When 9 days are celebrated. Funeral: essence, rules, mournful words about death

Funeral (9 days) - next mandatory stage after the burial. Although it originated in the Christian religion, everyone adheres to this tradition. So how to spend a wake for 9 days? What are the features of the ritual?

Memorial service

If the deceased was a Christian, then you definitely need to go to church. It is believed that

at this time the soul can still visit the places of its earthly habitat. She completes the work that a person did not have time to do during his lifetime. He says goodbye to someone, asks for forgiveness from someone. A prayer service held at this time according to all church traditions helps to calm the soul and unite it with God.

It is advisable that the wake (9 days) and relatives begin with an appeal to the Lord. In a short prayer, you should ask the Almighty to forgive all the sins of the deceased and place him in the Kingdom of Heaven. This has always been part of the ritual. In the temple they light candles for the remembrance of the soul. There is a special place for this. If you don’t know, then consult a temple minister. But usually you can determine it yourself. The platform for has a rectangular shape (all others are round). Nearby there is a printed text of the prayer. Don't be lazy, read it.

What do 9 days of commemoration mean?

In Christianity, the path of the soul to the Lord is described in sufficient detail. So, in the first days, the Angels show her what life is like in Paradise. The ninth is the time, so to speak, of the exam. The soul appears before the Lord, who determines its future fate. It is believed that sinners are afraid and tormented, finally realizing how mediocre they are

wasted their energy. The righteous may also suffer from not knowing whether they will be life path approved by the Lord. Help for the soul of the deceased is extremely necessary during this period. Relatives with their prayers can help her cleanse herself and receive a “pass” to Paradise.

In Christian traditions, 9 days of commemoration are considered very important, since this is the last duty, the final stage of the earthly existence of the soul. After the Lord assigns her to Heaven or Hell, the living will be practically unable to help her. The clergy say that 9 days is almost a holiday! Because at this time the soul finds its shelter. It is imperative to pray that her stay in that world will be comfortable.

Funeral dinner

A trip to the cemetery is mainly for those closest to you. And those who want to express their respect to the deceased and his family members are invited to see him off modestly. The first, second and compote are prepared. IN

In Christianity, neither all kinds of snacks and salads, nor alcohol are accepted. Traditions with a hundred grams and a piece of bread arose in very Hard times when there was no other way to relieve stress. Nowadays there is no need to drink alcohol at funerals, and it is not encouraged.

Of the “excesses,” only baking is allowed. So, they usually make pies or buns and serve them to the table. Everything should take place calmly and modestly. This is not an indicator of poverty. Rather, this demonstrates the recognition of the frailty of everything physical before the spiritual. At the table, everyone is given the floor to express their grief, share the confidence that the soul will go to Heaven, and simply remember the person who recently left this world.

Funeral feast

But not everyone has lunch these days. Some people don’t have enough time, others don’t want the extra hassle. The Church does not insist on strict adherence to this particular tradition.

It is quite permissible to replace a shared meal with a treat. What it is? You need to prepare such food that it is appropriate and convenient to serve to people without an invitation to the house, and so hold the funeral for 9 days. What are they giving away? Usually cookies and sweets. The easiest option is to buy what you need in a store. It is recommended to bake pies or cookies yourself. It is believed that by such actions you express greater respect to the deceased. You can distribute what you have prepared at work, in the yard to grandmothers and children.

How to calculate the required period?

People often get confused with this. It is best to contact Father, who will help you figure out the deadlines and tell you on what day to celebrate what. Due to its importance to the soul, you need to know exactly when to hold a wake for 9 days. How to count on your own? The first day is the day the person died. It is from this that we must count. From the moment of death, the soul begins its journey through the Kingdom of Angels. She needs help precisely on the ninth day (and before that). Do not miss any deadlines, even if the death occurred before midnight. The first day is the date of death. The third, ninth and fortieth days are then important. You need to calculate them immediately and write them down so as not to forget. These are the dates that definitely need to be celebrated.

