Memorial Saturdays in September. Prayer for a deceased Christian

However, at the same time, it is also interesting when parent’s Saturday comes, what kind of day it is, what its features are.

Actually in Orthodox calendar we can find not one, but as many as 8 memorial days. Each of them has its own name and features, which are described in detail below.

There are several answers to the question of when Parents' Saturday will come this year:

1. Ecumenical parental Meat Saturday is celebrated on March 2.
2. During Lent, there are three parental Saturdays at once - in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th weeks (i.e. March 23, 30 and April 6).
3. And then there is a break associated with the celebration of Easter. The next day is Radonitsa (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.
6. Then they salute all the fallen soldiers for the Tsar and the Fatherland on September 11th.
7. The last parent's Saturday is celebrated on November 2, 2019 (it is called Dmitrievskaya).

The dates of these days are closely related to the most important church events (Lent, Easter and feast). 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 is it - parents' Saturday

It is also interesting to understand what parental Saturday is - after all, in fact, the memorial day can fall on other days of the week (although in most cases it is the 6th day).

There are several versions on this matter. At least two of them are worthy of attention:

1. First of all, the Bible describes the creation of the world in 6 days, after which God rested from all his days and called it the Sabbath ( for a long time it was she who was the 7th day of the week, not Sunday). The state of peace harmonizes well with the mood of a person who wants to remember the deceased. There is no place for fuss in such a delicate issue, and it is better to postpone routine matters until later.
2. There is also an opinion that the word Sabbath itself literally means “intercession” (translation from ancient Greek). And in this case, too, everything falls into place: when remembering the deceased, people try to intercede for the deceased before God. That is why it is customary to pray intensely for an immortal soul who has left our world, and also to give alms in order to provide spiritual assistance to the deceased.

Special days of remembrance

When talking about the next or any other parent's Saturday, it is important to consider what kind of day we are talking about. Dates of commemoration are different meaning- for example, in Orthodox Church intensively remember the deceased on special 5 days:

• Ecumenical Meat-Free Parental Saturday.
• 2, 3 and 4 parental Saturdays of Great Lent.

These days it is customary to serve a funeral service for all deceased Orthodox Christians, and not just for parents. Of course, this does not mean that it is prohibited to remember them on other days.

It’s just that these 5 dates of the year are the most significant and large-scale to remember. Moreover, Meat and Trinity Saturdays are considered ecumenical - churches hold ecumenical funeral services in memory of all the baptized who have already passed into another world.

Private parent days

And these days, according to the church charter, are not listed as funeral days, but services are still held - and in three Orthodox churches:

• Russian;
• Bulgarian;
• and Serbian.

These days include:

1. The main date is Radonitsa (it always falls on the second Tuesday after Easter), which is celebrated this year (2019) - May 7. It is traditional to attend church and then go to the cemetery to visit full order at the grave. But leaving food there, and especially vodka, and even drinking alcohol yourself is highly not recommended.
2. May 9 is not only Victory Day, but also a day of mourning. We remember all the victims of the monstrous and terrible war. Memorial services are also held in churches, so everyone can perform a funeral prayer and give alms.
3. Another private day is September 11th. The history of this date goes back to the distant 18th century, when Empress Catherine the Great issued a decree commemorating those who died in Russian-Turkish War. It is customary to pay last respects to all Orthodox soldiers.
4. Also included in these dates is Dmitrievskaya (Dimitrievskaya) parental Saturday (this year November 2, 2019), which is dedicated to the day of remembrance of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica. Interestingly, the tradition has developed since the time of Dmitry Donskoy, who remembered his fallen comrade after the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380.

Saturdays of Lesser Fasts

Finally, there are three more memorable days - these are Saturdays, which come on the eve of memorable fasts:

• Rozhdestvensky;
• Petrova;
• Uspensky.

On such days, you can also remember the deceased person - pray for him and give alms.

