Commemoration of the dead of the year. Parents' Saturday. Ecumenical Parents' Saturdays

Our readers ask When are Parents' Saturdays in 2016?. There are special days when it is customary to remember deceased relatives according to the Orthodox Church custom. These special days are called parental Saturdays, however, the dates of these days do not always fall on a Saturday.

In addition to parental Saturdays, deceased relatives are commemorated on the day of their birth and death, the day of the angel (the saint in whose honor a person was baptized).

Parents' Saturdays 2016 fall on certain numbers. These days, funeral services are held in churches, during which every believer can pray for the repose of the souls of their loved ones.

Throughout the year there are 9 special memorial days, among which 6 fall on Saturdays. These days are called “Universal Parental Saturdays.”

Please note that these days may be different each year as

These dates are tied to the celebration of Easter.

>> June 16 - Semik (7th Thursday after Easter), when before Trinity Day they commemorate those who died a violent death, as well as drowned people and suicides, children who died unbaptized;

>> September 11, Sunday - Parents' Day in honor of the remembrance of Orthodox soldiers who died on the battlefield;

Orthodox Christians commemorate those who have passed on to another world 7 times a year. These days are called memorial or parental Saturdays. You can remember those who have not been with you for a long time on any other days. However, these seven days are considered a special time when you can help your loved ones cleanse themselves by praying for them sincerely and with love. Orthodox parental Saturdays in 2016 fall mainly in February-March, and only one of them is celebrated in November.

Parents' days are called because all the deceased are considered to have gone to their parents and ancestors. Therefore, they remember all those who have passed away, but first of all, those closest to them.

There are two separate “ecumenical” Saturdays, when all Christians who have left this world are remembered, and on Orthodox churches Funeral services are underway. Most dates for parental Saturdays change from year to year and are associated with major holidays, this will be discussed below. Three Saturdays fall during the spring period, or more precisely during Easter Lent. On these memorial days, it is imperative to pray for those who are no longer alive in order to alleviate their sins and beg God to be merciful to their souls.

Parents' Saturdays calendar for 2016

March 5 – Meat-eating. This day precedes the start of the Maslenitsa festivities.
March 26 is the second week of Lent.
April 2 is the third week of Lent.
April 9 is the fourth week of Lent.
May 9 - Commemoration of warriors (fixed date).
May 10 - Radonitsa. 9th day after Easter. It falls on Tuesday, not Saturday, but within its meaning it belongs to the general cycle of memorial days.
June 18 – Trinity Saturday - the eve of the holiday.
November 5 is Dimitrievskaya Saturday, preceding the day of the martyr Dmitry Solonsky.

On each of the parents' Saturdays, memorial services are held in the church, i.e. services for the repose, at which parishioners pray that souls will rest, and that the Lord will be merciful to them, forgiving their sins. For this purpose, special prayer texts are read. On Meat Saturday, they especially try to remember those who left this world unexpectedly and were left without a proper burial according to Christian traditions.

Trinity and Parents' Saturday

One of the memorial days falls on the Saturday before the Orthodox Trinity. As you can see, most parental Saturdays are associated with major Christian holidays. This memorial service differs from others in that you can even pray for sinners - criminals, suicides, etc. The holiday of Trinity symbolizes the descent of the Holy Spirit to earth so that all souls without exception are saved. It is believed that the conciliar prayer on this day for the dead has excessive power. During the service, the 17th kathisma is read, and prayers ask for peace for souls and merciful forgiveness for deceased relatives.

Radonitsa and parents' Saturday

Radonitsa is the name given to the day that falls on Tuesday (after Thomas Week). On this holiday, people remember Christ's descent into hell, the Resurrection and his victory over death. Radonitsa is associated directly with the triumph of life over death. It is customary to visit cemeteries; the resurrection of Christ is glorified at the graves.

Demetrius Memorial Saturday is named after the martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica and falls on the Saturday preceding November 8. Initially, on Dimitrievskaya Saturday, only those who died in the Battle of Kulikovo were commemorated, but over the years the tradition changed and they began to commemorate all those who died.

On the eve of the funeral Saturday, on Friday evening, great memorial services, also called “parastas”, are held in churches. On Saturday morning there are funeral liturgies, followed by general funeral services. You can submit notes to the funeral service with the names of deceased relatives or other close people, about their repose. It is also customary to bring food to temples “on the canon” (eve). This is a lean food, and Cahors is allowed from wines.

