V church calendar in 2018 there were many Orthodox memorial days. Tomorrow, November 3, will be the last parental Saturday - Dmitrievskaya. On this day, they read prayers for the dead and bring notes with their names to the church so that the priest mentions them during the liturgy.
In 2018, there are eight parental Saturdays in total:
The last memorial day will take place on November 3
All Orthodox are called by the Church to be in close union with the living and the dead, to pray for them on memorial days, to lighten their souls with their prayers. On parental Saturday, it is customary to commemorate not only parents, but also acquaintances, dead soldiers, killed.
Tomorrow, November 3, will be Dmitrievskaya parental Saturday. According to official version, installed it to commemorate the soldiers who died in the Battle of Kulikovo. The initiator was Prince Dmitry Donskoy (therefore Saturday Dmitrievskaya), and the priests supported him.
What do they do in the church on this memorial day
Orthodox need to visit the church tonight, on the eve of the memorial day. There will be a great memorial service, parastas. Troparia with stichera and hymns will be dedicated to all the departed. On Saturday, the morning Divine Liturgy for the dead will begin, followed by a general requiem service.
You need to take notes with the names of deceased relatives and relatives to the church. You need to write them in capital block letters, decline in the genitive case. After the service, the Orthodox go to the graves to clean, commemorate a loved one. At home in a close family circle, you can arrange a memorial meal.
On parental Saturdays, one should not abuse alcohol, have fun, arrange noisy feasts, sing and dance. It is forbidden to talk badly about a dead person.
Gifts are also brought to the church - food, vegetables, Cahors. They are left on a special table. They will then be distributed to those in need. It’s not worth leaving anything on the graves: it’s better to distribute sweets and other treats to those in need so that they also remember their loved ones.
Prayers for the dead on memorial days
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.
The Lord our God, let us remember the deceased servant of the earth (name), who passed away his soul to Heaven. I ask you to forgive him for all the sinful deeds that he did, for we repent and for his soul in prayers we ask You, God, for Your mercy. Give him deliverance from suffering and torment, grant him a better life. Do not let him go from you, may his soul forever be next to You. May his soul be illumined by the light of heaven. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Forever and ever. Amen.
Our Father, Lord, we pray to You! In Heaven, my child (name) is next to you. Please give him care and comfort. Do not leave him alone, take away all his earthly sorrows and torments. By Your will You gave me a child and in the same way You took him to Your Kingdom! So illumine him with your love and care! Cleanse his soul from despondency, for now he is forever with you. You are our King, our Creator, only by Your will we walk the sinful earth, and we all give our souls to Heaven. But until my time has come, take care of my child, as of all your children, for only You are able to give us consolation. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lord, hear our prayers for the parents who left this earth and went to Your Kingdom, where there is eternal life. Only You can comfort our sorrowful souls. I ask you to forgive all the sins of the departed and give him a life of joy and happiness in Heaven. I cry and pray for the soul of God's servant (name) with faith and hope for consolation. Do not leave me alone in mourning sadness, help me survive the loss. Forgive him of all sins, let his soul rest in peace and gain eternal life. I will pray for him and glorify your name our Lord! For you are our Father, and only you know when it will strike last hour ours on earth to take our souls to the Kingdom of Heaven after. May we find eternity by your side. Forever and ever. Amen.
Parental Saturday in November is called Demetrius Parental Saturday, it is closest to the day of veneration of the memory of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica. In November 2018, it is celebrated on the 3rd day. In churches on this day, as is customary on parental Saturdays, the clergy will perform a funeral Liturgy and a memorial service.
On Friday evening they will serve the Great Panikhida, called Parastas. In Greek it means "to intercede". Thus it is explained what parental Saturdays mean for a believer.
On parental Saturday in November 2018, the dead Christians are commemorated
Going to another world, a person loses the opportunity to change his mind, correct his mistake and repent for his sin. But all this can be done for them by living people and for this, turn to the Lord with a prayer - ask Him to be merciful to the deceased and forgive all his sins.
On parental Saturday, Orthodox believers remember the Orthodox Christians who have gone to another world, commemorate their parents. They visit the graves of deceased relatives and perform requiems there.
Orthodox priests hold a special commemoration on five parental Saturdays:
- before Lent (2 weeks before). This parental Saturday is called the universal Meat-Feast;
- before the Holy Trinity (49 days after Easter). This parental Saturday is called the universal Trinity;
- second Saturday for Great Lent;
- fourth Saturday for Great Lent.