Thus, if we talk about whether today is the parents’ memorial Saturday or not, we should immediately turn to the church calendar. There are indeed many days to remember loved ones, and the most important thing is to remember the person and pay tribute to him.

It is best to go to the temple and then clean up the grave. But drinking vodka and leaving food on the grave is extremely undesirable.

Parents' Saturdays in 2019 are days of special remembrance of the deceased. At this time in Orthodox churches They perform a special commemoration of Christians who have passed away, and believers visit the graves of their relatives who have left this world in cemeteries. There are seven Saturdays in the church calendar throughout the year.

Special days of remembrance of the dead began to be called parental Saturdays because, first of all, they remembered their deceased parents, and then other deceased relatives and other close people. According to another version, the name was formed because it was once customary to call the deceased parents, that is, “those who went to their fathers.”

Ecumenical Parents' Saturdays

If we are talking about universal parental Saturday, it is understood that all baptized Christians are commemorated. Seven days before the start of Lent, Meat Ecumenical Saturday is celebrated. Meat Saturday is called Meat Saturday because it falls on the week of the same name, which is also called Little Maslenitsa. This is the first parents' Saturday in March.

On the eve of Pentecost, Trinity Ecumenical Saturday is celebrated. On Trinity Saturday, all baptized Christians are also remembered in prayers. On these days, special universal memorial services are held. They serve a memorial service “In memory of all Orthodox Christians who have departed from time immemorial, our fathers and brothers.”

Five other parenting Saturdays

Radonitsa or Radunitsa falls on the Tuesday after St. Thomas Week, that is, the second week after the Holy Week Christ's Resurrection. main topic this day is the victory of the risen Christ over death. On this day, according to tradition, believers visit the cemetery and glorify the risen Son of God at the graves of deceased relatives.

May 9, the day of victory in the Great Patriotic War in churches they serve a memorial service for the many soldiers who gave their lives for the salvation of their homeland. Many families have lost someone close to them in this terrible and long war. Therefore, on this day they remember all the fallen soldiers, thanks to whose feat the a great victory, and their loved ones who died during the war.

Dimitrievskaya parental Saturday is also associated with military actions that only took place several centuries earlier. It's about about the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380. Initially, on this day they commemorated soldiers who died during a large-scale battle.

Later, this day was transformed into the day of remembrance of all the dead, which is indicated in the Novgorod chronicle of the 15th century. It is known that in 1903, Emperor Nicholas II issued a decree ordering a memorial service to be held in memory of the soldiers who died for the Motherland “For the faith, the Tsar and the Fatherland, who laid down their lives on the battlefield.”

In 2019, Orthodox parental Saturdays are celebrated in the following order:

• March 16 - Meat Saturday
• March 23 - Saturday of the 2nd week of Lent
• March 30 - Saturday of the 3rd week of Lent
• April 6 - Saturday of the 4th week of Lent
• May 7, Tuesday - Radonitsa, church-wide commemoration of the dead
• May 9 - Commemoration of deceased soldiers
• May 26 - Trinity Saturday
• November 3 - Saturday Dimitrievskaya

Features of parenting Saturdays

On the days of universal parental Saturdays, memorial services and funeral services are held, during which believers read prayers for their deceased relatives and ask God for forgiveness of their sins. According to the charter, during the parental Saturdays of the second, third and fourth during Lent, funeral commemorations are not performed, that is: funeral litanies, litias, memorial services, commemorations of the 3rd, 9th and 40th days after death, magpies. These days are specially set aside for believers to pay tribute to loved ones.

On Friday evening, on the eve of parental Saturday, a great requiem service (parastas) is served in churches. For the funeral Divine Liturgy You can send notes with the names of your deceased relatives. On this day, according to ancient tradition, it is customary to bring Lenten foods and Cahors to the temple for the liturgy. Wine and Lenten products brought to the temple on Friday are called brought “on the eve.”

