Parent Saturday: what to do on this day. What to do on Parents' Saturday: all the important rules

Dimitri's parental Saturday in 2017 will be celebrated on October 28 due to the coincidence with the feast of the Kazan Icon Mother of God(November 4).

It is worth noting that several days in the church calendar are called parent Saturdays: ( a week before Lent), I (on the eve of the feast of the Trinity) and Dmitrievskaya parental Saturdays. The rest of the days in church calendar These are the days of commemoration of the dead. Although on all these days they commemorate the parents of the deceased, and relatives, and acquaintances of Orthodox Christians, Orthodox slain soldiers, the names differ in the structure of the service itself, that is, in the name of the days of commemoration of the dead, it determines the very structure of this funeral prayer. For example, if the parental Saturday is Trinity, Myasopustnaya and Dmitrievskaya, then these days the service is more filled than on other days of commemoration of the dead, with lengthy prayers, including troparia, stichera, canons.

Parental Saturday: what to bring to church

Bringing food to the temple - as they say, "on the eve" - ​​is ancient tradition performing common trizn, that is, commemoration of the dead. The parishioners of the temple traditionally gather a larger common table in order to all together remember the dead people close to their hearts. Now the products that believers bring and put on a special table are then used for the needs of the parish and to help poor people whom the parish takes care of.

Most often carried lean foods and Cahors. But hard liquor, such as cognac or vodka, is not accepted as a donation.

Parent Saturday: what to do

On Dmitriev parental Saturday, people visit the graves of their relatives and loved ones. In churches and cemeteries, panikhidas, funeral litias (services) are performed, memorial dinners are arranged.

"And since this Saturday was approved as a commemoration of the soldiers, this day has a special meaning, which should always remind us of those who died defending the faith and the Fatherland. To commemorate according to church traditions, you must come to the church the day before, on Friday, for the evening service, where the Great Panikhida and Parastas are performed. All prayers are dedicated to the remembrance of the departed. And on Saturday morning, the Divine Liturgy is performed, after which a common memorial service is served. The most important thing we can give to our dead relatives is our prayer. Their souls are in great need of our prayer, because they can no longer do good deeds to propitiate God," Metropolitan Pavel stressed.

And how important prayer is is very well said in the life of St. Macarius the Great. Once Saint Macarius was walking through the desert and saw a skull on the ground, having heard that it was making some sounds. As he got closer, he heard the skull saying that he used to be the head of the priests who lived here. And now, when they have all died, they are in sheer torment, and only when the Monk Macarius prays for them, they experience some relief. And Abba Macarius asked to tell about the torments and relief from prayer. And the voice answered that the fire in which they were tormented was as great as heaven from earth; And they don't even see each other. But during prayer they partly see each other, and this gives them joy.

“And the pagans still have some consolation from the mercy of the Lord. But there are still people who are even deeper and experience even more difficult and unspeakable torments. These are those who, having known God, rejected Him and did not fulfill His commandments,” Vladyka Paul warned.

The Monk Macarius buried this skull in the ground and withdrew further in deep thought.

“This example clearly shows us that if the prayer of the monk brought joy to the pagans, then what a beneficial effect prayer will have on the souls of Orthodox Christians! And our love should extend not only to those who are alive, but even more so to the dead. Because they have no one cannot help in alleviating their fate there, except for us. After all, many die without having time to repent for their sins, and every person has them. We need to understand that with death, communication between the dead and the living does not stop. The soul leaves with body and moves to another world, but he sees and hears everything," the rector of the Lavra noted.

It is impossible to pray only for those who during their lifetime did not believe in the existence of God, denied or mocked Christian truths.

And this man is a blasphemer of the Holy Spirit. And the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven either in this or in the next age (Mt. 12:31-32)."

Traditions and customs of Dmitrievskaya Saturday

These days we went to church. And before the start of the service, it is imperative to submit a note with the names of deceased relatives.

