Memorial days in October

On this day, according to the precepts of the Russian Orthodox Church, other relatives are also pleased.

Memorial Saturday

Even before the adoption of Christianity, the Slavs revered their ancestors. Therefore, Orthodoxy, in which one of the most important commandments says: "Honor your father and your mother," found fertile ground here. Therefore, in modern tradition several special memorial days dedicated, as a rule, to special dates Orthodox calendar.

However, they are marked almost the same. On this day, it is supposed to visit cemeteries where deceased relatives are buried, tidy up the graves and decorate them, attend special church services dedicated to the dead, and arrange a memorial dinner in the evening. Which, depending on the day, could be both modest and lean. At dinner, you need to remember the departed, their good qualities and how much good they have done for the living.

Intercession Saturday

But now we will talk about a specific holiday - Intercession Saturday, inextricably linked with the Feast of the Intercession of the Virgin, falling on October 1 (14). This holiday is celebrated, for obvious reasons, exclusively by Russian Orthodox Church dating back to the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

This day was officially proclaimed by the decree of Patriarch Job of February 25, 1592. And not as a specific commemoration of deceased relatives, but as a commemoration of the Orthodox soldiers who fell during the capture of Kazan in 1552. And it was just on the feast of the Protection of the Virgin. According to public opinion, it was thanks to this fact that the Orthodox army was able to defeat the Tatar Muslims.

But gradually they began to commemorate not only Russian soldiers, but also all the rest of the deceased. But there are no noticeable features that distinguish Intercession Saturday from other memorial days. Divine service dedicated to the memory of all saints, commemoration of all “reposed Orthodox Christians”, visits to cemeteries, a hearty supper.

One can only notice that this holiday is not celebrated everywhere on the same scale. Nevertheless, Dmitrievskaya Saturday was considered the main memorial day. Nevertheless, Belarusians actively celebrate this day, calling it "Pokrovsky uncles", stretching the celebration for almost several days. Something similar is common in the north-west of Ukraine. But for the rest of the territory professing Orthodoxy (including the Serbs and Bulgarians), greater value It is the Dmitrievskaya Saturday that precedes the day of memory of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica, which falls on November 8 (October 26, old style).

Team site and journalist Artyom Costin urge you, regardless of your attitude to religion in general, today about their deceased relatives. Still, they did a lot of good things for you. So don't forget them either.

In Orthodoxy, special attention is paid to parental Saturdays, which are not so many. October 7, 2017 will be one of them - Intercession Parental Saturday, so try to put aside personal affairs and devote this day to spiritual affairs.

Intercession parental Saturday is inextricably linked with the great non-twelfth feast of the Intercession Holy Mother of God. This is a non-transferable holiday, that is, it is celebrated every year on the same day - October 14th. Intercession parental Saturday is a memorial day, which is intended for visiting cemeteries on the eve of this holiday.

Feast of the Intercession of the Virgin

This holiday is connected with the events that took place in Constantinople in the 10th century. The city was at war. The inhabitants were waiting for the siege, so they prayed tirelessly. In the early morning, the temple of Constantinople was illuminated by a bright radiance. It was a light over the heads of the parishioners. The Mother of God herself came out of it, accompanied by John the Baptist and John the Theologian, as well as countless angels.

The Mother of God prayed for the people, for the parishioners. Tears streamed down her face as she read the prayers. Then she removed the handkerchief from her head and seemed to cover the people below with it. Hence the name of the holiday - Pokrov. Then she simply disappeared, but her grace was still felt for a long time. People were amazed by this greatest miracle.

The meaning of the Intercession Parental Saturday

Pokrov is celebrated on the 14th, and Pokrovskaya Parental Saturday is on October 7th. This day was chosen as a parental Saturday, because the Mother of God tirelessly prays for all the living and all the dead people.

On this day, most believers remember their loved ones, who have not been with them for a long time. You can visit the cemetery and tidy up the grave of a person close to you, commemorate him kind word. On this day, it is customary to distribute sweets to children, as the clergy say that it is the children who have not yet had time to know all the realities of the world who commemorate the dead best of all.