In former times it was customary for believing parishioners to bring Lenten dishes for a common table in the temple, where it was possible to remember dead relatives dear to the heart. This tradition has been preserved, only on a smaller scale.

Lenten products and Cahors are left on a special table in the temple. This food is used for the needs of the temple and for distribution to poor people who are under the care of one or another parish.

Often believers are faced with a choice - to visit the grave of a relative on Parental Saturday or come to church for a service. The clergy are more inclined to believe that sincere prayer, which can be performed during a special service, is much more important for the souls of your loved ones. Therefore, it is recommended to give preference to visiting the temple.

You can read a prayer for the departed: “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.”

How to spend All Souls' Day

Before going to the temple, write down on a piece of paper the names of all deceased relatives and other close people whom you would like to mention while reading the prayer. Previously in Christian families There was a very important tradition - from generation to generation, recording the names of all deceased relatives. This is how family memorials were formed, which were used during the reading of funeral prayers.

In days special commemoration it is very important for the deceased and to think about what death is, perhaps to rethink own life and relationships with loved ones, try to reconcile in all controversial issues.

Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh speaks very accurately and succinctly about the issue of the relationship between life and death. For fifteen years he worked as a military doctor, and after forty-six years he was a priest. Here is one of his quotes: “Russians believe in life, go into life. And this is one of the things that every priest and every person must repeat to himself and others: we must not prepare for death, we must prepare for eternal life.”

Children's prayer for deceased parents

Lord Jesus Christ our God! You are the keeper of the orphans, the refuge of the grieving and the comforter of the weeping. I come running to you, an orphan, groaning and crying, and I pray to you: hear my prayer and do not turn your face away from the sighs of my heart and from the tears of my eyes. I pray to You, merciful Lord, satisfy my grief over separation from my parent (my mother), (name) (or: with my parents who gave birth and raised me, their names) - his soul ( or: her, or: them), as having gone (or: gone) to You with true faith in You and with firm hope in Your love for mankind and mercy, accept into the Kingdom Yours Heavenly. I bow before Your holy will, which was taken away (or: taken away, or: taken away) from me, and I ask You not to take away from him (or: from her, or: from them) Your mercy and mercy. We know, Lord, that You are the Judge of this world, you punish the sins and wickedness of the fathers in children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, even to the third and fourth generation: but you also have mercy on the fathers for the prayers and virtues of their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. With contrition and tenderness of heart, I pray to Thee, merciful Judge, do not punish with eternal punishment the unforgettable deceased (unforgettable deceased) for me Thy servant (Thy servant), my parent (my mother) (name), but forgive him (her) all his sins ( her) voluntary and involuntary, in word and deed, knowledge and ignorance, created by him (her) in his (her) life here on earth, and according to Your mercy and love for mankind, prayers for the sake of the Most Pure Mother of God and all the saints, have mercy on him (her) and eternal save me from torment. You, merciful Father of fathers and children! Grant me, all the days of my life, until my last breath, not to cease to remember my deceased parent (my deceased mother) in my prayers, and to beg Thee, the righteous Judge, to order him in a place of light, in a place of coolness and in a place of peace, with all the saints, from nowhere all sickness, sorrow and sighing have fled. Merciful Lord! Accept this day for Thy servant (Your) (name) my warm prayer and give him (her) Your reward for the labors and cares of my upbringing in faith and Christian piety, as He taught (taught) me first of all to lead You, my Lord, in reverently pray to You, trust in You alone in troubles, sorrows and illnesses and keep Your commandments; for his (her) concern for my spiritual progress, for the warmth of his (her) prayer for me before You and for all the gifts he (she) asked me from You, reward him (her) with Your mercy. Your heavenly blessings and joys in Your eternal Kingdom. For You are the God of mercies and generosity and love for mankind, You are the peace and joy of Your faithful servants, and we send glory to You with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

P.S. Death is an inevitability that each of us will face at one time or another. And a person’s position both in earthly life and after death depends on the correct attitude to this issue. Metropolitan Anthony reminds us that it is very important not to commit such a common sin as an indifferent or insincere attitude towards a dying relative with ostentatious care.