What you can and cannot do on Orthodox Parents' Saturday

On any of the parent's Saturdays in 2016, it is recommended to go to an Orthodox church and sincerely pray for the granting of peace to the souls of the departed; as they say, everyone is alive for God! It is also good, in accordance with the ancient tradition, to bring food to the temple for remembrance. Previously, parishioners made a table at which they gathered together and remembered everyone - both their own and strangers. Now they simply bring food, and the ministers distribute food for remembrance to people in need. The church also advises submitting notes indicating the names of deceased loved ones for church mention in prayers.

Even if you didn’t manage to visit church on Orthodox Memorial Saturday, pray with an open heart at home. This will cleanse your heart of filth and ease the lot of the deceased, because they are no longer able to stand up for themselves, but you can help them find peace and grace. If you don’t know what to read, open Kathisma 17 (or Psalm 118), a funeral prayer for relatives, friends, and all Orthodox Christians.

It is believed that on parental Saturdays one should not clean, do laundry, or wash in the gardens. In most cases, these are superstitions that are not confirmed by the church: if business does not prevent you from visiting the temple and praying, then you can do it. For example, the warning about washing these days has been around for a long time. When, to carry out a simple procedure, as it seems to us now, we had to spend the whole day working: chopping wood, heating a bathhouse, applying water, it turned out that there was no time left for prayers and visiting the temple.

You can visit the graves and clean them up. First of all, responsibility for the condition of the tombstones lies with children whose parents have passed away. They simply have to make sure that parenting days do not go unnoticed in the whirlpool of daily hassle. When memorial days fall during the period of fasting, one should not commemorate with fasting foods, breaking the fast. Make do with dishes made from those foods that are allowed to be eaten these days.

You cannot grieve beyond measure these days: remembering does not mean being sad. After all, according to Christian beliefs, the soul is immortal, which means it simply passed into a world unknown to us. If a person led a righteous life, then his soul arrives in an eternal state of love, harmony, joy, the so-called paradise. If a person, on the contrary, has committed sinful acts, his soul languishes in a worse world and experiences endless torment.

A person can influence this fate only during his lifetime; after death, only a prayer read with extraordinary faith and love can save him from torment. Who, if not close people, can perform this prayer? That is why it is necessary to devote each of the parental Saturdays to prayer words spoken with a pure heart. Many are mistaken when they interpret remembrance as the need to drink a glass of alcohol in a cemetery - with such an act you will not ease the fate of the departed.

Don’t forget to remember your parents according to the Christian tradition so that their souls will become brighter!

Orthodox Christians in their prayers remember deceased loved ones and relatives, give alms for them, do good deeds, light candles in the church, etc. This is how we remember our dead, which greatly helps them in their eternal life and brings relief. In addition to ordinary days, there are special parental Saturdays for this purpose - on which days in 2016, and how to commemorate, we will tell you in more detail.

They are waiting there for our help!

I remember reading somewhere a long time ago a story about how a Komsomol girl was still in Soviet times, buried her father, a year later her mother, and was left alone, she had no one. She lived in a communal apartment with two older women who looked after her in their own way. And then somehow they noticed that for several days the girl came, locked herself in her room, came out crying, worried, but did not tell them anything. They were already worried about her condition, everyone was wondering what was wrong with the girl, when suddenly she came cheerful, happy and told what happened.

So she had a dream several times that she saw her parents in heaven, such a big beautiful garden, there was a big table laden with all kinds of food, everyone was sitting, eating, drinking, and her parents were standing, hunched over, to the side, and no one came to the table doesn't invite. She asks: mommy, daddy, why aren’t you at the table? And they sadly said to her: “And there is no our share there...

The girl woke up, cried, worried, then, she says, she spat on the Komsomol, atheism and rushed to her father. He asked her: when their parents died, did they confess, take communion, have a funeral service, were prayers read for them?

The girl sadly nodded her head negatively to all questions... As a result of the conversation with the priest, she lit candles for her parents, ordered magpies, gave out what she could, alms for them, and did other good deeds at the instigation of the priest. And, oh happiness, after some time she had a dream that her parents, happy and contented, were sitting with everyone and told her: “Thank you, daughter, now everything is fine with us here!”

That’s how parents’ Saturdays are for the whole church to remember the dead and make their eternal life easier for them, because they themselves can’t do anything. Only here, during earthly life, can we take care of ourselves, of our eternity, and then - only through the prayers of our loved ones can we receive help.

What is Parents' Saturday and how many are there in total?

