Parents' Saturdays are days on which deceased relatives, especially parents, are remembered. They pray for them so that their souls find peace and God's grace. During Lent, Parents' Friday falls on the 2nd week, as well as on the 3rd and 4th. IN Orthodox calendar These are special days on which believers read a prayer to help deceased loved ones. After parents, they remember other people close to their hearts. In Christian families, it is customary to instill in a child from childhood respect for his father and mother, because these are the two most important people in our lives.

Commemoration of the deceased in 2019, parental days - what is it

You need to understand that every parent's Saturday is a very important day for a believer. We must not forget to remember the dead on these days. We must remember the souls of our parents first, and then all other people who are dear to our hearts. In a Christian family, a child must be taught respect for his parents.

The fifth commandment is known, which talks about the need to honor your mother and father. Father Augustine focuses on this commandment. It is believed that such respect, the respect of parents, plays a huge role for eternal life man, as well as his entire family, for his stay on earth.

It is parental Saturdays that allow us to fully reveal the true, deep meaning of honoring parents. There are nine such days in the Orthodox calendar. Moreover, two parental Saturdays are universal: they are held in funeral prayers for the souls of all the departed.

Parents' Saturdays in Russia in 2019

Ecumenical Meat Saturday in 2019 March 2

Eight days before Lent 2019, Meat-Eating Saturday is celebrated. It is called Ecumenical because on this day priests read prayers for all Christians who lived on Earth. There are only two Ecumenical Parental Saturdays a year - Meat Saturday and Trinity Saturday.

According to tradition, housewives baked pancakes on this day. The first was placed on the shelf with icons, the second on the windowsill. The remaining pancakes were taken to the graves of relatives and distributed to the poor and children. At the same time, they asked to pray for specific deceased people. In the morning the houses were cleaned, and in the evening a funeral dinner was held. The number of dishes on the table must be odd.

Parents' Saturdays during Lent 2019

March 23, 30 and April 6 are parent's Saturdays in Lent. Believers have the opportunity not only to light candles for the repose, but also to order a magpie. After the church service, you must visit the cemetery to honor the memory of deceased relatives.

Radonitsa in 2019 May 7

Ecumenical Trinity Saturday in 2019 June 15

On this day, people attend church services, light candles for the repose of relatives, go to the cemetery and decorate graves with greenery. Since this parental Saturday is Ecumenical, it is customary to remember all deceased Christians on Earth. After all, every believer has contributed to the construction of the Kingdom of God. In the evening, according to tradition, a funeral dinner is held, during which it is forbidden to have fun or swear. The church does not recommend drinking alcoholic beverages this evening.

Dmitrievskaya Saturday in 2019 November 2

On November 2, 2019, deceased relatives are remembered. Funeral services are held in churches, people pray for the repose of the souls of relatives.

Historians believe that this day is connected with the Battle of Kulikovo, because Dmitry Donskoy, after the victory, suggested that Orthodox priests organize a day of remembrance of their souls in honor of the soldiers who fell in the battle. The clergy agreed and gave the name to this Saturday in honor of Prince Dmitry.

In the past, it was believed that on this day it was time to welcome winter and prepare for severe frosts. On this day, we cleaned the house and attended church services in the evening. In the evening, a funeral dinner was held, with the table covered with a white linen tablecloth. They put it on the table traditional dishes: pies, uzvar, kutia.

Complete list of parenting Saturdays in 2019

April 6, 2019 – 4th Saturday of Great Lent, funeral services will not be held in churches;

October 12, 2019 – Intercession Parents’ Saturday (Remembrance Day in folk tradition);

Parents' Saturdays, their essence

The Ecumenical Council established days on which they commemorate and pray for the souls of deceased relatives, relatives, and lay people who have passed on to another world. Liturgies are dedicated to exclusive funeral prayer.

For us, this means that we need to put aside all worldly affairs, go to the morning service, and honor all those whom the Lord accepted into his monastery.

For parents' Saturday, the most important reading is funeral prayers, which help the souls of departed relatives to come closer to God. Prayers offered on these days ask for forgiveness of sins for deceased souls. The Savior, seeing how we zealously beg Him, bring alms, helping those who ask, will certainly have mercy on the souls coming to Him.

