When will there be a memorial Saturday in the year? Parents' Saturday

For preferential commemoration to us personally dear people there are others parental Saturdays, including Dimitrievskaya parental Saturday, which was originally intended to commemorate the soldiers who fell in the Battle of Kulikovo, but gradually became a general memorial day.

This memorial service falls on the Saturday preceding the memory of St. Vmch. Demetrius of Thessalonica - patron saint of the prince. Dmitry Donskoy, at whose suggestion, after the Battle of Kulikovo, an annual commemoration of soldiers was established.

Dmitrovskaya Parents' Saturday in November 2017 in Russia

The Slavs have memorial days in folk calendar do not coincide with the “Parental Saturdays” of the church calendar; Not all “parental Saturdays” of the church calendar are celebrated among the people. It was customary to remember “parents” on the eve of the birth. big holidays: before Shrovetide, before Trinity, before the Intercession and before Dmitrov's day. In Polesie, this list was supplemented by Michaelmas Saturday and memorial Fridays. U Eastern Slavs main calendar memorial days in many places they considered: Radonitsa, Trinity Saturday, Dmitrievskaya Saturday.

Parents' Saturday, what it is

Parents' Saturday - on Orthodox tradition day of special remembrance of the dead Orthodox Christians, and above all, their deceased parents. Canonical days for visiting the graves of ancestors and other relatives, where memorial services are held. The days of special remembrance of the dead in the Orthodox Church are five parental Saturdays: Meat-free universal parental Saturday (Saturday 2 weeks before Lent); Trinity Ecumenical Parental Saturday (Saturday before the Holy Trinity, on the 49th day after Easter); parents' 2nd Saturday of Great Lent; parents' 3rd Saturday of Great Lent; parents' 4th Saturday of Great Lent.

Orthodox traditions of Dmitrievskaya parental Saturday

Those Christian believers who strictly adhere to church canons come to church services on Friday evening before parental Saturday. At this time, a great funeral service, or parastas, takes place. All troparia, stichera, chants and parastas readings are dedicated to prayer for the dead. On the morning of the memorial Saturday itself, the funeral Divine Liturgy is celebrated in churches, after which a general memorial service is held.

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

On Dmitrievskaya Parental Saturday, all Christian believers visit the graves of their deceased relatives, memorial services and funeral litias are held in temples, churches and cemeteries, and funeral meals are held.

The morning of Demetrius Saturday must begin with visiting church and praying for the repose of the souls of deceased Christians. Unlike other parental days, Dmitrievskaya Saturday also carries 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 cemetery, you can pray for the repose of the deceased in home prayer.

We invariably show a desire to pay honor to deceased relatives and friends. It is so important to pay tribute to their memory and respect. This helps maintain the connection between generations and is prerequisite spiritual life. Very little is required of us - to know when these days will be celebrated, only in this case can we adequately prepare for them.

What is Radonitsa?

Called Radonitsa or sometimes Radunitsa, this day is one of the special holidays set aside by the church to honor the dead. Such special days (there are 8 of them in a year) are celebrated on Saturdays, which is where their name comes from - “parental Saturdays”.

However, Radonitsa stands apart in the series of these memorable days, since for the most part it almost always falls on a Tuesday. The peculiarity of this most important parent's day of the year is not only that it is celebrated on Tuesday, but also that in terms of its significance it ranks first among all memorial days.

There is no exact date assigned to Radonitsa; every year the time of this day changes depending on when Easter is celebrated. You just need to count 9 days from the Light Christ's Sunday and we actually get the exact date Radonitsy. That is, in other words, this is the first Tuesday after Krasnaya Gorka (Fomina Sunday). Thus, the date of parent's day in 2017 falls on April 25.

Memorial days

In order to be able to timely honor the memory of deceased relatives and friends, taking care of their souls by reading prayers and visiting the cemetery in order to maintain order at the graves, you simply need to know exact days commemoration. Orthodox parenting days in 2017 fall on the following dates:

Now that you know the parents’ days to visit the cemetery in 2017, you will be able to properly prepare and arrange a memorial rite worthy of your deceased relatives and friends.