The Slavs called this day Autumn Grandfathers or Grandfather's Saturday. Dmitrievskaya Saturday for our distant ancestors was the day of transition from autumn to winter. Therefore, if after the Feast of the Intercession there were unfinished business, then by this day they tried to finish everything and complete the preparation for the frost.

As on other memorial days, the women were busy with general cleaning. They cleaned the yards, washed all the benches, windows, tables. They tried to whitewash or fix everything that needed it.

Before Grandfather's Saturday, the whole family had to wash themselves, after which they left water and a broom for the deceased relatives.

On Dmitriev's parental Saturday, the dinner was special and was held a little differently than on other memorial days. They began to remember the dead already on Friday, and for this they necessarily acquired a new white tablecloth, which was used to cover the memorial table. The hostesses prepared traditional Slavic funeral dishes - kutya, uzvar, pancakes, pies, as well as favorite dishes of deceased relatives. Moreover, the shape of funeral pies must necessarily be oblong. Also, each hostess tried to cook as many meat dishes as possible - roast, jelly and even ham could be found on the tables.

On the table, on Friday, on Saturday, candles were always placed. It was believed that the family thus gives a sign to the dead that they are not forgotten and remembered. Be sure to remember what the deceased were during their lifetime, about their good qualities and deeds. Also, the oldest in the families told the youth the history of the family and genealogy.

On Friday, after the whole family had dinner, the mistress of the house cleaned the entire table, covered it with a clean tablecloth and arranged cutlery with food. Then she invited all the deceased relatives to the table.

The next day, on Saturday, at the memorial meal, each member of the family set aside one spoonful of each dish on a separate plate, and then it was all left overnight for the dead. This was done so that the souls of the dead could come home and be fed with the whole family. A bowl of water and a towel were placed next to the plates so that they could wash themselves after the meal.

AT Dmitrievskaya Saturday they certainly helped the poor and starving - they distributed generous alms, fed pies and asked them to pray for the souls of the departed.

Prayers for Parents' Saturday

Home prayer for the dead on parental Saturday

Give rest, O 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 the names from the commemorative book - a small book where the names of living and deceased relatives are recorded. There is a pious custom to keep family commemorations, reading which both in home prayer and during church services, Orthodox people commemorate by name many generations of their deceased ancestors.

Prayer for the Lost Christian

Remember, Lord our God, in the faith and hope of the life of your eternally reposed servant, our brother (name), and as Good and Humane, forgive sins, and consume iniquities, weaken, leave and forgive all his voluntary sins and involuntary, deliver him eternal torment and fire of Gehenna, and grant him the communion and enjoyment of Your eternal good, prepared for those who love You: if you sin, but do not depart from You, and undoubtedly in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Your God in the Trinity glorified, faith, and Unity in the Trinity and the Trinity in Unity, Orthodox even until his last breath of confession. Be merciful to him the same, and faith, even in Thee instead of deeds, and with Your saints, as if Generous rest: there is no man who lives and does not sin. But Thou art One, apart from all sin, and Thy righteousness, righteousness forever, and Thou art the One God of mercies and generosity, and love of mankind, and to Thee we send glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen.