The church has allocated 7 days a year for parental Saturdays, on which it is customary for the entire Orthodox world to pray diligently, as they say, and to remember their departed ones. In churches on special days these days, prayers and memorial services are served, people come to light candles for their loved ones, give notes, bring food to the temple, thus distributing alms, and remembering their deceased relatives. Parental Saturdays were named because people first of all commemorated their parents, and then with them all the other deceased.

Of the 7 parental Saturdays, there are 2 Ecumenical days, on which all baptized Christians born from eternity are remembered - these are Meat Day and Trinity Day. The first is a week before Easter, the second is on the eve of Trinity.
There are 5 more private parental ones - three of them - during Great Lent in the 2nd, 3rd and 5th weeks, then Radonitsa, on May 9 the fallen defenders of the Motherland are remembered and Dimitrievskaya Saturday.

Parents' Saturdays in 2016

• March 5, 2016 – Ecumenical Meat and Eating Saturday;
• March 26 private parent;
• April 2 – private;
• April 9 – private;
• May 9 - commemoration of fallen soldiers;
• May 10, 2016 - Radonitsa;
• June 18, 2016 - Trinity Ecumenical;
• November 5, 2016 - Dmitrievskaya memorial.

During Great Lent, funeral commemorations are not accepted, as on ordinary days; 3 Saturdays are allocated for them in the second, third, and fourth week.
One of them is Radonitsa, the most beloved among Christians. On this Saturday, people have been going to the cemetery since ancient times and bringing the joyful news to their dead (from the word joy - Radonitsa) that Christ has risen and given to everyone eternal life. This is the second week after Easter.
Dimitrievskaya Saturday is also revered by many people; it is the last parental Saturday of the year, the final one, so to speak.

What to do on Parents' Saturday

On Friday evening in churches there is a “parastas”, that is, a great requiem service, and on Saturday morning there is also a requiem service at the end of the Divine Liturgy.

What do we have to do- come to the evening service on Friday, in the morning - to the Liturgy, take part in the memorial service, you can bring Lenten products to the temple, and only then go to the cemetery, take care of the grave, pay attention to the burial place of your loved ones. But not instead of the temple - straight to the grave. Your dead will be helped more by a service and candles in church than by simply visiting a cemetery, and even worse, by organizing drinking parties at graves, which will cause you to harm your loved ones who have died even more, instead of helping them.

When you pray for the departed at home, in church, when you light candles on the eve, read the following prayer:

“Rest, O Lord, the soul of Your departed servant (name), and forgive him all his sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant him the Kingdom of Heaven.”

And remember: The Lord asks only one thing from us - love. Love for the Lord, and hence the resulting love for neighbors. Then there will be no thoughts of condemnation, no pride, no insults, no insults. If you love a person, do you trust him, are affectionate with him, do you always want to be there and help? This is where everything flows from. And good deeds - the Lord always rejoices when our heart is not callous and merciful, and whatever good we do for any of the people - we do for Him.

God bless everyone!

R.b.Olga

Discussion: 8 comments

yes, this is probably all really very important, thank you for such a detailed story about parental Saturdays, but many now do not know at all what it is, why and how to conduct them correctly.

Answer

How was the girl not scared??? Here's a counter question. Was it impossible to believe under the Komsomol? Why didn't the parents have a funeral service?

Answer

1. Under Soviet rule, when we were Komsomol members, party members, it was impossible, of course - everyone had to be atheists, you could be kicked out of the party for such things! we remember, my daughter was secretly baptized at home, she called the priest from another city, because all the Komsomol members were communists... Those were the times...

   Answer

   1. At one time I was also secretly baptized, they went to another city so that my parents wouldn’t be informed about work. But as far back as I can remember, parents’ Saturday has always been revered, even when there was Soviet power.

      Answer

Parents' days are memorial days for deceased ancestors. In the calendar of the Orthodox Church, each day is dedicated to a specific event. According to church Orthodox custom, it is customary to remember one’s deceased relatives on certain days of the year. These days are called parent's days or parent's Saturdays, although these dates do not always fall on Saturday.

People consider parenting days to be the most important days. Radonitsa, Trinity Saturday and Dimitrovskaya, but there are also Ecumenical memorial days. In addition, it is necessary to honor the memory of departed relatives on their birthday and on the day of death. Many people remember the deceased on the day of his angel (the saint in whose honor he was baptized).

