Parents' Saturdays in March April. Orthodox Christians will celebrate several significant church dates in December

Parents' Saturdays in 2019 are days of special remembrance of the deceased. At this time, special commemoration of departed Christians is performed in Orthodox churches, and believers visit the graves of their relatives who have left this world in cemeteries. There are seven Saturdays in the church calendar throughout the year.

Special days of remembrance of the dead began to be called parental Saturdays because, first of all, they remembered their deceased parents, and then other deceased relatives and other close people. According to another version, the name was formed because it was once customary to call the deceased parents, that is, “those who went to their fathers.”

Ecumenical Parents' Saturdays

If we are talking about universal parental Saturday, it is understood that all baptized Christians are commemorated. Seven days before the start of Lent, Meat Ecumenical Saturday is celebrated. Meat Saturday is called Meat Saturday because it falls on the week of the same name, which is also called Little Maslenitsa. This is the first parents' Saturday in March.

On the eve of Pentecost, Trinity Ecumenical Saturday is celebrated. On Trinity Saturday, all baptized Christians are also remembered in prayers. On these days, special universal memorial services are held. They serve a memorial service “In memory of all Orthodox Christians who have departed from time immemorial, our fathers and brothers.”

Five other parenting Saturdays

Radonitsa or Radunitsa falls on the Tuesday after St. Thomas Week, that is, the second week after the Holy Resurrection of Christ. The main theme of this day is the victory of the risen Christ over death. On this day, according to tradition, believers visit the cemetery and glorify the risen Son of God at the graves of deceased relatives.

On May 9, the day of victory in the Great Patriotic War, a memorial service is held in churches for the many soldiers who gave their lives for the salvation of their Motherland. Many families have lost someone close to them in this terrible and long war. Therefore, on this day they commemorate both all the fallen soldiers, thanks to whose feat the Great Victory took place, and their loved ones who died during the war.

Dimitrievskaya parental Saturday is also associated with military actions that only took place several centuries earlier. We are talking about the Battle of Kulikovo in 1380. Initially, on this day they commemorated soldiers who died during a large-scale battle.

Later, this day was transformed into the day of remembrance of all the dead, which is indicated in the Novgorod chronicle of the 15th century. It is known that in 1903, Emperor Nicholas II issued a decree ordering a memorial service to be held in memory of the soldiers who died for the Motherland “For the faith, the Tsar and the Fatherland, who laid down their lives on the battlefield.”

In 2019, Orthodox parental Saturdays are celebrated in the following order:

• March 16 - Meat Saturday
• March 23 - Saturday of the 2nd week of Lent
• March 30 - Saturday of the 3rd week of Lent
• April 6 - Saturday of the 4th week of Lent
• May 7, Tuesday - Radonitsa, church-wide commemoration of the dead
• May 9 - Commemoration of deceased soldiers
• May 26 - Trinity Saturday
• November 3 - Saturday Dimitrievskaya

Features of parenting Saturdays

On the days of universal parental Saturdays, memorial services and funeral services are held, during which believers read prayers for their deceased relatives and ask God for forgiveness of their sins. According to the charter, during the parental Saturdays of the second, third and fourth during Lent, funeral commemorations are not performed, that is: funeral litanies, litias, memorial services, commemorations of the 3rd, 9th and 40th days after death, magpies. These days are specially set aside for believers to pay tribute to loved ones.

On Friday evening, on the eve of parental Saturday, a great requiem service (parastas) is served in churches. You can send notes with the names of your deceased relatives to the funeral Divine Liturgy.

In former times, it was customary for believing parishioners to bring Lenten dishes for the common table in the church, where they could remember deceased relatives dear to their hearts. This tradition has been preserved, only on a smaller scale.

Lenten products and Cahors are left on a special table in the temple. This food is used for the needs of the temple and for distribution to poor people who are under the care of one or another parish.

Often believers are faced with a choice - to visit the grave of a relative on Parental Saturday or come to church for a service. The clergy are more inclined to believe that sincere prayer, which can be performed during a special service, is much more important for the souls of your loved ones. Therefore, it is recommended to give preference to visiting the temple.

