Last parent's Saturday in October. Parents' Saturday

We invariably show a desire to pay honor to deceased relatives and friends. It is so important to pay tribute to their memory and respect. This helps maintain the connection between generations and is a prerequisite for spiritual life. Very little is required of us - to know when these days will be celebrated, only in this case can we adequately prepare for them.

What is Radonitsa?

Called Radonitsa or sometimes Radunitsa, this day is one of the special holidays set aside by the church to honor the dead. Such special days (there are 8 of them in a year) are celebrated on Saturdays, which is where their name comes from - “parental Saturdays”.

However, Radonitsa stands apart in the series of these memorable days, since for the most part it almost always falls on a Tuesday. The peculiarity of this most important parent's day of the year is not only that it is celebrated on Tuesday, but also that in terms of its significance it ranks first among all memorial days.

There is no exact date assigned to Radonitsa; every year the time of this day changes depending on when Easter is celebrated. You just need to count 9 days from the Light Christ's Sunday and we actually get exact date Radonitsy. That is, in other words, this is the first Tuesday after Krasnaya Gorka (Fomina Sunday). Thus, the date of parent's day in 2017 falls on April 25.

Memorial days

In order to be able to timely honor the memory of deceased relatives and friends, taking care of their souls by reading prayers and visiting the cemetery in order to maintain order at the graves, it is simply necessary to know the exact days of commemoration. Orthodox parenting days in 2017 fall on the following dates:

Now that you know the parents’ days to visit the cemetery in 2017, you will be able to properly prepare and arrange a memorial rite worthy of your deceased relatives and friends.

Origins and meaning of Radonitsa

According to the testimony of many scientists and biblical figures, including John Chrysostom, the history of Radonitsa goes back to ancient times. Even in the times of paganism, it was a great holiday of remembrance of the dead, held on a wide scale. People, gathering on burial mounds, held a funeral feast and noisy celebrations, trying to appease the souls of the deceased. This holiday is ingrained in the popular consciousness so deeply that official church after a long time, she recognized this day, elevating it to a special rank.

The meaning of this holiday is hidden in its name, which varies from person to person. Slavic peoples may sound different. These are Radovnitsa (some regions of Russia), and Mogilki, and Grobki (Ukraine), and Naviy Den (Belarus).

The joy of resurrection on special days

However, in any case, “Radonitsa” in its origin is equated to both the word “joy” and the concept of “kindred”. What kind of joy can we talk about on such a mournful day? The Church explains: when visiting the temple and graves of our ancestors on Radonitsa, we should not fall into despondency and melancholy, but rejoice for loved ones who appeared before the face of the Lord. They are now close to God and their souls rejoice, being in love and happiness.

So, why shouldn’t we, their descendants, rejoice for them by offering prayers? By tidying up the grave, we also do something ritual action, symbolically meaning preparation for the resurrection of the soul.

The main thing that we must and can do on this day for deceased relatives is to devote sufficient time to prayers. If it is not possible to invite a priest to the grave to read the litiya (funeral prayer service), then you can do it yourself. It is prayers that our family and friends need, and not excessive eating and drinking alcohol. This is what the Church teaches, and this is how you need to act according to your conscience and the dictates of your heart.

Procedure and basic rules

In the morning of any parent's day, Orthodox Christians go to church, taking with them a Lenten lunch, which is donated either to the church or to poor people who are in dire need of help. Having defended funeral service, usually go to cemeteries, where they also read prayers and clean up. Traditions such as commemorating food and drinking directly at graves are still very strong. Traditionally, this can be understood, but the church is against such actions. In principle, everyone acts according to their own concepts, but still, organizing a drunken feast at graves is not a godly thing.

Radonitsa in Rus'

By the way, in Rus', towels and tablecloths were laid out on Radonitsa directly on the grave mound, and, having laid out a rich meal, the whole family enjoyed the meal. We ate and drank so much that sometimes we immediately fell asleep. The list of obligatory dishes included those painted yellow or green eggs, dry pies according to a special recipe, pancakes, porridge.