As for parental Saturdays 2016, they are scheduled for certain days when general liturgies (funeral services) are read in churches, and every believer can join this prayer, remembering their relatives. During the year there are 9 such special memorial days, 6 of them always fall on Saturdays, they are called " ". Once we honor the memory of the deceased on Tuesday on Radonitsa, and May 9 and September 11 are reserved for commemorating deceased soldiers and can fall on any day of the week.

Health is commemorated for those who have Christian names, and repose is remembered only for those baptized in the Orthodox Church. Notes can be submitted at the liturgy:

To the Proskomedia- the first part of the liturgy, when for each name indicated in the note, particles are taken out of special prosphoras, which are subsequently dipped into the Blood of Christ with a prayer for the forgiveness of sins

First, March 5th will come universal meatless Saturday. Then, March 26th, comes second Saturday of Lent. The next parent's day falls on April 2. Saturday of the fourth week of Lent will come in a week, April 9.

May 9th will come day of remembrance of all those killed during the Second World War. June 16, the seventh Thursday after Easter, there will be a day of remembrance for suicides, unbaptized and those killed by violent death. In 2 days, June 18th will be Trinity Parents' Saturday. 11 September - day of remembrance of soldiers killed in war. November 5 - Dmitrievskaya parent's Saturday.

Ecumenical Parents' Saturdays

Ecumenical parental Saturdays, or Ecumenical memorial services, according to the liturgical charter of the Orthodox Church, are celebrated twice a year:

Meat Saturday - March 5th will be a memorial day,

which is called Ecumenical Meat Saturday

This is the most ancient and solemn memorial day. Its history dates back to the early centuries of Christianity and should remind believers primarily of the Day of Judgment. According to church tradition, the first Christians gathered in cemeteries and prayed for their fellow believers, especially for those who died suddenly and therefore did not receive a decent burial.

The meaning of the ritual is to maximally prepare the souls of all believers for a new, afterlife and a meeting with God, not forgetting about the souls who have left the earthly world. On Meat Saturday, people who have died from Adam to our time are remembered. IN folk beliefs the motive of preparation for the upcoming renewal can also be traced - only here we mean the renewal of nature and the transition to spring; It is no coincidence that Saturday precedes the merry Maslenitsa.

In Belarus and the western regions of Russia, Meatless Parental Saturday is a kind of meeting of all representatives of the family, both current and former. When the table is set, you can see the number of cutlery exceeding the number of those present: this is how deceased relatives are treated. On this holiday, alms are given in the name of the salvation of all Christian souls.

The indefatigable Psalter is read not only about health, but also about peace. Since ancient times, ordering commemoration on the Everlasting Psalter has been considered a great alms for a departed soul. It is also good to order the Indestructible Psalter for yourself; you will feel the support.

And one more the most important moment, but far from the least important. There is eternal remembrance on the Indestructible Psalter. It seems expensive, but the result is more than millions of times more than the money spent. If this is not possible, then you can order for a shorter period. It's also good to read for yourself.

Trinity Saturday- the memorial day falls on June 18,

which is called Trinity Saturday

An equally significant day for special commemoration of the dead in Orthodoxy is Trinity Saturday. According to legend, on the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Christ, the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles and they received the gift of teaching people the Word of God.

The day symbolizes the complete cleansing of the soul by the Holy Spirit, the transition to the highest level of perfection and the introduction to universal knowledge. On Trinity Saturday, absolutely all the dead are commemorated, including those in hell.

It is considered a bad sign if you fail to visit the graves of your relatives on Trinity Sunday: then they will come to the house and begin to disturb the living. To appease the dead, sweets or remnants of a funeral dinner are left at the cemetery. There are many folk legends associated with Trinity Saturday.

Girls are not allowed to do any housework. A Trinity wedding is an extremely ominous sign; People believe that marriage will be unhappy. Superstitions advise not to swim, because mermaids frolic on Trinity Sunday and can entice the living into their kingdom.

Parents' Saturdays during Lent

Parents' Saturdays, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Saturdays of Lent

On March 26 will be a memorial day - it will be the second ecumenical Saturday of Great Lent.

On April 2 will be a memorial day - this will be the third ecumenical Saturday of Great Lent.

On April 9 will be a memorial day - this will be the fourth parental Saturday of Great Lent.

The meaning of Lenten memorial days is a manifestation of care and love for the souls of deceased loved ones. During the most important fast for Orthodox Christians, divine liturgies are not held - it turns out that souls remain forgotten. Due respect is given if believers go to church and read prayers for people dear to their hearts, so that the Lord does not leave them without his mercy. It is advisable to read a prayer for the departed and at home.

