Parents' Saturday: when it comes, where to go, what to say and do. Ecumenical Parents' Saturday - what to do and how to properly remember deceased relatives

In order not to be mistaken about the date of memorial days for Orthodox Christians in 2018, it is best to check the information with the church calendar. Another name for them is parental Saturdays. However, Memorial Day does not only fall on weekends. Many of them occur on weekdays.

Why Saturday

The name “Parents' Saturday” is directly related to the date on which Christians commemorate the dead in the Orthodox calendar. In 2018, there are ten such days, and they are tied to specific significant dates. The most important of them is Radonitsa, which comes after Easter. This holiday has remained since pagan times. Previously, on Memorial Day, people turned to the memory of their family, remembering their ancestors. Hence the old name “Rodonitsa”.

With the advent of Christianity, Radonitsa acquired a different meaning. From now on, this day is tied to the celebration of Easter, reminiscent of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Therefore, when visiting the dead in a cemetery, every believer should rejoice, since their relatives and friends are destined for eternal life in paradise. For this reason, the name of the memorial day has changed and now takes its root from the word “joy.”

Memorial days are called Parental Saturdays because of the Jewish roots of the faith. In Hebrew, the name of the day off is translated as “peace and tranquility.” Every week for a day, Jews cancel their activities in order to devote themselves to spiritual development. And in Orthodoxy, memorial days began to be established on Saturdays so that the laity would have the opportunity to visit their loved ones who had found peace.

In addition, in the Orthodox branch of Christianity, the word “Ecumenical” is added to the name of certain parental Saturdays. It means that on this day it is customary for all believers to cancel their work and spend several hours with the whole world to pray for the peace of all those who have gone to another world.

Commemoration calendar

In 2018, each believer can independently choose what date to visit the cemetery. Memorial days in the Orthodox calendar are located as follows:

February 10. Ecumenical Meat Saturday is celebrated before the beginning of the week dedicated to the Last Judgment and the Second Coming of Christ. In this regard, before the symbolic resurrection, the laity must visit all the deceased in the cemetery.

March 3, 10, 17. Parents' Saturdays coincide with the weeks of Lent. This is done so that the dead can also join in the celebration of the miracle of the Resurrection of Christ, even while in heaven.

14th of April. Radonitsa is celebrated as a memorial day that comes after Orthodox Easter.

26 of May. On the day before the great feast of the Holy Trinity, another Ecumenical Parents' Saturday begins. This memorial day has been celebrated since the dawn of Christianity, recalling the future Kingdom of God, preceding the Apostolic Fast.

June 2, August 11, November 22. Before the Petrov, Uspensky and Nativity fasts, one is supposed to visit the cemetery, remembering the dead.

the 3rd of November. Demetrius Saturday or Archangel's stranglehold is not considered an official funeral day. However, lay people visit the cemetery on this day.

How to remember correctly

People have become accustomed to the established procedure for visiting the cemetery, which has become a tradition. On Parents' Saturdays, it is customary not only to clean up graves. Typically, people place a glass of alcoholic drink and a treat, which is later picked up by birds and poor people. Lay people prefer to remember the dead while sitting at a table generously stocked with food and alcohol. After such a “commemoration”, the Sabbath ends for a person with a restless sleep in a state of severe intoxication.

We have all heard this expression - “parents' Saturday” more than once. Of course, the name itself seems to indicate that it should be somehow connected with parents or the older generation. But is it? And what should you do on this day?

To begin with, the main thing is that there is not just one parent’s Saturday a year, there are several of them. The first one is today February 10. However, first things first.

First, let’s talk about why Saturday was chosen for commemoration. This tradition dates back to biblical times, when this day was considered a day of rest. And peace is the best state for prayer and remembrance of those who are no longer with us.

The first and closest parental Saturday to us is called Meat-eating universal Parent's Saturday– it falls two weeks before Lent. This year, we repeat, February 10.

Then, before Trinity, on the 49th day after Easter, it precedes the beginning of the Apostolic Lent Trinity Ecumenical Parents' Saturday (May 26). Please note that both of these Saturdays, Meat Saturday and Trinity Saturday, are ecumenical. On such days, ecumenical memorial services are served in churches, and during the day they commemorate all deceased Orthodox Christians without exception.

During Great Lent (2nd, 3rd, 4th Saturdays, that is, this year, March 3, March 10 And March 17) these days are specially set for commemoration, since at this time the traditional daily commemorations of the deceased are canceled.

There are also so-called Saturdays of Small Fasts- This last Saturdays before the Nativity (November 28 - January 6), Petrovsky, or Apostolic (June 4 - July 11) and Assumption (August 14 - August 27) fasts. On these days, commemoration of the dead is also carried out traditionally.

