Demetrius Saturday, as on other memorial Saturdays, they visit the temple, where funeral services and memorial services are held, light a candle and pray. As on many parental Saturdays, on this one it is customary to help the poor and needy. It is believed that Dmitrievskaya Saturday- the time when winter replaces autumn, so you need to finish all the preparations for frost before this day. Traditionally, on the eve of Saturday, people go to the bathhouse. It was believed that if someone had not gotten married before this day, they would not get married this year, since severe frosts were coming. And if it’s cold and snowing on Dmitry, spring will be late and cold, but if there’s a thaw, spring will be warm.

The day off for Defender of the Fatherland Day on February 23, 2019 has been moved to May 10, 2019; in February there are 20 working days, 7 days off and 1 holiday

It is believed that Dmitrievskaya Saturday is the time when winter replaces autumn, so you need to finish all preparations for frost before this day. Traditionally, on the eve of Saturday, people go to the bathhouse. It was believed that if someone had not gotten married before this day, they would not get married this year, since severe frosts were coming. And if it’s cold and snowing on Dmitry, spring will be late and cold, but if there’s a thaw, spring will be warm.

According to ancient custom, on parental Saturdays it was customary to eat kutya - an obligatory dish for the funeral meal. Sweet porridge was usually prepared from whole grains of wheat or other cereals with the addition of honey, as well as raisins or nuts. True, today few people follow it.