Widow's Prayer

Christ Jesus, Lord and Almighty! You are crying consolation, orphans and widows intercession. Thou didst say: Call upon Me in the day of thy affliction, and I will destroy thee. In the days of my sorrow, I resort to You and pray to You: do not turn Your face away from me and hear my prayer, brought to You with tears. You, Lord, Lord of all, deigned to combine me with one of Your servants, in which we should have one body and one spirit; You gave me this servant, as a partner and protector. Thy good and wise will deigned to take this Thy servant away from me and leave me alone. I bow before this Thy will and resort to Thee in the days of my sorrow: quench my sorrow about being separated from Thy servant, my friend. If you took him away from me, not taken from me by Your mercy. As if you once took two mites to the widow, so accept this prayer of mine. Remember, Lord, the soul of your deceased servant (name), forgive him all his sins, free and involuntary, if in word, if in deed, if in knowledge and ignorance, do not destroy him with his iniquities and do not betray him to eternal torment, but by Your great mercy and according to the multitude of Thy mercies, weaken and forgive all his sins and commit him with Thy saints, where there is no sickness, no sorrow, no sighing, but endless life. I pray and ask Thee, Lord, grant me all the days of my life not to stop praying for Your departed servant, and even before my departure, ask You, the Judge of the whole world, for the abandonment of all his sins and his settlement in Heavenly abodes, even if you have prepared for those who love Tya. Like if you sin, but do not depart from You, and undoubtedly the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are Orthodox even to the last breath of confession; the same, his faith, even in Thee, instead of deeds, he is imputed: as if a person is not, who will be alive and will not sin, You are one except for sin, and Your truth is truth forever. I believe, Lord, and I confess that You hear my prayer and do not turn Your face away from me. Seeing the widow, weeping greenery, having mercy, her son, to the burial of the bear, resurrected you: so having mercy, calm my sorrow. As if you opened the doors of Your mercy to Your servant Theophilus, who departed to You, and forgave him his sins through the prayers of Your Holy Church, listening to the prayers and alms of his wife: I pray to You, accept my prayer for Your servant and bring him into eternal life. Like you are our hope. You are God, to have mercy and save, and we send glory to You with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Widower's Prayer

Christ Jesus, Lord and Almighty! In contrition and tenderness of my heart, I pray to You: God rest the soul of Your deceased servant (name), in Your Heavenly Kingdom. Lord Almighty! You have blessed the matrimonial union of husband and wife, when you said: it is not good to be a single man, we will make him an assistant for him. You sanctified this union in the image of the spiritual union of Christ with the Church. I believe, Lord, and I confess that you have blessed you to combine and me with this holy union with one of Your servants. Thy good and wise will deigned to take away from me this Thy servant, and gave it to me, as a helper and companion of my life. I bow before this Thy will, and pray to Thee with all my heart, accept this prayer for Thy servant (name), and forgive her if you sin in word, deed, thought, knowledge and ignorance; love the earthly more than the heavenly; more about the clothes and adornment of his body, he cares more than about the enlightenment of the clothes of his soul; or even more carelessly about your children; if you grieve someone by word or deed; if you scold your neighbor in your heart, or condemn someone or something else from such evil deeds.

Forgive her all this, as good and philanthropic: as if there is a person who will live and not sin. Do not enter into judgment with Your servant, as Your creation, do not condemn me by her sin to eternal torment, but have mercy and mercy according to Your great mercy. I pray and ask Thee, Lord, grant me strength for all the days of my life, without ceasing to pray for the departed Thy servant, and even before the death of my belly, ask her from Thee, the Judge of the whole world, for the remission of her sins. Yes, as you, O God, put on her head a crown from an honest stone, crowning her here on earth; so crown me with Your eternal glory in Your Heavenly Kingdom, with all the saints rejoicing there, and together with them eternally sing the all-holy your name with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Prayer of parents for the dead children