What to do in church on Parents' Saturday 2019

It is not for nothing that God’s fifth commandment says: honor your father and mother, you must always remember this and give your parents their due even after death, because it is believed that their souls watch over the living from heaven. On these days, believers take paper, pen and ink and write the names of deceased relatives on pieces of paper, take them to church and give them to the priest before the start of the service and ask him to pray for the dead. Then you should light candles for them and, after listening to the service, pray for yourself. We must ask the Lord God to rest the souls of the dead, forgive them their sins and grant them the Kingdom of Heaven.

To honor the memory of deceased relatives, they give out alms and do good deeds, feeding homeless animals. Donations can be made directly at the church, if you do not have money with you, then donate food. As a rule, clergy are engaged in charity, collecting alms, and then giving them to the poor. You can donate clothes; volunteers organize special events for this. It is also worth going to the cemetery and at the same time it is advisable to treat the dead with something tasty and do not forget about flowers.

During the days of Great Lent, the master brings Lenten food and Cahors wine to the temple during Parents' Saturday. Products are left in specially designated areas. It is better not to sacrifice cognac and vodka, as these are very strong alcoholic drinks.

What not to do on Parents' Saturday

To take care of deceased loved ones, order a memorial service for them. When you come to the cemetery, you should not give the dead alcoholic drinks, pour them water, since leaving vodka or wine is considered not a Christian rite, this is how our ancestors remembered the dead before the advent of Christianity. True, the ancient Slavs did not know these alcoholic drinks, they drank fermented honey, but it was expensive pleasure, so it was used only by the nobility; the strength of the drink is comparable to beer. In this regard, we mean any strong drinks that people drank in the old days.

There will be seven Parental Saturdays in total in 2019, but their dates change every year because they depend on other church holidays. Meat-free Saturday (starts 8 days before Lent) fell on the 2nd of this month in 2019. It is also called Universal. This is how it was named due to the fact that on this day they pray for all Christians who once lived on Earth and were baptized. The second Ecumenical Parental Saturday is Trinity, and there are two of them in a year. People call Meat Saturday as Little Maslenitsa. On this day it is customary to hold an Ecumenical memorial service - this is a funeral liturgy.

Winter Parents' Saturday

On the winter memorial Saturday, women baked pancakes, the first pancake was placed in front of the icons on a shelf, the second on a plate was placed on the windowsill, and the rest were distributed to friends, the poor, children, monks and asked them to pray for the departed, so that God would forgive them their earthly sins and let their souls go. to Paradise. Pancakes were also carried to the graves of the dead. In the evening, housewives set the table and at dinner commemorate deceased relatives; the number of dishes on the table should be odd.

During Lent there are three Mother's Saturdays, March 23, April 30 and April 6. In general, during Lent, a memorial service is held on Saturdays of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th weeks. You can order a sorokoust - this is a prayer for 40 days after death. And also attend the funeral liturgy.

The next day of remembrance of the dead is Radonitsa, it falls in 2019 on May 7th, on this day people go to the cemetery to celebrate Easter with the dead, naturally they bake for them Easter cakes and color the eggs.

Based on materials from open sources for https://rtown.ru

Memorial days during Great Lent are appointed on Saturdays of weeks, since on all other days of remembrance of the dead (funeral litanies, litias, memorial services, the third, ninth and fortieth day after death, sorokoust) are not performed at this time - for the reason that every day is not There is a full liturgy, with which this ritual is associated.

It is precisely in order not to deprive the dead of prayer on the days of the Holy Pentecost, and these Saturdays were established. They are called Ecumenical Parental Saturdays, and the funeral services themselves performed on these days are called ecumenical memorial services.

Also on these Saturdays, in addition to commemorating each deceased individually, the church commemorates all the fathers and brothers in faith who have passed away from time immemorial, who have been worthy of Christian death, as well as those who, having been caught sudden death, were not guided into the afterlife by the prayers of the church." In the circle of the liturgical year, such days of general commemoration are considered to be Meat Saturday and Trinity Saturday, as well as Saturdays of the second, third and fourth weeks of Great Lent.

On all parental Saturdays, the service is performed according to a special charter.

The nearest parental Saturday of Lent: date and traditions

• IN parent's Saturday You should not be rude to your family and friends, quarrel, use swear words and use foul language. You should behave quietly, calmly, not argue with anyone and not contradict your elders.
• On this day you cannot listen to loud music, watch funny programs and films on TV, or go to entertainment events.
• Parents' Saturday, which also falls during Lent, is given in order to remember the departed and spend the day in meekness and humility.

On March 30, 2019, it is necessary to offer prayers several times for the repose of deceased relatives and loved ones. It is not forbidden to visit a cemetery, but it is best to do it after morning service.

