Teaching Orthodox Church about the soul says that death is not the end of earthly life, but only a transition to another world. With God, everyone is alive - that is why the Church constantly prays not only for its living members, but also for all those who have died. To show how important the role of funeral prayers is, we list the main points of their presence in worship:

1) prayers for repose are performed in the Church daily(at the liturgy, during funeral services);

2) according to the church charter, each of the seven days of the week is dedicated to a specific event and has its own characteristics of worship. Saturday is dedicated to the memory of saints and all deceased Christians;

3) private commemoration of the dead is performed on the 3rd, 9th and 40th days after death, as well as on the anniversary. Every year, funeral services for relatives are ordered on name days or on the birthday of the deceased;

4) days of general church remembrance are called parental Saturdays. Two of the six parental Saturdays (Meat and Trinity) are called ecumenical, since they are completely devoted to prayer for the deceased at all times and have an exceptional liturgical order.

Throughout the year, the number of funeral prayers varies from the smallest on pre-holiday and holidays to the greatest on universal parental Saturdays, which consist almost entirely of funeral prayers.

What are Parents' Saturdays?

Days special commemoration in the Orthodox Church they are called parental Saturdays. This name is explained by the fact that these days Christians pray for the repose of their parents (this word should be understood more broadly - grandfathers, great-grandfathers and all ancestors of their kind (grandparents)), as well as all deceased Orthodox Christians. These days, people visit cemeteries, care for graves, order memorial services in churches, or perform services over graves on their own - in a secular rite (reading litia).

Ecumenical Parents' Saturdays

The Saturdays before Maslenitsa and Spiritual Day (Pentecost) are days when all Orthodox Christians are called to intense prayer for deceased members of the Church - known and unknown, distant and close.

Meat-eating Saturday precedes the Week (Sunday), on which the Church remembers the Last Judgment and especially prays for all those who have died. This is a commemoration of all the dead Orthodox people speaks of the unity of the Church, the body of which is made up of the souls of not only the living, but also the dead, united in Christ.

Trinity Saturday is associated with the descent of the Holy Spirit on the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of Christ. This event is one of the key events for understanding the doctrine of salvation. The Holy Spirit who descended on the apostles is for all humanity evidence of the presence of God next to people, a promise of salvation. It is believed that the Apostolic Church was formed on the day of Pentecost.

The rite of worship for the two ecumenical Saturdays is composed in a special, exceptional way: some prayers said on this day are not present in any other services. If the memory of saints falls on this day, it is transferred to the next day. If a patronal or twelfth feast falls, the funeral service is performed in a separate part of the church - the tomb, or moves to the previous Saturday or Thursday.

It should be noted that, first of all, during the ecumenical Saturdays, all Orthodox Christians who have died from time to time are remembered, and secondly, our relatives themselves. However, in order to allow people to pray more personally and earnestly specifically for their relatives, in addition to the remembrance at Matins and Vespers, a great requiem service is also performed. What is the difference between these commemorations? If Matins and Vespers are performed according to an exceptional order specially drawn up for these two days and is comprehensive in nature, then during the requiem service prayers are said that are more general in content and are also used in other circumstances (for example, a canon from ordinary funeral services Saturday services). Another important difference is that at Matins the commemoration is performed without specifying specific names, but for all “the forefather, father and brothers...”, and at the requiem service it occurs according to church synodics and personal commemorations.

Saturdays of Lent

Deliberate (special) commemoration of the dead is also performed on Saturdays of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th weeks of Lent. These Saturdays are a kind of compensation for the fact that during Pentecost there is practically no liturgical commemoration. The listed Saturdays are also called parental Saturdays, but their rites are not of such a special nature as in the case of Trinity and Meat Saturdays, therefore the parental Saturdays of Great Lent are not called ecumenical.

Another difference is that on Ecumenical Saturdays the commemoration of all the dead in all centuries of human existence comes to the fore, and on Lenten Saturdays the main role still given to prayers for deceased relatives (performed during Matins and Vespers). A separate ecumenical memorial service is not celebrated on this day. The parental Saturdays of Great Lent are distinguished from the ecumenical ones by the fact that on these days the glorification of the saints is not canceled, and if Saturday coincides with the Annunciation, patronal feast day or polyeleos, then the funeral service is not postponed to another day, but simply omitted.

Private parent days

Some days of remembrance are found only in the practice of the Russian Orthodox Church. These include Dimitrievskaya Saturday, Radonitsa, May 9 (memory of those killed in the Great Patriotic War) and September 11 (the day of remembrance of Orthodox soldiers, established by decree of Empress Catherine II, is celebrated irregularly).