If you can’t visit a cemetery, a church or read prayers, then you can do it in another parent Saturday, since there are only 9 of them a year. Yes, it's not much, but the next one will be November 4th. This is the so-called Dmitriev parental Saturday.

On the Eve of the Great Feast Protection of the Holy Mother of God believers are waiting for an important and significant event - Intercession parental Saturday. This day is dedicated to the remembrance of all the dead.

Any parental Saturday is very an important event in the lives of believers, and it is not named so by chance: the first people a person will always remember are their parents. On such days, believers, as usual, rush to churches, readprayers for the dead , put candles for the dead and visit the cemetery. According to belief, it is in parent days the deceased loved ones listen to us, see us and even feel our attitude towards them. The history of the Pokrovsky commemoration is rooted in the depths of centuries.

Intercession parental Saturday: the history of occurrence

Intercession Saturday is one of the Ecumenical memorial services, of which there are only three in Orthodoxy: on the eve of the Trinity,during Lent and before the holiday, which is one of the twelve festivities of the Orthodox calendar - the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos. These days are very significant, because the whole world prays for the repose of every soul.

The belief says that on one of the terrible days of the siege of Constantinople, all believers, gathered together under the roof of the temple of God, prayed for the intercession of the saints. Two clergymen, who prayed with everyone that day, saw a miracle and described it. According to them, the Mother of God appeared accompanied by angels along with the prophetsJohn the Baptist And John the Evangelist . The Most Pure Virgin, taking off her cloak, covered all the parishioners with it, showing that now they are protected by Divine power, that every soul is under her intercession and patronage. People's memory knows how at the same hour the army stopped its attacks for unknown reasons, the enemies began to move away from the walls of the city, peace and tranquility returned to Constantinople again. In honor of this phenomenon, Christians established a holiday called the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos.

It is important to note that the Intercession Parental Saturday in Orthodoxy began to be celebrated much later and not in every region of our Fatherland. IN early XVI century, it was timed to commemorate the dead soldiers, people who gave their lives for their homeland and faith in the Lord. Subsequently, believers began to commemorate not only those killed during civil strife and wars, but also their own deceased relatives and friends.

Intercession parental Saturday in 2017

The dates of the ecumenical memorial services change annually, so it is important to keep track oforthodox calendar . Intercession parental Saturday in 2017 falls on October 7th, the next Saturday before the great feast in honor of Mother of God. At this time, memorial services and divine services will be held in many churches.

Each of us has close person who has already passed on to the other world. Therefore, the clergy strongly recommend visiting the church, put candles , pray for the repose, remembering the deceased only in a good light, and visit the cemetery.

Intercession Saturday, in fact, is an ordinary day, which differs only in that at this time people can help the dead to accept the Kingdom of Heaven and finally achieve unity with the Lord. Therefore, it is so important to at least pray for their peace.

If you decide to embark on the path of spiritual education, do not go astray. On Holy Saturdayyour sincere prayers will help those who previously lived on earth to find eternal peace. Pray for everyone who was dear to you. On October 7, 2017, it is important to remember everyone who was with you with a kind word.

In 2017, Pokrovskaya parental Saturday falls on October 7th. On this day, the Orthodox remember loved ones who have passed away.

Commemoration of the dead is one of the many traditions of Orthodoxy. It is aimed at maintaining the memory of people who left the earthly world and the liberation of the latter from the sins they once committed through prayers.

General information about the event October 7 Intercession Parental Saturday:

This day, which has a deep religious significance, is not relevant throughout our vast country. Intercession Saturday is celebrated only in some Russian regions- so it happened from time immemorial. These are Izhevsk, Kazan, Perm, Vyatka lands and those that belong directly to the diocese of the city of Yekaterinburg. Since this holiday does not have a fixed date, it happens that it coincides with another Christian church event - the day of memory of the Apostle John the Theologian. In such a situation, a prayer service called panafida is served not on Saturday, as it should be, but on the Sunday following it.

The emergence of the tradition of commemorating the dead on Intercession Saturday is closely connected with certain historical events. In fact, on this day it is customary to honor the memory of the soldiers who died in the battle near Kazan, who laid down their lives for their Motherland.