In addition, commemoration of the deceased is performed on Dimitrievskaya (November 3), Intercession and Mikhailovskaya Saturdays, although this period is not marked as a funeral period. These are the so-called Private parent days.

The departed are remembered on Radonitsa. In 2018 it falls on April 17. Please note - this is Tuesday. Radonitsa comes nine days after Easter. On Radonitsa it is also supposed to visit the graves of relatives and put them in order.

On the nearest Parents' Saturday, February 10, we traditionally visit churches and cemeteries. Moreover, the first is more important than the second. On this day, with the most sincere, brightest words, they pray for departed loved ones, asking for the peace of their souls in the next world. It is necessary to order special commemorations.

At the end of the service, which must be defended to the end, you need, if possible, to distribute alms to those who are in need, to whom you can help in some way. This is how they remember those who, according to church rules, are not remembered - including those who were not baptized and those who died voluntarily. When visiting the grave of deceased relatives, it is necessary to put it in order and pray.

According to tradition, on Ecumenical Parental Saturday, kutya, a dish made from honey and wheat, was placed on the table. Now, for obvious reasons, rice is used instead of wheat, which is cooked with the addition of honey and raisins. It is not difficult to prepare kutya according to the rules:

1. Wash the rice before cooking, cook the cereal until tender without pre-soaking. The grains of rice should be soft but crumbly.

2. Boil syrup from honey and sugar, add to rice (to taste).

3. Steam the dried fruits, dry them, cut them into small pieces and mix with rice.

4. Place the prepared kutya in a small bowl into a bowl. The top of the kutya can be decorated with nuts or raisins. Sometimes raisins are mixed inside, this is not forbidden. If you decide so, first fry the raisins with honey or sugar in butter in a frying pan.

But extra tears are not welcome on this day. Bright memory, the best memories and kind words addressed to the departed are the best memory of them.

As for the implementation of other rules, most of which are simply traditional, it is believed that on this day you can do household chores, but not overwork, you should help as many people as possible. But it’s not worth organizing a “wake” in the sense of a feast, and even with alcohol. As a last resort, it is permissible to drink a little wine, but strong drinks are prohibited.

TO THE POINT

Another day of remembrance is the seventh Thursday after Easter, the so-called Semik. Commemorating those who went to Semik is a purely folk tradition. On this day, those who died voluntarily and unbaptized are also remembered. Semik falls on May 24 this year.

In the hearts of loved ones and relatives, the deceased always remain alive - to the same extent they are alive for God. Commemoration, which must be carried out on certain days, allows you to pay tribute to the deceased, ask for forgiveness of their souls - and simply remember the good things that were associated with them during life.

Dear site visitors, you will find memorial days for 2019 in the new article: Parents' Saturdays 2019

Parental Saturdays in Orthodoxy

The commemoration of the dead in Christianity is carried out on days specially designated for this - parental Saturdays. These days are associated with the reading of prayers and holding services specifically for the deceased. Funeral services are held on these days by every church. Parents' days change from year to year in terms of dates; you should find out about them in advance.

Orthodox calendar with memorial dates for 2018

According to the Orthodox calendar, for 2018 these dates will be as follows. Ecumenical parental Saturdays, of which there are nine in total, are celebrated with an ecumenical memorial service; these days are suitable for commemorating each of the Christians who have died at any time. The most important days of remembrance are considered to be the following:

Correct behavior on funeral days

Reverence for ancestors and deceased loved ones is an integral part of every person’s emotional experience, and commemoration is usually carried out sincerely. But it is worth knowing that this matter has its own rules that must be followed in order to avoid mistakes that will cause outright harm.

All the canons of the day on which you decide to hold the commemoration must be fully complied with. For each of the memorial days there are private, own traditions, but there is also a general set of rules, norms of behavior for an Orthodox person who remembers his loved ones on parent’s day.

So, on this day you should visit the temple and pray, light a candle for the repose, you should also give alms, help those in need by giving them funeral products. It’s worth going to the cemetery, if possible, leaving gifts in the form of baked goods or sweets on the graves, and doing the cleaning. If conditions permit, cleaning the cemetery and decorating the grave on one of these days will be very helpful.

But at the same time, Orthodox commemoration excludes alcohol. Drinking alcohol is sinful, and it makes no sense to combine a known sin with the remembrance of loved ones; in addition, it is immoral. You cannot turn a funeral meal into a drinking binge. Foul language in the cemetery is also prohibited; those commemorating must be in a bright, calm state of mind, nothing should interfere with quiet reverence. Crying and grief are not an obligatory component of commemoration; bright memories and memories of pleasant moments associated with the deceased are the best atmosphere for commemoration, because despondency is also a sin.