On this day you should refrain from traveling long distances. Also, do not indulge in despondency and sadness. You can’t speak badly about the dead, especially on Parents’ Saturday.

Parents' Saturday occurs several times in 2019, the largest number of them will be in the spring, during Lent and after Easter. People need these days to remember their deceased relatives, as well as to forgive their life sins and ask for forgiveness of their souls and admission to Paradise. On this day, families gather together and honor the memory of their ancestors.

Parents' Saturday is, according to Christian customs, a memorial day. According to Orthodox traditions, these dates either precede major ones church holidays, or appointed after them. Almost all memorable dates occur during fasting.

Parents' Saturdays in 2019

This year Christian memorial days fall on the following dates:

• March 2 – Memorial Saturday during meat-eating week.
• Saturdays of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th weeks of Great Lent - March 23, 30 and April 6. At this time, the clergy intercede for the dead and arrange common prayers so that the Lord would forgive their sins, resurrect them and give them eternal life.
• May 8 – Easter of the Dead or Radonitsa. It is believed that the Savior personally descended into the underworld in Radonitsa to preach victory over death and took the souls of the Old Testament from there.
• June 15 - Trinity - Saturday preceding the holiday of the Great Trinity. On Trinity Saturday, it is customary to pray for the atonement of the sins of one’s dead relatives, to ask the Lord to return the souls of relatives captive in the underworld to heaven.
• November 2 is St. Demetrius Saturday, on which the memory of soldiers killed in wars for the Orthodox people is honored. Over time, the tradition grew into a day when they remember all the deceased warriors who defended the faith, the fatherland and their families from enemies.

Parents' Saturdays during Lent

In 2019, there will be 4 such dates - 2, 23 and 30 March, as well as 6 April. The dates were chosen for a reason - during Lent, the people's consciousness is considered pure, because this is a time of renunciation from everything worldly and cleansing of the body and consciousness. Christians pray for forgiveness of the sins of their loved ones and for their souls to be cleansed and go to heaven.

Ecumenical Meat Saturday in 2019

Memorial Saturday takes place before the beginning of Meat Week, or, as it is popularly called, Cheese Week. This last days before Lent, when meat, dairy products and eggs can be consumed. On Sunday, Christians remember the Second Coming of Christ and Last Judgment. In 2019, this date will be March 2. Since at this time it is usually still very cold, and there is still snow in the cemeteries, it is not customary to go to the graves of relatives. Instead, all the family is coming to church and lights candles for the repose, reads prayers.

Radonitsa

Radonitsa is a memorial day after Easter, begins the memorial week. According to custom, the funeral week begins on Krasnaya Gorka (the Sunday following Easter); in 2019 it will be May 5. The period ends on May 11. Parents' Day is set on the 11th day after Easter; in 2019, the date fell on May 8th.

Signs

1. After Easter, Radonitskaya, or St. Thomas Week, traditionally begins, during which it is customary to remember the dead, care for tombs and arrange family funerals.
2. Traditions different nations may vary. It is customary among Eastern Slavs to go to the cemetery and have a funeral dinner there, while among Western Slavs it is customary to do this at home - it is considered. that the spirits of the dead come to their home and are present with the family.
3. All Orthodox Slavs consider cleaning and caring for the grave to be the same condition: weeding, planting flowers, painting the fence, caring for monuments and crypts, if such exist.
4. The Eastern Slavs have a tradition of making Christ with the dead (burying an Easter egg or a piece of Easter cake in the ground). The whole family eats the food they brought with them and drinks wine, remembering stories and pleasant moments associated with the dead. A funeral dinner should not be a noisy feast with drunken songs; this light time is used exclusively for gathering the family together.
5. There is a tradition of heating the bathhouse, but leaving it empty and putting clean linen there so that the spirits can steam.

Trinity Saturday in 2019

Semitic Saturday comes before Trinity Week, after which the Apostolic Fast begins. This year it will be June 15th. On Trinity Saturday there is a special church service, and everyone can come to the temple and light a candle for their dead relatives.

Traditions

Among the Eastern Slavs, this holiday is considered no less important than Radonitsa. On Memorial Saturday, it is not recommended to drink alcohol and succumb to gluttony, but preparing and trying several festive dishes, as well as “treating” the spirits with them, is considered a good tradition. In some regions, all day long, original “meals” were set up for the dead - bread crumbs were poured on the table and water was poured into glasses, changing this when the family sat down for breakfast or lunch.