On the days of remembrance of the dead, you will mentally replay these moments again and again: when you could have spent a few more minutes with your loved one, and not referred to being busy and important daily matters, you could have given him more warmth, but did not.

These days are important both for the deceased, whom living relatives can help with their sincere prayers, and for the living themselves, who, preserving the memory of the family, can grow spiritually and care not only about earthly, but also about eternal life.

The Orthodox calendar contains many dates and memorable events that cannot be classified as holidays, but, nevertheless, believers, paying tribute to traditions, strictly observe them.

These dates include parental Saturdays - days when one is supposed to visit the graves of deceased relatives, pray at home or in church and light a candle for the repose of their souls. Moreover, the term “parental” does not always mean that only parents should be respected. These could be any relatives, clan members, and even, alas, children who died untimely.

Almost all parental Saturdays are not tied to any specific date, because all except Dmitrievskaya and Victory Day depend on Easter, and Easter is a moving holiday. Therefore everything memorial days need to check with church calendar, because they are different every year. And only May 9 is the only day of remembrance with a fixed immutable date. Of course, it is not always Saturday, but memorial services are always held in churches on this day in honor of fallen soldiers, officers and civilians.

Dates of Parents' Saturdays and Memorial Days

2018

The dead are commemorated three times during Lent. So in 2018 it was

• February 10 – meat-free parent’s Saturday

Saturdays of Great Lent

• March, 3rd
• 10th of March
• March 17

Other days of remembrance

• May 9 (fixed date)
• April 17 (also not Saturday, but the day of remembrance on Radonitsa)
• May 26 – Trinity Saturday
• November 3 – Dimitreevskaya Saturday

2019

• March 4 (Ecumenical Meat Day)

Saturdays of Lent

• March 23
• 30th of March
• April 6

Other days of remembrance

• May 7 – Radonitsa
• May 9 is a permanent date
• June 15 – Trinity Saturday (Ecumenical Saturday)
• November 2 – Dimitrievskaya Saturday

2020

• February 24 – Ecumenical Meat Saturday

Days of remembrance for Lent

• March 14th
• 21 March
• March 28

Other parent Saturdays

• April 28 – Radonitsa (Ecumenical Saturday)
• May 9 is a traditional day of remembrance with a specific date
• June 6 – Trinity Saturday
• October 31 – Dimitrievskaya Parents' Saturday

Why is it commemorated on Saturdays?

By Old Testament Saturday was a day of festive rest, according to the New Testament - from a day of earthly rest, Saturday began to personify the day of joy in the Kingdom of Heaven. This is the day when sins are forgiven and remitted, and therefore Saturday has become the most suitable for commemorating the dead. Of course, these are not all Saturdays in a row, but only those that are associated with some historical events that took place in the chronicles.

Characteristics of all parental Saturdays

The tradition of “Saturday” commemorations has evolved over centuries. Each of them has a historical basis. Myasopustnaya and Trinity are called Ecumenical, and the rest are days of remembrance. Their difference lies in their historical basis. On Ecumenical Saturdays, not only relatives are remembered, but also all deceased Christians who died in different eras.

Meat Saturday

It dates back to the 1st century Christian era, when persecuted Christians still remembered their brothers who suffered for their faith - tortured, executed and not buried as expected. Meat Saturday falls before Sunday, when Orthodox Christians are reminded of it and falls a week before the start of Lent. According to legend, at the Last Judgment, every Christian will be rewarded for his earthly deeds, both the living and the dead, and the Church on this day patronizes all the deceased and prays for the salvation of their souls.

