Universal parental Saturday. What to do on Parent's Saturday: all the important rules

In the Orthodox world, there are days that are set aside for the commemoration of the departed. V church calendar they are designated as parental Saturdays. Ecumenical Saturday is no exception.

The Ecumenical Saturday is also called meat-eating in honor of the meat-eating week, which is dedicated to the terrible Judgment. This is the last seven days before Great Lent, when Orthodox believers can still eat meat before starting to fast.

The date of this Saturday changes depending on the day of the celebration of Easter, a long-awaited event for all Christians. This year the Ecumenical parent saturday falls on February 10th. Memorial services will be held in all temples and churches, at which priests and parishioners will offer prayers Higher Forces for the souls of the departed and put candles for their repose.

Traditions of the Ecumenical Saturday

On this day, the Orthodox world remembers not only their loved ones who have left the world, but also all the deceased without exception. That is why the parental Saturday is called the Universal Saturday. Such a mass commemoration indicates that all people are equal before the Lord, and even those who do not believe in him are worthy of prayer for the repose of their souls. Prayers help souls to be cleansed from any sins and ascend to Heaven.

On February 10, it is worth going to the temple and lighting a candle for the repose of the dead, praying to the Higher Powers so that they forgive their sins. The souls of the dead hear the living and also pray for their loved ones in order to protect them from wrong steps and deeds. In addition, Saturday is another preparation for Great Lent, the time of abstinence and spiritual enlightenment.

Be sure to offer prayers so that your life path was full of joy and pleasant events. Prayers can save everyone from the accumulated negativity, reconsider their attitude towards people and drive away any evil from themselves. Live in peace and harmony with each other and do not forget to press the buttons and

09.02.2018 04:09

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Meat Saturday, or Universal Parental Saturday, is celebrated two days before Shrovetide. In 2019, it falls on February 18. This is the day special commemoration of the departed. Saturday is called Meat, because it precedes Meat week (Sunday) - the last day before Lent, when it is allowed to eat meat products. It was called “parental” because Christians first of all remembered their deceased parents, or thanks to the tradition of calling the deceased “parents” - those who have gone to their fathers. She received the name "Ecumenical" because on this day all baptized Christians are commemorated.

Traditions and rituals of the holiday

On Meat Saturday, the Orthodox Church commemorates all dead Christians, especially those who have died suddenly. On Friday evening, the great funeral service (parastas) is performed in the temples. On Saturday morning, the funeral is performed Divine Liturgy and a general memorial service for the dead. Believers bring memorial food to the funeral table, light candles for the repose, serve notes with the names of deceased baptized relatives to be mentioned at the liturgy.

There is a tradition of baking pancakes among the people on this day. People take the first pancake to the cemetery and leave it on the graves of their parents. Others distribute to children, beggars and nuns and ask them to remember the person.

On Meat Saturday, it is customary to remember deceased relatives. The whole family gathers for a memorial dinner. The hostesses put on the table an unpaired number of dishes and a jar with a lit candle. A little of each meal is left for the deceased. Before the start of dinner, a prayer is said. The main meal of the commemoration is kutia.

Dos and Don'ts on Meat Saturday

The church prohibits drinking alcoholic beverages on the graves on this day. It is undesirable to clean the house, wash, work in the garden. You cannot clean up the dishes after the memorial dinner until the next morning.

Signs on Meat Saturday

• If the first pancake fell to the floor during frying, then it can be lifted only after reading the protective words. Otherwise, you can go after the deceased ancestors.
• Getting married on this day is a disaster.

From this article you will find out what date Orthodox parental Saturdays will be in 2019. You will also learn about the meaning of this Ecumenical worship.

Parental Saturdays in 2019

Often these special days of commemoration of the departed are called "universal parental Saturdays." This is not true. There are two Ecumenical memorial Saturdays: Meat (on the Saturday preceding the Week of the Last Judgment) and Trinity (on the Saturday preceding the holiday of Pentecost, or also called the holiday Holy Trinity- the birthday of the Church of Christ).

The main meaning of these "universal" (common to all Orthodox Church) funeral services - in prayer for all the early Orthodox Christians, regardless of their personal closeness to us. This is a matter of love, which does not divide the world into friends and foes. 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.