Before the start of the funeral feast, the head of the family rolled eggs along the grave and then buried one of them in the ground, as if allowing the deceased to join the Easter meal. It was obligatory to pour a glass of vodka on the grave, which is also not welcome modern church. After dinner, to which the beggars were always invited and treated, they remained in the cemetery for a short time, peacefully spending time in conversations, and only then went home. In the evening, the youth organized festivities with songs, dances and fun activities.

Signs and beliefs for parent's day

among the people great value attached importance to the weather that fell on Radunitsa. We were especially looking forward to the rain.

It was believed that the rain on this day had a special power - to preserve and prolong youth and health, beauty, prosperity, and happiness. Small children sang special songs to invite rain. If it really rained, they washed themselves with its water, exposing their face to the rain. And the girls did it in a special way, skipping rainwater through gold or silver ring to be beautiful and happy.
The rain foreshadowed a year rich in harvest.
It was strictly forbidden to plant or sow anything - this led to the possibility of losing the entire harvest.
If it stood on Radonitsa warm weather, they said, “the parents breathed in warmth.”

Now we can take a different look at the meaning of this holiday of remembrance. And showing correct example to our children, we can hope that this tradition will be passed on further, uniting the representatives of the clan into a single whole.

From this article you will find out what date Orthodox parental Saturdays will be in 2017. You will also learn about the meaning of this Ecumenical service.

Parents' Saturdays in 2017

Often these special days of remembrance of the dead are called “universal parental Saturdays.” This is not true. There are two ecumenical memorial Saturdays: Meat (on the Saturday preceding the Sunday of the Last Judgment) and Trinity (on the Saturday preceding the Feast of Pentecost, or also called the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity - the birthday of the Church of Christ).

The main meaning of these “ecumenical” (common to the entire Orthodox Church) funeral services is to pray for all deceased Orthodox Christians, regardless of their personal closeness to us. This is a matter of love that does not divide the world into friends and strangers. The main attention these days is to all those who are united with us by the highest kinship - kinship in Christ, and especially to those who have no one to remember.

Parents' Saturdays in 2017 fall on the following dates:

Ecumenical Parental Saturday (meat-free)– February 18, 2017.
Saturday of the 2nd week of Great Lent – March 11, 2017.
Saturday of the 3rd week of Great Lent – March 18, 2017.
Saturday of the 4th week of Great Lent – March 25, 2017.
Commemoration of deceased warriors– May 9, 2017.
Radonitsa– April 25, 2017.
Trinity Parents' Saturday in 2017– June 3, 2017.
Dimitrievskaya Parents' Saturday– November 4, 2017.

For the primary commemoration of people dear to us personally, there are other parental Saturdays. First of all, these are the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Saturdays of Great Lent, and besides them, the Dimitrievsky parental Saturday established in the Russian Orthodox Church, which was originally intended to commemorate the soldiers who fell in the Battle of Kulikovo, but gradually became a general memorial day .

This memorial service falls on the Saturday preceding the memory of St. Vmch. Demetrius of Thessalonica - patron saint of the prince. Dmitry Donskoy, at whose suggestion, after the Battle of Kulikovo, an annual commemoration of soldiers was established. But over time, the memory of the liberating soldiers was crowded out in the popular consciousness, which is very regrettable, turning Dimitrievskaya Memorial Saturday into one of the “parents’ days.”

Why "parental"? After all, we remember not only our parents, but also other people, often not connected to us by any family ties? For various reasons. First of all, not even because parents, as a rule, leave this world ahead of their children (and therefore too, but this is not the main thing), but because in general our first priority prayer duty is for our parents: of all the people whose temporary earthly life is over, we first of all owe it to those through whom we received this gift of life - our parents and grandparents.