Dmitrievskaya Saturday

This holiday is celebrated on the eve of the feast day of St. Demetrius of Thessalonica. It is believed that the tradition originated from the outcome of the Battle of Kulikovo, when Dmitry Donskoy suggested that the clergy establish a reading day in memory of the soldiers who died in it. Since then, the tradition has begun to celebrate this day every year.

Signs

Our ancestors believed that this day was the last frontier between autumn and winter, after which a sharp cold snap sets in. On Demetrius Saturday, you need to completely clean your home and the area near it, go to a church funeral service in the morning, then go to the cemetery to visit your deceased relatives. In the evening, the whole family gathered for dinner with a traditional funeral table.

Other memorial days in 2019

Appeared relatively recently new tradition– On May 9, citizens of the CIS commemorate those killed during the Great Patriotic War. On this date in all Orthodox churches Memorial services are held, after which flowers are offered to monuments and mass graves. Also, the memory of those killed during the Great Patriotic War is celebrated on June 22.

Semik is a memorial day, its date depends on Easter, therefore it changes annually. In 2019 it will be July 25th. It always occurs on the seventh Thursday of Easter, which is why it bears this name. The traditional symbol of Semik is a birch tree with young leaves. On the holiday, people chose the nearest birch tree and decorated its branches with ribbons. Birch branches were also brought to the church for the funeral mass along with fresh greens and young grass.

September 11 is the day of remembrance of soldiers who died in the fight for Orthodoxy. The memorial day coincides with the cutting off of the head of the Prophet. It is not necessary to visit burial sites on September 11th. but mention in prayer those who died in the name Orthodox faith and asking for forgiveness of their sins is necessary.

AND x debts are your concern,
Fortunately, you can give it away.
On Parents' Saturday
Remember your father and mother.

Pray at the funeral service
About loved ones and others.
However, what are the insults now?
In the eternal world there is no time for them.

God's mercy will not leave you,
He who understands will understand.
Someone will remember you too
On parental Saturdays.

Hieromonk Roman (Matyushin)

The purpose of parental Saturdays is the unification of the Church. Parental Saturdays give us the opportunity to experience the reality of the unification of all its members - both its saints, those living today, and those who have died. Same day Holy Trinity, on which the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles in the form of tongues of fire, is called the birthday of the Church. Therefore, the establishment of parental Saturday on the eve of this day is so understandable.

Our prayers are especially needed for the dead. After all, those who have completed their earthly journey themselves can no longer add more good deeds, repent of sins, or ask the Lord. But we can ask for mercy for them, ask to put them to rest, “for it is not the dead who will praise Thee, O Lord; those in hell will dare to bring confession to Thee: but we who are alive will bless Thee and pray and offer sacrifices to Thee for their souls.”

The Lord God, through the depth of His wisdom, humanely builds everything and gives useful things to everyone, i.e. if whose life continues, he is a benefactor; and if he shortens someone’s days, it is for this purpose, lest malice change his mind or flattery deceive his soul. And our duty in both cases is to say with childlike submission to the Heavenly Father: Our Father, Thy will be done! We will remember as best we can on earth, and departed souls will remember us in heaven. And not only the righteous, whose souls are in the hand of God, pray to the Lord for our salvation, but also the souls of sinners also care about us, so that we do not end up in the same place as they are, and, according to the Gospel parable, they ask Saint Abraham to send us to the house of some righteous Lazarus, so that he would admonish us about what we should do, so that we may avoid eternal torment.

The Holy Church offers unceasing prayers for our departed fathers and brothers at every divine service. But, in addition, the Church creates at certain times special commemoration all fathers and brothers in faith who have died from time immemorial, who were worthy of Christian death, as well as those who, caught by sudden death, were not guided into the afterlife by the prayers of the Church. The memorial services performed at this time are called ecumenical.

IN parenting days You can always see many people going to cemeteries to honor the memory of their deceased relatives and clean up the graves. But it is also very important on this day to come to the Church of God at the beginning of the Divine Liturgy, submit a note with the names of the deceased and pray for their repose, or at least light a candle. Notes can be given to several churches at once, because the more prayers offered, the better it is for our loved ones. It is our prayers for the departed that are the main and invaluable help to those who have passed into another world.