Who is invited to the funeral?

Family members and friends are the people who should definitely participate in the sad meal. They themselves know this. Souls demand to meet and support

each other in grief. But a wake 9 days after death is an event to which people come without an invitation. It is not customary to drive away someone who wanted to take part in it, even if they are complete strangers. The logic is this: the more people pray for the salvation of the soul of the deceased, the easier it is for it to get to Heaven. Therefore, driving someone away is unacceptable, even sinful.

Try to treat as much as possible more people. And if it is not necessary to invite everyone to the funeral dinner, then you can give out sweets to everyone you meet on this day. Strictly speaking, it is not accepted to invite people to the event. People themselves should ask when it will take place (and in general, whether it is planned or not). For convenience, organizers most often take responsibility themselves and call everyone who has expressed a desire to remember the deceased.

Is it necessary to go to the cemetery?

Strictly speaking, a 9-day funeral does not include such a trip in the list of essential events. The Church believes that the graveyard contains mortal remains that have no special significance. Going to church and praying are welcome. But usually people themselves want to visit the final resting place of a dear person. They bring flowers and sweets there. Thus, as it were, a tribute is paid to the deceased. But this is more important for

living than for the deceased.

Under no circumstances should you bring alcohol to the cemetery. This is strictly prohibited by the Church! If you decide that you definitely need to visit the cemetery on this day, then take care of the appropriate clothing. Outfits should be modest and not flashy. The presence of mourning symbols is also desirable. Women tie mourning scarves. Men can wear dark jackets. If it’s hot, black scarves are tied to the left forearm.

How to prepare a house for a funeral?

On this day, lamps are lit and a photograph of the deceased with a mourning ribbon is placed in a prominent place. There is no need to cover mirrors anymore. This is done only while the body is in the house. Naturally, on this day it is not customary to turn on music or watch funny films and programs.

You can place a glass of water and bread in front of the icon as a sign of help to a soul traveling through an as yet unknown world. It is desirable that an atmosphere of severity reign in the house. If you invite people to dinner, then worry about their comfort. Usually carpets are removed from the floor so that you can walk around the house in shoes. You also need to place a small vase or plate near the photograph of the deceased. This is where the money will be put. This is done when a lot of people come, including strangers to the household. They may express a desire to donate some amount to the monument. And giving money to relatives is not always convenient.

In countries where long and strong Christian traditions have historically developed, everyone knows that after the death of a person, the third day after the sad event, the ninth day and the fortieth day are of particular importance. Almost everyone knows, but many cannot say for what reasons these dates - 3 days, 9 days and 40 days - are so important. What happens, according to traditional ideas, to a person’s soul until the ninth day after his departure from earthly life?

Path of the Soul
Christian ideas about the afterlife human soul may vary depending on a particular denomination. And if in the Orthodox and Catholic picture of the afterlife and the fate of the soul in it there are still few differences, then in various Protestant movements the range of opinions is very large - from almost complete identity with Catholicism to leaving far from tradition, up to complete denial of the existence of hell as places of eternal torment for the souls of sinners. Therefore, the Orthodox version of what happens to the soul in the first nine days after the beginning of another is more interesting, afterlife.

Patristic tradition (that is, the recognized corpus of works of the Fathers of the Church) says that after the death of a person, for almost three days his soul has almost complete freedom.

She not only has all the “baggage” from earthly life, that is, hopes, attachments, fullness of memory, fears, shame, the desire to complete some unfinished business, and so on, but she is also capable of being anywhere. It is generally accepted that on these three days the soul is either next to the body, or, if a person died away from home and family, next to his loved ones, or in those places that for some reason were especially dear or noteworthy for this person. On the third tribute, the soul loses complete freedom of its behavior and is taken by angels to Heaven to worship the Lord there. That is why on the third day, according to tradition, it is necessary to hold a memorial service and thus finally say goodbye to the soul of the deceased.