The church calendar is an integral part of their life for every believer. So turning to church calendar You can learn not only about upcoming holidays and fasts, but also about the traditions of their implementation. Thanks to this calendar, you can easily and simply plan your schedule, highlighting work days, weekends, and most importantly for every believer, memorial days.

Memorial days are one of the most important for every person. After all, these days we remember our deceased relatives. Namely the deceased, since Christian beliefs only die physical body, but the soul lives forever. And the more we pray and remember our deceased relatives and loved ones, the easier it will be for them to face the Last Judgment.

Memorial Saturdays are popularly called parent's days. This special days to remember the memory of deceased relatives. They fall on different dates every year. Therefore, to determine parental Saturdays, it is best to turn to the lunar calendar.

On calendar year There are nine such Saturdays. The first memorial parental Saturday was the Ecumenical Meat Saturday. She arrived on February 18th. This is the only parent's Saturday for the entire winter season.

But in March of this year there were three whole parent’s Saturdays. The first fell on March 11, this is the second Saturday of Lent. The second Saturday fell on March 18 and this is, accordingly, the third Saturday of Great Lent. Well, the third Saturday fell on March 25, and this is the 4th Saturday of Lent.

In April there was only one parent's memorial day. And he fell, not on Saturday, as is customary, but on Tuesday. After all, it was on Tuesday, April 25, that the Orthodox celebrated the Radunitsa holiday. This is the biggest memorial day of the year.

An additional memorial day, the date of which remains unchanged, is May 9. It is on this day that not only our country and not only the Orthodox, but also other faiths commemorate the soldiers who died at the hands of fascist Germany during the Second World War.

As for summer period, then only one parent’s Saturday falls on it. But it took place on June 3, the day before the great holiday of Trinity.. But in July and August there were no memorial Saturdays. At the same time, memorial procedures were carried out during major holidays.

But on autumn period There are two parental Saturdays. One of them has already passed. But, as in the situation with spring parenting days, it did not fall on Saturday at all. So, this parental memorial day fell on Monday, September 11th. But it was dedicated to the deceased Orthodox soldiers.

Well, the last parental memorial Saturday of this year falls on November 4 and is called Dmitrievskaya parental Saturday. But, since this Saturday coincides with the celebration of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God, it was decided to move this memorial Saturday to October 28.

Orthodox fasting is not a simple food restriction. The essence of fasting is to teach a person to appreciate the good qualities in himself, to cleanse the soul of excesses and sins.

In Orthodoxy, there are several basic rules that require adherence: church holidays, one-day and multi-day fasts, customs and traditions.

Great Easter, Petrov, Assumption, Nativity Fast in 2019

The clergy call fasting an ancient virtue. Along with the fact that a person eats food to support his life, he should also “nourish the soul.” This is precisely why fasting exists, so that together with prayers one can take the path of Christ’s path to crucifixion and resurrection.

In fact, fasting is a way to teach a person to restrain his desires, to avoid excesses, gluttony and excess. By giving up luxury, holding himself back from many things, a person learns and is reborn, while at the same time presenting his personal “gift” to God in this way.

Great Easter Lent considered one of the most important to comply with. Its purpose is quite simple - to prepare a person for the celebration of the significant holiday in the year - Easter. Fasting haunts the ancient scripture where Jesus wandered in the desert for a period of days. All this time, a person should deny himself food, pray and repent to God, go to church and glorify Jesus Christ.

Following Lent also requires careful preparation, which occurs according to a certain schedule:

preparation for fasting

Petrov post begins on the first day of the week, the week of which is called the “Sunday of All Saints.” It is not uncommon for this post to be referred to as “ Apostolic fasting“because all the Holy Apostles should be commemorated. The post starts right before Orthodox celebration, dedicated to the feast of the apostles Peter and Paul. It is interesting that the duration of this fast can vary, depending on how Easter was celebrated in the year.