You can read a prayer for the departed: “Rest, O Lord, the souls of your departed servants: my parents, relatives, benefactors (their names) and all Orthodox Christians, and forgive them all sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant them the Kingdom of Heaven.”

How to spend All Souls' Day

Before going to the temple, write down on a piece of paper the names of all deceased relatives and other close people whom you would like to mention while reading the prayer.

Previously, Christian families had a very important tradition - from generation to generation, recording the names of all deceased relatives. This is how family memorials were formed, which were used during the reading of funeral prayers.

On days of special remembrance of the dead, it is very important to think about what death is, perhaps to rethink your own life and relationships with loved ones, and try to come to terms with all controversial issues.

Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh speaks very accurately and succinctly about the issue of the relationship between life and death. For fifteen years he worked as a military doctor, and after forty-six years he was a priest. Here is one of his quotes: “Russians believe in life, go into life. And this is one of the things that every priest and every person must repeat to himself and others: we must not prepare for death, we must prepare for eternal life.”

Lord Jesus Christ our God! You are the keeper of the orphans, the refuge of the grieving and the comforter of the weeping. I come running to you, an orphan, groaning and crying, and I pray to you: hear my prayer and do not turn your face away from the sighs of my heart and from the tears of my eyes. I pray to You, merciful Lord, satisfy my grief over separation from my parent (my mother), (name) (or: with my parents who gave birth and raised me, their names) - his soul ( or: her, or: them), as having gone (or: gone) to You with true faith in You and with firm hope in Your love for mankind and mercy, accept into Your Kingdom of Heaven. I bow before Your holy will, which was taken away (or: taken away, or: taken away) from me, and I ask You not to take away from him (or: from her, or: from them) Your mercy and mercy. We know, Lord, that You are the Judge of this world, you punish the sins and wickedness of the fathers in children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, even to the third and fourth generation: but you also have mercy on the fathers for the prayers and virtues of their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. With contrition and tenderness of heart, I pray to Thee, merciful Judge, do not punish with eternal punishment the unforgettable deceased (unforgettable deceased) for me Thy servant (Thy servant), my parent (my mother) (name), but forgive him (her) all his sins ( her) voluntary and involuntary, in word and deed, knowledge and ignorance, created by him (her) in his (her) life here on earth, and according to Your mercy and love for mankind, prayers for the sake of the Most Pure Mother of God and all the saints, have mercy on him (her) and eternal save me from torment. You, merciful Father of fathers and children! Grant me, all the days of my life, until my last breath, not to cease to remember my deceased parent (my deceased mother) in my prayers, and to beg Thee, the righteous Judge, to order him in a place of light, in a place of coolness and in a place of peace, with all the saints, from nowhere all sickness, sorrow and sighing have fled. Merciful Lord! Accept this day for Thy servant (Your) (name) my warm prayer and give him (her) Your reward for the labors and cares of my upbringing in faith and Christian piety, as He taught (taught) me first of all to lead You, my Lord, in reverently pray to You, trust in You alone in troubles, sorrows and illnesses and keep Your commandments; for his (her) concern for my spiritual progress, for the warmth of his (her) prayer for me before You and for all the gifts he (she) asked me from You, reward him (her) with Your mercy. Your heavenly blessings and joys in Your eternal Kingdom. For You are the God of mercies and generosity and love for mankind, You are the peace and joy of Your faithful servants, and we send glory to You with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Children's prayer for deceased parents P.S.

On the days of remembrance of the dead, you will mentally replay these moments again and again: when you could have spent a few more minutes with a loved one, and not referred to being busy and important daily matters, you could have given him more warmth, but did not.

These days are important both for the deceased, whom living relatives can help with their sincere prayers, and for the living themselves, who, preserving the memory of the family, can grow spiritually and care not only about earthly, but also about eternal life.

Dimitrievskaya Parents' Saturday is the closest Saturday before the day of remembrance of St. Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki (October 26 / November 8). To primarily commemorate people dear to us personally, there are other parental Saturdays, including Dimitrievskaya Parental Saturday, which was originally intended to commemorate the soldiers who fell in the Battle of Kulikovo, but gradually became a general memorial day.

Parents Saturday, what is it?

