Dimitrievskaya parental Saturday: history of establishment, traditions, prayers. Dmitrievskaya Parents' Saturday

DImitrievskaya parent's Saturday installed after the Battle of Kulikovo Field. Initially, commemoration was performed for all the soldiers who died in this battle. Gradually, Dimitrievskaya Saturday became a day of funeral commemoration of all deceased Orthodox Christians. It takes place on the coming Saturday before the day of remembrance of St. Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki (October 26 / November 8).

History of establishment

Dimitrievskaya Saturday was established by Grand Duke Dimitri Donskoy. Having won the famous victory on the Kulikovo field over Mamai on September 8, 1380, Dimitri Ioannovich, upon returning from the battlefield, visited the Trinity-Sergius monastery. Venerable Sergius Radonezh, the abbot of the monastery, had previously blessed him for the battle with the infidels and gave him two monks from among his brethren - Alexander Peresvet and Andrei Oslyabya. Both monks fell in battle and were buried near the walls of the Church of the Nativity Holy Mother of God in the Old Simonov Monastery.

At the Trinity Monastery they commemorated the Orthodox soldiers who fell in the Battle of Kulikovo, with a funeral service and a common meal. Over time, a tradition developed to perform such a commemoration annually. More than 250 thousand soldiers who fought for the Fatherland did not return from the Kulikovo field. Along with the joy of victory, the bitterness of loss came to their families, and this private parent’s day became essentially a universal day of remembrance in Rus'.

Since then, on the Saturday before October 26 / November 8 - the day of remembrance of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica (the name day of Demetrius of Donskoy himself) - funeral services were performed everywhere in Rus'. Subsequently, on this day they began to commemorate not only the soldiers who laid down their lives on the battlefield for their faith and Fatherland, but also all deceased Orthodox Christians.

Traditions

On Dimitrievskaya Parents' Saturday, they traditionally visit the graves of deceased relatives, requiem services and funeral litias are held in churches and cemeteries, and funeral meals are held.

On this day, like on others parenting days(on Meat and Trinity Saturdays, on Saturdays of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th weeks of Lent), Orthodox Christians pray for the repose of the souls of deceased Christians, mainly parents. But Dimitrievskaya 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.

Photo: Anatoly Goryainov Photo: Anatoly Goryainov
If it is not possible to visit a temple or cemetery these days, you can pray for the repose of the deceased in home prayer. In general, the Church commands us not only to special days commemoration, but every day to pray for deceased parents, relatives, known people and benefactors. For this purpose, among the daily morning prayers The following short prayer is included:

Prayer for the departed

U Rest, Lord, to 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 more convenient to read names from a commemoration book - a small book where the names of living and deceased relatives are written down. There is a pious custom of conducting family memorials, reading which both in home prayer and during church services, Orthodox people They remember by name many generations of their deceased ancestors.

Church commemoration on Parents' Saturday

To remember your deceased relatives in church, you need to come to church for a service 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. In the morning at Samu funeral Saturday The funeral Divine Liturgy is celebrated, after which a general memorial service is served.

For church commemoration For parastas, and separately for the liturgy, parishioners prepare notes commemorating the dead. In the note, in large, legible handwriting, the names of those commemorated are written in the genitive case (to answer the question “who?”), and the clergy and monastics are mentioned first, indicating the rank and degree of monasticism (for example, Metropolitan John, Schema-Abbot Savva, Archpriest Alexander, nun Rachel, Andrey, Nina). All names must be given in church spelling (for example, Tatiana, Alexy) and in full (Mikhail, Lyubov, and not Misha, Lyuba).

In addition, it is customary to bring food to the temple as a donation. As a rule, bread, sweets, fruits, vegetables, etc. are placed on the canon. You can bring flour for prosphora, Cahors for the liturgy, candles and oil for lamps. You are not supposed to bring meat products or strong alcoholic drinks.