This fast is distinguished by strict dry eating on the days designated by the church: the third day of the week and the fifth. On other days there is a different order: Monday - you can eat hot food, but only that which was prepared without any addition of oil. On other days, a person is allowed to eat food made from plant fruits, seasoned with vegetable oils.

Dormition post begins exactly after Petropavlovsky. The Dormition Fast does not last long - only two weeks. This post has a very noble meaning - it was created in order to glorify and imitate the Mother of God. It is known that Mother of God Before going to heaven, she spent considerable time in prayer and carefully observed fasting.

It is not difficult to follow the Assumption fast. Three days a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) include complete dry food, and the rest are allowed to eat plant foods, seasoned with any vegetable oil. On one day it is allowed to eat fish - on the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.

Christmas post is also considered one of the most important and great. It begins at the end of autumn and lasts until January 7 of the next year. The fast is exactly forty days and it was established so that each person would make a sacrifice to his Savior, limiting himself to gourmet food. This fast differs in that, unlike others, it allows you to eat fish on any day, and food seasoned with vegetable oil only on Saturday and Sunday.

The Nativity fast involves complete abstinence from food by a person until the first star appears in the sky. Only after this should you eat special dishes prepared for the holiday.

Fasting on Wednesday and Friday in 2019

Spiritually, observe fasts in Wednesday And Friday- very important. So, what does such a post mean? On Wednesday, as the church says, fasting is dedicated to the betrayal of Judas towards the Lord, which occurred on Wednesday. Friday is necessary to remember all the sufferings of Jesus Christ on the cross.

It is significant that the fast, which is observed on Wednesday and Friday, lasts all year round.
Exceptions, depending on the calendar, may be continuous weeks. During these weeks, fasting can be canceled. Weeks are a time for Orthodox holidays, or days intended for preparation for holidays and large multi-day fasts.

It should also be noted that if a person has severe infirmities and illnesses during a certain period of time, then he should ask a clergyman or spiritual mentor some relief regarding such fasting on Wednesday and Friday.

It is also worth knowing about that each day of fasting (Wednesday or Friday) begins at midnight.
That is, on Tuesday at 12 am you should already fast and follow it until 12 am the next day - exactly 24 hours.
But an Orthodox person will also not sin if he fasts not by the hour, but in the evening. This is more suitable for a regular worship service.
Evening is considered the time when the first star appears in the sky.

The main idea of the post- be able to limit yourself from excesses in food and perform full obedience to the Church. You should spend enough time in prayer and repentance, refrain your tongue from bad words, do not judge your neighbors, do not gloat or envy.

For many Orthodox people Fasting on Wednesday and Friday has become an integral part of life. Parents instill them in their children without thinking about the meanings and implications, making them commonplace and a habit.
However, knowledge is of great importance Old Testament, spiritual traditions and customs of the church.

Important to know that fasting is not a preventive effect on the body with the aim of improving it, fasting is the healing of a person’s soul and thoughts.

Fasting on Wednesday and Friday according to the Orthodox calendar

One-day fasts: what can and cannot be eaten?

There is also such a concept in the Orthodox calendar as one-day fasting. Such a fast, as a rule, precedes the great church holiday and requires careful adherence. Such fasts require extremely strict and limited adherence to food and actions.

Most often, they mean that a person is forbidden to eat food in abundance and should give up foods such as:

milk, butter and cheeses
meat and fish, eggs
sweets and alcohol

Simply put, You cannot eat food of animal origin or that created for human pleasure..

It is necessary to eat only in these days in order to prolong one’s existence and therefore it is allowed to eat vegetables and fruits (any plant food), various grains and cereals, lean bread and only vegetable oil (sunflower, corn, flaxseed, etc.). ).