Dimitrievskaya Saturday

As the legend says, this day was approved by the blessed Prince Demetrius Donskoy on the Saturday before the day of remembrance of his patron saint - the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki (October 26) - in the year of the Battle of Kulikovo (1380). Then the prince for the first time ordered to serve in the monastery St. Sergius Radonezh funeral service in memory of the soldiers who fell on the Kulikovo field.

Over time, the connection of this day with its historical origin has weakened, and today Dimitrievskaya Saturday is a memorial parental Saturday, without a particular correlation with the events of 700 years ago.

Radonitsa

Radonitsa is perhaps the most famous (even in non-church circles) day of remembrance of the dead. On this day, a public holiday is always declared so that all people (both believers and secularists) have the opportunity to visit their family graves.

The date of Radonitsa is moving - depending on the date of Easter. Most often it is scheduled for Tuesday (if it does not coincide with important holidays) Thomas Week (second week after Easter).

The establishment of such a special day of remembrance is associated with Lent. The fact is that during Lenten weeks very often deliberate commemoration of the dead (which always takes place on the 3rd, 9th and 40th days) cannot be performed due to the peculiarities of the Lenten liturgical charter. Therefore, by the end of Lent, many uncelebrated memorial services accumulate, which are transferred to the first day, when a full liturgy and memorial service can be celebrated. Radonitsa is such a day.

Since Radonitsa always coincides with an after-feast, on this day there are no special funeral prayers, either at the liturgy, or at Matins and Vespers. Funeral prayers are present only at the Midnight Office, and a great requiem mass is also served after Vespers.

Superstitions associated with death and funerals

Surprisingly, but true: in the world of victorious science, where people often question all world religions, the so-called folk signs, or superstition.

The etymology of the word “superstition” speaks for itself: vain faith, belief in something empty, non-existent.

Since death for any person is a topic surrounded by many secrets and questions, the same number of different superstitions are attracted to it, like a magnet. Thus, numerous prejudices associated with organizing funerals are very common. Often a real funeral feast is held for the deceased with big amount a variety of food and alcohol. However church people must understand that funeral services are organized primarily to show mercy to the people who attended the funeral service and funeral. The living need food, but the soul of the deceased needs prayers.

All signs associated directly with funeral food are also absolutely meaningless. Some particularly superstitious people believe that food from a wake should not be taken home because it “has negative energy.” This statement is an unfounded superstition. The food was prepared to feed people, and if there is any left over, it can and should be distributed.

A lot of superstitions are associated with preparations for funerals. You often see how mirrors are hung up in the house (so that the deceased does not accidentally appear in them), the chairs on which the coffin stood are turned over (so that the living do not sit on them) and many similar things. As believing Christians, we must do our best to eradicate such pagan prejudices in the surrounding society and explain to people the complete senselessness of such actions.

The tradition of bringing food or sweets to the cemetery, as well as leaving a shot of vodka “for the deceased,” is absurd and at the same time ineradicable. Is it worth talking about all the absurdity of such customs? The soul, which no longer has a material shell, does not need anything material, including food. To honor the memory of our relatives, we can take care of their graves and keep them clean and tidy. We can bring flowers and wreaths to the cemetery. But the most important thing we can do is serve a litiya over the grave, asking the Lord to remember the deceased.

There is no place for magic in Christianity. The purpose of a Christian's life is to purify his own soul. The purpose of his death is to unite with God in the Kingdom of Heaven. Unlike everyday superstitions and prejudices, every religious action has a high purpose. We must firmly remember this and distinguish one from the other.

Dates of Parents' Saturdays and All Souls' Days in 2019

Parents' Saturdays- nine days of special remembrance for Orthodox Christians. Every Saturday is dedicated to the remembrance of the dead, but there are also specially designated Saturday days. They are called parental because parents are the people closest to us, but these days they pray not only for relatives.
All parent ones, except one (May 9), have a moving date.

On these days, funeral services are performed - funeral services. Please note that public worship may begin the night before (i.e. Friday) as The liturgical day begins in the evening.

Of the nine days of special commemoration of the dead, two Ecumenical Memorial Saturdays stand out: Meat Saturday and Trinity Saturday. The main meaning of these “ecumenical” (common to the entire Orthodox Church) funeral services is prayer for all deceased Orthodox Christians, regardless of their personal closeness to us.