We must remember that such prayer brings God’s grace to the Christian himself. In the whirlwind of everyday routine and everyday trifles, the kindest feelings seem to be overwritten; We begin to treat those we truly love with condescension, and sometimes with disdain. It’s a pity that the realization of the importance of every word or moment comes too late, and then many forget the deceased.

Regardless of whether a person considers himself a Christian or not, he must accustom himself to grateful respect and memory - this is part of his upbringing and moral culture. Therefore, parental Saturdays are, first of all, days of deep respect for each other.

Private parent days

Radonitsa, the ninth day after Easter, is a significant day for Eastern Slavs, in which Christianity and ancient folk customs are closely intertwined. The word "Radonitsa" has the same root as the word "rejoice". According to church interpretation, the celebration reflected the idea of ​​the complete victory of Jesus Christ over death; It was on the ninth day after his Resurrection that the Savior descended to the dead and announced to them the good news of his Resurrection.

The commemoration of the dead at this time bears the imprint of solemnity: when visiting cemeteries, one should not indulge in noisy festivities, and the deceased should be remembered in silence. Often buried in graves Easter eggs and in a similar way they share Christ with loved ones.

In the Chernigov region, it is customary to leave crumbs in the hope that the ancestors will appear, feast on them and bring news. There is a sign on Radonitsa: whoever calls out to the rain first will be luckier. From Radonitsa, funeral services begin in Orthodox churches.

Day of Remembrance of Orthodox Soldiers, for the Faith, the Tsar and the Fatherland

The commemoration of Orthodox warriors on this day was established in Russian Orthodox Church by decree of Empress Catherine II in 1769 during the Russian-Turkish War (1768-1774). On this day we remember the Beheading of John the Baptist, who suffered for the truth.

Compared to other memorial days and parental Saturdays, this day seems the most poignant and tragic. The celebration is associated with the biblical legend of Herod. During the celebration, King Herod, delighted with the dance of his stepdaughter Salome, vowed to publicly give her everything she wanted.

At the instigation of her mother, the treacherous Herodias, Salome asked for the head of the prophet John the Baptist on a golden platter. The king, fearing universal condemnation, complied with the request. Since then, the holiday has become the embodiment of courage and perseverance in the fight for faith and a just cause.

In 1769, when Russia was at war with Poland and Turkey, the church included it in the Charter as the Day of Remembrance of soldiers killed in battle, so that the feat of compatriots would remain for centuries. On the holiday it is necessary to strictly fast; It is forbidden to even eat fish. It is believed that if you eat nothing but bread, you can make a wish at night.

There is a superstition that on September 11 you should not pick up sharp objects, as well as anything that somehow resembles a head. However, superstition contradicts the commandments of the official church.

This type of commemoration of the dead can be ordered at any hour - there are no restrictions on this either. During Great Lent, when the full liturgy is celebrated much less frequently, a number of churches practice commemoration in this way - in the altar, during the entire fast, all the names in the notes are read and, if the liturgy is served, then parts are taken out. You just need to remember that people baptized in the Orthodox faith can participate in these commemorations, just as in the notes submitted to the proskomedia, it is allowed to include the names of only baptized deceased.

Dmitrievskaya Saturday is another day associated with the special commemoration of deceased soldiers. The appearance of the celebration refers to the victory over Mamai's horde in the Battle of Kulikovo. According to legend, Dmitry Donskoy asked Sergius of Radonezh himself for a blessing for the battle. The Tatar-Mongol yoke was defeated, native land managed to save it from desecration, but it came at a very bloody price: about 100,000 soldiers died. The army also included two monks: Peresvet and Oslyabya.

Starting from the 19th century, the holiday was strictly observed in all military units: a special memorial service was served on Dmitrievskaya Saturday. They prepare for Dmitrievskaya Saturday in advance: a day before the celebration, it is customary to go to the bathhouse and wash, and after leaving, leave a towel for the ancestors.

It is customary not only to visit graves, as on all other Saturdays, but also to celebrate a magnificent funeral feast there. On holiday, the whole family gathers at the table. Popular wisdom states: the more magnificent the table, the happier the forefathers will be, and the happier the forefathers, the better and calmer the survivors will be. One of the dishes must be pork. It is important to remember only good things about the deceased and to have someone from the youngest generation present during the conversation. There is a sign that if there is snow and cold on Dmitrievskaya Saturday, then spring will also be cold.

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