What you need to know about the Universal "meat-eating" parental Saturday. Parental Saturdays

This day has no fixed date. Every year it falls on Saturday, which precedes the Day of Remembrance of St. Dmitry Thessaloniki - November 8.

Originally Dmitrievskaya parent saturday was dedicated to commemorating dead soldiers, and later that day they began to commemorate all the deceased Orthodox Christians.

As on other parental Saturdays of the year, on this day believers commemorate their deceased parents and other relatives, leave "notes" for repose in churches and go to cemeteries.

Dmitrievskaya parental Saturday: what you need to do on this day

A special funeral service, or parastas, is served on Friday evening, on the eve of Dmitrievskaya Saturday, and on Saturday you can go to the temple and leave there notes "For the rest"... Usually in each temple you can find special forms on which you must legibly write the name of the deceased. The Church requires that all the names indicated in such notes belong to Orthodox Christians. As a rule, a small fee is charged for the remembrance of each name, but if a person does not have the opportunity to pay for the prayer, it is performed free of charge.

The church also accepts donations of food - bread, fruits, vegetables, sweets, etc. You can bring "Cahors", flour or oil for lamps, but meat products and alcoholic drinks cannot be brought to the temple.

Can pray in the temple for peace relatives. Light a candle and say a prayer like this:

"Rest, O Lord, the souls of Thy servants who have fallen asleep: my parents, relatives, benefactors (names) and all Orthodox Christians, forgive them all sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant them the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen."

After visiting the temple, it is advisable go to the cemetery and visit the graves of deceased relatives. It is advisable to clean them the day before, and on this day bring candles (lamps) and flowers. In some regions of Ukraine there is a tradition to bring "goodies" to the deceased - cookies, sweets or just bread - to the cemetery. They are usually left on the graves.

Arriving at the cemetery, light candles and read any prayer for peace. For example, this:

"Remember, O Lord our God, in the faith and hope of the eternal life of the deceased servant ( slave) Your ( name), and as a Good and Humanitarian, forgiving sins and iniquities, let go and forgive all his sins ( her) voluntary and involuntary, spare him ( her) from eternal torment and fiery hell, and grant him ( her) communion and enjoyment of Your eternal blessings, prepared for those who love You.

After all, although he sinned ( she), but did not retreat ( did not back down) from You, and without a doubt in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, God glorified in the Trinity, believed ( believed), and the Trinity of Consubstantial Orthodox, even to his last gasp, professed ( professed).

Be merciful to him ( To her), and faith in You instead of deeds of imputation, and with Your saints, as the Generous, rest: for there is no man who lives and does not sin. But you are the only sinless, and your righteousness is eternal, and you are the only God of mercies and generosity and love for mankind, and we glorify you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and forever and ever. Amen".

Sometimes, after visiting the cemetery, they arrange memorial dinners, to which everyone who knew the deceased is invited. Usually, for such dinners, dishes are prepared that the deceased loved.

Dmitrievskaya parental Saturday: what cannot be done on this day

You can't speak badly about the dead.

You cannot turn a commemoration at a cemetery into a feast. A candle and a prayer are enough.

Alms cannot be denied.

During the funeral dinners, the use of alcoholic beverages is prohibited. Allow only "Kahors" and only in symbolic doses.

It is considered inappropriate on this day to have fun, dance, have fun. But the church does not recommend going to the other extreme - indulging in sorrow, because Christians believe in the immortality of the soul.

Parental Saturdays are days of special commemoration of 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 set aside for the commemoration of deceased relatives, two more and the requiems performed at the same time are called ecumenical. Parental Saturdays are subject to observance certain rules that all believers should know about.

DEEP SENSE OF PARENTAL SATURDAY

Parents' Saturday is a special day in Orthodox calendar, when it is customary to remember loved ones who have passed away and make prayers to help them. First of all, the deceased parents, and then the rest of the people dear to their hearts. A respectful attitude towards parents in Christian families should be formed in a child in childhood.

Only in this case, an already matured person will have a correct and complete understanding of the fifth commandment “Honor thy father and thy mother,” which Father Augustine focuses on in his thematic sermon.