Table of one-day fasts with dates to strictly observe in 2019

Post date	The essence of the post	Church big holiday
January 18	This day is considered to be “Christmas Eve”, foreshadowing the feast of Epiphany. This day involves the complete “purification of man” from Christmas Eve itself. On January 18, the believer is obliged to pray a lot, ask for forgiveness of his sins and remember all the suffering that Jesus Christ went through. The next day of the holiday, a person must undergo physical cleansing by plunging into holy water.	Great Feast of Epiphany - January 19
September 11	This one-day fast is dedicated to John, a great prophet whose memory should be honored.	In other sources you can find another name for this day and often in the scriptures the day is designated as “The Day of the Beheading of John the Baptist.”
September 27	This day involves spending a lot of time in prayer, asking for forgiveness and observing restrictions in drinking, food, words and thoughts.	The day is dedicated to the memory of all the suffering that Jesus Christ endured on the cross.

The essence of one-day posts

What can you eat during Lent: list of products

Fasting is a great Orthodox deed, which is intended so that a person can realize all his sins and repent. Its essence lies in strict restrictions, both in food and in actions.

That’s why it’s worth knowing which list of foods you can safely consume without “defiling” your beliefs, and which you can’t. Depending on the post, there are very strict and extremely strict restrictions. For example, some fasts allow you to eat fish, but the Great Fast strictly prohibits eating anything other than plant foods.
Knowing the list of allowed foods is necessary in order to create the most nutritious and healthy diet, which will give strength to the body for work and everyday activities.

The main condition that an Orthodox believer should adhere to is to refuse any type of meat: pork and beef, poultry and rabbit, as well as from all products of animal origin: milk, eggs, cheese and so on. You should also not eat white bread, as it is mixed with eggs.

You should be very careful about sweet foods, because eating candies and sweets is prohibited and all that is allowed is natural honey and jam.

what is allowed to eat during fasting

What to eat during Lent:

It is allowed to eat cereals. You can eat oatmeal, buckwheat, rice, bulgur, pearl barley, corn porridge, wheat porridge and barley
You can eat all vegetables and fruits: beets, potatoes, carrots, onions, zucchini, eggplant, apples, pumpkin, pears, bananas and so on
Mushrooms are allowed to be eaten in any form(champignons, oyster mushrooms, forest mushrooms, chanterelles and so on). It could be fresh mushrooms, or maybe pickled
You can eat legumes: peas, chickpeas, beans, green beans, mung bean
Vegetable oils(any vegetable oil: sunflower, flaxseed, sesame, olive, corn and others)
It is allowed to eat any pickles preserved for the winter: sauerkraut, tomatoes and cucumbers, mushrooms, olives, zucchini and eggplant salads
You can eat greens: basil, parsley, dill, mint, green onion and much more
You can eat dried fruits: raisins, dried apricots and prunes, figs and any candied fruits
Allowed to eat any nuts: walnuts, peanuts, forest, hazelnuts, cashews, pine and others
Sweet dishes are allowed kozinaki from seeds and nuts, preserves and jams, honey and halva
You can drink various compotes from dried and fresh fruits, jelly, fruit jelly from agar-agar
Malt bread, rye bread, bran bread
You are allowed to drink any tea: green, black, herbal, hibiscus, white
You can drink cocoa, but only brewed with water
Allowed to eat any soy products: milk, tofu and other soy products

You can prepare a variety of dishes from allowed products: soups, cereals, stews, main courses, desserts, snacks. If you have the opportunity to buy a special one (without eggs), you can season your food with it.

lean food, diet, list of permitted foods

Parental Saturdays in 2019 Orthodox in February, March, April, June before Trinity, November, Ecumenical Parental Saturdays

Parents' Saturday - This is a list of special Saturdays in the Orthodox calendar, intended to honor the memory of the departed faithful.
The peculiarity of these Saturdays is that each individual day is dedicated to a specific Saint or Angel.
On this day, this Saturday, it is necessary to attend the Divine Service.
It is worth noting that among all Saturdays one can distinguish both private and general days commemorations that the church independently establishes.

Days of strict special commemoration are usually called “parental Saturday.”