Must be remembered

Prayer for the departed is our main and invaluable help to those who have passed into another world. The deceased, by and large, does not need a coffin, a grave monument, much less a memorial table - all this is just a tribute to traditions, albeit very pious ones. But the eternally living soul of the deceased experiences a great need for constant prayer, for it cannot itself do good deeds with which it would be able to appease the Lord.

Dimitrievskaya Parents' Saturday is the closest Saturday before the day of remembrance of St. Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki (October 26 / November 8). Installed after the Battle of Kulikovo Field. Initially, commemoration was performed for all the soldiers who died in this battle. Gradually, Dimitrievskaya Saturday became a day of funeral commemoration of all deceased Orthodox Christians. Some are associated with Dimitrievskaya Saturday folk traditions, probably dating back to the pre-Christian past.

Autumn commemoration of the dead among non-Slavic peoples

Among the ancient Celts, one of the main holidays of the year was Samhain - the celebration of the end of the warm season. On this day, according to the beliefs of the Celts, the usual barriers between the mortal world and the other world disappeared, so that people could visit the afterlife, and spirits - to come to earth and even interfere in the affairs of mortals. Some people associated with this day important events in Celtic mythology and history. The idea of ​​special closeness to the inhabitants of the other world became the basis for combining Samhain with the commemoration of the dead.

Such customs are also known among other peoples of Eurasia. Thus, among the Chuvash, October (Yupa) is considered a month of special commemoration of departed ancestors, the time for holding “Yupa Irterni,” i.e., wakes.

In the 8th century in Rome, and from the 9th century. everywhere in the West 1 Nov. began to be celebrated as All Saints' Day. In 994-1048 Abbot of the Cluny Monastery of St. Odilo pinned for 2 Nov. commemoration of all the departed faithful; this tradition became widespread in the Latin Church. Mn. researchers see in the establishment of these memories an attempt to churchize the pagan traditions of European peoples.

Dimitrievskaya parental Saturday in Slavic countries

In Russian manuscripts, Dimitrievskaya parental Saturday is rarely mentioned, is not noted in translated liturgical books (Typikon, Menaia) and is only occasionally indicated in the original Russian monuments - cathedral Officials and monastic Obikhodniki, reflecting the features of the real liturgical practice of ancient Russian cathedral churches and monasteries not described in the Typikon.

One of the first mentions of Demetrius Saturday as a day of remembrance of all the dead is contained in a collection of Novgorod origins of the 15th century, but the tradition of commemoration on this day is probably much older.

In the monastic Obikhodniki, Dimitrievskaya parental Saturday is the day of remembrance of the deceased brethren. So, the dining room of the Trinity Lavra, 1st floor. XVI century orders to offer “monastic food to all the brethren in this monastery of those who have passed away, and they feed on Saturday on Demetrievskaya” in the Charter of the Volokolamsk Monastery of the same time it is said that “on Saturday of Dmitrovskaya, according to our reverend father, the head of the holy monastery of this monastery, Abbot Joseph, and throughout all the brethren.” Dimitrievskaya Saturday is also mentioned in the decree on the meal of the Tikhvin Monastery, written in 1590, in the Obikhodnik of the Holy Trinity Lavra of 1645 and in the consolidated Charter of the Holy Trinity and Kirill Belozersky monasteries early. XVII century

Outside the monasteries, Demetrius Saturday was perceived as a day of funeral prayer for all the faithful departed. Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible ordered on Demetrius Saturday “to sing requiems and serve mass in all churches and give general alms and put out food.” In the Official of the Moscow Assumption Cathedral on October 23. contains the following entry 2nd floor. 17th century: “Before the memory of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius, on Friday evening there is a pannikhida for all Orthodox Christians.” In Old Believer manuscripts there is a compilation of the Obikhodniks and Ustavov, dedicated to Demetrius’s parental Saturday with the title: “It is appropriate to know about the Saturday before the feast of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki.”