Lord Jesus Christ, our God, Master of life and death, Comforter of those who mourn! With a contrite and touched heart, I resort to You and pray to You: remember. Lord, in your Kingdom, your deceased servant (your servant), my child (name), and create for him (her) eternal memory. You, Lord of life and death, have given me this child. Thy good and wise will was pleased to take it away from me. Blessed be thy name, Lord. I pray to Thee, Judge of heaven and earth, with Thy infinite love for us sinners, forgive my departed child all his sins, voluntary and involuntary, even in word, even in deed, even in knowledge and ignorance. Forgive, Merciful, and our parental sins, may they not abide on our children: we know, as if we have sinned against Thee by a multitude, we have not kept a multitude, we have not done it, as thou hast commanded us. But if our deceased child, ours or his own for the sake of guilt, was in this life, working for the world and his flesh, and not more than You, the Lord and your God: if you love the delights of this world, and not more than Your Word and Your commandments, if you betrayed sweetness of life, and not more than repentance of our sins, and in intemperance I betrayed vigil, fasting and prayer to oblivion - I pray you earnestly, forgive me, O good Father, my child, all such sins of his, forgive and weaken, if you do something else evil in this life . Christ Jesus! You resurrected the daughter of Jairus by the faith and prayer of her father. You healed the daughter of a Canaanite wife by faith and the petition of her mother: hear my prayer, and do not despise my prayer for my child. Forgive me, Lord, forgive all his sins and, having forgiven and cleansed his soul, take away eternal torment and instill with all Your saints who have pleased You from time immemorial, where there is no sickness, no sorrow, no sighing, but endless life: as if there is a person who He will live and will not sin, but Thou art the only one except for all sin: yes, whenever you have to judge the world, my child will hear Your most exalted voice: come, blessed of My Father, and inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Like you are the Father of mercies and bounty. You are our life and resurrection, and we send glory to You with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.

Children's prayer for deceased parents

Lord Jesus Christ our God! You are the guardian of the orphans, the grieving refuge and the weeping comforter. I am running to you, orphan, groaning and crying, and I pray to You: hear my prayer and do not turn Your face away from the sighing of my heart and from the tears of my eyes. I pray to You, merciful Lord, quench my grief about separation from my parent who gave birth and raised (who gave birth and raised) me (my mother), (name) (or: with my parents who gave birth and raised me, their names) - but his soul (or: her, or: theirs), as if departed (or: departed) to You with true faith in Thee and with firm hope in Your philanthropy and mercy, receive into Your Kingdom of Heaven. I bow before Your holy will, it has already been taken away (or: taken away, or: taken away) be 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, as You are the Judge of this world, punish the sins and wickedness of the fathers in children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, even up to the third and fourth generation: but also have mercy on the fathers for the prayers and virtues of their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. With contrition and tenderness of the heart, I pray to Thee, merciful Judge, do not punish with eternal punishment the deceased unforgettable (departed unforgettable) for me Your servant (Your servant), my parent (my mother) (name), but forgive him (her) all his sins ( her) free and involuntary, in word and deed, by knowledge and ignorance created by him (her) in his (her) life here on earth, and according to Your mercy and philanthropy, prayers for the sake of the Most Pure Mother of God and all the saints, have mercy on him (s) and eternal spare the pain. You, merciful Father of fathers and children! Grant me, all the days of my life, until my last breath, do not stop remembering my deceased parent (my deceased mother) in my prayers, and beg Thee, the righteous Judge, and put him (s) in a bright place, in a cool place and in a place of rest, with all the saints, all sickness, sorrow and sighing will flee from nowhere. Gracious Lord! Receive this day about Your servant (Your) (name) this warm prayer of mine and give him (her) Your recompense for the labors and cares of my upbringing in faith and Christian piety, as if he taught (taught) me first of all lead Thee, your Lord, in reverently pray to You, trust in You alone in troubles, sorrows and illnesses and keep Your commandments; for his (her) well-being about my spiritual success, for the warmth that he (she) brings prayers for me before You and for all the gifts that he (she) asked me from You, reward him (her) with Your mercy. With your heavenly blessings and joys in your eternal Kingdom. You are the God of mercies and generosity and philanthropy, 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 forever and forever and ever. Amen.

Parental Saturdays - days special commemoration the departed, when with our prayers we can provide great help to our relatives and friends who have passed away from earthly life. Five of them are reserved for the commemoration of deceased relatives, two more and the requiems performed at the same time are called ecumenical. Parental Sabbaths involve the observance of certain rules that all believers should be aware of.

The Deep Meaning of Parental Saturday

Please note that hard liquor, such as vodka or cognac, is not accepted as a donation.

If desired and possible, you can order a memorial service, and after prayers are completed, you are allowed to visit the cemetery, put the grave in order, replace the flowers, thereby showing that you keep the memory of a loved one.