Parents' Saturday- a generalized name for the day of special remembrance of the dead. Special, not in terms of something different, but in terms of intensified ones. On this day, the entirety of the Church prays for the repose of the souls of deceased Orthodox Christians. For us – the living – this day of remembrance of our loved ones should, if possible, be spent in prayer. The leitmotif of all prayers for repose is forgiveness of sins. The dead have no time to repent and ask for forgiveness, but we can make every effort and ask God for mercy towards them. And the Lord, seeing our zeal, taking into account our deeds of prayer and alms (and alms can be given for the deceased), can forgive all the sins of a deceased person.
On parent's Saturdays Orthodox Christian, if possible, we need to attend the funeral liturgy and memorial service, pray during the service not only for our loved ones, but also for all deceased Orthodox Christians (in Church Slavonic - “departed from eternity”), then visit the cemetery and there perform a private prayer - a requiem mass, litia or, if time permits, read the 17th kathisma of the Psalter. It is most important. And about the meal - church rules this side of life is not regulated in any way. There is only one rule - moderation. In everything. And don’t forget: the main thing on this day is prayer.
Priest Pavel Konkov (magazine “Foma”)

***

When are funeral services for parental Saturdays held in the church?

The liturgical day begins in the evening, so funeral services often begin in the evening of the previous day. The most important commemoration is at the Liturgy (usually served in the morning).

Is it necessary to go to the cemetery on Parents' Saturday?

Prayerful remembrance in a church is incomparably more important for the deceased than visiting a grave, but the first does not exclude the second. It is important to maintain a hierarchy: worship comes first, a trip to the cemetery comes second. Christians perform the ceremony at the grave or invite a priest.

Why do they bring food to the temple?

Initially, products were brought for sharing funeral meal. In our time - as a sacrifice to the clergy and clergy for the soul's sake.

One should be sober about the tradition of bringing food “to”, based on modern realities. No matter how hard the priests try, they can’t eat 30 loaves of bread or 20 packs of gingerbread, so it makes sense to bring food that will last for a long time. You can also make a donation to the church mug; the church has many needs, not just food.

This will be the second match of the Russian team in the current qualifying tournament. Let us remember that in the first meeting Russia met with Belgium, to which they lost with a score of 1:3.

The Russia-Kazakhstan meeting will take place on March 24, 2019 in the capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan - the city of Astana(which was renamed literally in a couple of hours on March 20 to Nur-Sultan by decision of parliament members). And how can we not remember one of the jokes dedicated to the renaming of the city, and not say in relation to the Russian national football team that it “flew to Astana and arrived in Nur-Sultan.” Officially, the city changed its name on March 23, 2019, after the signing of the corresponding Decree by the new head of state Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

The match will be held at the Astana Arena stadium(“Nur-Sultan Arena”). Starts at 17:00 Moscow time (20:00 local time).

That is:
* Venue of the match - Kazakhstan, Astana (Nur-Sultan), Astana Arena.
* Broadcast start time is 17:00 Moscow time.

Where to watch the match Russia - Kazakhstan live:

In Kazakhstan Live broadcast of the national football teams' games can be seen on the channel "QAZAQSTAN" at 20:00 local time.

March 18 in Crimea is a day off or a working day:

That is:
* March 18 is a day off in Crimea and Sevastopol.

If March 18 coincides with a holiday (as, for example, happens in 2023), the holiday is transferred to the next working day.

If a holiday coincides with annual paid leave, March 18 is not included in the number of calendar days of leave, but extends it.

Is March 17 a shortened working day:

This norm is established in Article 95 Labor Code RF and applies to working days preceding, among other things, regional holidays.

International Women's Day on March 8 is a UN observance, and the organization includes 193 states. The memorial dates announced by the General Assembly are designed to encourage UN members to show increased interest in these events. However, on this moment not all member states of the United Nations have approved the celebration women's day in their territories on the specified date.

Below is a list of countries that celebrate International Women's Day. Countries are grouped into groups: in a number of states the holiday is an official non-working day (day off) for all citizens, on March 8th only women rest, and there are states where they work on March 8th.

In which countries is the holiday March 8 a day off (for everyone):

* In Ukraine- International Women's Day continues to remain an additional holiday, despite regular proposals to exclude the event from the list non-working days and replace it, for example, with Shevchenko Day, which will be celebrated on March 9.
* In Abkhazia.
* In Azerbaijan.
* In Algeria.
* In Angola.
* In Armenia.
* In Afghanistan.
* In Belarus.
* To Burkina Faso.
* In Vietnam.
* In Guinea-Bissau.
* In Georgia.
* In Zambia.
* In Kazakhstan.
* In Cambodia.
* In Kenya.
* In Kyrgyzstan.
* IN DPRK.
* In Cuba.
* In Laos.
* In Latvia.
* In Madagascar.
* In Moldova.
* In Mongolia.
* In Nepal.
* In Tajikistan- since 2009, the holiday was renamed Mother's Day.
* In Turkmenistan.
* In Uganda.
* In Uzbekistan.
* In Eritrea.
* In South Ossetia.