The mentioned battle took place back in 1552, on October 13, during the reign of the Russian state by Ivan the Terrible, who conquered the monastery of the Tatars with “fire and sword”. Many people gave their souls to the Lord under these circumstances. For this reason, the Church initiated the emergence of a locally revered tradition of commemorating the dead soldiers, and in specific dioceses. It should be noted that the symbol of the battle was a monument erected in honor of the Image of the Savior Not Made by Hands right at the place where the soldiers died - near the Kazan Kremlin.

Initially, the Church established the Intercession Parental Saturday in the same 16th century, 40 years after the bloody Kazan events. This happened through the efforts of the then acting Archbishop of Kazan and Astrakhan, St. Hermogenes. A representative of the clergy wrote a letter to Patriarch Job, in which he voiced a request to establish a specific and permanent date for the commemoration of the deceased Orthodox soldiers. The patriarch gave his blessing. Thus, a new day of remembrance for those who laid down their lives for the faith appeared.

Over time, Christians added to the veneration of the memory of the soldiers who died near Kazan the remembrance of all the dead in general: friends, parents, other relatives, etc. In this form, the tradition we are considering has survived to this day and will exist as long as Orthodoxy is alive in Russia . On the day of the Intercession Parents' Saturday in the churches of the dioceses mentioned above, panikhidas and memorial services are performed. And believers, after visiting temples, go to cemeteries in order to honor the memory of loved ones in their immediate vicinity.

Folk signs and customs of the holiday Pokrovskaya parental Saturday:

With Intercession Parental Saturday for converts to the Christian faith Eastern Slavs from time immemorial, specific folk omens. The most important of them was the belief that on the specified day there is a meeting of winter and autumn. If, on the eve of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, a snowball suddenly fell, people believed: it was a sign from above, testifying to the special patronage of the territory within which this happened.

There was such a saying among the people: "On Pokrov before dinner - summer, after dinner - winter." And although it was directly related to the Feast of the Intercession, it contained a hint of the nature of the Day of Remembrance of the Dead. In villages and villages, grief for loved ones who had left the earthly world was strangely intertwined with entertainment.

According to custom, the last festivities fell on Pokrovsky Saturday, and after the Intercession, the time of Pokrovsky evenings and home gatherings began. Probably, historians believe, this tradition has its roots in the pre-Christian period of the Slavs, since the custom of commemorating the dead - it is known for certain - existed even among our pagan ancestors. They had special Saturdays, on which they remembered their loved ones who had passed away untimely.

On Intercession Parental Saturday, both funeral requiems and liturgies are served in churches. As you know, in order for the clergyman to mention your relative during the liturgy, you need to write the name of the deceased on a piece of paper and take it to the church, and then throw a note in an urn specially prepared for this, or give it directly to the priest.

Intercession parental Saturday in 2017: Earlier on this day, a festive table was laid in churches, at which one could taste consecrated food and wine. Now in the same place you can simply bless the food and wine brought with you, and the clergy distribute alms to the poor. After visiting the temple, you can go to the cemetery, clean the graves and bring flowers and sweets, or any other food there.

As you know, the festive table on the day of the Intercession Parental Saturday should be modest, and the dishes should be Lenten, since such a restriction demonstrates our grief for those who have died and whom we commemorate.

As noted: During the day of parental Saturday in temples and churches, priests perform requiems, commemorating the deceased relatives and loved ones. After they are held, people come to the graves to their relatives and dear people in order to rid them of garbage, paint fences, change flowers and the like. Coming from the cemetery, performed memorial meals. It is important to remember that on this day it is not advisable to eat excesses in dishes. It is best to set a modest table, emphasizing grief for all the dead.

The tradition of visiting the church for services and the graves of the dead in the northern parts of the country is very popular. Residents are in a hurry to put the graves in order before the frosts and snow fall, and often this happens the next day after the Intercession. Central regions they do not honor Pokrovskaya Saturday so much, devoting time only to Dmitrievskaya Saturday, which is considered the most significant and obligatory event.
Belarus celebrates this day in a different way. She preliminarily prepares for the holiday on Friday, covering exclusively lean and light dishes for dinner, which cleanse the body for eating the heaviest food on the Sabbath meal.