Parental Saturday in November 2018 is historically associated with the Battle of Kulikovo
Commemoration of the dead on Saturdays before November 8 - the day of veneration of the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica, is associated with bloodshed during the Battle of Kulikovo. This event coincided with Christmas Holy Mother of God(1380). At first, it was decided to honor only the memory of those killed in the battle on the Kulikovo field, but over time, Demetrius Saturday was made the day of commemoration of absolutely all the deceased Orthodox Christians.
On Parents' Saturday in November 2018 there are some restrictions for believers
On parental Dimitriev Saturday, in no case should you speak badly about the deceased, and even more so scold them. It is supposed to say only all the good things about them, otherwise the soul of the deceased will be angry. According to church canons, it is impossible to drink alcohol as a commemoration. Remembering the dead, no one laughs and sings songs.
Memorial Saturday for parents is not exactly a mourning event, but it is a memory of loved ones who are no longer in our world, and it would be completely immoral to have fun at the same time. On parental Saturday, those who have gone to another world are commemorated in a special way - they pray and thereby provide an invaluable service to the deceased - they save their souls. For parental Saturdays, there are a number of unwritten rules that any believer should be aware of.
On November 3, on Dimitri's parental Saturday, you should visit the temple, defend the memorial service to the Lord, a memorial service, light candles, and pray. On this day, any help to a poor person or someone who is in trouble will be a good deed. In Russia, Dimitriev Saturday is considered the day of replacing autumn with winter, so by this day they are trying to finally curtail all work in the yard and on the field and be ready for frost.
Parental Saturday in November 2018 has its own signs and traditions
One of the traditions of Dimitri's parental Saturday is to visit the bathhouse. Single guys and girls don’t get married until the end of the year if they made it to this day. A popular sign says that a cold snowy day on Demetrius - by late and cold spring. If the day turned out to be warm, then the spring will be early and warm.
It has long been a custom to cook kutya at home on parental Saturdays, and all household members should begin their memorial meal with kutya. It is a sweet porridge made from whole wheat grains and seasoned with honey, raisins and nuts.
Dmitrievskaya parental Saturday in 2018 is celebrated on November 3 - this is the day of universal commemoration of the dead, when Orthodox churches hold memorial liturgies and memorial services. Dmitriev's parental Saturday in the church calendar does not have a fixed date - the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates it on Saturday, before the memorial day of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica (November 8). Dmitrievskaya is the last parental Saturday of the year, when the dead Orthodox Christians are commemorated in churches in a special way.
The history of the emergence of Dmitrievskaya Saturday, the day of commemoration of the dead on November 3, 2018
This day, as the legend tells, was established by Dmitry Donskoy more than six centuries ago to honor the memory of the soldiers who died during the famous Battle of Kulikovo. On the Kulikovo field in September 1380, many Russian soldiers were killed.
Prince Dmitry, having won a victory at such a high price, dismissed the surviving soldiers home, and he himself went to the Trinity-Sergius Monastery to honor the memory of the heroes who died in the battle.
Reverend Sergius of Radonezh, having blessed the prince for the battle with the infidels and sent two monks with the Donskoy, served a memorial service for the fallen soldiers. The dead monks - Andrei Oslyabya and Alexander Peresvet were buried in the Old Simonov Monastery near the walls of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
In the Battle of Kulikovo as a whole, more than 100 thousand soldiers died for the Fatherland - along with the joy of victory, their families suffered the bitterness of loss. Since then, this private parental day has become, in fact, a universal day of remembrance in Russia.
The tradition to annually make such a commemoration before the day of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica has developed over time. In Russia, the name of this Saint has always been associated with a military feat, patriotism and the defense of the Fatherland.
Prince Donskoy venerated the Holy Great Martyr Demetrius - on the eve of the Battle of Kulikovo, he solemnly transferred to Moscow the icon of Thessalonica from Vladimir, written on the board of the tomb of the Saint - the main shrine of the Vladimir Dmitrievsky Cathedral. Saint Demetrius was depicted on icons as a warrior in feathered armor, with a spear and a sword in his hands. Russian soldiers believed that they were always under his special protection.
Church Traditions of the Day of Remembrance of the Dead
On Dmitriev Saturday, according to tradition, panikhidas and funeral liturgies are held in churches - special prayers are offered for the departed. To commemorate the deceased parents on this day should be in the church - according to tradition, the flock gives the priest notes with the names of deceased relatives, and also prays for the repose of their souls in the afterlife.
On Dmitriev Saturday, according to tradition, refreshments for the poor are brought to the temple. The treat is consecrated during the service, and later distributed to everyone. On the Day of Remembrance of the Dead, according to tradition, alms are given to the poor with a request to pray for the dead.