How to spend the rest of the day on parental Saturday and can I clean up? Archpriest Alexander Ilyashenko for the online publication Pravoslavie i Mir answers this question as follows: the ban on cleaning the house on this day is nothing more than superstition, of course, you need to start the day with visiting the temple, praying, visiting the cemetery, and after if necessary, you can perform the usual household chores.

Another important question, exciting believers - is it possible to baptize a child on parental Saturday? Hegumen Alexy (Diocese of Vladivostok) and other priests of the Russian Orthodox Church resemble a simple rule - you can baptize a child on all days without restrictions.

For the period of Lent in 2019, the following parental Saturdays fall:

• March 23 - Parent ecumenical Saturday of the second week of Great Lent
• March 30 - Parent ecumenical Saturday of the third week of Great Lent
• April 6 - Parent ecumenical Saturday of the fourth week of Great Lent.

P.S. Prayer for the deceased is the sacred duty of every Christian. A great reward and great consolation awaits the one who, through his prayers, will help his departed neighbor receive the forgiveness of sins.

Any church date has its own characteristics, which should be known to every believer. On the day of commemoration of the dead, it is very important to observe all traditions and prohibitions in order to ward off troubles and not bring grief to your family.

Every year people celebrate Dmitrievskaya parental Saturday. On this day, Orthodox believers visit churches and temples to light a candle for the repose of their loved ones, and also remember relatives who have already gone to another world. The history of the holiday begins in 1380, and the date was set by Prince Dmitry Donskoy. Earlier, on parental Saturday, people performed requiems for the fallen soldiers. It was believed that Russian fighters are always under God's protection, and even after their death it is necessary to pray for people who gave their lives for their homeland.

Now on the memorial day, people pray for their loved ones, attend divine services and divine liturgies, and after that they remember the dead with kind words. This can be done at home or near the grave of the deceased. It is believed that on this day the souls of the dead descend to earth, so all traditions and prohibitions should be observed in order to please them, and not to anger them.

What to do on Dmitrievskaya parental Saturday

In Russia, it was believed that this day is the transition from autumn to winter. started very coldy for which people were preparing in advance. Despite the fact that many tried to complete their household chores before Intercession on October 14, some for some reason did not have time to do this, and then they tried to finish the preparations before Dmitrievskaya Saturday.

A memorial meal is held after the service. On Dmitriev Saturday, it is customary to lay a rich table, on which there must be dishes that your deceased loved ones loved during their lifetime. The most important dish on the table was pies: the hostess had to cook a lot of pastries with different stuffing. In ancient times, it was believed that this could appease and please the deceased.

During the memorial meal, it was necessary to put a separate clean plate on the table, where each relative put one spoonful of his food. This dish was left overnight so that the deceased could come and eat with his family.

Before parental Saturday, on Friday, the hostess after dinner should clear everything from the table and lay a clean tablecloth. Then re-set the table and put freshly prepared dishes. Thus, in ancient times, the deceased was called to the table.

On Dmitrievskaya parental Saturday, the family of the deceased should remember only good things about him, share warm memories that are associated with the deceased. So you make it clear to the soul of the deceased that you still remember and love him.

Despite the fact that on many church events it is strictly forbidden to do household chores, this does not apply to Dmitrievskaya parental Saturday. On the contrary, on this day you should do a general cleaning, and then wash yourself. Our ancestors certainly left a fresh broom in the bath and clean water for the deceased, to appease the soul of the deceased. The most important thing is that your household chores do not interfere with church attendance.

On parental Saturday, it is customary to go to the cemetery. The grave of the deceased must be put in order, cleaned. After that, pray for the repose of his soul.

On Dmitriev Saturday, it is customary to feed the poor so that they pray for the soul of your deceased relative.

What not to do on Dmitrievskaya Parental Saturday

On this day, it is forbidden to scold the dead. Only good things should be remembered about them, otherwise you can anger their soul.