Parents' Saturday is, in the Orthodox tradition, a day of special remembrance of deceased Orthodox Christians, and especially of their deceased parents. Canonical days for visiting the graves of ancestors and other relatives, where memorial services are held. The days of special remembrance of the dead in the Orthodox Church are five parental Saturdays: Meat-free universal parental Saturday (Saturday 2 weeks before Lent); Trinity Ecumenical Parental Saturday (Saturday before the Holy Trinity, on the 49th day after Easter); parents' 2nd Saturday of Great Lent; parents' 3rd Saturday of Great Lent; parents' 4th Saturday of Great Lent.

Big Parents' Saturday in October 2017: when will it be

Dimitrievskaya Parents' Saturday in 2017 falls not in November, as is usually the case, but at the very end of October. In 2017, Parents' Saturday was moved to October 28 due to the coincidence with the feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God (November 4).

The Day of Remembrance of the Dead on Saturday on the eve of the day of remembrance of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica (November 8, new style) was established after the bloody battle on the Kulikovo Field, which took place on the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1380. First, on this day they prayed for the repose of those at the cost of whose lives the victory was won. Over time, Dimitrievskaya Saturday became the day when all Christians “dead from time immemorial (since the beginning of time) are remembered.”

As on other parental Saturdays, the funeral Liturgy and requiem service are celebrated in the morning. The night before, the Great Requiem Service - Parastas - is celebrated. The translation of this word from Greek - “anticipation”, “intercession” - reflects the meaning and significance of parental Saturdays for believers. People whose earthly journey has ended can no longer correct their mistakes and repent of their sins, but the living can ask the Lord for mercy for them. Every day Christians pray for their deceased loved ones, and 7 times a year the entire Russian Orthodox Church turns to God, interceding for all its deceased children.

When is the next Dmitrievskaya Parents' Saturday?

Dimitrievskaya Saturday is the last parents' Saturday in 2017. Next Parents' Saturday is February 10, 2018.

Big Parents' Saturday in October 2017: what not to do

On this day it is forbidden to scold the deceased. You should remember only good things about them, otherwise you may anger their soul.

Also, you should not laugh or sing songs during remembrance. Despite the fact that the holiday is not of a mourning nature, do not forget that on this day you remember loved ones who are no longer among the living. Therefore, fun will be inappropriate.

Big Parents' Saturday in October 2017: what to do on Parents' Saturday

Parents' Saturdays are days of special remembrance of the dead, when with our prayers we can provide great help to our family and friends who have passed on from earthly life. Five of them are reserved for commemorating deceased relatives, two more and the memorial services performed at the same time are called ecumenical. Parental Saturdays require the observance of certain rules that all believers should be aware of.

On Demetrius Saturday, as on other memorial Saturdays, they visit the temple, where funeral services and memorial services are held, light a candle and pray. As on many parental Saturdays, on this one it is customary to help the poor and needy. It is believed that Dmitrievskaya Saturday is the time when winter replaces autumn, so you need to finish all preparations for frost before this day. Traditionally, on the eve of Saturday, people go to the bathhouse. It was believed that if someone had not gotten married before this day, they would not get married this year, since severe frosts were coming. And if it’s cold and snowing on Dmitry, spring will be late and cold, but if there’s a thaw, spring will be warm.

It is believed that Dmitrievskaya Saturday is the time when winter replaces autumn, so you need to finish all preparations for frost before this day. Traditionally, on the eve of Saturday, people go to the bathhouse. It was believed that if someone had not gotten married before this day, they would not get married this year, since severe frosts were coming. And if it’s cold and snowing on Dmitry, spring will be late and cold, but if there’s a thaw, spring will be warm.

According to ancient custom, on parental Saturdays it was customary to eat kutya - an obligatory dish for the funeral meal. Sweet porridge was usually prepared from whole grains of wheat or other cereals with the addition of honey, as well as raisins or nuts. True, today few people follow it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What is Radonitsa?

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

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

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

Memorial days

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

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

Origins and meaning of Radonitsa

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

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

The joy of resurrection on special days

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

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

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

Procedure and basic rules

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

Radonitsa in Rus'

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

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

Signs and beliefs for parent's day

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

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

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