Parental Saturdays in 2019 fall on the following dates:

• - March 2, 2019.
• Saturday of the 2nd week of Great Lent - March 23, 2019.
• Saturday of the 3rd week of Great Lent - March 30, 2019.
• On Saturday of the 4th week of Great Lent - April 6, 2019 - the forefeast of the Annunciation, therefore, the funeral service is not performed.
• Commemoration of the departed warriors- May 9, 2019.
• Radonitsa- May 7, 2019.
• - June 15, 2019.
• - November 2, 2019.

• Parental Saturdays in 2020 fall on the following dates:

  • Ecumenical parental Saturday (meat-eating)- 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 Great Lent - March 28, 2020.
  • Commemoration of the departed warriors- May 9, 2020.
  • Radonitsa- April 28, 2020.
  • - June 6, 2020.
  • - October 31, 2020.

• Parental Saturdays in 2021 fall on the following dates:

  • Ecumenical parental Saturday (meat-eating)- March 8, 2021.
  • Saturday of the 2nd week of Great Lent - March 27, 2021.
  • Saturday of the 3rd week of Great Lent - April 3, 2021.
  • Saturday of the 4th week of Great Lent - April 10, 2021.
  • Commemoration of the departed warriors- May 9, 2021.
  • Radonitsa- May 11, 2021.
  • - June 19, 2021.
  • - November 6, 2021.

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

This memorial service falls on the Saturday preceding the memory of St. vmch. Demetrius of Thessaloniki - patron saint of the prince. Dmitry Donskoy, at whose suggestion, after the Battle of Kulikovo, an annual commemoration of the soldiers was established. But over time, the memory of the soldiers-liberators was supplanted in the popular consciousness, which is very regrettable, and the Dimitrievskaya memorial Saturday turned into one of the "parental days".

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

V Orthodox faith there are special days when it is necessary to remember the deceased relatives. On these days, a service is always held in the church, to which people can come to pray for their loved ones. In the evening, they arrange memorial meals, observing Orthodox traditions.

What is parental Saturday in Orthodoxy?

Two main Ecumenical Saturdays, when it is customary to commemorate all Christians who were baptized: Myasopustnaya and Trinity. They are necessarily accompanied by important divine services - ecumenical or general requiems. There are other six parental Saturdays: Radonitsa, Dimitrievskaya, Commemoration of the departed soldiers and the 2nd, 3rd and 4th weeks of Great Lent. To understand what Meat Parental Saturday means, it should be said that meat is prohibited on this day, and it was named parental because of the need to remember close relatives, in the list of which parents are in the first place.

By Orthodox rules on these days it is allowed to pray for people who died a natural death, were killed and even disappeared without a trace and were not buried. The Ecumenical Meat Passenger Saturday is an ancient holiday when all the dead Orthodox Christians who suffered for their faith in the Lord are remembered. It is believed that the living have a chance to help the dead through their prayers.

It is important to understand what the Ecumenical parental Saturday is and what needs to be done and what is not, since this day is very important for every Orthodox believer. In addition, many signs of ancient traditions are associated with it. Many are interested in why the departed are remembered on Saturday, and not on another day, and so, according to the Gospel, on this day of the week Jesus Christ was laid in the tomb and mourned.

Parent's Saturday - what should you do?

The most important thing on such days is attending a church service and the obligatory reading of prayers for deceased relatives. Finding out what to do on parental Saturday, one should also mention the tradition of believers to visit the cemetery on this day to lay flowers on the graves. Priests believe that it is more important to defend the service than to go to the grave, but if you cannot do either one or the other, then you can just pray at home. Great parental Saturday is an occasion to gather in a quiet atmosphere with loved ones and remember the dead.

What to do on parental Saturday at church?

The day before, the great funeral service is held in the temples, but in the morning the Divine Liturgy for the repose and the general funeral service are held. People who come to church have the opportunity to submit notes with the names of the dead and read. Many are interested in what to carry to church on parental Saturday, and so according to the old church traditions You can take food from home, but only lean ones, and wine for the liturgy. After the consecration, the food is distributed to all comers. When leaving the church, it is necessary to give alms to the poor, so that they pray for the departed.

How to remember on parental Saturday?