Going to church:

What to bring to church on parental Saturday:

For the parastas or for the divine liturgy for the dead, you can submit a note of repose with the names of the dead close to your heart. And on this day, according to the old church tradition, parishioners bring food to church- "on the canon" (or "on the eve"). These are lenten products, wine (cahors) for the celebration of the liturgy.

Bring food to church- “on the eve” is an ancient practice of performing common feasts, that is commemoration of the dead.

Traditionally, parishioners of the temple gathered a larger common table so that everyone together to remember the dead people close to their hearts.

Now the products that have been collected are distributed by the church at its discretion. A certain amount of food is used to meet the needs of the parishes, and the rest is distributed to the poor, who receive help from the church. If there is still food left, then it goes to the beggars in the street.

Bringing food to the temple on parental Sabbath, we serve our neighbor, and commemorate our dead.

Coming to the funeral liturgy, people prepare special notes in advance with the names of all deceased relatives or loved ones. Then these notes are thrown into prepared urns or given to the priest, who is passing by with a container for notes.

What to choose: Many doubt whether it is better to go to the cemetery or go to church? According to the church, going to the cemetery is quite acceptable if a person first visits church service. It happens that people neglect church attendance and prefer simply visiting the graves of the dead. But in afterlife prayer and collective participation in the service is valued higher than cleaning the grave and communicating with the deceased at the monument.

It will be difficult for a person who has committed many bad deeds and who has not respected biblical laws to get into heaven. Only the prayer of his relatives or close people for the repose of the soul and its admission to paradise can help in this. Which speaks of the importance of first praying in the church, putting a candle for the repose, defending the service to the end, expressing gratitude to other parishioners and clergy, and only then come to the cemetery.

If in Pokrovskaya parent Saturday there is no way to visit a temple or a cemetery, you can pray for the repose of the deceased at home.

Prayer for the dead- this is our main and invaluable help to those who have departed to another world. They do not need, by and large, neither a coffin, nor a grave monument, much less memorial table- all this is just a tribute to traditions, albeit very pious ones. But forever alive soul the deceased feels a great need for constant prayer, for she herself cannot do good deeds with which she would be able to propitiate the Lord.

Celebration of Pokrovskaya Saturday:

It happens that a person, due to the will of thoroughness, fails to visit a church to pray for deceased acquaintances and relatives. Perhaps he is seriously ill, is in another country or in old age. Then it is really allowed to mention all the dead people.

However, it is important to know that after death people do not need holiday tables, alcoholic beverages or incredibly beautiful monuments, fences and bouquets of flowers. Since they are in a bodiless state, a person needs constant prayer, since he does not have the opportunity to independently perform good deeds.

And in this case the main task of self-remembrance of loved ones is fervent prayer, which is directed to God. It is necessary to ask for forgiveness for loved ones who have left this world. It is very important to do this for people who have committed many bad deeds during their existence. It is very difficult for them to find peace if there is no sincere prayer of loved ones.

The most main prayer - a prayer for the deceased parents, people who gave you life, and consequently, your children, and your grandchildren, and many future generations.

How to forget the gentle and caring hands of your mother, who worked for you day and night, not knowing sleep and rest, the hands that fed and cherished you, cherished as the most precious thing in the world. How to forget about maternal heart, which rooted for you, in which you could always find a response. Yes, how can you forget your beloved mother, who, without hesitation, would throw herself into fire and water for you. Do not forget your parents, do not do bad deeds for the sake of blessed memory those who are no longer with you, but who in the next world will shed tears, seeing your sins. After all, parents are responsible for you even after their death. The Lord will ask them: why didn't they teach their child to reason?

Pray for your parents. Remember them, give alms. For it is better not to decorate the graves of the dead with flowers, but to distribute alms for the deceased parents and do good deeds in the name of their memory. Then their souls will be saved.