It is customary to commemorate on Saturday because Saturday is the day of rest. This day is considered the most favorable for prayers focused on the repose of the deceased Saints. Worth highlighting Ecumenical parental Saturdays - special church charter, which takes place twice a year:

During the meat-eating week - Saturday before meat week(often referred to as “The Week of the Last Judgment”). Departed believers should be remembered before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ March 2, 2019. This day is called to acknowledge all sins before Jesus, the Righteous Judge.
Parents' Saturdays in March March 23, 2019 in the second week, March 30, 2019 in the third week and April 06, 2019 in the fourth week of fasting.
Often those Saturdays that fall on the second, third and fourth weeks are called Ecumenical, but this opinion is wrong. Most often, they are installed by the church itself. Private parenting days cannot be equated with Ecumenical days.

Private parental Saturdays include: 2019 Radonitsa, which occurs on May 7.

May 9, 2019- General Day of Remembrance and Remembrance of those who fell in the Great Patriotic War.
June 13, 2019- this is the seventh Thursday after Easter Semik. On this day, those who died a violent death, suicides, those who were not baptized, and other categories of dead people who are not allowed to be commemorated in church are commemorated.

Trinity Saturday (in 2019 it is celebrated on June 15) - occurs before Pentecost (Holy Trinity). Saturday is necessary for the remembrance of the Last Judgment and the beginning of the most important Lent.

September 11, 2019 On the day of the Beheading of John the Baptist, all fallen Orthodox soldiers are commemorated.
The last parent's Saturday in 2019 is called Dimitrievskaya and falls on November 2, 2019.

Parents' Saturdays calendar for 2019

March 02, 2019 — Meat Saturday (Ecumenical Parental Saturday)
June 15, 2019 — Trinity Saturday

March 23, 2019 — Saturday of the 2nd week of Lent
March 30, 2019 — Saturday of the 3rd week of Lent
April 06, 2019 — Saturday of the 4th week of Lent

May 9, 2019— universal day of remembrance and commemoration of those who fell in WWII
June 13, 2019 — Semik —public commemoration of those who are not allowed to be commemorated in church
September 11, 2019 - Day of Remembrance of all fallen Orthodox soldiers
November 2, 2019—Dmitrievskaya Parents' Saturday

What date is Radonitsa in 2019?

Radonitsa (in 2019 May 07) - a special date for believers and the Orthodox Church. On this day you should remember all your deceased ancestors and relatives. It is also customary to visit the burial site on this day and have a symbolic meal in honor of the remembrance right at the cemetery. It is important to know that you do not need to eat all the food you bring with you. Some of the food should be given to the poor or needy.

You should not associate Radonitsa with the holiday of the departed or a day of mourning. During this period, on the contrary, you should fill your heart with good thoughts and warm memories that are inevitably associated with the people you remember. Every Orthodox believer should rejoice that his deceased loved one is in at the moment in the Kingdom of Heaven.

The celebration of Radonitsa in 2019 takes place nine days after the celebration of Easter and the exact date of this event is May 07, 2019.

For those who do not know, it is worth noting that festive Easter food should be brought to the cemetery: Easter cakes, painted eggs. It is not uncommon for people to go to the cemetery in advance, even on Easter Day, but this is completely contrary Orthodox canons. Radonitsa was canceled during Soviet power, people had nothing to do but come to the cemetery on Easter. A modern Christian should honor the rules of the church without neglecting them.

Another prerequisite for Radonitsa is visiting the church where the liturgy is held. During this service, you should say your prayers for all the departed, and also be sure to light a candle for the repose of your soul.

Celebration of Radonitsa, the essence of Radonitsa for Orthodox believers

Commemoration of deceased soldiers, Day of Remembrance of Internationalist Soldiers - May 9

It is interesting to know that each May 9 The Orthodox Church holds a special memorial service, where it commemorates and honors the memory of all deceased Christians who died in hostilities. The Church holds both private and Ecumenical memorial services for those who were forced to fall in the Great Battle. The Church believes that a person’s body can die, but the soul will live forever and it definitely requires remembrance.