"Honor your father and mother, and you will be blessed on earth and longevity" - in this simple sentence there is a deep meaning and a key principle of successful life in earthly life, and after eternal life, both of an individual and of his entire family.

A true understanding of the meaning of honoring parents allows us to reveal parental Saturdays, of which there are seven in the calendar. Two of them are intended to commemorate and pray for all Christians, which means praying on the universal parental Sabbath.

What to do when parental Saturday comes? First of all, performing the actions taken on that day, visiting the grave of a loved one, or attending a service in the temple, open your heart and sincerely answer to yourself the questions: what is my true attitude towards the deceased, have I forgiven him in everything and what feelings do I really feel? The effectiveness of your prayer directly depends on your sincerity in these moments. This is the main answer to the frequently asked question of what to do on parental Saturday in church.

WHAT IS THE POWER OF FORMED PRAYER

Father Augustine says that a child is born from two parents, not only physically, but also in soul. As the physical body of a child at the genetic level is the bearer of the inclinations of two parents, so is his soul. That is why the connection within each clan is so strong, that is why it is so important to keep the memory of your ancestors and perform prayers to help them. In the church, the word “deceased” is understood as “asleep,” and visiting the grave of a loved one is a remembrance of the place of his last earthly refuge.

The soul itself is where there is no space and time. That is why it is so important to remember loved ones correctly on parental Saturdays: not only to visit the cemetery, but also to attend the service in the church to pray for the souls of relatives.

First of all, because it is in your power to help a dear and beloved person for you. If a person has crossed the line of life, it is no longer in his power to change fate and he desperately needs the prayerful support of his family members, a kind who are still on Earth.

Priest Nikolai Guleiko, in his answers to questions for the Internet publication "Orthodoxy and Peace", clarifies very important point: Is it necessary and how to ask for forgiveness from deceased relatives? It is necessary to ask for forgiveness during a person's life, and after his death in Orthodoxy it is customary only to pray for him.

In turn, the priest of the church in the name of St. Demetrius of Thessaloniki in Sulazhgor, Father Konstantin Savander reminds: “The Church prays for repose and forgiveness of the sins of the departed, hoping for the mercy of God. Although man was sinful and received God's reward after death, but when there is the last judgment over mankind, prayers for him will be remembered by God, and he can be pardoned. "

WHAT TO DO IN THE TEMPLE ON PARENTAL SATURDAY

Believers often ask priests a question: what to bring to church on parental Saturday and what other important actions need to be done in the church. Before the start of the service, you need to submit a note with the names of deceased relatives. Notes of the repose can be submitted on the days when the liturgy of John Chrysostom or Basil the Great is served. These are: Saturdays and Sundays, Annunciation Holy Mother of God, Thursday and Saturday at Holy Week.

After that, you can put candles for them on the funeral table, and then, listening to church chants, sincerely pray for the dead. You can use this short prayer: "Rest, O Lord, the soul of Your deceased servant (s) (name), and forgive him all his sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant him the Kingdom of Heaven."

In memory of loved ones, it is also customary to perform alms and do good deeds. Believers who do not have much money can donate food. On the days of Great Lent, which also falls on the parental Saturday, lenten foods and Cahors are brought to the temple. It is customary to leave them on a special table, which stands either in front of or at the funeral table. Read more about the rules of Lent in the Fasting Calendar section.

Please note that it is not accepted to bring strong alcoholic drinks, for example, vodka or cognac, as a donation.

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

How to spend the rest of the day on parenting Saturday and can I clean up? Archpriest Alexander Ilyashenko answers this question for the Internet publication "Orthodoxy and the World" as follows: the ban on cleaning the house on this day is nothing more than superstition, the day, of course, must start with a visit to the temple, prayers, visit a cemetery, and after if necessary, you can do your usual household chores.

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

For the period of Lent in 2017, the following parental Saturdays fall:

March 11 - Parental ecumenical Saturday of the second week of Great Lent
March 18 - Parental Ecumenical Saturday of the third week of Great Lent
March 25 - Parental Universal Saturday of the fourth week of Great Lent.

The tradition of commemorating the dead on Saturday is Christian. Therefore, further we will talk about parental Saturdays in a Christian way. The closest parental Saturday is March 2, 2019. From the article you will learn how to spend the day correctly and what you absolutely need to do.