It is believed that it is strictly forbidden to commemorate the dead alcoholic drinks. However, if your family has such a tradition, then try to do it in moderation. The souls of the dead may become angry because of drunkenness during the memorial meal.

Also, during the commemoration, one cannot 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, the fun will be inappropriate.

If your deceased relative committed suicide or was not a believer during his lifetime, then you will not be able to commemorate him in the church and put a candle for the repose of his soul. In this case, you can pray for him at home.

Probably, it is difficult for each of us to come to terms with the death of our loved ones, but their soul is always with us. In order for our relatives to feel peace in the other world, it is necessary to read memorial prayers for the departed. We wish you and your family good health, and don't forget to press the buttons and

27.10.2017 05:10

Like most Orthodox events, Advent has certain restrictions. You must follow them in order to...

Why is it so important to Christians and how is it related to the theory of the immortal soul? Universal Parental Saturday, we will tell you what to do on this day in the article. Parental Saturday is a day when every believer remembers the deceased relatives, they are in every family. If the parents are alive, then grandparents, aunts, uncles, it doesn’t matter that the event is called “parental”. It's about rather, about all the dead Christians, whose relatives can sing and pray for their souls, already transported to other worlds.

Priests consecrate the brought kuti, then hold a large-scale memorial service, which is dedicated to all the dead. It was the holy fathers who once legalized this event, because not every person dies peacefully, surrounded by relatives or in a hospital. Many disappear and then their fate is unknown. Relatives have been looking for the missing for years, but they rarely find, and if they find, then the bodies. The police then open the files, trying to track down the perpetrators and find out the circumstances of the death. Others die somewhere in the mountains or drown in the ocean.

Do not count the victims of shipwrecks, dead lonely people who had no one to order a memorial service. Many children die before they are born. Lonely old people, homeless people, people from distant, disadvantaged countries are dying. Someone perishes in fires, freezes somewhere in the north or falls from the mountains, in gorges, wandering through the forests. Do not count all the unfortunate, and no one can make up single system, where the name would be indicated, then the date of death of absolutely each person.

Before God, everyone is equal, everyone has the right to a memorial service, except for suicides, whose funeral priests refuse. Therefore, the holy fathers legitimized the new custom. No matter when and where death found a person, he did not lose his right to pray to the church, given that according to the teachings of Christians, prayers greatly help people who have already fallen beyond the bounds of life. They get closer to the right path, the Father finds them. Prayer like good word, a sign that they are not forgotten.

With special zeal, the holy fathers pray for the unfortunate, once abducted and dead somewhere in a foreign land, without relatives, forgotten, for the victims of fires or wars, disasters, natural disasters. About all those who somehow did not receive the posthumous funeral service, which is done at every funeral. Believers, church visitors, pray together with the priests for their relatives, also for all those who died once in their family, their ancestors. After all, people cannot know all their ancestors. Also for friends, relatives, for families of acquaintances.

Also, in addition to the memorial service, the church reminds all living people of the frailty of life, that they must remember the inevitability of death and live their lives with benefit, value their time.

Another thing is when people ask: “Why should we even pray and ask the Almighty for something, if he himself said that he would judge everyone according to his deeds”? so the result of the Judgment is predetermined and prayers can change little at all?”

Yes, Christ really said this, but do people understand the meaning of these words correctly? In reality, the Lord spoke about the value of time, that it is impossible to live carelessly, without thinking about the coming tomorrow, they say death will come anyway. Moreover, the deceased will no longer be able to carelessly wait for the coming of the Court.

If you look at the traditions from the holy fathers, then death does not become a point at all. The soul first leaves the body, then it is met by angels. A person has guardian angels who take care of him all his life. But people also have demons, they constantly push to bad deeds, evoke bad thoughts. And when the soul appears before them, the angels begin to fight the demons for it. Thus, for the first time, the soul comes into contact with the great Eternity, but this is only the beginning of its new path.