Having worshiped God, the soul goes on a kind of “tour” through paradise: it is shown the Kingdom of Heaven, it gets an idea of ​​what heaven is, it sees the unity of righteous souls with the Lord, which is the goal of human existence, it meets the souls of saints, and the like. This “survey” journey of the soul through paradise lasts six days. And here, if you believe the Fathers of the Church, the first torment of the soul begins: seeing the heavenly pleasure of the saints, she understands that, due to her sins, she is unworthy to share their fate and is tormented by doubts and fear that she will not go to heaven. On the ninth day, the angels again take the soul to God so that it can glorify His Love for the saints, which it has just been able to observe in person.

What is important these days for the living?
However, according to the Orthodox worldview, one should not perceive the nine days after death as an exclusively otherworldly matter, which does not seem to concern the surviving relatives of the deceased. On the contrary, it is precisely forty days after the death of a person that for his family and friends is the time of greatest rapprochement between the earthly world and the Kingdom of Heaven. Because it is precisely during this period that the living can and must make every effort to contribute to the best possible fate of the soul of the deceased, that is, its salvation. To do this, you need to constantly pray, hoping for God’s mercy and forgiveness of your soul’s sins. This is important from the point of view of determining the fate of a person’s soul, that is, where it will await the Last Judgment, in heaven or hell. At the Last Judgment, the fate of each soul will be decided finally, so those of them who were placed in hell have hope that prayers for it will be heard, it will be forgiven (if they pray for a person, even though he committed many sins, which means there was something good in him) and will be awarded a place in heaven.

In Orthodoxy, the ninth day after the death of a person, no matter how strange it may sound, is almost a holiday. People believe that for the last six days the soul of the deceased has been in heaven, albeit as a guest, and can now adequately praise the Creator.

Moreover, it is believed that if a person drove righteous life and theirs good deeds If he has won the favor of the Lord through love for his neighbors and repentance for his own sins, then his posthumous fate can be decided after nine days. Therefore, on this day a person’s loved ones should, firstly, pray especially earnestly for his soul, and secondly, hold a memorial meal. The wake on the ninth day, from the point of view of tradition, should be “uninvited” - that is, no one needs to be specially invited to it. Those who wish the soul of the deceased all the best should come without reminders themselves.

However, in reality, funerals are almost always invited in a special way, and if more people are expected than the home can accommodate, then they are held in restaurants or similar establishments. The wake on the ninth day is a calm remembrance of the deceased, which should not turn into either an ordinary party or mourning gatherings. It is noteworthy that the Christian concept of a special value of three, nine and forty days after the death of a person, modern occult teachings were adopted. But they gave these dates a different meaning: according to one version, the ninth day is designated by the fact that during this period the body supposedly decomposes; according to another, at this point, the body dies, after the physical, mental and astral, which can appear as a ghost.

A wake is an important ritual for all people, regardless of religion. In Orthodoxy, it is customary to remember the deceased on the day of the funeral, as well as on the ninth and fortieth days. The countdown starts from the day of death. Even if a person died closer to midnight, they still count from that day.

For example, the day of death falls on the fifth of April, then the nine-day commemoration will take place on the thirteenth of April, and the forty-day commemoration will take place on the fourteenth of May. Be sure to do them every day.

The question arises: why nine days? According to the number of angels who ask the Lord God to forgive the deceased his sins. In Orthodoxy it is believed that the first two days after death the soul is separated from the body. Together with the angels, she walks the earth, visiting close people and places dear to her. On the third day, relief comes, which is given by the angel, since the psalter is read all three days, and everyone prays for the soul of the deceased.

The soul ascends to the Lord for worship. Then, until the ninth day, the angels show the beauties of paradise. On the ninth day the soul again ascends to the Lord for worship. Then she is sent to hell, where she remains until the fortieth day. It is also believed that during this period all the good deeds and all the sins that the deceased committed during his lifetime are remembered. Relatives and friends pray for the soul to withstand all trials and for the forgiveness of sins.