Countries where March 8 is a women's-only day off:

* In China.
* In Madagascar.

Which countries celebrate March 8, but it is a working day:

* Austria.
* Bulgaria.
* Bosnia and Herzegovina.
* Germany- in Berlin, since 2019, March 8 is a day off, in the country as a whole it is a working day.
* Denmark.
* Italy.
* Cameroon.
* Romania.
* Croatia.
* Chile.
* Switzerland.

In which countries is March 8 NOT celebrated?

* In the USA, the holiday is not an official holiday. In 1994, an attempt by activists to get the celebration approved by Congress failed.

* In the Czech Republic (Czech Republic) - most of the country's population views the holiday as a relic of the communist past and main symbol old regime.

Parents' Saturdays are days of special remembrance of the dead.
On these days, at the Liturgy, prayers are read for deceased Orthodox Christians, and funeral services are performed. Since almost all such days are associated with the Easter calendar, the dates parenting days change from year to year.

Parents' Saturdays in 2019

9 days of special remembrance of the dead in 2019:

Ecumenical Parents' Saturdays

Material on the topic

Parents' Saturdays are days of special remembrance of the dead. brief information about parents' Saturdays 2019. The material can be printed in A3 and A4 format and used as a parish leaflet or a manual for defense education lessons.

These days the Church prayerfully commemorates all dead Christians. A special, universal memorial service is served in the church.

1. Meat-eating Saturday – March 2

A week before Lent, on the Saturday before. On the day preceding the remembrance of the Last Judgment, Christians pray Righteous Judge show His mercy to all departed Christians.

2. Trinity Saturday - the Saturday before the feast of the Holy Trinity - June 15

With God everyone is alive. In the Church we feel a connection with all dead Christians. Pentecost is the birthday of the Church. On the eve of this day, the Church prays for Christians who have crossed the threshold of earthly life.

Parental Saturdays of Great Lent

“Parental” Saturdays began to be called because Christians prayerfully commemorated, first of all, their deceased parents. These days, after the Liturgy, a special funeral service is performed in the church - a requiem.

Throughout Lent there are very few days when it is possible to celebrate the full Liturgy, and therefore the main church prayer about the deceased. In order not to deprive the dead of prayer during this period, the Church established three special days for prayer for them.

2nd week of Lent – ​​March 23

3rd week of Lent – ​​March 30

The 4th week of Lent is canceled in 2019, as it falls on April 6, the eve of the Feast of the Annunciation.

Private parent days

These days of remembrance of the dead exist in the liturgical practice of only the Russian Orthodox Church.

1. Remembrance Day for all those killed during the Great Patriotic War - May 9

After the liturgy it is celebrated thanksgiving prayer for the granting of victory and funeral litia.

2. Radonitsa - 9th day after Easter, Tuesday of Thomas Week - May 7

From this day on, the Charter of the Church again, after a long break for Lent And Easter days, allows church-wide commemoration of the dead.

3. Day of Remembrance of Orthodox Soldiers killed on the battlefield for the Faith, Tsar and Fatherland - September 11

The commemoration was established by decree of Catherine II during the Russian-Turkish War (1768–1774). In modern liturgical practice it is often omitted.

4. Dimitrievskaya parent's Saturday - November 2.

On the Saturday preceding the day of remembrance of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki (November 8). Installed by the noble prince Dmitry Donskoy after returning to Moscow from the battle on the Kulikovo field (1380).

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 service.

Parents' Saturdays in 2019

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 Saturday (on the Saturday preceding the Sunday of Last Judgment) and Trinity (on the Saturday preceding the Feast of Pentecost, or also called the Feast 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 2, 2019.
• Saturday of the 2nd week of Great Lent – ​​March 23, 2019.
• Saturday of the 3rd week of 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 deceased warriors– May 9, 2019.
• Radonitsa– May 7, 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.
  • – June 6, 2020.
  • – 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.
  • – June 19, 2021.
  • – November 6, 2021.

For preferential commemoration to us personally dear people There are other parenting 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 general memorial day .

This memorial service falls on the Saturday preceding the memory of St. Vmch. Demetrius of Thessalonica - patron saint of the prince. Dmitry Donskoy, at whose suggestion, after the Battle of Kulikovo, an annual commemoration of soldiers was established. But over time, the memory of the liberating soldiers was crowded out into popular consciousness, which is very regrettable, and Dimitrievskaya funeral Saturday turned into one of the “parents' days”.

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