These days, many of us are busy with our gardens, and therefore, unfortunately, not everyone finds time to come to the temple to pray on Parents' Saturday. But this can be done the day before, on Friday evening - submit a note so that the priest can pray for our loved ones. Behind it evening worship a parastas is served, or the Great Requiem Service (Greek “intercession”) - the funeral all-night vigil - the continuation of the great requiem service for all deceased Orthodox Christians, performed on All-night vigil parent's Saturdays. It differs from the usually performed requiem service (which is an abbreviated parastas) in that the immaculates (17th kathisma) and the full canon “Water passed through” (placed in Octoechos, tone 8, on Saturday) are sung.

There is a pious tradition of performing parastas at home in a secular manner on memorial days (3rd, 9th, 40th, etc.). It is also good if we pray for the departed every day at home prayer.

The saint speaks very well about this righteous John Kronstadt: “Pray to the Lord for the repose of your forefathers, father and brothers, every morning and evening, may mortal memory live in you, and may the hope for a future life after death not fade away in you, and may your spirit expand daily, thinking about your fleeting life.” .

In addition, it is very useful to give alms to the poor with a request to pray for the deceased. And also donate to the church, and when during the service they pray for all the beautifiers, beautifiers and donors of this temple, then you and your loved ones will certainly be remembered.

According to the Charter of the Ecumenical Orthodox Church On the eve of the feast of Holy Pentecost (Trinity), a funeral service is held, as well as on the day of the first Ecumenical Parental Saturday, which occurs during the Meat Week before the Week of the Last Judgment. This Parental Saturday is called Trinity Saturday and, like Meat Saturday, precedes the entry into fasting, which begins every week and is called apostolic.

This commemoration of the dead dates back to the times of the apostles. Just as it is said about the establishment of meat-free parental Saturday that “the divine fathers received it from the holy apostles,” so one can say about the origin of Trinity Saturday. In the words of St. ap. Peter, spoken by him on the day of Pentecost, is an important indication of the beginning of the custom of remembering the dead on the day of Pentecost. On this day, the Apostle, addressing the Jews, speaks of the Risen Savior: “God raised Him up, breaking the bonds of death” (Acts 2:24). And the apostolic decrees tell us how the apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, preached to the Jews and pagans our Savior Jesus Christ as the Judge of the living and the dead. Therefore, from ancient times the Holy Church calls on us to commemorate all the pious forefathers, fathers, brothers and sisters of ours who have departed from the ages before the day of the Most Holy Trinity, because On the day of Pentecost, the redemption of the world was sealed by the sanctifying power of the Life-giving Holy Spirit, which graciously and savingly extends to both us living and the dead. Both on Meat Saturday, which represents, as it were, the last day of the world, and on Trinity Saturday, which represents the last day of the Old Testament Church before the revelation of the Kingdom of Christ in all its power on the day of Pentecost, the Orthodox Church prays for all the departed fathers and brothers. On the very holiday day, he lifts up sighs to the Lord for them in one of his prayers: “Rest, O Lord, the souls of Your servants, the father and our brothers who have fallen before the dead, and other relatives in the flesh, and all our own in the faith, and we create memory of them.” now".

While a person is alive, he is able to repent of sins and do good. After death, this opportunity disappears, but hope remains in the prayers of the living. The Lord Jesus Christ repeatedly healed the sick through the faith of their loved ones. The lives of saints contain many examples of how, through the prayer of the righteous, the posthumous fate of sinners was eased until their complete justification. If the prayer is made for a person who has already been pardoned by God and is in the heavenly abodes, it will still not remain in vain, but will turn to the benefit of the one praying. As St. John Chrysostom said, “let us try, as much as possible, to help the departed instead of tears, instead of sobs, instead of magnificent tombs, with our prayers, alms and offerings for them, so that in this way they and we will receive the promised benefits.” Prayer for the departed is our main and invaluable help to those who have passed on to another world. The deceased does not need by and large, neither in the coffin, nor in the grave monument, much less in the funeral table - all this is just a tribute to traditions, albeit very pious ones. But prayer for the departed is the duty of every Orthodox Christian.

The Church remembers her children by name, because God is our Father and for Him, every person, like his own child, is irreplaceable, unique in his personality, and a person’s personality is imprinted with his name. In funeral notes, names are written in full and in the genitive case (for example: about the repose of Lyudmila, Mikhail, etc.). For clergy, the rank must be indicated; children under seven years of age are called infants; from 7 to 16 years of age are called youths or young women; if 40 days have not passed since the date of death, the word “newly deceased” must be added. Names are written Orthodox, i.e. data at Holy Baptism.