On this day, relatives should visit the temple, order a service, light candles and pray. Candles are placed on a special memorial table - eve. It stands on the north side, near the crucifixion of Christ. It is important to remember that candles are not lit for repose on Holy Week.

On the memorial day, you can order a memorial service, prayer service or lithium. It is necessary to go to the cemetery, remember the person and lay flowers. Under no circumstances should you have a meal in a cemetery, much less drink alcoholic beverages. All family and friends should know that no one is invited to the wake. Those who remember come, who want to pray for the deceased on this day.

Kutya must be placed on the table. This funeral dish is a porridge made from wheat, barley or rice, with the addition of honey, raisins, and nuts. Kutya, if desired, can be consecrated in the temple.

Many people, when organizing a funeral, are only concerned with the amount of food so that everyone is full. You should not place any culinary delights on the table. Dishes should be easy to prepare. First, second, no appetizers or salads. Drinks are required, but not alcohol. Baked goods and sweets are allowed.

You must behave modestly; laughter, jokes, songs and any fun are excluded. Do not forget that family members are in mourning. You cannot speak badly about the deceased, or talk about personal topics.

The meal begins with prayer. It is advisable that everyone pray for the deceased, otherwise there is no point in coming. People do not go to a wake to eat or discuss the latest worldly news: one should respect the grief of relatives.

Appearance

There are certain requirements for appearance. Men come in strict dark suits, with their heads uncovered. Women in modest dresses, headscarves. At the table you can talk about the deceased, about his past successes and merits, and remember pleasant moments. A calm, peaceful atmosphere in the house will have a beneficial effect on everyone present.

People don't always have the opportunity to organize a funeral. In this case, you can simply treat your neighbors, friends, employees at work, and children. To do this, just bake a cake or cookies, buy candy and other sweets. This way you can remember the deceased on any day.

IN Lent The funeral is being postponed until the weekend. If you want to bring flowers, you need to leave them at the grave.

On memorial day, it is important to give alms to people in need. At the end of the meal, the remaining food must be distributed. It is strictly forbidden to throw away food. It is advisable to remember this during the cooking process.

The ninth day of remembrance is not a formal event. According to Orthodox canons, namely prayers in memorial days help the soul find eternal peace. Everyone who goes to a funeral should remember this.

Read also:

• 
• 
• How to correctly inform a child about the death of a loved one - what can be done and what...

Only the physical shell of a person disappears. The soul, having left the body, continues to exist in the invisible spiritual world and makes a certain path to God. Ultimately, she appears before God's Court, where her future fate is determined. The 3rd, 9th and 40th days after death are considered the most important. In this article we will talk about what happens to the soul on the 9th day after death.

Hard way

Orthodox clergy always emphasize that our information about the afterlife limited and deeply symbolic. We cannot fully understand it, leading earthly life, just as a child in the womb cannot imagine its future existence.

The Bible and other written sources do not aim to satisfy our idle curiosity. The information they provide is sparse. Their goal is to show the way to salvation. It is known that for the first three days the soul is still attached to the body and stays near it and close people or wanders to places that are significant to it. Then the removal begins. The soul spends six days in paradise, getting used to the incorporeal way of existence and finding peace. Here she understands what divine goodness is.

What happens to the soul on day 9? A new frontier begins. The Christian ascends to God, after which he receives an introductory tour of hell. The soul has to overcome ordeals and face its own sins. However, the righteous pass these tests and immediately enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The remaining souls appear before God's Court only on the 40th day. Then their future fate is decided.

Meaning of 9 days

An ordinary person has many questions about what happens to the soul on day 9. This is the moment of breaking with earthly life. After it comes a mysterious and difficult period when angels and demons fight for the soul. But why did the all-merciful Lord allow devilry blocked the deceased's path to Him?

There are many hypotheses, and no one knows for sure. However, the Church calls not to take everything literally. Hell and heaven are not real space. Rather, it is a state of mind. A person who sincerely believes in God and lives according to His laws is in the Kingdom of Heaven. At the same time, it does not matter at all what actions he committed during his lifetime.