More and more often commemoration for modern people turn into a feast where people enjoy treats and talk about different topics, but in fact, into Orthodox traditions it is necessary to pray at the memorial table. Before you sit down at the table, it is customary to perform the litiya, or, as a last resort, you should read the prayer "Living help" and "Our Father". Great Saturday for parents is a time to attend church services and pray, remembering loved ones. You cannot remember the dead with wine, since this drink is a symbol of earthly joy.

What to cook for the Universal Parental Saturday?

On this day, relatives gather at the table to remember their relatives. They put them on the table, and the obligatory treat is kutia - a dish intended for commemorating the dead. It is considered a symbol of the burial of all people who were not interred, so their spirit rushes about and does not know how to leave the earth. If there is a meat-and-mouth parental Saturday ahead, then be sure to prepare wheat grains, which should first be soaked for several hours. Dried fruits, nuts, seeds, poppy seeds, honey, syrup or marmalade are used as a dressing.

What cannot be done on parental Saturday?

Many of the prohibitions concerning this day are fictitious. Although there is a widespread belief that on this day you can clean up and work, the main thing is to first visit the church and read prayers, and the rest of the time can be spent as you see fit. There are other prohibitions regarding this day:

1. Universe parental Saturday implies compulsory attendance at church and there many begin to commemorate people by having snacks and drinking alcohol. The Church considers these traditions to be pagan and prohibits them.
2. You cannot leave alcohol on the grave of deceased relatives, especially if they often drank during their lifetime, since this can only aggravate the situation of his soul.
3. Understanding what the Ecumenical parental Saturday is, what needs to be done on this day, and what is prohibited, it is worth pointing out that one should not be sad, quarreling, swearing and speaking badly about the deceased.
4. You cannot organize lavish banquets and prepare many dishes. Only lean dishes should be on the table.
5. Parental funeral Saturday meat-passing prohibits the use of meat and meat products.

Prayers for parental sabbath

On this day, prayer appeals are mandatory, and you can ask for both loved ones and distant relatives... They help souls find peace and find their way in another world. The living cannot help their deceased relatives in any other way. Prayer on parental Saturday for the departed helps sinners to be cleansed. You can ask for people who were killed, died in an accident, and so on, since all people are one before God.

Folk omens on parental Saturday

Many superstitions are associated with this day, which have been formed over the years. Believe in them or not, the decision of each person.

1. Many omens and superstitions on parental Saturday are associated with a feast, so on this day, after the evening meal, you cannot remove anything from the table and wash the dishes, since it is believed that deceased relatives will come to eat at night.
2. On this day, it was customary to bake pancakes, and the first one was necessarily placed separately for the deceased. If the first pancake fell on the floor during frying, then before picking it up, you must read the guardian prayer. Otherwise, death may occur.
3. Marriage on this day foretells trouble.
4. Finding out what the Ecumenical parental Saturday is and what needs to be done, it should be mentioned that the weather conditions on this day were used to judge what the spring would be like. If the weather is clear, then the spring will be fine too. When there was thunder, they listened to the first rumbles, so if they were from the north side, it means that the spring will be cold, and if from the east, then warm and dry.

Ritual for money on parent's Saturday

They are considered ideal times to reach out to deceased relatives and ask them for help. There are simple conspiracies on Ecumenical Parental Sabbath to attract financial well-being. A simple ritual will help enlist the help of the spirits of the clan, who will help throughout the year.

1. Purchase sweets during the day to be placed in the alms basket at the church.
2. When you leave, buy six candles and set them up for the repose of six of your relatives.
3. Putting down each candle, ask the Lord for the repose of the soul of the deceased, calling his name.
4. After that, read the prayer for the dead, followed by the conspiracy.

On certain days of the year, the Church commemorates all the departed fathers and brethren by faith. The requiems performed at the same time, indicated by the charter, are called ecumenical, and the days on which commemoration is performed are called ecumenical parental Saturdays. The first universal parental Saturday occurs on Meat Week, before the start of Shrovetide, which prepares believers for Great Lent.