Origins and meaning of Radonitsa

According to the testimony of many scientists and biblical figures, including John Chrysostom, the history of Radonitsa goes back to ancient times. Back in pagan times it was great holiday remembrance of the deceased, carried out on a wide scale. People, gathering on the burial mounds, organized a funeral feast (funeral feast) and noisy celebrations, trying to appease the souls of the deceased. This holiday is ingrained in the popular consciousness so deeply that official church after a long time, she recognized this day, elevating it to a special rank.

The meaning of this holiday is hidden in its name, which varies from person to person. Slavic peoples may sound different. These are Radovnitsa (some regions of Russia), and Mogilki, and Grobki (Ukraine), and Naviy Den (Belarus).

The joy of resurrection on special days

However, in any case, “Radonitsa” in its origin is equated to both the word “joy” and the concept of “kindred”. What kind of joy can we talk about on such a mournful day? The Church explains: when visiting the temple and graves of our ancestors on Radonitsa, we should not fall into despondency and melancholy, but rejoice for loved ones who appeared before the face of the Lord. They are now close to God and their souls rejoice, being in love and happiness.

So, why shouldn’t we, their descendants, rejoice for them by offering prayers? By tidying up the grave, we also perform a certain ritual action, symbolically meaning preparation for the resurrection of the soul.

The main thing that we must and can do on this day for deceased relatives is to devote sufficient time to prayers. If it is not possible to invite a priest to the grave to read the litiya (funeral prayer service), then you can do it yourself. It is prayers that our family and friends need, and not excessive eating and drinking of alcohol. This is what the Church teaches, and this is how you need to act according to your conscience and the dictates of your heart.

Procedure and basic rules

In the morning of any Mother's Day, Orthodox Christians go to church, taking with them a Lenten lunch, which is donated either to the church or to poor people who are in dire need of help. After holding the funeral service, they usually go to cemeteries, where they also read prayers and clean up. Traditions such as commemorating food and drinking directly at graves are still very strong. Traditionally, this can be understood, but the church is against such actions. In principle, everyone acts according to their own concepts, but still, organizing a drunken feast at graves is not a godly thing.

Radonitsa in Rus'

By the way, in Rus', towels and tablecloths were laid out on Radonitsa right on the grave mound, and, having laid out a rich meal, the whole family enjoyed the meal. We ate and drank so much that sometimes we immediately fell asleep. The list of obligatory dishes included those painted yellow or green color eggs, dry pies according to a special recipe, pancakes, porridge.

Before the start of the funeral feast, the head of the family rolled eggs along the grave and then buried one of them in the ground, as if allowing the deceased to join the Easter meal. It was obligatory to pour a glass of vodka on the grave, which is also not welcome modern church. After dinner, to which the beggars were always invited and treated, they remained in the cemetery for a short time, peacefully spending time in conversations, and only then went home. In the evening, the youth organized festivities with songs, dances and fun activities.

Signs and beliefs for parent's day

among the people great importance attached importance to the weather that fell on Radunitsa. We were especially looking forward to the rain.

• It was believed that the rain on this day had a special power - to preserve and prolong youth and health, beauty, prosperity, and happiness. Small children sang special songs to invite rain. If it really rained, they washed themselves with its water, exposing their face to the rain. And the girls did this in a special way, passing rainwater through a gold or silver ring in order to be beautiful and happy.
• The rain foreshadowed a year rich in harvest.
• It was strictly forbidden to plant or sow anything - this led to the possibility of losing the entire harvest.
• If it stood on Radonitsa warm weather, they said, “the parents breathed in warmth.”

Now we can take a different look at the meaning of this holiday of remembrance. And showing correct example to our children, we can hope that this tradition will be passed on further, uniting the representatives of the clan into a single whole.

Parents' Saturdays are important dates in the Orthodox calendar, and are named so precisely because they fall on the sixth day of the week. As all believers know, some Orthodox dates shift from year to year, and therefore every year you need to turn to the current Orthodox calendar, which not only indicates important dates and holidays, but also tells their history. When Parents' Saturdays will take place in 2017, we will tell you in this material.