However, most people are subject to passions and selfish impulses. And in this state they are not able to accept the Lord. Therefore, on the 9th day the soul itself dooms itself to ordeal. It is not for nothing that it is said that the gates of hell are locked not from the outside, but from the inside. Whether a deceased person will be able to repent or remain in hell forever depends on his mood.

How can I help my soul?

People who have lost a loved one are often in grief. This is a natural state, but it must have moderation. The Church says that extreme despair is characteristic of those who do not believe in the immortality of the soul and the support of God. It’s already difficult for a deceased person. Acute fears and regrets overcome the liberated soul after 9 days.

Wherever our departed loved ones are, we can help them overcome this difficult milestone. To do this, you need to sincerely forgive the person and ask for forgiveness yourself. The soul should be released in peace, and not tried to be held. Prayers and bright memories of the best qualities of the deceased will help ease her fate. The Church assures that in this way you can protect a loved one and help him quickly enter heaven.

We are doing the calculations

We found out what happens to the soul on the 9th day after death. At this time she renounces her worldly life and indulges in thinking about the sins he has committed. Special memorial rites are intended to help her along this path. It is important not to make a mistake when calculating the day for them.

The count should be from the date of death. Remember that a calendar day begins at midnight and lasts until 23:59. You need to add the number 8 to the date of death to find out the day of nineteen days. It doesn't matter when the funeral took place.

However, during Lent, funerals may be rescheduled if they fall on a weekday. According to the Church Charter, they are held on the coming Saturday. It is best to consult on this issue with the priest from the temple in which you will order the service.

Memorial services

The soul on the 9th day after death is captured by passions. In total there are up to 20 species. If a common person can cope with experiences by being distracted by various matters, praying or fasting, then in the afterlife these methods are not available. Christian commemoration performed by living people provides significant assistance.

It is customary to order a memorial service for 9 days. For her, they bring alms in the form of food to the Church. It could be kutya, bakery products, fruits or vegetables, sugar, eggs, wine, cereals, flour, vegetable oil. It is prohibited to bring meat products. Also in the temple you can order the magpie, if this has not been done earlier, and the reading of the Psalter for the repose.

Intensifies if you put a burning candle. It is believed that this is how we illuminate the path of the soul in the afterlife. Candles for repose are placed on a square table on the left side of the temple next to the image of the crucified Savior. Looking at the light, name full name deceased and ask God to give him peace.

freedom of choice

After 9 days, the human soul experiences ordeals and fights temptations. But not every dead person can be prayed for in church in order to alleviate his lot. There are three categories of people for whom memorial services are not ordered and for whom memorial dinners are not held. These are suicides, unbaptized people and those who deliberately refused the funeral service. They all willingly rejected God. This right was given to each of us by the Creator, and we are obliged to submit to the choice of man.

It’s not easy for loved ones to make such a decision. To help the departed soul, the Church calls them to intense prayer at home, as well as to the distribution of alms. However, one must not resort to deception by indicating the names of the suicide in notes or concealing it from the priest. important facts. By doing this you are only harming the deceased.

Home prayer

We do not know for certain where the soul is after 9 days. In the afterlife there are no familiar spaces, and time can flow differently. Christian literature says that the deceased is tested by demons, but angels are also nearby. The prayer of relatives also serves as support.

On a memorable day, a portrait of a deceased person, framed with a mourning ribbon, is placed in a prominent place in the house. It is advisable to light a lamp or candle in front of it. It is not necessary to place a glass of water covered with a piece of bread. This ritual rather relates to paganism. Mirrors can also be left open. But it’s better to turn off the music and TV.

Sincerely pray for the deceased. It is recommended to read the Psalter for all 40 days, especially kathisma 17. Prayers for the departed are also found in any prayer book. It is acceptable to choose your own words or offer a silent prayer if you are unable to speak due to tears. You can remember all your loved ones at home, even if they were not baptized or deliberately took their own lives.