Orthodox, on the day of remembrance of the dead, according to tradition, visit the cemetery, clean the graves and read prayers for the repose of the souls of deceased relatives. Those who could not visit the temple or cemetery can pray at home for the deceased relatives.
According to church canons, a great memorial service is held on the eve of Dmitriev Saturday, so you need to come to the temple on Friday evening to pray for the repose of the soul. And on Saturday morning, a funeral liturgy is held, after which a common memorial service is served.
Dmitrievskaya parental Saturday has long been considered the day of transition from autumn to winter. Therefore, people tried to finish all the things left after the Feast of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, which is celebrated on October 14, and to meet the severe frosts fully armed.
Festive feast on the Day of Remembrance of the Dead on Dmitriev Saturday November 3, 2018
The hostesses, according to custom, did a general cleaning, cleaned both the house and the yard and the barn. The whole family, according to tradition, washed before Dmitrievskaya parental Saturday. After that, a broom and water were left for the deceased relatives.
Dinner on Dmitrievskaya parental Saturday, according to custom, was special and different from other memorial days.
The dead began to be commemorated on Friday, and the table was necessarily covered with a new white tablecloth. Housewives, according to tradition, tried to cook a lot of meat dishes - roast, jelly, and so on, but the stuffed pork head remained the main one. According to custom, special funeral food was also served on the table - kutya, pies, pancakes and other dishes that the deceased loved.
On Dmitrievskaya parental Saturday, funeral pies occupied special place. According to tradition, a huge amount of pastries, oblong in shape, with a variety of fillings - with cabbage, cottage cheese, meat, and so on, were served on the table.
According to custom, candles were placed on the table both on Friday and Saturday - in this way people gave a sign to the dead that they were remembered. According to tradition, the whole family gathered together on Dmitriev Saturday, since in ancient times people believed that the dead visit their homes these days.
The customs of the day of remembrance of the dead on Dmitrievskaya Saturday on November 3, 2018
Different Slavic peoples The last memorial day of the year was called differently. So, in Belarus and Ukraine, the name of the Friday commemoration was “grandfathers”, on Saturday “women” were arranged - even more modest and lean. Accordingly, the entire Dimitrievskaya parental week was called grandfather's.
A curious custom existed among the inhabitants of the Vyatka province. On Dimitrievsky Saturday, the villagers slaughtered a hen, a mother hen, who gave her owners three broods of chickens in her life. The meat of this bird was used to prepare dishes that were part of the meal, which was organized for widows.
Today, the traditions and customs of Dimitri's parental Saturday have changed radically. On this day, they now go to the temple, where they order and defend funeral services, including memorial services. Together with other parishioners in the church, Orthodox Christians pray for the repose of the souls of deceased relatives and friends, but above all, parents, if they are no longer alive.
Food is brought to the temples so that they can prepare a memorial meal and arrange charity dinners. Also, traditionally, people visit cemeteries on Dimitriev's Parental Saturday. There, on the graves of the deceased loved ones, they pray, cry, talk with the dead, some, according to the ancient custom, leave food on the grave.
Parental Saturdays are of great importance in the life of Orthodox believers. These days are intended to commemorate the dead and cleanse the soul.
In the Orthodox calendar for 2018 you will find all the main holidays that are celebrated by the Russian Orthodox Church. Parental Saturdays, marked in it, are a way to honor the memory of the forefathers who gave us life, as well as all those who died for the Orthodox faith.
Not every Parents Saturday falls on the sixth day of the week. Those that "fall" on the Sabbath days are usually called Ecumenical.
Ecumenical Parental Saturdays in 2018
Opens the list Meatless Saturday, which will be celebrated February 10. On this day, all relatives who have completed their earthly journey are commemorated. For the living, this holiday is a reminder of the mortal life that must be spent cultivating an immortal soul in purity and good intentions.
Trinity Parents Saturday will pass before church holiday Holy Trinity, and its date - 26 of May. On the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of the Lord, all the dead are commemorated without exception, including those who passed away voluntarily or went missing.
Parental Saturdays of Great Lent
These Saturdays are distinguished by the fact that after the festive church liturgy, the faithful remain for a memorial service, in which their deceased relatives are mentioned. The priests are given notes in advance with the names of those for whose souls they want to pray.
First Saturday will take place during the second week of Great Lent, and its date is March, 3rd.
Second Saturday marked in the 2018 church calendar 10th of March, and its time is the third week of fasting.
Third Saturday will take place March 17. It is final and takes place during the fourth week of fasting.
Private parenting days in 2018
Such days exist only in the practice of the Russian Church, and at this time you have the opportunity to pray for the souls of people who have found peace in Heaven.