Sayings and signs on Parents' Saturdays

There are a number of signs and sayings associated with memorial days, and they all carry a certain folk wisdom. You can find a lot of correct words, what are the words worth? “While your parents are alive, honor them, but when they are dead, remember them.”. Popular sayings teach us to remember the deceased with kindness, and not with evil, to say goodbye to the deceased and let them go.

As for signs, there are even more of them.

• On Trinity Saturday Freshly cut aspen was brought into the house - it was believed that if its leaves did not lose their green color overnight, then there would be no dead people in the house for a year. The black leaves in the morning indicated the opposite.
• On Dmitrievskaya Saturday observed the weather - it is believed that if this day is warm, with a thaw, then spring will be early, and if on the contrary, then spring will be delayed. Until this day, it was believed that winter had not yet come, the weather had not settled. It is also believed that rivers should freeze on this day.
• After the funeral meal, nothing can be removed from the table; everything is left overnight as is. Pancakes baked on this day are also associated with some signs - the first of them should be intended for the deceased, and if it fell on the floor, it was necessary to read a prayer for protection, since this could promise death in the family. A wedding on parent's Saturday is also a very bad omen.
• On any of your parents’ Saturdays you can go to the cemetery to remember the deceased, and Christian tradition prohibits leaving alcohol on the graves; it is believed that this can only aggravate the suffering of the soul, especially if during life the person was distinguished by such an addiction. Too lavish funerals with an abundance of food, frequent snacks on this day and alcohol consumption are also not welcome.

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

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

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

1. Ecumenical parental Meat Saturday is celebrated on March 2.
2. During Lent, there are three parental Saturdays at once - in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th weeks (i.e. March 23, 30 and April 6).
3. And then there is a break associated with the celebration of Easter. The next day is Radonitsa (often called the parent day), which falls on May 7, 2019.
4. Then they remember all the fallen who fought for their Motherland during the Great Patriotic War, i.e. 9th May.
5. After this, the deceased are commemorated on Trinity Saturday - June 15.
6. Then they salute all the fallen soldiers for the Tsar and the Fatherland on September 11th.
7. The last parent's Saturday is celebrated on November 2, 2019 (it is called Dmitrievskaya).

The dates of these days are closely related to the most important church events (Lent, Easter and feast). Therefore, all dates are transitional - they change from year to year. The only exception is Memorial Day on May 9, which for obvious reasons is celebrated only on this date.

What is it - parents' Saturday

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

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

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

Special days of remembrance

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

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

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

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

Private parent days

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

• Russian;
• Bulgarian;
• and Serbian.

These days include:

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

Saturdays of Lesser Fasts

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

• Rozhdestvensky;
• Petrova;
• Uspensky.

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

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

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

In Christianity there are certain days of remembrance of the dead, they are called Parental Saturdays. For what reason these days were named so, no one knows for sure. There are several versions of the origin of the name, the first says that on the day when deceased people are remembered, a person first of all remembers those closest to him.

If parents are no longer alive, then naturally they are the first to be remembered. The second theory says that when a Christian goes to another world, that is, dies, he returns to his forefathers. In other words, after death on Earth, he meets with his deceased father and mother, grandfathers and grandmothers. Saturday was chosen for a reason; it has always been considered the busiest among the other days of the week.

What date is Parents' Day in 2018, 5 Parent's Saturdays

There are 5 Parental Saturdays in the Orthodox Church. Meat-free universal Parental Saturday, on this day Orthodox believers ask God for mercy to all departed Christians. Trinity Ecumenical Parental Saturday - before the day of the Holy Trinity, on the 49th day after Easter.

Private parents' day, this Saturday, according to Christian tradition, deceased parents are remembered in the Russian, Bulgarian and Serbian Orthodox churches. Similar days include Mikhailovskaya, Dmitrievskaya and Intercession Saturdays.

Parental 2nd, 3rd, 4th Saturdays during Great Lent exist in order not to deprive the deceased of prayers for their repose throughout Great Lent, since during this period, according to Christian regulations, the usual commemorations of the deceased are canceled.

What date is Parents' Day in 2018, exact dates

According to Christian customs, the graves of deceased relatives must be kept in order and cleanliness. This is a sign of respect. But leaving food and alcoholic drinks on graves is not permissible. In Orthodoxy, such actions are considered desecration of the souls of deceased Christians. It is recommended to give food to the poor or distribute it with a request to commemorate a certain person who is no longer alive.

Dates for Parents' Saturdays in 2018:

In Orthodoxy, it is customary to show concern for the souls of deceased loved ones. This phenomenon is an integral part of Christianity as a whole, since this religion is one of the spiritual teachings that preach life after death and, in general, spiritual immortality.

It is also known that in Christianity there is a ban on commemorating deceased suicides. This means that they are not buried as those who died against their will, and also church ministers do not have the right to perform memorial prayers for them. With the blessing of a clergyman, relatives of suicides can pray for them on their own.