Visit to the cemetery

The soul on the 9th day after death is far from earthly concerns. In the grave there is only a mortal body, to which the Church does not attach much importance. Therefore, visiting the cemetery is not a requirement on this day. But often this ritual provides comfort to grieving relatives. To show respect to the deceased, dress modestly. Women should wear mourning scarves. Children under 12 years old are best left at home.

Fresh flowers are placed on the grave: white for children and young people, burgundy for older people. If a person died heroically, then they bring him a red bouquet. There must be flowers even number. It is also recommended to light a candle at the grave, but do not forget to put it out before leaving. You shouldn't take vodka with you. The Church believes that alcohol will only bring harm to the soul.

There is no need to indulge in empty talk at the cemetery. It’s better to pray, ask the deceased for forgiveness and forgive him all his sins yourself. Remember him good qualities and actions. Don't complain and don't shed tears, you're in the way to a loved one rest in peace. Along the way, give candy or other sweets to people you meet so that they remember the deceased.

Preparing a funeral dinner

There is no need to consider traditional rituals a formality. The Church insists that the bright memory of the deceased facilitates the ordeal of the soul after the 9th day. That is why it is customary to organize memorial dinners. There is no need to invite anyone to the nineties. Those who want to honor the deceased come themselves. Usually these are close relatives, friends and colleagues. The more people gather, the easier it is for the soul to get to heaven.

The main dish is kutia. Boiled rice or wheat symbolize the grains from which it will sprout new life(the coming Resurrection of all the dead). Sweet ingredients (honey, raisins) mean the bliss of the soul in heaven. Kutya can be consecrated in the Church or simply sprinkled with holy water. Compote or jelly, pancakes, and sweet pies are also served on the table. It is better if the dishes are simple, so as not to fall into the sin of gluttony. Alcohol is prohibited at Orthodox funerals, as it can seriously harm the soul of the deceased.

Behavior rules

When going to a funeral, wear formal clothing, preferably black. Close relatives tie mourning scarves on their heads. On this day, frivolous conversations are not allowed. Criticism of the deceased is inappropriate and can significantly harm him. We should remember the Roman wisdom: “It’s either good or nothing about the deceased.” Stories about the positive qualities of the departed person are welcome, his good deeds.

If there are food left over after lunch, they should be distributed to the poor, but under no circumstances should they be thrown away. The more people you treat on this day, the better. You can buy sweets and distribute them to everyone you meet with a request to remember the deceased.

The clergy cannot say exactly what happens to the soul on the 9th day after death. However, the Church claims that death is not the end, but the birth of a person for a new, spiritual life. All of us - both living and dead - stand before God. He hears our appeal and is always ready to open his heart to meet us. Through him we ultimately conquer death.

The value of any life largely correlates with the fact that it ends sooner or later. According to Orthodox tradition, after the funeral the soul of the deceased awaits a transition to another world. It is believed that a person’s future fate depends not only on the deeds he committed during his lifetime, but also on how he is remembered by his relatives and friends. Special meaning for self-determination of the soul in the afterlife there are 9 and 40 days after death. So how should they be celebrated?

General rules for funerals

Orthodox Christians organize funerals to pay tribute to a deceased relative. People remember the good deeds performed by a person during his lifetime, celebrate him positive traits. At a wake, you should never make a scandal, argue or quarrel. Negative emotions relatives and friends, as they say, can complicate the path of the soul of the deceased to a better world.

For the same reason, sobs, despair and loud regrets about the departure of a loved one are inappropriate. In the Orthodox tradition, death is considered an inevitable and natural outcome of life; it is not a tragedy at all. Believers believe that to a good person There is no need to be afraid of God's judgment. Therefore, at a wake it is customary to behave calmly, restrainedly and kindly.