May 9 at the solemn liturgy, the Russian people bow their heads in reverence for the fallen soldiers who gave their lives during the Great Patriotic War. Tears of joy interspersed with universal sorrow for the millions of the fallen, who showed exceptional valor and courage.
April 17 Radonitsa is celebrated, which follows exactly on the ninth day after Easter.
11 September serve a memorial service for Orthodox soldiers who laid down their heads during the battle for the Faith, the Tsar and the Fatherland.
the 3rd of November comes Dimitriev parental Saturday. She refers us to the exploits of Dmitry Thessalonica, who died a great martyr.
These Orthodox holidays show us the meaning human life. During church services, everyone understands that worldly life is short and can end at any moment, while the immortal soul will continue to exist and will be responsible for all our deeds.
Pray to the Higher Powers to help you avoid hardships and problems on life path. Take time daily for spiritual development, which not only cleanses the soul, but also attracts good things to life. We wish you health and happiness, and do not forget to press the buttons and
04.01.2018 01:07
Orthodox Christians know a lot about the miraculous properties of prayers. Remembering the deceased, they help to cleanse his soul...
The teaching of the Orthodox Church about the soul says that death is not the end of earthly life, but only a transition to another world. With God, everyone is alive - that is why the Church constantly prays not only for its living members, but also for all the deceased. To show how important the role of memorial prayers is, we list the main points of their presence in worship:
1) prayers for repose are performed in the Church daily(at the liturgy, during memorial services);
2) according to the church charter, each of the seven days of the week is dedicated to a specific event and has its own characteristics of worship. Saturday is dedicated to the memory of the saints and all deceased Christians;
3) private commemoration of the dead is performed on the 3rd, 9th and 40th days after death, as well as on the anniversary. Every year memorial services for relatives are ordered for a name day or on the birthday of the deceased;
4) the days of general church commemoration are called parent Saturdays. Two of the six parent Saturdays (Myasopustnaya and Trinity) are called ecumenical, as they are completely devoted to prayer for the deceased at all times and have an exceptional liturgical order.
During the year, the number of funeral prayers varies from the smallest to pre-holiday and holidays to the greatest extent on the ecumenical parental Saturdays, which almost entirely consist of prayers for the dead.
What are Parents' Saturdays?
The days of special commemoration in the Orthodox Church are called Parental Saturdays. This name is explained by the fact that on these days Christians pray for the repose of their parents (this word should be understood more broadly - grandfathers, great-grandfathers and all ancestors of their kind (grandparents)), as well as all the deceased Orthodox Christians. People these days visit cemeteries, take care of graves, order requiem services in temples, or perform divine services over graves on their own - in a secular rite (reading lithium).
Universal Parent Saturdays
The Saturdays before Maslenitsa and the Spiritual Day (Pentecost) are the days when all Orthodox Christians are called to intense prayer for the departed members of the Church—familiar and unfamiliar, far and near.
Meatless Saturday precedes the Week (Sunday), in which the Church remembers the Last Judgment and prays purely for all the dead. This commemoration of all the dead Orthodox people in general speaks of the unity of the Church, whose body consists of the souls of not only the living, but also the dead, united in Christ.
Trinity Saturday is associated with the descent of the Holy Spirit on the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Christ. This event is one of the key to understanding the doctrine of salvation. The Holy Spirit that descended on the apostles is for all mankind a testimony of the presence of God next to people, a promise of salvation. It is believed that the Apostolic Church was formed on the day of Pentecost.
The rite of worship of the two ecumenical Saturdays is composed in a special, exceptional way: some prayers said on this day are not present in any other services. If the memory of the saints falls on this day, then it is transferred to the next day. If a patronal or twelfth feast falls, the funeral service is performed in a separate part of the church - the tomb, or passes to the previous Saturday or Thursday.
It should be noted that, first of all, during the ecumenical Saturdays, all Orthodox Christians who have died from the century are commemorated, and already in the second place, directly our relatives. However, in order to enable people to pray more personally and zealously for their relatives, in addition to commemoration at Matins and Vespers, a great memorial service is also performed. What is the difference between these memorials? If Matins and Vespers are performed according to an exceptional order specially drawn up for these two days and is comprehensive, then during the memorial service, prayers are said that are more general in content and are also used in other circumstances (for example, the canon from ordinary Saturday funeral services). Another important difference is that in the morning the commemoration is performed without specifying specific names, but for all "forefathers, father and brothers ...", and at the memorial service it takes place according to church synodics and personal commemoration books.