As well as traditions and customs on the day of parental Saturday. These days in Orthodox churches there are special services of commemoration of dead Orthodox Christians - services on which some of the rites of patrimonial cleansing are built. In addition, according to tradition, on such days people visit the graves of their relatives.

What is parental Saturday in Orthodoxy

Two main Ecumenical Saturdays, when it is customary to commemorate all Christians who were baptized: Meat and Trinity. They are necessarily accompanied by important divine services - ecumenical or general requiems. There are other six parental Saturdays: Radonitsa, Dimitrievskaya, Commemoration of the departed soldiers and the 2nd, 3rd and 4th weeks of Great Lent.

To understand what Meat Parental Saturday means, it should be said that meat is prohibited on this day, and it was named parental because of the need to remember close relatives, in the list of which parents are in the first place.

According to Orthodox rules, these days it is allowed to pray for people who died a natural death, were killed and even disappeared and were not buried. The Ecumenical Meat Passenger Saturday is an ancient holiday when all the dead Orthodox Christians who suffered for their faith in the Lord are remembered. It is believed that the living have a chance to help the dead with their prayers.

It is important to understand what parental Saturday is and what needs to be done and what is not, since this day is very important for every Orthodox believer. In addition, many signs of ancient traditions are associated with it.

Many are interested in why the departed are remembered on Saturday, and not on another day, and so, according to the Gospel, on this day of the week Jesus Christ was laid in the tomb and mourned.

Why are "parental Saturdays" called parenting?

Moreover, some of the Saturdays have a special status. They are called parental Saturdays.

Parental because our first responsibility is to remember those who gave us life - our parents and other ancestors. To remember the deceased relatives, friends, acquaintances.

On these special Saturdays, we pray for all who died in the hope of resurrection and eternal life.

How many parental Saturdays in the year

The calendar of the Russian Orthodox Church has seven days of special commemoration of the departed. All but one (May 9 - Commemoration of the departed soldiers) have a rolling date.

Parental Saturdays in 2019:

March 2 - Meat Saturday (Ecumenical Parental Saturday)
March 23 - Saturday of the 2nd week of Great Lent
March 30 - Saturday of the 3rd week of Great Lent
April 6 - Saturday of the 4th week of Great Lent
May 7 - Radonitsa
May 9 - Commemoration of the departed warriors
June 15 - Saturday Trinity
November 2 - Saturday Dimitrievskaya.

Parental Saturdays of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Weeks of Great Lent 2019

During the weekdays of Great Lent, the usual Liturgy is not performed unless there is a big holiday. Consequently, the main liturgical commemoration of the dead is also performed less frequently. In order not to deprive the dead of prayer representation about them

The church has established three special days for prayer for them during Great Lent. These are Saturdays of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th weeks of fasting. The fact of the opportunity to be personally at the Liturgy and pray for the departed is important here.

That is, it is not easy to submit a note of repose or order a magpie to commemorate in the church for forty days or forty Liturgies. Or not ask someone to pray for their loved ones. But there is an opportunity to personally take part in prayer.

What to do on parental Saturday

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

What you need to do - come to the evening on Friday, in the morning - to the Liturgy, take part in the funeral service, you can bring lean food to the temple, and only then go to the cemetery, look after the grave, pay attention to the burial place of loved ones. But not instead of a temple - just to the grave. Services and candles in church will help your dead more than just visiting the cemetery, and even worse - arranging drunkenness on the graves, than you will further harm your loved ones who have died, instead of helping them.

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

"Rest, O Lord, the soul of your deceased servant (s) (name), and forgive him all his sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant him the Kingdom of Heaven"

And remember: the Lord asks of us only one thing - love. Love for the Lord, and hence the love for neighbors that follows. Then there will be no thoughts of condemnation, no pride, no resentment, no insults.

If you love a person - do you believe him, are affectionate with him, always want to be near and help? Here, everything follows from here. And good deeds - the Lord always rejoices when our hearts are not hard and merciful, and no matter what we do good for any of the people, we do for Him.