A shared meal brings together relatives, friends and colleagues of the deceased. It is not allowed to send out invitations to funerals. It is believed that everyone to whom this is important should inquire about the place and time of this event themselves. But it is not forbidden to casually mention in a conversation the efforts that relatives are busy with regarding the organization of a funeral meal. This will tell the person that he should come if he himself considers it necessary to attend this event.

Despite Russian table traditions, Orthodox funerals do not involve the consumption of alcoholic beverages. Although this rule is often violated, because the popular ideas about a worthy send-off of the deceased to another world in this matter do not coincide with religious canons. But in any case, the wake should not turn into a banal drinking session, because this is a sacred event, and not a reason for fun and dancing.

As a rule, it is customary to dress modestly at a wake, in dark-colored clothing. Scarves are required for women. If the deceased was an elderly person, then the relatives of the deceased mourn for 40 days from the moment of his death. Young people who tragically passed away - husbands, wives, children - are mourned for up to 1 year, all this time adhering to dark tones in clothing.

9 days - the ordeal of the soul begins

According to religious canons, on the ninth day after death, the so-called ordeal of the soul begins, when it overcomes various obstacles created by sins. Angels help the deceased in this. As a result, the good deeds a person has done during his lifetime must outweigh his bad deeds.

The funeral, organized on the 9th day, is designed to help the soul of the deceased overcome all obstacles on the way to eternal life. Therefore, on this date, relatives order a funeral prayer service in the church, light candles in front of the icons and read prayers so that the Almighty will accept the soul of the deceased into His Kingdom. And in the house you can light a lamp in memory of the departed person.

On this day, relatives and everyone who feels the need to visit the grave and bring flowers there. It is believed that for a person whose soul has begun the stage of repentance and cleansing from sins, it is important how the living remember him and whether they pray for him.

An obligatory dish during a funeral meal is kutia. This is porridge, which is prepared from whole wheat grains (less often from barley, rice or other cereals) with the addition of nuts, raisins or other sweets, the dish is poured with honey or honey syrup. As a rule, kutya is served at the very beginning of the wake.

The list of treats offered to guests on day 9 varies depending on the region of Russia. But there are also general points. Immediately after kutya, the first course is served - soup or cabbage soup. The second can be meat or lean, it all depends on what time the commemoration occurred. In addition, fish dishes and jelly are often on the table. And the meal ends with pancakes or pancakes.

Drinks that are traditionally drunk at funerals include compote, kvass and jelly. The owners can also prepare various porridges, pies, cabbage rolls, stuffed pepper, vegetable salads. In addition, there are usually apples and other fruits on the table.

On the 9th day after the death of a relative, it is customary to give alms to people in churches and cemeteries with a request to pray for the repose of the soul of the deceased. Treats left over from the wake are also distributed.

40 days - final goodbye

Very important milestone in farewell to the deceased are 40 days after his death. It is at this time that the human soul is believed to finally leave our mortal world. For the Orthodox this is significant date, which separates earthly life from eternal life.

After 40 days, the soul can last time to visit places that are important to her, to see relatives and friends, and then in Heaven she is accepted final decision O future fate deceased. Therefore, these commemorations are very important, because the kind words spoken by people about the deceased will certainly be taken into account by the High Court.

You should definitely order this day funeral service in church, pray for the soul of the deceased. During the funeral meal, it is forbidden not only to consume alcoholic drinks, but also sing songs and have fun. The meal, as a rule, differs little from the 9-day funeral, except that instead of the first course, a variety of salads are served. Kutya and rich pancakes or pancakes are obligatory dishes of this meal.

At the table for 40 days, it is customary to remember not only the deceased, but also other relatives who have left the world of the living in the foreseeable past. Guests take turns delivering funeral speeches. And the person who is given the floor must stand up. Then the deceased should be honored with a minute of silence.

For 40 days, the things of the deceased should be distributed to those who need them. At the same time, people are asked to remember the deceased kind words. Relatives keep only photographs and other items that are valuable as a memory of a loved one. If no one took one of the deceased’s things, then it should not be thrown away, but should be taken to a temple or given to charity.