For the deceased, whose names are written in the notes, the priest takes a particle from the prosphora and, with a prayer for the forgiveness of sins, washes it in the Blood of Christ. It is very good to give feasible alms to the poor with a request to pray for the deceased. You can donate some food for the funeral of the soul - for this there are special memorial tables in churches. The simplest and most common way to sacrifice for the deceased is to light a candle. Every temple has a kanun - a special candlestick in the form rectangular table with a small Crucifix. It is here that candles are placed with a prayer for repose; memorial services and funeral services in absentia are held here.

After the service, Orthodox Christians go to the cemetery. Out of love for the deceased, one must keep his grave clean and tidy - the place of future resurrection. We must especially ensure that the cross on the grave is not askew and is always painted and clean. Arriving at the cemetery, it is good to light a candle and at least briefly pray for the deceased. If possible, ask the priest to perform a litiya (short funeral service) at the grave. Then clean up the grave or just be silent, remembering dear person. It is not appropriate for a Christian to eat or drink (especially vodka) in a cemetery. There is no need to leave food on the grave so that the grave is not trampled, for example, by dogs. Food should be given to the poor.

By interceding for the dead, the living become fulfillers of the commandment of love and, therefore, become “participants in heavenly rewards.” Prayers for the dead are needed not only for them, but also for us, because they attune the soul to heavenly things, distract it from vain things, and warm the heart with love for God. In addition, they dispose souls to fulfill the commandment of Christ - to prepare for the outcome at every hour. And this gives us strength to evade evil and abstain from sins.

Even if your loved ones died unbaptized and the Church cannot remember them, you can pray for them yourself at home in the same way as for the baptized. But it’s better to do this by coming to the church and to the grave on Trinity Saturday.

Hegumen Feofan (Kryukov)

Today, on Trinity Mother's Saturday, the Holy Church, preparing us for the holiday, remembers all its children and commanded us to pray a special prayer on these days, because God is love and God is not the God of the dead, but [the God of] the living. With God everyone is alive.

Death separates the soul from the body, and after the resurrection they are united, and together they are eternally blissful or eternally suffer, judging by who lived their life on earth. But after death, we all face a preliminary judgment, the so-called ordeal. And we not only await the Last Judgment in ignorance, but after the ordeal we clearly receive what we previously deserved with our lives. But the preliminary judgment is not final, and through the prayers of loved ones, the prayers of the saints, the entire Church, the fate of the sinner, his painful life, which is determined at this preliminary trial, can be changed and made easier. Through the prayers of the Church, a sinner can even get rid of eternal torment altogether. Events from the lives of the saints testify to this.

Let's remember why we pray for our loved ones, deceased relatives and brothers? Prayer for deceased people close to us is our intercession before God, and this prayer directly affects the souls of the departed, inspiring, warming and strengthening them. This prayer helps us preserve their memory, and there is hope that we will be remembered too. And the full work of remembering the dead is our heartfelt memory of them, and on the part of the Church it is a bloodless sacrifice at the Liturgy. “Wash away, Lord, the sins of those who were remembered here by Thy Honest Blood, by the prayers of Thy saints,” the priest reads at each Liturgy.

We remember our loved ones because, as has been said, those who have departed are alive before God. And as for the living, we pray for them, without distinguishing whether someone walked the righteous path or who disposed of their life unworthily. We do not inquire whether they are classified as righteous or sinners.

It is our duty of brotherly love to pray for them. Until the believers are separated by the final Judgment, their fate is not determined, all of them, living and dead, constitute one Church Christ, one Body. And we all - members of one Body - must treat each other with mutual love.

Since the fate of all people is considered undecided until the general Judgment, until then we cannot consider anyone completely condemned and on this basis we pray for their pardon, strengthened by the hope of God’s immeasurable mercy.

We pray for our loved ones, deceased relatives and brothers, also because the time for their repentance has passed. When the body is separated from the soul, it can no longer, having accepted suffering, help the soul cleanse itself of the sins that have been committed. The departed ask for our prayers, and we will also need the same prayers when we die.

And finally, we pray for our loved ones, following the commandment of God: love your neighbor as yourself. God did not say, love your neighbors while they are alive, but he wants our love to extend into the afterlife. The peculiarity of this service of Trinity Parental Saturday is that the canon, which is read at Matins, speaks of a variety of cases of death when people do not receive legalized psalmody and funeral prayers.