How to remember parental Saturday

More and more often commemoration for modern people turn into a feast where people enjoy treats and talk on different topics, but in fact, in Orthodox traditions, it is necessary to pray at the memorial table.

Before you sit down at the table, it is customary to perform the litiya, or, as a last resort, you should read the prayer "Living help" and "Our Father". Great Parent's Saturday is a time to visit church service and pray, remembering those close to you. You cannot commemorate the dead with wine, since this drink is a symbol of earthly joy.

How to remember the dead at home

In every prayer book, you can find prayer for the dead, it is an integral part of the home prayer rule. Also, the departed can be remembered by reading the Psalter.

Every day Christians read one kathisma from the Psalter. And in one of the chapters, we commemorate our relatives (relatives), friends, who have departed to the Lord.

How to behave in a cemetery on parental Saturday

Arriving at the cemetery, one must light a candle, perform a litiya (this word literally means intensified prayer. Orthodox prayer book for the laity ").

Then clean up the grave or just be silent, remember the deceased.

There is no need to eat or drink in the cemetery, it is especially unacceptable to pour vodka into the grave mound - this insults the memory of the dead. The custom to leave a glass of vodka and a piece of bread on the grave “for the deceased” is a relic of paganism and should not be observed in Orthodox families.

There is no need to leave food on the grave, it is better to give it to the beggar or the hungry.

Is it right to leave sweets, cigarettes in the cemetery (if the deceased was a smoker) or even glasses of alcohol

Some people think that if the deceased smoked during his lifetime, then after his death you need to bring cigarettes to the grave, then, following this logic, if a person liked to drive a car, then you need to drive a car to the cemetery.

What else did you love? Dance - let's dance at the grave. Thus, we return to paganism, then there was a funeral ceremony (rite), which just did not happen there. We must understand that if a person had some kind of earthly attachment, it remains on earth, but this does not exist in eternal life.

Of course, it is inappropriate to put cigarettes or glasses of alcohol. You can leave sweets or cookies, but not on the grave, but on a table or bench, so that a person comes and remembers this person. And to scold, for example, children in that. that they collect sweets is not worth it - they are put in for that, to remember.

The grave must be kept clean, and nothing needs to be put on the grave itself.

In the absence of a person, the birds sit there and shit, and it turns out that the grave is well-groomed, the fence is painted, and the birds or dogs disturb the order - they throw candy wrappers, etc.
The best way out: Give candy and sweets to those in need as alms.

Funeral commemoration on parental Saturday

On the eve of parental Saturday, that is, on Friday evening, the great funeral service is served in Orthodox charmas, which is also called the Greek word "parastas". On Saturday morning itself, the funeral Divine Liturgy is served, followed by a general requiem.

For the parastas or for the funeral Divine Liturgy, you can submit notes of the repose with the names of the dead who are close to your heart. And on this day, according to the old church tradition, parishioners bring food to the church - "for the canon" (or "on the eve"). These are lean products, wine (Cahors) for the celebration of the liturgy.

Folk omens on parental Saturday

Many superstitions are associated with this day, which have been formed over the years. Believe in them or not, the decision of each person.

Many omens and superstitions on parental Saturday are associated with a feast, so on this day, after the evening meal, you cannot remove anything from the table and wash the dishes, since it is believed that deceased relatives will come to eat at night.

On this day, it was customary to bake pancakes, and the first one was necessarily placed separately for the deceased. If the first pancake fell on the floor during frying, then before picking it up, it is necessary to read the guardian prayer. V otherwise death may occur.
Marriage on this day foretells trouble.

Finding out what parental Saturday is and what needs to be done, it should be mentioned that the weather conditions on this day were used to judge what spring would be like. If the weather is clear, then the spring will be fine too. When there was thunder, they listened to the first rumbles, so if they were from the north side, it means that the spring will be cold, and if from the east, then warm and dry.

According to old traditions and beliefs, precipitation must fall on Parent's Day. If it rains, there will be a rich harvest and a stable year. At that moment, people ran out into the street and washed themselves with rainwater. This foreshadowed happiness and health.

What to do in the temple on Parent's Saturday

These are: Saturdays and Sundays, the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos, Thursday and Saturday at Holy Week.