Trinity Saturday

This is also a fairly ancient custom that arose in the era of very early Christianity - in the apostolic age. All the departed children of God were remembered. Trinity Saturday falls on the eve of the Descent of the Holy Spirit to earth. It is believed that the economy of man, in which the deceased participate, has ended. This is perhaps the most revered Saturday in all Orthodox history. There are many legends and superstitions associated with it, and they all agree on one thing - we pray for the repose of the souls of the departed, and they help us, guide and protect us.

Dimitrievskaya Saturday

This is the last day of remembrance of the year and was established in the mid-16th century. Popular rumor firmly connected this day with the victory in the Battle of Kulikovo, awarding the merit of the memorial day to the noble prince Dmitry Donskoy, as if he had asked Sergius of Radonezh to hold a memorial service for the fallen soldiers.

Whether it is true or not is a moot point, but on this day they commemorate all the soldiers who have ever died on the battlefields, all who died for other reasons. In addition, it was installed on the eve of the day of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki, which became another reason to call the autumn parental Saturday of Demetrius.

Radonitsa

This is not Saturday, but Tuesday and is celebrated after Easter week. It turns out that on the 9th day. Easter is a holiday for the living, and one is not supposed to go to the cemetery, but it was also necessary for the dead to announce the resurrection of the Son of God. Therefore, on the 9th day, people went to the cemetery with good news - hence the name - Radonitsa. There is no funeral service for Radonitsa.

May 9 Victory Day

It's already recent history and the day of remembrance of fallen soldiers became quite recently, in 1994. The only day with a fixed immovable date, regardless of what day of the week it falls on. Funeral litias are always held in churches.

Parental Saturdays of Great Lent

These memorial days are not universal. The usual daily commemorations are not performed, but salvation is given to the dead on the second, third and fourth Saturdays of Great Lent.

This time is not only abstinence from fast food, but also a cleansing of the soul and thoughts, a time when one must pray even more diligently, a time of repentance and charity. Right now, during spiritual feat It is very important to be filled with love not only for those living today, but also for those who have left this world.

So they gradually took shape certain days, in which the dead should be remembered with prayer.

The deep meaning of parenting Saturdays

Worthy of remembering those who have passed on to another world is an expression of love and respect for loved ones. After all, we do not stop loving them even after death, this is the whole essence of Christian teaching - love for one's neighbor - and, first of all, for parents.

Respect for father and mother is formed from an early age, and a mature and mature person comes to understand and realize the fifth commandment - “Honor your father and mother.”

In other words, respect, honor and love your parents, and your children will respect and love you as well. Therefore, first of all, we should remember the deceased parents, and then all relatives and friends who went to the Kingdom of Heaven.

In ecumenical Saturdays they remember all the dead - acquaintances, strangers, those killed on the battlefields or as a result of the elements or accidents, killed and even missing.

What to do on Parents' Saturdays

It is believed that first of all you need to visit the cemetery - this is not entirely correct. First of all, you need to visit the church, stand for the service, read a prayer, light a candle.

And for the souls of the deceased, this is much more important than visiting their last earthly refuge. But, of course, you cannot completely exclude visiting the cemetery - tidy up the grave, sweep or weed, clean the fence and remember kind words you need a loved one.

The meal should be very modest, lean, and it is better to avoid alcohol. In churches, it is forbidden to have snacks and, especially, to drink any alcohol. The temple is a place of prayer and reunion with God.

If you can’t visit either a church or a cemetery, then you need to pray at home in front of an icon and a photograph of the deceased, but the main thing here is not the surroundings, but the sincerity of the prayer.

How to attend church on Parents' Saturdays

If you want to remember deceased relatives, then before the service you need to give the priest notes with the names of the deceased. Names are written as those given at baptism, always in full and in the genitive case. If this is your first time coming to such a service, then simply ask how and what to do, and either the parishioners or the ministers will definitely help you.