Lord Jesus Christ our God! You are the guardian of the orphans, the grieving refuge and the weeping comforter. I am running to you, orphan, groaning and crying, and I pray to You: hear my prayer and do not turn Your face away from the sighing of my heart and from the tears of my eyes. I pray to You, Merciful Lord, quench my grief about separation from my parent (my mother) (name) who gave birth and raised (who gave birth and raised) me (or with my parents who gave birth and raised me, (names of parents)), his soul ( her), as if departed to You, with true faith in Thee, and with firm hope in Your philanthropy and mercy, receive into Your Kingdom of Heaven. I bow before Your holy will, it was taken away from me, and I ask You not to be taken away from His mercy and Your mercy. We know, Lord, as You are the Judge of this world, You punish the sins and wickedness of the fathers in children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, even up to the third and fourth generation; but also merciful fathers for the prayers and virtues of their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. With contrition and tenderness of the heart, I pray Thee, Gracious Judge, do not punish eternal punishment deceased, your servant, my parent, unforgettable for me, but forgive him all his sins, voluntary and involuntary, in word and deed, knowledge and ignorance created by him, in his life here on earth, and according to your mercy and philanthropy, prayers for the sake of the Most Pure Mother of God and all the saints, have mercy on him and deliver eternal torment. You, Merciful of fathers and children! Grant me all the days of my life, until my last breath, do not stop remembering my deceased parent in your prayers, and implore Thee, the righteous Judge, and put him in a place of light, in a cool place and in a place of peace, with all the saints, all sickness, sorrow and sighing will flee from nowhere. Merciful Lord, accept this warm prayer of mine this day about Your servant and reward him with Your recompense for the labors and cares of my upbringing in faith and Christian piety, as if he had taught me first of all to lead You, your Lord, in reverence to pray to You, to trust in You alone in troubles, sorrows and illnesses, keep your commandments; for your well-being about my spiritual success, for the warmth of our prayers for me before you and for all the gifts he asked me from you, reward him with your mercy, your heavenly blessings and joys in your eternal kingdom. You, Thou art the God of mercies and generosity and philanthropy, You are the peace and joy of Your faithful servants, and we send glory to You with the Father and the Holy Spirit, and now. And forever and ever. Amen."

, Christ Jesus, Lord and Almighty! You are crying consolation, orphans and widows intercession. Thou didst say: call me on the day of thy affliction, and I will crush thee. In the days of my sorrow, I resort to You and pray to You: do not turn Your face away from me and hear my prayer, brought to You with tears. You, Lord, Lord of all, deigned to combine me with one of Your servants, in which we should have one body and one spirit; You gave me this servant, as a partner and protector. Thy good and wise will deigned to take this Thy servant away from me and leave me alone. I bow before this Thy will and resort to Thee in the days of my sorrow: quench my sorrow about being separated from Thy servant, my friend. If you took him away from me, not taken from me by Your mercy. As if you once received two mites from the widow, so accept this prayer of mine. Remember, Lord, the soul of your deceased servant (name), forgive him all his sins, free and involuntary, in word, in deed, in knowledge and ignorance, do not destroy him with his iniquities and do not give him eternal torment, but by Your great mercy and according to the multitude of Thy mercies, weaken and forgive all his sins and commit him with Thy saints, where there is no sickness, no sorrow, no sighing, but endless life. I pray and ask Thee, Lord, grant that all the days of my life do not stop praying for Your departed servant, and even before my departure, ask You, the Judge of the whole world, for the remission of all his sins and His indwelling in the Heavenly abode, even if You have prepared for those who love Tya. As if you had sinned, but do not depart from Thee and undoubtedly the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are Orthodox even until your last breath of confession; the same, his faith, even in Thee, instead of deeds, he is imputed: as if a person is not, who will be alive and will not sin, You are one, except for sin, and Your truth is truth forever. I believe, Lord, and I confess that You hear my prayer and do not turn Your face away from me. Seeing a widow weeping greenery, have mercy, calm down my grief. As if you opened the doors of Your mercy to Your servant Theophilus, who departed to You, and forgave him his sins through the prayers of Your holy Church, listening to the prayers and alms of his wife: I pray to You, accept my prayer for Your servant and bring him into eternal life. For you are our hope, you are God, to have mercy and save, and we send glory to you with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen."