Saturdays of Great Lent
Deliberate (special) commemoration of the dead is also performed on Saturdays of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th weeks of Great Lent. These Sabbaths are a kind of replenishment of the fact that there is practically no liturgical commemoration during Lent. The listed Saturdays are also called parent Saturdays, but their rites are not of such a special nature as in the case of Trinity and Meat-Feast Saturdays, therefore the parental Saturdays of Great Lent are not called ecumenical.
Another difference is that on ecumenical Saturdays, the commemoration of all the dead in all the ages of human existence comes to the fore, and on Lenten Saturdays the main role still given to prayers for deceased relatives (performed during matins and vespers). A separate ecumenical memorial service is not served on this day. Parental Saturdays of Great Lent are also distinguished from ecumenical ones by the fact that the glorification of the saints is not canceled on these days, and if Saturday coincides with the Annunciation, a patronal feast or a polyeleos, then the funeral service is not transferred to another day, but simply omitted.
Private parenting days
Some days of commemoration are found only in the practice of the Russian Orthodox Church. These include Demetrius Saturday, Radonitsa, May 9 (the memory of those who died in the Great Patriotic war) and September 11 (the day of memory of Orthodox soldiers, established by decree of Empress Catherine II, is performed irregularly).
Dimitrievskaya Saturday
According to legend, this day was approved by the Right-Believing Prince Dimitry Donskoy on Saturday before the day of memory of his patron saint, the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica (October 26) - in the year of the Battle of Kulikovo (1380). Then the prince ordered for the first time to serve a funeral service in the monastery of St. Sergius of Radonezh in memory of the soldiers who fell on the Kulikovo field.
Over time, the connection of this day with its historical origin has weakened, and today Dimitrievskaya Saturday is a memorial parental Saturday, without a particular correlation with the events of 700 years ago.
Radonitsa
Radonitsa is perhaps the most famous (even in non-church circles) day of commemoration of the dead. On this day, a state holiday is always declared so that all people (both believers and secular) have the opportunity to visit their native graves.
The date of the Radonitsa is a rolling one - depending on the date of Easter. Most often, it is scheduled for Tuesday (if it does not coincide with important holidays) of St. Thomas Week (the second week after Easter).
The establishment of such a special day of remembrance is associated with Great Lent. The fact is that during Lenten weeks very often a deliberate commemoration of the dead (which is always performed on the 3rd, 9th and 40th days) cannot be performed due to the peculiarities of the Lenten liturgical charter. Therefore, by the end of Lent, a lot of unserved requiems accumulate, which are transferred to the first day, when you can perform a full liturgy and memorial service. Such a day is Radonitsa.
Since Radonitsa always coincides with the afterfeast, there are no special prayers for the dead on this day either at the liturgy, or at matins and vespers. Memorial prayers are present only at Midnight Office, and a great memorial service is also served after Vespers.
Superstitions related to death and commemoration
Surprisingly, but true: in the world of victorious science, where people often question all world religions, the so-called folk omens or superstition.
The etymology of the word "superstition" speaks for itself: vain faith, faith in something empty, non-existent.
Since death for any person is a topic surrounded by many secrets and questions, the same number of various superstitions are attracted to it, like a magnet. Thus, numerous prejudices associated with the organization of commemorations are very common. Often a real feast is arranged for the deceased with a large number of various dishes and alcohol. However, church people should understand that the commemoration is organized mainly in order to show mercy to the people who were present at the funeral service. The living need food, but the soul of the deceased needs prayers.
Absolutely meaningless and all the signs associated directly with the funeral meal. Some especially superstitious people believe that wake food should not be taken home because it "possesses negative energy." This statement is an unfounded superstition. The food was prepared in order to feed people, and if it remains, it can and should be distributed.
A lot of superstitions are associated with the preparation for the funeral. Often one has to observe how mirrors are hung in the house (so as not to accidentally see the dead person in them), the chairs on which the coffin stood are turned over (so that the living do not sit on them) and many similar things. As believing Christians, we must in every possible way eradicate such pagan prejudices in the surrounding society, explain to people the complete senselessness of such actions.
Absurd and at the same time ineradicable is the tradition of bringing food or sweets to the cemetery, as well as leaving a glass of vodka “for the dead”. Is it worth talking about all the absurdity of such customs? The soul, which no longer has a material shell, does not need anything material, including food. To honor the memory of our loved ones, we can take care of their graves, keeping them clean and tidy. We can bring flowers and wreaths to the cemetery. But the most important thing we can do is to minister over the grave of a lithium, to ask the Lord to remember the deceased.
There is no place for magic in Christianity. The purpose of the Christian life is to purify one's own soul. The purpose of his death is to unite with God in the Kingdom of Heaven. Unlike everyday superstitions and prejudices, every religious action has a lofty goal. We must firmly remember this and distinguish one from the other.