Initially, there was no exact date for such a commemoration and the funeral services were modest. According to its convictions, the church considered that it was obliged to honor more honorably the memory of those valiant people who gave their lives. The significance of the event for the Orthodox Church was first announced by the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church on November 29, 1994. At the same time, the exact date was set - May 9.

September 11, 2019, Monday is also Day of Remembrance of Fallen Orthodox Soldiers,

On this day, every believer can voluntarily become part of the memorial service and join in the remembrance.

day of remembrance of departed soldiers

Is it possible to commemorate suicides, unbaptized people, drowned people and when in 2019?

The Church considers suicide to be a grave sin for a person. Such an action contradicts the main commandments and therefore is not accepted very much in any church. From the spiritual side, such an act may indicate that the person is too weak. So weak that he is unable to cope with his problems and thoughts. He rejects the path of communication with the Lord and comes with the simplest action - to rid himself of bodily torment.

No Orthodox Church can forgive such a sin. In addition, the church does not offer prayers or services for the remission of sins to a person who has committed suicide.

It is for this reason It is impossible to commemorate suicides in the Orthodox Church. You also cannot give notes to a clergyman with the name of a person who has passed away voluntarily, so that he can read a prayer for his repose. The worst thing is that the church is sure that the souls of such deceased seek peace for a very long time and often do not find it at all.

Relatives of such a person often have difficulties and questions for the church about how to remember such a person. Any clergyman will tell you that making a memorial on church grounds is strictly prohibited! Only in rare and very exceptional cases with the general council of the church, permission for such an action may be issued, as an exception, in particular, if the person was mentally insane.

All other suicides can be remembered by their relatives and friends at home with prayers for the departed. Orthodox Church it's only welcome.

On some days, on the 7th Thursday after Easter, just on the Thursday before Trinity - (a major holiday), such people should be remembered according to folk traditions. This is June 13, 2019 - this day is called Semik.

This is only a general remembrance, but the deceased soul of a suicide may feel a little better, since at this time a common prayer is said for those in Heaven and those in Hell.

For this reason, you should pray for that relative who passed away voluntarily on this day with special zeal and strength. You should never hide the cause of your death loved one, because such a secret can disrupt prayer and not bring him to the Lord, or he simply will not accept it.

Commemoration of those who have passed away voluntarily, when one should commemorate those who committed suicide

Solid weeks 2019

Continuous weeks provide an opportunity for an Orthodox believer to cancel the fast that occurs for him on Wednesday and Friday. In 2019, we can celebrate five such continuous weeks:

Forgiveness Resurrection in 2019

Forgiveness Sunday ( March 10, 2019) is a special date that allows every Orthodox believer to ask forgiveness from his neighbor before the Great Easter Lent begins. Forgiveness Sunday usually falls on the last day of Maslenitsa.

It is significant because this is the last day before fasting when you can eat dairy foods and meat. After Sunday comes Monday - the first day of forty days of fasting. The essence of this holiday is to set up human body and soul for peace and tranquility. On this day it is also customary to pray a lot and ask the Lord for forgiveness of one’s sins.

Every Orthodox person should not only ask for forgiveness for his major and minor sins, but also hear requests for forgiveness from loved ones. This is the only way he can enter Lent with a bright and pure soul. IN In 2019, Forgiveness Sunday is celebrated on March 10.

Forgiveness Sunday

When and what date is Maslenitsa in 2019?

Maslenitsa is one of the favorite holidays of the Orthodox people. It heralds not only the arrival of spring after a long winter, but also the imminent start of Lent.

in 2019 Maslenitsa will celebrate with March 04 and these holidays will last until March 10, which traditionally ends with Forgiveness Sunday.

Lush and on a grand scale: hearty fatty dishes, songs and festivities, as well as having fun in a way that is prohibited during Lent.