After that, you can put candles for them on the funeral table, and then, listening to church chants, sincerely pray for the dead. You can use the following short prayer: "Lord, rest the soul of your deceased servant (s) (name), and forgive him all his sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant him the Kingdom of Heaven."

Please note that it is not accepted to bring strong alcoholic drinks, for example, vodka or cognac, as a donation.

How to spend the rest of the day on parenting Saturday and can you clean up

Archpriest Alexander Ilyashenko answers this question for the Internet publication "Orthodoxy and the World" as follows: the ban on cleaning the house on this day is nothing more than superstition, the day, of course, must start with a visit to the temple, prayers, visit a cemetery, and after if necessary, you can do your usual household chores.

What not to do on parental Saturday

Many of the prohibitions concerning this day are fictitious. Although there is a widespread opinion that on this day you can clean up and work, the main thing is to first visit the church and read prayers, and the rest of the time can be spent as you see fit. There are other prohibitions regarding this day:

Parents' Saturday implies compulsory attendance at church and there many begin to commemorate people by having snacks and drinking alcohol. The Church considers these traditions to be pagan and prohibits them.

You cannot leave alcohol on the grave of deceased relatives, especially if they often drank during their lifetime, since this can only aggravate the situation of his soul.
Understanding what the Universal parental Saturday is, what needs to be done on this day, and what is prohibited, it is worth pointing out that you should not be sad, quarreling, swearing and speaking badly about the deceased.
You can't organize lavish banquets and cook a lot of dishes. Only lean dishes should be on the table.

Prayer for any deceased

Remember, O Lord our God, in the faith and hope of the belly of Your eternal reposed servant, our brother (name), as Good and Humanitarian, forgive sins and consume unrighteousness, weaken, forgive and forgive all his free and involuntary sins, relieve him of eternal torment and fire of hell, and grant him the sacrament and pleasure of Thy eternal good, prepared by those who love Thee: even if you sin, but do not depart from You, and beyond doubt in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the God of Thee in the Trinity is glorified, faith, and the One in the Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is Orthodox even to the last gasp of confession.

Even so, be merciful to that, and faith even in Thee instead of deeds of imputation, and with Thy saints, as Generous, rest: there is no man, who will live and not sin. But Thou art One besides all sin, and Thy truth, the truth forever, and Thou art the One God of mercies and mercy, and love for mankind, and we glorify Thee, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.

Video: Parental Saturdays - days of special commemoration of the departed

Parental Saturdays are days of special commemoration of 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 set aside for the commemoration of deceased relatives, two more and the requiems performed at the same time are called ecumenical. Parental Saturdays involve the observance of certain rules that all believers should be aware of.

The deeper meaning of parental Saturday

Please note that it is not accepted to bring strong alcoholic drinks, for example, vodka or cognac, as a donation.

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

March 23 - Parental Ecumenical Saturday of the second week of Great Lent
March 30 - Parental Ecumenical Saturday of the third week of Great Lent
April 6 - Parental Universal Saturday of the fourth week of Great Lent.

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

Orthodox traditions give great place and attention to the manifestation of the memory of the deceased. The Church Charter defines special days when the dead are commemorated in a special way. Many are interested in how to correctly perform the rituals associated with these dates, what cannot be done on parental Saturdays, and what is allowed, how to remember the deceased correctly.

What is parental Saturday in Orthodoxy

Despite its name, parental Saturday is not meant to be remembered only for your deceased ancestors. This term, rather, goes back to the concept of "the human race": the Holy Church believes that the main meaning of memorial days is the spiritual unification of all Orthodox Christians, both deceased and living.

In the Orthodox calendar there are several special days of commemoration of the dead. The most revered of them are those that precede important religious holidays: Maslenitsa and Trinity. They are part of the liturgical circle and are associated with the celebration of Easter, which does not fall on a specific date. Therefore, the dates of these parental Saturdays also change from year to year.

Memorial days in 2019: table

Among all these dates, the Ecumenical (great parental) Saturdays are distinguished: Meat (a week before Lent) and Trinity, when Orthodox Church in general, all baptized Christians are commemorated in prayer.

On these Saturdays, special services are performed in churches - ecumenical requiems.