Why is the universal parental Saturday celebrated a week before Lent? The Sunday before Shrove Tuesday is dedicated to the remembrance of the Last Judgment: although everyone is still preparing for the festive joy of Shrovetide, the solemn and repentant mood of the beginning of Great Lent is gradually joining this joyful joy. “Remember the hour of death and you will never sin,” they said in ancient times, therefore the fun of Shrovetide should not be a crazy orgy, but should be a time of joyful communication with neighbors.

The history of the establishment of the Universal Parental Sabbath

The establishment of the meat-and-mouth parental Sabbath dates back to the apostolic tradition, which is confirmed by the charter of St. Church, set forth in the 5th century by the Monk Sava the Sanctified on the basis of the most ancient tradition, and the custom of ancient Christians to flock on certain days to the cemetery to commemorate the dead, about which a written testimony from the 4th century has been preserved.

The basis for the establishment of this commemoration was the fact that on Sunday of the week of meat-eating St. The Church commemorates the second coming of Christ, and therefore - on the eve of this day, as if on the day preceding the terrible judgment of Christ, and - moreover - bringing St. Forty days, when we must enter into the closest union of love with all members of the kingdom of Christ - both the Saints and the living and the dead, the Church intercedes for all, from Adam to this day, who have fallen asleep in piety and in the right faith, our forefathers, fathers and brothers of every kind. : from the clan of kings, princes, monastics, laity, youths and elders, and all ... - who suddenly died and were left without legalized burial, - intercedes, begging, the Righteous Judge to show them His mercy on the day of impartial retribution to all.

The meaning of the Universal Parental Sabbath

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

In the synaxarum for this day it is written “The Holy Fathers legalized to commemorate all the dead for the following reason. Many quite often die an unnatural death, for example, while wandering in the seas, in impassable mountains, in gorges and abysses; it happens, they die of hunger, in fires, in wars, they freeze. And who will reread all kinds and types of unexpected and unexpected death? And all such are deprived of the legalized psalm singing and prayers for the dead. That is why the holy fathers, driven by love for mankind, established, based on the teaching of the apostles, to perform this common, universal commemoration, so that no one, whenever, wherever and no matter how he ends his earthly life, would be deprived of the prayers of the Church. "

It is not often, but one hears from people: “Why pray for the dead, because the Lord Himself told us:“ Wherever I will find, in that I judge ”, what is the meaning of such a prayer?”.

Indeed, if these Christ's words attributed to the moment of human death, then funeral prayer makes no sense to anyone. But do we understand these words correctly?

This phrase does not refer to Scripture, but to the agraph recorded by the martyr Justin the Philosopher. It is consonant with the word of the Scripture: "So, stay awake, because you do not know at what hour your Lord will come" (Matthew 24: 42). This means that we are not talking about the fact that the Lord will find us with our death at one moment or another, but in a completely different one, in the fact that one should not indulge in carelessness. It is clear that the deceased can hardly be careless in the face of Eternity.

After death, according to the words of the holy fathers (St. John Chrysostom, Cyril of Alexandria, Ignatius Brianchaninov and many others), the soul meets the angelic world (here both God's angels and demons begin to fight for the soul). This is the moment of contact of the soul with Eternity, but it is not the end yet.

The soul goes through ordeals, it takes some time. There comes a private judgment for the soul, but this is not the final definition for a person, otherwise there would not be Of the Last Judgment in the Second Coming of Christ. The Lord gives time to the human soul for correction, but that is the whole sorrow, that the soul is not the whole person. It may be more difficult to sin without a body, but it is also more difficult to reform without a body. But there is a way out of this!

The Apostle James commands us: "Pray for one another to be healed" (James 5:16).

But after all, it is not so much the body that needs healing as the soul, because the source of all our diseases is concentrated in it - sin. Therefore, the prayer of the Church for the departed is also effective, because it is a prayer for deliverance from the root cause of suffering - sin.

Our deceased relatives are not yet quite human, because man is a threefold being. Only then is a person - a person when the spirit, soul and body are alive. The dead are dead in body, although they are alive in soul, which means they have time to repent. And we can help them, their still living relatives, loved ones, neighbors, just brothers in Christ. Earnest prayer, generous charity can work, truly, miracles. And the main miracle - the forgiveness of sins and the salvation of the soul occurs imperceptibly for us, but from this it does not lose its importance. After all, prayers for the repose of our souls will soon be very, very important for us.