Parents' Saturdays: dates for 2017

In total, there are 8 days of remembrance in the year, seven of which always take place on Saturdays, and the eighth day of remembrance always falls on Tuesday and this date is tied to the date of one of the most important Orthodox holidays Easter. Memorial Day, which falls on Tuesday, is always celebrated on the 9th day after Easter.

Parents' Saturdays in 2017 will be held on the following days:

1. 02/18/2017 – Ecumenical (meat-free) Saturday. This day of remembrance always takes place 7 days before the start of Lent.
2. 11.03.2017.
3. 18.03.2017.
4. 25.03.2017.
5. 04/25/2017 – Radonitsa, the ninth day since the celebration of Easter.
6. 05/09/2017 is the day of remembrance of fallen soldiers.
7. 06/03/2017 – Trinity Saturday.
8. 28.10.2-17 – Dmitrievskaya Saturday.

Despite the fact that there are a total of 8 parental Saturdays, the most important are Meat Saturday (the eve of the week of the Last Judgment) and Trinity Saturday before the great feast of the Holy Trinity. Radonitsa and Dmitrievskaya Saturday are also considered important.

Parents' Saturdays: what to do

Parents' Saturdays are days of remembrance for those who have passed on to another world. As a rule, churches hold memorial services for the dead, where you can light a candle for the repose of your loved ones. These days you need to visit the graves of your loved ones, remember them, and pray.

Many people mistakenly visit the cemetery on the bright holiday of Easter, not having reliable information about when this can be done and when it cannot be done. Moreover, visiting a cemetery on Easter day contradicts the church charter, which states that the dead cannot be commemorated before the ninth day of Easter. Even if a person passes into another world on Easter, he is buried according to a special Easter rite.

In order to avoid such mistakes, it is best to remember the deceased on parental Saturdays, of which there are 8. On these days, churches hold special services. And if it is not possible to visit the temple, then you can pray for the dead at home, choosing a quiet place where no one will disturb you. On Parents' Saturdays it is very important to remember and pray for those who are no longer with us - this is the most important thing and purpose of such days of remembrance. It is believed that the souls of the deceased find peace when they are prayed for on earth, when they are remembered. It’s not for nothing that they say that love for those who are no longer with us lives in the hearts of living people. It is believed that the soul of the deceased is alive as long as it is remembered and prayed for.

In addition to prayers and visiting church, on Parents' Saturdays you need to go to the cemetery, light a candle on the grave and pray. You can invite a priest to the cemetery to perform a litiya.
On Parents' Saturdays, you need to clean up the grave: weed the ground, throw out old flowers, bring new ones, change the lamps and ribbons on the gravestone. Contrary to the widespread tradition of bringing food and alcoholic drinks to the cemetery to remember the deceased, this cannot be done, since such an action is pagan in nature, and therefore inappropriate in Orthodoxy.

It is important to remember that Parents' Saturdays are not days of mourning and sorrow, they are days of remembrance. There is an important nuance here - you need to remember the deceased with bright thoughts, and not with sadness, otherwise the soul will not be able to find peace. No matter how difficult it may be to survive the loss, you need to remember your deceased loved ones with a smile and a light heart, then they will also have a good time in the next world.

Nika Kravchuk

Parents' Saturdays 2017: don't forget to remember the departed

Did you know that our deceased relatives and friends need prayers even more than the living? You can pray for them both in home prayer and in church prayer. The Church even established special days of remembrance. In this article we will tell you what days parental Saturdays fall on in 2017 and how to properly remember the dead. Hurry up to find out, because the first Parents' Saturday is already February 18th.

Why should we pray for the dead?

Christianity is called the religion of life. And this is no coincidence. Both Orthodox and Catholics, and many Protestants believe that after physical death they continue to exist, because man is eternal.

Therefore, the Church prays both for health and for repose. It is believed that after bodily death the fate of a person is determined - where he will await the second coming of Christ and the Last Judgment. Some will go to heaven, others to hell.