Separately, it should be said about such a memorial day as Radonitsa, the first general church commemoration of the deceased after Easter. Celebrate it on the 9th day after Christ's Sunday, so it always falls on Tuesday, not Saturday. However, Radonitsa is considered one of the most significant days of remembrance in Orthodoxy.

What not to do on memorial days

Parental Saturdays are special days emotional state, manifested in prayers for the bright repose of the souls of the deceased, caring and grateful memories of the departed loved ones.

You can't quarrel, violently sort things out, make trouble.
Excessive grief is also not approved: church canons recommend moderately expressing grief for the departed.
In addition, it is impossible to refuse any help to people in need on commemoration days.

The main thing: respects the memory of the dead

There is a belief that on parental Saturdays, you cannot pay attention to your own appearance: dye your hair, do a haircut, manicure or nail extension, spa treatments. In fact, the church charter does not express any prohibitions or blessings on this matter. Both for churched people and for atheists there is their own measure of their actions: how appropriate they are, are necessary in memorial days as consistent with Christian commandments.

Many folk traditions closely related to religious canons, in modern conditions have lost their original meaning, as, for example, the ban on work on parent's day. Any work is pleasing to God, and if the dwelling needs cleaning or the land needs watering, the Church is not prohibited from doing these things. The most important thing is that they do not contradict the main content of the parental Saturday - the manifestations of respect for the deceased, the memory of them.

What needs to be done

The main events of the parent's Saturday are a visit to the temple and the cemetery.

According to the Orthodox church canon, they come to church twice - on the eve of the memorial day and in the morning on parental Saturday. On Friday, an evening service takes place, including the departure of the Great Panikhida and the reading of Parastas (Vigil for the dead). In the morning of the next day, Divine Liturgy and a general requiem are held in the church. Parishioners should come to the church in advance, before the start of the service, in order to have time to submit a note of repose indicating the names of loved ones given to them at baptism.

According to established traditions, people do not go to church without offerings - donations for the needs of the parish and to help the poor - which are placed on a specially set table for this. As a rule, these are products: their set is determined depending on the content of the holiday and the current post. If parental Saturday is celebrated in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th week of Great Lent, don’t donate fast food - eggs, dairy and meat products, pastries. On other memorial days, they are appropriate, as well as sweets, fruits, Cahors wine, which is then used for the liturgy. At the end of the service at the exit from the church, it will not be superfluous to distribute alms to those in need: such a gesture of mercy meets one of the most important dogmas of Christianity, which calls for helping others.

Helping those in need in the heart of every Christian

After visiting the temple, they usually immediately go to the cemetery, although many clergymen are unanimous in the opinion that it is more desirable than necessary to go to the resting places. It is recommended to do basic cleaning on the graves of loved ones by the parents' Saturday, so that on the memorial day you can limit yourself to a small amount of work: wipe the tombstone, replace wilted flowers, remove weeds. The main purpose of coming to the cemetery is to light and put at the head of the grave the consecrated candles or lamps brought with them, to pray for the deceased, to say kind, sincere words about them. If possible, you can invite a priest to perform a litiya, a short memorial service.

It is allowed to commemorate the dead near the grave by sipping a little wine and eating it with a modest amount of food. It is categorically condemned by the Church and insults the memory of the deceased when the commemoration at the cemetery becomes a wide feast with an abundant libation of alcohol. It is best to leave some of the food and sweets brought with you to the cemetery on the tables set up by the graves, and distribute the rest to those begging for alms.

The main commemoration is held at home, in the family circle. Traditionally, it is customary to start a meal with a prayer, which is especially important for those who, for some reason, could not attend a church service. An empty plate and a glass must be placed on the table, symbolizing the invisible presence of the deceased. You need to behave with dignity: not to show excessive grief, but also not to have noisy conversations. Best Tribute to a loved one- remember him good deeds in earthly life, and how he was especially dear to his relatives.

The Dmitrievsk parental Saturday and related traditions are described in the proposed video

Dmitrievskaya parental Saturday and related traditions (video)

Although external manifestations of the memory of the deceased are an important ritual component of parental Saturdays, the main meaning of these days is bright prayers and lofty thoughts of believers.