It should be said here that after the death of a spouse, they usually do not marry for a year. If the spouses were married, then after the death of his husband wedding ring wife must take it.

If she no longer marries and remains a widow until her death, then both wedding rings, as well as her wedding things, are placed in her coffin. If the husband buries his wife, then her wedding ring remains with him, and after his death they put it in his coffin, so that he would come to her in the Kingdom of Heaven and say:"I brought our rings with which the Lord God crowned us."

Lord, have mercy on my children who died in my womb! For my faith and my tears, for the sake of Thy mercy, Lord, do not deprive them of Thy Divine light!

This prayer is also suitable for stillborns.

Remember, Lover of mankind, Lord, the souls of Your departed servants, babies, who died in the womb of Orthodox mothers, accidentally from unknown actions, or from a difficult birth, or from some kind of negligence. Baptize them, O Lord, in the sea of Thy bounties and save them by Thy inexpressible grace."

How to commemorate the dead on Intercession Saturday:

So that our deceased loved ones feel our support and prayer help, it is necessary to learn according to all the rules to honor their eternal memory.

* You can not submit memorial notes for the liturgy, as well as order requiem services, magpies and other specific services "for the remembrance of the soul" about unbaptized persons and suicides. All others can be remembered without limitation.

* On the day of remembrance, one should behave quietly, modestly, in thoughts of the dead, in prayer for the salvation of their souls. You can and should visit the temple, defend the service.

*The most important thing for any deceased is a commemoration at the proskomedia. Thus the sins committed by the dead are cleansed and redeemed by immersion in the blood of Christ, great sacrifice. You should keep this in mind and submit a note on the day of commemoration to perform this ceremony.

* It is good to pray not only in the temple, but also at home. There are special prayers for the departed, so they need to be read - always with attention, reverence and meekness in the heart.

*By folk tradition on such days as Parental Protection Saturday, you should take food to the temple or bake pies, buns, cookies, buy sweets and distribute all these delicacies to friends and strangers, especially children, neighbors. Yes, and by yourself, with your family, it is also useful to commemorate the deceased.

*A trip to the cemetery on the Day of Remembrance of the Dead was also mentioned earlier. One can only add that it is better not to leave treats on the grave, as this is contrary to Christian Orthodox tradition. It is better to bring fresh flowers or a special wreath of artificial plants there, clean up, communicate with the deceased in peace, pray for the repose of his soul.

In Orthodoxy, special attention is paid to parental Saturdays, which are not so many. October 7, 2017 will be one of them, so try to put aside personal affairs and devote this day to spiritual affairs.

Intercession parental Saturday is inextricably linked with the great non-twelfth feast of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos. This is a non-transferable holiday, that is, it is celebrated every year on the same day - October 14th. Intercession parental Saturday is a memorial day, which is intended for visiting cemeteries on the eve of this holiday.

Feast of the Intercession of the Virgin

The Mother of God prayed for the people, for the parishioners. Tears streamed down her face as she read the prayers. Then she removed the handkerchief from her head and seemed to cover the people below with it. Hence the name of the holiday - Pokrov. Then she simply disappeared, but her grace was felt for a long time. People were amazed by this greatest miracle.

The meaning of the Intercession Parental Saturday

Pokrov is celebrated on the 14th, and Pokrovskaya Parental Saturday is celebrated on October 7th. This day was chosen as a parental Saturday, because the Mother of God tirelessly prays for all the living and all the dead people.

On this day, most believers remember their loved ones, who have not been with them for a long time. You can visit the cemetery and put in order the grave of a person close to you, commemorate him with a kind word. On this day, it is customary to distribute sweets to children, as the clergy say that it is the children who have not yet had time to know all the realities of the world who commemorate the dead best of all.

If you fail to visit a cemetery, a church or read prayers, then you can do it on another parental Saturday, since there are only 9 of them a year. Yes, it's not much, but the next one will be November 4th. This is the so-called Dmitriev parental Saturday.

Live according to the commandments of God and do not forget to visit the temple at least on the 12 greatest holidays. Remember not only the future, but also the past, because the dead will always be alive in our hearts. Good luck to you!