According to church traditions, the day begins on the evening before, so before parental Saturday a memorial service is held in the evening, and in the morning there is a liturgy for the repose. It is considered correct to bring any Lenten products to the temple - bread, cereals, wine. Of course, they should not be spoiled or broken.

Products are a kind of bloodless sacrifice that should be presented. After the service, the blessed food is distributed to everyone who needs it. When leaving the service, you can give alms to the poor or donate money to the needs of the temple. It is possible and useful to give unnecessary clothes and shoes for the beggars. And this is not only good for them, but also for you, your soul and your well-being.

A wonderful spring holiday called International Women's Day, or, simply and briefly " March 8", celebrated in many countries of the world.

In Russia, March 8 is an official holiday, an additional day off .

In general, in our country this date was declared a holiday from the moment of the widespread establishment of Soviet power, and half a century later it also became a day off. In the USSR, the celebration largely had a political context, since historically the event in honor of which the holiday was established was an important day in the workers’ struggle for their rights. And also precisely on March 8, 1917 (old style, new - February 23, 1917) from the strike of workers of St. Petersburg factories, into which the celebration of the International women's day, the February Revolution began.

International Women's Day on March 8 is a UN observance, and the organization includes 193 states. Memorable dates, announced by the General Assembly, are designed to encourage UN members to show increased interest in these events. However, on this moment Not all member states of the United Nations have approved the celebration of Women's Day in their territories on the specified date.

Below is a list of countries that celebrate International Women's Day. Countries are grouped into groups: in a number of states the holiday is an official non-working day (day off) for all citizens, on March 8th only women rest, and there are states where they work on March 8th.

In which countries is the holiday March 8 a day off (for everyone):

* In Russia- March 8 is one of the most favorite holidays, when men congratulate all women without exception.

* In Ukraine- International Women's Day continues to remain an additional holiday, despite regular proposals to exclude the event from the list non-working days and replace it, for example, with Shevchenko Day, which will be celebrated on March 9.
* In Abkhazia.
* In Azerbaijan.
* In Algeria.
* In Angola.
* In Armenia.
* In Afghanistan.
* In Belarus.
* To Burkina Faso.
* In Vietnam.
* In Guinea-Bissau.
* In Georgia.
* In Zambia.
* In Kazakhstan.
* In Cambodia.
* In Kenya.
* In Kyrgyzstan.
* IN DPRK.
* In Cuba.
* In Laos.
* In Latvia.
* In Madagascar.
* In Moldova.
* In Mongolia.
* In Nepal.
* In Tajikistan- since 2009, the holiday was renamed Mother's Day.
* In Turkmenistan.
* In Uganda.
* In Uzbekistan.
* In Eritrea.
* In South Ossetia.

Countries where March 8 is a women's-only day off:

There are countries where only women are exempt from work on International Women's Day. This rule approved:

* In China.
* In Madagascar.

Which countries celebrate March 8, but it is a working day:

In some countries, International Women's Day is widely celebrated, but is a working day. This:

* Austria.
* Bulgaria.
* Bosnia and Herzegovina.
* Germany- in Berlin, since 2019, March 8 is a day off, in the whole country it is a working day.
* Denmark.
* Italy.
* Cameroon.
* Romania.
* Croatia.
* Chile.
* Switzerland.

In which countries is March 8 NOT celebrated?

* In Brazil, the majority of whose residents have not even heard of the “international” holiday of March 8th. The main event of the end of February - beginning of March for Brazilians and Brazilian women is not Women's Day at all, but the largest in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records, the Brazilian Festival, also called the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. In honor of the festival, Brazilians rest for several days in a row, from Friday until noon on Catholic Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent (which for Catholics has a flexible date and begins 40 days before Catholic Easter).

* In the USA, the holiday is not an official holiday. In 1994, an attempt by activists to get the celebration approved by Congress failed.

* In the Czech Republic (Czech Republic) - most of the country's population views the holiday as a relic of the communist past and main symbol old regime.