In the 17th century Dimitrievskaya Saturday , in all likelihood, has not yet been associated with the commemoration of the soldiers who died in the Battle of Kulikovo. So, in the Synodic of the RSL. Trinity No. 818, 17th century, the names of the monks of the Trinity Monastery who fell in the Battle of Kulikovo are written down, but this commemoration is not linked to Dimitrievskaya Saturday. The legends about the Battle of Kulikovo also do not contain instructions about the establishment of the Dimitrievskaya parental Saturday of the bgv. book Dimitry Donskoy. Only in the Cyprian edition of “The Tale of the Massacre of Mamayev,” created in the middle. XVI century and which has come down to us as part of the Nikon Chronicle, it is narrated that Blgv. The prince turned to St. Sergius with the words: “And so that you may sing in praise and serve mass for all those who were beaten. And so it happened, and gave alms, and fed the venerable abbot Sergius, and all his brethren,” but even in these words, Dimitrievskaya parental Saturday is not associated with the Battle of Kulikovo.

It can be assumed that the association of Dimitrievskaya parental Saturday with the commemoration of those who fell on the Kulikovo field appeared only in the 18th or even 19th centuries. There is a well-known spiritual verse of late origin, published by several collectors of spiritual verses of the 19th century, entitled “The Verse about Dimitrovskaya Parental Saturday, or the Vision of Dimitri Donskoy” (beginning: “On the eve of Dimitrovskaya Saturday...”).

The verse describes the vision of the blessed. book Dimitry Donskoy during Divine Liturgy: the prince sees the Russians who fell on the battlefield. and Tatars. warriors, hears predictions about his death and about the tonsure of the princess as a monk. The verse ends with the words: “And in memory of the wondrous vision, he set Dmitrov Saturday.” Thus, even this verse, which is considered an argument in favor of establishing Dimitrievskaya Saturday as a day of remembrance of soldiers who fell on the Kulikovo field, interprets Dimitrievskaya parental Saturday differently.

Dmitrievskaya Parents' Saturday - the day of remembrance of the dead in the calendar Orthodox holidays, which appeared there as a memory of the Russian army that died in Battle of Kulikovo. The moving date is directly related to the day of remembrance of the Great Martyr Dmitry of Thessaloniki - November 8. The closest Saturday before the celebration of the saint sometimes coincides with other important Orthodox dates and then it is moved forward a week.

The choice of this particular date for commemoration was not accidental, and took place in 1380 by the will of Dmitry Donskoy. Saint Dmitry of Thessalonica was greatly revered in Rus' in the early Christian period and was even revered as an assistant in the fight against Tatar-Mongol yoke. His personality aroused special respect among the Russian princes (not only Donskoy was baptized in honor of the saint), and Dmitriev's day was traditionally considered a great holiday among all Slavs.

After the battle on the Kulikovo Field, Dmitry Donskoy visited the Trinity-Sergius Monastery and his spiritual mentor. Sergius of Radonezh had recognized ecclesiastical influence for his monastic activities, and at the same time was a wise politician. This ascetic of the Russian land strove to unite the people, and his spiritual and moral authority allowed him to become Dmitry’s advisor and help in the affairs of the principality. Sergius approved the idea of ​​commemorating the fallen army, because in that fateful battle many defenders from different places Rus'.

Historians estimate that numbers have been distorted over time, bringing the number of combatants on both sides to hundreds of thousands, which is not true. What researchers agree with chroniclers who tend to embellish reality is that almost half of the entire Russian warriors actually died (approximately 20-30 thousand people).

Traditions of commemorating the dead are rooted in the pre-Christian past. There were also autumn commemorations in the calendar of the ancient Slavs - Grandfather's Saturday. Traditional rich food and symbolism, for example, spoons for the dead, were adopted by the Orthodox Church, but ennobled and improved. In the church practice of that time, performed according to the Greek model, Demetrius Saturday did not appear until 1380. But even after its establishment, changes occurred over time.