Video: “Lent, its limitations and the essence of fasting”

Trying to find out what date Parents' Day is in the coming 2017, we invariably show a desire to pay honors to deceased relatives and friends. It is so important to pay tribute to their memory and respect. This helps maintain the connection between generations and is a prerequisite for spiritual life. Very little is required of us - to know when these days will be celebrated, only in this case can we adequately prepare for them.

What is Radonitsa?

There is no exact date assigned to Radonitsa; every year the time of this day changes depending on when Easter is celebrated. Wanting to find out what date is parent’s day in 2017, you just need to count 9 days from Easter Sunday and get the exact date of Radonitsa. That is, in other words, this is the first Tuesday after Krasnaya Gorka (Fomina Sunday). Thus, the date of parent's day in 2017 falls on April 25.

Memorial days

Now that you know the parents’ days to visit the cemetery in 2017, you will be able to properly prepare and arrange a memorial rite worthy of your deceased relatives and friends.

Origins and meaning of Radonitsa

According to the testimony of many scientists and biblical figures, including John Chrysostom, the history of Radonitsa goes back to ancient times. Even in the times of paganism, it was a great holiday of remembrance of the dead, held on a wide scale. On this day, people gathered at the burial mounds, held a funeral feast and noisy celebrations, trying to appease the souls of the deceased. This holiday is embedded so deeply in the popular consciousness that the official church, after a long time, recognized this day, elevating it to a special rank.

The meaning of this holiday is hidden in its name, which may sound differently among different Slavic peoples. These are Radovnitsa (some regions of Russia), and Mogilki, and Grobki (Ukraine), and Naviy Den (Belarus).

The joy of resurrection on special days

So, why shouldn’t we, their descendants, rejoice for them by offering prayers? By tidying up the grave, we also perform a certain ritual action, symbolically meaning preparation for the resurrection of the soul.

Procedure and basic rules

In the morning of any parent's day, Orthodox Christians go to church, taking with them a Lenten lunch, which is donated either to the church or to poor people who are in dire need of help. After holding the funeral service, they usually go to cemeteries, where they also read prayers and clean up. Traditions such as commemorating food and drinking directly at graves are still very strong. Traditionally, this can be understood, but the church is against such actions. In principle, everyone acts according to their own concepts, but still, organizing a drunken feast at graves is not a godly thing.

Radonitsa in Rus'

By the way, in Rus', towels and tablecloths were laid out on Radonitsa directly on the grave mound, and, having laid out a rich meal, the whole family enjoyed the meal. We ate and drank so much that sometimes we immediately fell asleep. The list of obligatory dishes included eggs dyed yellow or green, dry pies according to a special recipe, pancakes, and porridge.

Before the start of the funeral feast, the head of the family rolled eggs along the grave and then buried one of them in the ground, as if allowing the deceased to join the Easter meal. A glass of vodka was always poured onto the grave, which is also not welcomed by the modern church. After dinner, to which the beggars were always invited and treated, they remained in the cemetery for a short time, peacefully spending time in conversations, and only then went home. In the evening, the youth organized festivities with songs, dances and fun activities.

Signs and beliefs for parent's day

People attached great importance to the weather that fell on Radunitsa. We were especially looking forward to the rain.

It was believed that the rain on this day had a special power - to preserve and prolong youth and health, beauty, prosperity, and happiness. Small children sang special songs to invite rain. If it really rained, they washed themselves with its water, exposing their face to the rain. And the girls did this in a special way, passing rainwater through a gold or silver ring in order to be beautiful and happy.
The rain foreshadowed a year rich in harvest.
It was strictly forbidden to plant or sow anything on this day - this led to the possibility of losing the entire harvest.
If the weather was warm on Radonitsa, they said “the parents breathed in the warmth.”

By deepening your knowledge about parent's day, we will be able to take a different look at the meaning of this holiday of remembrance. And by setting the right example for our children, we can hope that this tradition will be passed on further, uniting the representatives of the clan into a single whole.