But this is not a final decision yet. Every sinner has a chance that before the Last Judgment his posthumous fate will change. All this is thanks to the prayers of the living: family, loved ones, friends.

That is why believers do not forget their relatives, even if they are in another world. They pray for the dead both at home and in church.

Parents' Saturdays are days of special church remembrance

IN morning rule There is a prayer to the Lord with a request to give peace to our parents, relatives, benefactors and all Orthodox Christians.
In churches, separate services are held - memorial services, during which they pray only for repose. There are even certain days— parental Saturdays, on which the Church calls on all believers to pray for those who are temporarily not with us.

True, in an Orthodox church you can submit notes only for those baptized in Orthodoxy who died a natural death. The Church does not remember the unbaptized, people of other faiths, or suicides, since even in earthly life they were not members of the Church of Christ and did not strive to be with God.

Every Saturday at Orthodox churches Memorial services are held (and more often in monasteries), but only eight days a year have a special status - these are memorial Saturdays.

On what days in 2017 does the Russian Orthodox Church commemorate the dead?

Parents' Saturdays 2017 fall on the following days:

1. Ecumenical Parents' Saturday (Meat and Meat Saturday) - February 18, 2017.
2. Saturday of the second week of Great Lent - March 11.
3. Saturday of the third week - March 18.
4. Saturday of the fourth week - March 25.
5. Commemoration of deceased soldiers - May 9.
6. Radonitsa - April 25.
7. Trinity Ecumenical Parents' Saturday - June 3.
8. Dmitrievskaya Parents' Saturday - November 4th.

Why are memorial Saturdays called parental Saturdays?

In the calendar above, the two parental Saturdays of 2017 are called “universal.” This means that these days Orthodox Churches The dead are remembered all over the world.

Why are memorial Saturdays called parental Saturdays? Is it really only for parents that they pray for these days? No, the Church commemorates all deceased Orthodox Christians, but first of all, our relatives. Praying for the parents who gave us life is the duty of every Christian. And if our fathers and mothers have passed into eternity, then we are all the more obliged to remember them, thereby expressing our love and care.

In addition, parents should be understood not only as fathers and mothers, but also as other relatives—grandfathers, grandmothers, great-grandfathers, and so on.

In this sense, parental Saturdays are an opportunity, first of all, to pray for our family, for the people with whom we are related by blood. And only then - for friends, benefactors and all Orthodox Christians in general.

How to prepare for a memorial?

The first parents' Saturday of 2017 falls on February 18, nine days before the start of Lent. It is also called meat eating - on this day and the next Sunday you can still eat meat. Maslenitsa begins on Monday February 20, 2017.

Commemoration of the dead begins on Friday. In Orthodox churches they serve not just the All-Night Vigil, but the funeral all-night vigil - parastas . On Saturday morning they commit Divine Liturgy, and then a memorial service.

At a memorial service, notes with the names of the deceased, as well as food and food items are usually served.

Why is this so? It is believed that best help for the deceased - this is prayer and alms. Our personal petitions and notes for the memorial service are prayer, and the brought food, which after consecration is distributed to the needy and to those serving in the church, is alms.

There is no specific list of what to bring to a funeral service or a specific “norm.” Whoever can do as much as possible is the main rule. Bread, sugar, flour, canned food, sweets, vegetables, fruits - the list goes on. The only prohibition is meat, which cannot be brought into the temple.

Also in churches on memorial Saturdays they prepare kolivo - a ritual dish in the form of wheat or rice with honey. Interestingly, the grain symbolizes the earthly and eternal life of a person. In order for a grain to germinate and produce a harvest, it must first be planted in the ground. So that a person is born for eternal life, he must first die and be interred. Honey symbolizes the sweetness of the Kingdom of Heaven.

These external paraphernalia - both food for the funeral service and food - are important, but they should not distract a person from the main thing - prayer. The latter should not be assigned only to priests. Our prayer from a sincere loving heart is no less important.

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IN church calendar Many holidays revered by Orthodox Christians are celebrated. These include parents' Saturdays. Most of them depend on the calendar celebration of Easter, so they change dates from year to year.