From surviving documentary sources it is known that in the 15th-17th centuries they did not limit themselves to funeral services in a number of parishes; the charter of worship equals in importance Dmitrievskaya Saturday to the universal, although this is not entirely true (these are considered to be Myasopustnaya and Trinity). Today, the liturgical rite includes evening and morning services. Before visiting the graves, you should come to the church where the memorial service is being served in order to have time to submit a note with the names of the deceased and order commemorations on the altar. It is worth giving up household chores if this interferes with visiting the temple and praying for loved ones.

To this day will be organized cultural events, aimed at spiritual, moral and patriotic education, because this particular Saturday serves as a reminder of the ancestors who gave their lives for the protection of the Russian land and Orthodoxy. The importance of this holiday and the duty of every believer is to help the dead receive relief through prayer, which serves as a way of communication between the living and the dead.

What do you need to know about Dmitrievskaya Parents' Saturday? Who is remembered on Dmitrievskaya Parent Saturday? What should you do on Memorial Saturday? Lady 40 plus will tell you what to do and how to behave on this day.

Dmitrievskaya Parent's Saturday will be celebrated this year on November 5th. This day Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy established it as a memorial in memory of the soldiers who died during the Battle of Kulikovo. Memorial Day was also blessed by Sergius of Radonezh.

Read in this article:

About Dmitrievskaya Parents' Saturday

All Orthodox world with sorrow in his heart he prays for the departed, those who left the mortal Earth. Especially for the warriors who shed their blood in the wars of the past, yesterday and today. On this day they remember and pray for their parents who left this world. People go to churches and temples, to the graves of the dead.

What to do on Dmitrievskaya Parents' Saturday

The day before (Friday) prepare the eve. Think about those who are not near you.

Early on Saturday morning, go to church for the funeral service, pray fervently for the souls of the dead. If for some reason you cannot do this, pray at home, and pass a note with the names of deceased people close to you to someone and ask them to light funeral candles.

• You should definitely take treats to church for the poor, remembering your relatives. Place the candles on a special table - the eve, for the Crucifixion. Place funeral treats there, which will then be distributed to all those in need, so that they too may pray for the souls of the departed before our Lord our Savior.

On this day, go to cemeteries to the graves of deceased relatives. Leave candy and cookies on a table or bench for people to eat and remember in their thoughts and prayers. Remember the deceased at funeral meals as well.

What can we do for the departed - ask for their blessed peace in our prayers to the Creator. On the day of Dmitrievskaya Parental Saturday they do not say “may the earth rest in peace,” but they should say “Kingdom of Heaven.” On this Saturday, the prayer addressed to God for the souls of the departed is the most powerful. Remember this and pray fervently.

What is prepared for a memorial dinner on Dmitrievskaya Parents' Saturday?

The deceased are remembered by gathering with the whole family. Place candles on the table and light them. The souls of deceased relatives descend to the light to see how relatives honor their memory and how they preserve their inheritance. Adults sum up their lives, young people learn a lesson by listening to good deeds ancestors As a rule, twelve dishes are displayed on the table, and among them are those that were loved by deceased loved ones.

For a long time, people baked pies and pancakes for funeral meals, prepared ritual kutia, honey and oatmeal jelly. The main and traditional dishes were stuffed pork head and kutia.

Funeral kutia recipes

Wheat with poppy seeds
For this kutya you will need:

• wheat (400 gr);
• poppy seed (1 tbsp);
• honey (1/2 tbsp);
• sugar, if there is no honey (1/2 tbsp);
• water, salt, sugar.

We sort out the wheat and wash it. Pour into boiling water. Bring to a boil and place on a sieve. We pour over the wheat cold water. Let it drain.

Place it back into the pan or cast iron and fill it with cold water. Let it boil again. Close the lid and place in the oven. There the wheat will gradually wither away. Once it becomes soft, let it cool.

Wash the poppy seeds and pour boiling water over them, then cold water. Pound it in a mortar until it turns white. Add honey (sugar) to the poppy mixture. Let's add a little salt. Mix wheat and sweet poppy seeds. To prevent the kutia from being thick, add water from the same amount as the wheat was cooked.