The soul of the forty-first days after the death of the body visits all places important for itself, says goodbye to all loved ones. Then they celebrate respectively seven days, then forty days. People remember the deceased, tell their friends about him, pray to help the soul. The deceased, on the other hand, goes through serious ordeals, this is a private court in which the whole life lived is considered, what did she do good or bad.

But the priests also emphasize that this is not the last judgment for the soul. She will face the Last Judgment, when Christ will appear the Second Time and the general Judgment will begin on all the dead, the living, because the border between the dead and the living will be erased, because all the dead will rise. Therefore, the Lord, until that day has come, gives every soul time. Accept the deeds she has done, correct, purify.

But the soul is not the whole personality of a person. It is difficult for her to correct what she has done without a body, but it is possible.
No wonder the Apostle James said that prayer helps to heal the soul. This applies not only to the living, for whom prayer relieves mental pain, stifles wounds. But also dead. True, they cannot fully pray, their bodies are dead, and a person is considered an integral being when his body is alive and his soul is alive, his spirit is alive.

Here is a triple start. Therefore, the living must help their dead relatives. Prayer makes their way easier, corrects their deeds and brings them closer to the Father. After all, according to Christ, every person is like a lost sheep that must find the right way home. And "home" is God.

During the year, parental Saturdays are held eight times. These days, believers remember the dead. It is possible to commemorate relatives and friends who have fallen into another world on other days. Most of the dates on which the parental Sabbath passes are not constant, but are located in the calendar relative to the great church holidays.

These include the following:

• meat-soup Saturday (comes a week before Lent);
• three Parental Saturdays during the fasting period (2, 3 and 4 weeks);
• Demetrius Saturday (before November 8);
• radunitsa (9 days after Easter, invariably falls on Tuesday);
• Trinity parental Saturday (the day before the feast of the Holy Trinity);
• commemoration of fallen soldiers (May 9).

Saturdays of commemoration of those who introduced themselves are special. They are called parental, due to the fact that all the deceased went to their parents, ancestors. Sincere prayer for the departed relatives and friends helps their souls to be cleansed.

How to spend parental Saturday?

On all the days of memory of the departed, the Orthodox go to churches, asking in prayer to give peace to the souls of those who have presented themselves. They also carry sweets and cookies for remembrance, which the ministers will distribute to the parishioners, submit notes with the names of the deceased for later mention in church prayers. Those who did not come to the temple at home with open heart they read the prayer for the dead and the 17th kathisma for the dead.

After the service, believers visit the cemetery, clean and decorate the graves with flowers. Upon returning home, a memorial meal is held. The whole family must attend. Fast food should not be placed on the table during fasting.

What can not be done on parental Saturday?

Many superstitions are associated with the prohibitions on the memorial day. It is not forbidden these days to do housework and gardening, but only after going to church and reading a memorial prayer.

Most believers, when visiting a cemetery, pour alcohol into a glass at the grave or pour vodka over it, believing that if the deceased liked to drink, then they help him so much. It is unacceptable to do this, since the soul of the deceased may suffer for the sin of drinking wine even after death.

In the cemetery you can not arrange a feast and get drunk. There is an opinion that the commemoration of the deceased is an opportunity to skip a glass of another alcohol, but this is not so. The fate of the departed cannot be alleviated by this action. Only conscious prayer is able to convey our love to loved ones. It is also impossible on parental Saturday:

• swear;
• get drunk;
• swear;
• speak badly about the deceased;
• grieve and cry.

It is important to know that remembering does not mean sadness. To remember means to pray. The soul cannot die, it passes into another world - which one depends on the person during his lifetime. If he sinned, then the soul will suffer and languish. Only prayer, which is read by relatives with special trepidation, will help save her from this. Therefore, every parental Saturday it is necessary to remember your loved ones with a prayer from a pure heart. The one who reads it conveys the love and gratitude that he could not give to his loved one during his lifetime.