- the time during which liturgies are served in all churches and temples, remembering the dead. For such holidays, Orthodox Christians write notes with the names of their deceased relatives so that the priests will mention them during the service. Also on these days, it is customary to visit cemeteries to pay tribute to the memory of your loved ones.

In addition to the usual ones, there are also Ecumenical Parental Saturdays. At this time, all the deceased are commemorated, including those who went missing, those who were not properly buried, as well as saints who died for the Orthodox faith.

Parents' Saturdays in 2017

February 18 - Ecumenical Meat and Eating Parents' Saturday. It is so named because of the ban on eating meat products. The holiday begins 7 days before the start of Lent before Easter. Saturday is popularly called Little Maslenitsa because it takes place a week before Maslenitsa. On this day, all Orthodox believers serve a memorial service for all the departed since the creation of the world. According to tradition, a special dish is prepared - kutya. It is a porridge with nuts, candied fruits or dried fruits, smeared with honey. The special meaning of this dish is that grain, in order to produce bread, must first decay and then be reborn. Yes and human body must be buried in order for the immortal soul to continue its journey in the Kingdom of Heaven. On this day they attend church, illuminate the Kutya, and a trip to the cemetery is undesirable. In a temple or at home, it is worth praying for all the departed in order to help them ascend to the Lord:

"Jesus Christ! Your servants pray to You for the repose of all those who have now passed away and who live in the Kingdom of Heaven. Rest the souls of the unburied, and grant them eternal peace under Your gaze. From the beginning of the created world to this day. We pray for everyone, for everyone who died on earth and in water, in air and hollow. Amen".

March 25 is parental Saturday of the fourth week (or week) of Lent. During the period of Lent, Orthodox Christians continue to pray for the souls of their deceased relatives, visit the cemetery, where they also ask the Lord to have mercy on all the deceased. During the period of fasting, if parental Saturdays do not fall on significant church holidays, services are short. The Church has established 3 days of prayer, corresponding to each parental Saturday. Orthodox Christians carry notes with the names of everyone they want to remember, and also bring food to the canon. This ancient tradition of remembering the dead through the offered food.

April 25 - Radonitsa. The name comes from the word “rejoice”, because the bright holiday of Easter continues. This day falls on Tuesday, and after a memorial service and Easter chants, Orthodox Christians visit the graves of their deceased relatives to commemorate and pray for their souls:

“Our Lord Almighty. We believe in You and trust in the Kingdom of Heaven. Take to yourself the souls of our relatives (names), and guide us on the true path, and deliver us from the evil one, unclean thoughts, anger and inappropriate sorrow. Let us rejoice together, so that the souls of our loved ones may ascend to You. Amen".

On May 9, all deceased soldiers are commemorated. This great day is celebrated throughout the country. Celebrating main holiday Victory in the Great Patriotic War, all Orthodox Christians pray for the souls of the defenders who fell in battle. The liturgy also mentions all military personnel who gave their lives for the human race, for its prosperity and well-being.

June 3 - Trinity Parents' Saturday. It, like meat-eating, is celebrated on the eve of Lent. On this day, a memorial service (night vigil) is held, where they pray for the souls of all departed Orthodox Christians since the creation of the world. Mention is made of the great martyrs who accepted death from unbelievers without abandoning their faith in Jesus Christ. This day also precedes the holiday of Trinity, or, as it is also called, Pentecost.

October 28 - Dmitrievskaya Parents' Saturday. The holiday is named in honor of Demetrius of Thessalonica, the holy great martyr. This day was originally set aside to commemorate the deceased soldiers who fought at the Battle of Kulikovo. Now Dmitrievskaya Parental Saturday is a day of remembrance of all deceased Orthodox Christians.

Every Orthodox Christian sacredly honors church holidays and spends time in prayer. They open their souls to the Lord, cleanse their consciousness and help them take the righteous path. Words coming from the heart always find a response in Heaven, so the place for prayer words does not play a huge role. You can pray at home in front of holy images, by candlelight, or simply in a moment of weakness and doubt. We wish you happiness and don't forget to press the buttons and