The Holy Church prays for the departed in almost every song of this canon (there are nine of them - there is a second song, in contrast to the usual canons, where there are eight), emphasizing the special importance of this canon and this commemoration of deceased loved ones. The Church prays for those whom the Lord allowed to die by sudden death, from unexpected sadness or joy; about those who died at sea, on rivers, springs, lakes; when hunting animals and birds; about those who are burned by lightning; frozen in the cold, in the snow; buried under landslides or under walls, or, as they say, “nailed with plinth”; killed through poisoning, strangulation, hanging, from neighbors or died from other numerous deaths. And all of them are faithful Orthodox Christians who have not received legalized hymns church prayers. That is, those who passed away without a priestly farewell, without a prayer of permission and a funeral service.

Today, on the eve of the great holiday, praying together with the entire Church, we believe that Divine Liturgy, prayers offered by the living for the dead, merciful alms that we must provide for deceased loved ones, free their souls from hell and assist them in achieving blissful repose. Amen.

Sermon by Monk Danilov of the Stavropegic Monastery of Moscow
Abbot Feofan (Kryukov) on Trinity Parental Saturday

June 18, 2016

Often these special days of remembrance of the dead are called “ecumenical 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 2019 fall on the following dates:

• – March 4, 2019.
• Saturday of the 2nd week of Great Lent – ​​March 23, 2019.
• Saturday of the 3rd week of Lent – ​​March 30, 2019.
• Saturday of the 4th week of Lent – ​​April 6, 2019.
• Commemoration of deceased warriors– May 9, 2019.
• Radonitsa– May 7, 2019.
• Trinity Parents' Saturday in 2019– June 15, 2019.
• – November 2, 2019.

• Parents' Saturdays in 2020 fall on the following dates:

  • Ecumenical Parental Saturday (meat-free)– February 22, 2020.
  • Saturday of the 2nd week of Great Lent – ​​March 14, 2020.
  • Saturday of the 3rd week of Great Lent – ​​March 21, 2020.
  • Saturday of the 4th week of Lent – ​​March 28, 2020.
  • Commemoration of deceased warriors– May 9, 2020.
  • Radonitsa– April 28, 2020.
  • Trinity Parents' Saturday in 2020– June 6, 2020.
  • Dimitrievskaya Parents' Saturday– October 31, 2020.

• Parents' Saturdays in 2021 fall on the following dates:

  • Ecumenical Parental Saturday (meat-free)– March 8, 2021.
  • Saturday of the 2nd week of Great Lent – ​​March 27, 2021.
  • Saturday of the 3rd week of Lent – ​​April 3, 2021.
  • Saturday of the 4th week of Lent – ​​April 10, 2021.
  • Commemoration of deceased warriors– May 9, 2021.
  • Radonitsa– May 11, 2021.
  • Trinity Parents' Saturday in 2021– June 19, 2021.
  • Dimitrievskaya Parents' Saturday– November 6, 2021.

Table of memorial days 2019

The 2019 calendar contains several such memorial days. In the table you can see the dates when parental Saturdays fall:

2nd of March	Ecumenical Meat Saturday, which is celebrated 8 days before the start of Easter Lent. The second name of this day is Little Maslenitsa. On this day they pray for all the departed.
March 23	The dates fall on the second, third and fourth Saturdays of Lent. The presence of special designated dates during Lent is due to the fact that the third, ninth and fortieth calendar days after death cannot be celebrated, so relatives of the deceased can remember them exclusively on these days.
30th of March
April 6
May 7	This day is called Radonitsa. In essence, it is a holiday, although it is associated with such a sad event as the commemoration of a person who has left us. On Radonitsa, it is customary to prepare a good dinner, but a person is commemorated not in a cemetery, but at home, so as not to intrude into the world of the dead.
June 15	Ecumenical Trinity Saturday is associated with the need to visit church and the grave of a deceased person. It is decorated with greenery. This is the main day when the souls of all deceased people are remembered.
November 2	Dmitrievskaya Parental Saturday, during this day memorial services are served in churches. During the day you need to go to the cemetery, and in the evening you need to gather relatives for dinner and remember the dead.

The meaning of parental Saturdays in Orthodoxy

Parental Saturdays in Orthodoxy are so closely mixed with Ecumenical Saturdays that in practice there are many more days of remembrance for the dead. In addition to the above parental Saturdays, the deceased are commemorated on the third day, ninth day, fortieth day and anniversary. As a rule, on next year commemorated only on the anniversary of death.