Rice, raisins and almond milk

For this kutya you need to take:

• rice (250 gr);
• sugar (1/2 tbsp);
• raisins (1 tbsp);
• almond milk (1:1 sweet almonds and water);
• cinnamon.

Cook the rice until done. Add sugar, raisins (pre-scalded with boiling water) and cinnamon. Mix everything and warm it up a little.

Prepare almond milk: pour almond kernels into a colander and immerse it in boiling water (10 seconds). We clean the shell and grind the kernels in a mortar, adding a little cold boiled water. When you get a uniform mass, add the rest of the water and strain the milk through gauze.

Grind the extracts from the remaining kernels in a mortar and dilute with water. Squeeze and strain. Combine with the already prepared first milk. Pour almond milk over the rice and the kutia is ready.

Kutya should always be done slowly and with prayers. Remember your deceased relatives and friends. Pray for their souls.

It is especially important to honorably celebrate Dmitrievsk Parents' Saturday.

Our Russian Orthodox Church has two special memorial day: Tuesday after Easter week, the so-called “Radonitsa” and today’s Dimitrievskaya Saturday.

According to legend, it was established by Grand Duke Dmitry Donskoy. Having won the famous victory on the Kulikovo field over Mamai on September 8, 1380, Dmitry Ioannovich, upon returning from the battlefield, visited the Trinity-Sergius monastery. The Monk Sergius of Radonezh, abbot of the monastery, had previously blessed him for this battle and gave him from among his brethren two monks, schemamonks - Alexander Peresvet and Andrei Oslyabya. Both monks fell in the battle. Having commemorated the slain soldiers at the Trinity Monastery, the Grand Duke proposed to perform this commemoration annually on the Saturday before October 26 - the day of remembrance of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica - heavenly patron Dmitry Donskoy himself.

And for more than six hundred years our Church has been performing this service annually. Before the revolution, this custom was strictly observed in the Russian army. In all military units Memorial services were served for Orthodox soldiers who laid down their lives on the battlefield for the faith, the Tsar and the Fatherland. Subsequently, on this day they began to commemorate not only Orthodox soldiers, but also all, in general, the deceased, and this day became a universal day of remembrance in Rus'.

On the days of remembrance of the dead, Orthodox Christians give notes to the church with the names of their deceased relatives who were baptized during their lifetime, i.e., were members of the Church. On these days, candles are supposed to be placed not at the icons, but at the Crucifixion, on a special table called “tetrapod” or “kanun”. There is also a good custom on memorial days to bring food to the temple for the poor. It is consecrated during the service and then distributed to everyone who wishes. The person who receives this treat prays “for all those who are now remembered here,” and his prayer of gratitude is added to our prayer.

As a visible expression of the confidence of the living in the immortality of the deceased, "kutia" or "kolivo"- boiled wheat grains mixed with honey. Just as seeds containing life, in order to form an ear and bear fruit, must be placed in the ground and decay there. Likewise, the body of the deceased must be buried in the earth and experience decay in order to rise later for future life. After all, we believe not only in the immortality of the soul, but also in the resurrection of the whole person, that is, the unity of soul and body, as we sing in the Creed: “I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the next century.” That is why cemeteries exist in Rus': the body, like a seed, is thrown into the ground in order to rise with a new cosmic spring.

As we commemorate the dead today, we ourselves need to seriously think about eternal life. Each of us, without exception, once appearing in this world, must certainly leave it. And there are no exceptions to this law of God. Our life on earth is fragile and vain. Its clear and joyful course is often overshadowed by unexpected everyday sorrows and misfortunes. Our joys are mixed with grief: poverty is not far from wealth, health is not protected from disease in any way, life itself can be cut short by death at any moment. Time in life is unstoppable and fleeting, so you don’t even notice how the days fly by.

From the sermon of Hieromonk Gabriel. Optina Pustyn 2010