The significance of parental Saturday is very great. First of all, Orthodoxy speaks of the memory of deceased relatives, parents, brothers and sisters, which is why the days of remembrance are called parental Saturdays. On Ecumenical memorial days - Meat and Trinity Saturday - it is customary to remember not only relatives, but also all the dead.

This reminds a person that life on earth is short and it is necessary to carry the memory of relatives, thereby setting an example for children. Only then will the soul find peace after death. Thanks to this, parental Saturdays connect entire generations, and children honor the memory of relatives down to several generations.

Orthodox calendar of parental Saturdays

Memorial Saturday dates

Memorial Saturdays in 2019 fall on the following dates:

• March 2, 23, 30;
• April 6;
• May 7, 9;
• June 15;
• November 2.

Dimitrievskaya Parents' Saturday

Dimitrievskaya parental Saturday in the calendar is located in close proximity to the feast of St. Great Martyr Dmitry of Thessalonica. According to historical data, it began to be celebrated after the battle on the Kulikovo Field, where more than 250 thousand people died, and was initially dedicated to the memory of those who died in this battle, but gradually became a significant day for all Orthodox Christians.

Since then, every Saturday before the day of memory of D. Solunsky, the Slavs celebrated a memorial day, not only for those killed in battles, but also for other deceased relatives. This date became firmly established in church practice and became parents' Saturday.

Correct behavior on funeral days

On parental Saturday, it is necessary to visit the graves of the dead, go to church, serve memorial services in the cemetery, order funeral litias and commemorate with a meal. On St. Demetrius Saturday they pray mainly for the souls of deceased relatives.

If it is impossible to visit church, they must pray at home, reading the Prayer for the Dead. When reading a prayer, you can use a memorial book - a special small book (you can use a notebook) in which the names of all deceased relatives who need to be remembered in prayer are written down.

Church commemoration begins with coming to church on the eve of parent's day, i.e. Friday night. At this time, parastas is read - a great memorial service dedicated to the remembrance of the dead. The funeral liturgy is celebrated the next day in the morning, followed by a general memorial service. Notes with the names of deceased relatives (in the genitive case) are submitted to the church for liturgy and parastas. Donations are placed on the canon - everything except meat and alcohol.

What can you do on Parents' Saturday?

Parental Saturdays have a clear purpose - to commemorate the dead, so some “worldly” activities may be prohibited. Believers most often want to know the restrictions regarding work, baptism, cleaning and communion.

Is it possible to work on parent's Saturday?

Working on parental Saturday is not prohibited, but priests insist that time be set aside for going to church. It is extremely important to come to the temple in the morning, submit notes for the deceased, and only then you can go to work. If there is no opportunity to go to church, then you can read a prayer at work, but be sure to pay spiritual attention to the deceased. There is no need to work in the garden - according to legend, the planted plants will not grow and will not bear fruit.

Is it possible to heat a bathhouse on Parents' Saturday?

31.128.140.69

On Parents' Saturday, lighting the bathhouse is encouraged. For the Slavs, Thursday and Saturday were considered clean days - on these days they most often went to the bathhouse. Moreover, after bathing it is necessary to leave a broom in the bathhouse for the deceased - this is the tradition. Historical sources testify to this.

Is it possible to clean the house

The Church has a negative attitude towards cleaning the house on Parents' Saturday. It is believed that the holiday must be celebrated in a clean house, but on Parents' Saturday there is no need to get involved with dirt - this is disrespect for the memory of the dead. Therefore, washing floors, cleaning carpets, and doing laundry should be rescheduled for another time. It is clear that minor cleaning in the house, for example, washing dishes and clearing the table after a meal, is acceptable.

Is it possible to baptize on parental Saturday?

There are no restrictions on the baptism of a child on parental Saturday. However, there are no restrictions on other days, fasts and even great holidays. Baptism is considered a very important rite and should be carried out as a matter of priority, regardless of the date. The only thing you need to think about in advance is to agree on the time of the ceremony, so as not to get to the liturgy and not wait for a long time.

Is it possible to receive communion on parental Saturday?

It is recommended that the church receive communion once or twice a month, but it is best to set aside Sunday for this rite, not Saturday. On this day, the priests are more free, and there are fewer people in the temple, so they feel more comfortable.

The invaluable help that living relatives can provide to the deceased is frequent prayers for repose. The souls of the dead, according to the church, should rest in peace precisely thanks to the constant prayers of living people. Parental Saturdays become a manifestation of the fact that the dead are remembered, and it is recommended to read prayers not only on parental days, but also every day.