Holy Sunday Christians celebrate it in honor of the resurrection of Lazarus by Jesus, and also as a symbol of joy from the coming of Jesus to Jerusalem. The willow in the northern regions replaces the palm branches and southern flowers with which believers greeted God's prophet in ancient city. Willow branches were chosen precisely because they are the first to bloom in the spring. Therefore, Orthodox Christians associate this holiday with the consecration of willow branches, as well as with general rejoicing and celebration. But do people go to the cemetery on Palm Sunday?
Palm Sunday: is it worth going to remember relatives?
Servants Orthodox Church It is advised to visit the cemetery on this sacred holiday after the liturgy, but not before it. If there is no urgent need for such an act, you can refrain from going to the cemetery. Commemoration of the departed is not included in the obligatory program on this day.
Previously, there was a custom to send one family member to the graves of deceased relatives with blessed willows, in order to thus honor their memory.
Nowadays people go to the cemetery on a significant church holiday. at will. Palm Sunday is first and foremost celebrated as a real celebration. Therefore, a feeling of joy on this day is quite appropriate.
Grief for deceased loved ones, according to clergy, can prevent a person from feeling all the charm of spiritual triumph. But this does not apply to the following cases:
- When a person has recently lost his family. Then all festivities are relegated to the background for the believer, because he is in deep mourning.
- When the day of remembrance of the deceased falls on Palm Sunday.
In all other cases, the issue of visiting the cemetery is decided on an individual basis.
Is it possible to remember deceased relatives on this day?
A simple commemoration of the departed on the last Sunday before Easter is quite appropriate. You can pray for those who have passed away at the holiday service. This is also not prohibited.
But do they go to the cemetery directly on Palm Sunday if they feel unwell? In this case, it is worth postponing your visit until after Easter or taking advantage of special days during Easter week.
It is a sin to work on such a holiday. And if you nevertheless decide to visit the cemetery on a given day, then simply leave an edible memorial for the deceased and leave. To put the graves of relatives in order during Easter period three days are allocated. The most famous of them is Radonitsa.
Palm Sunday is a holiday when the whole family needs to relax. Things and work need to be postponed or done in advance. There is a certain wisdom and practical benefit in this order. During simple days, Christians work and pray a lot, so their souls and bodies certainly need proper rest.
Only you can decide whether to go to the cemetery on a holiday or not. But if the scales still tip in favor of going to the cemetery, then try to visit the graves of the deceased in a peaceful state, since according to biblical traditions, the answer to the question “Do they go to the cemetery on Palm Sunday?” depends only on the inner mood of a person.
A great holiday, one of the 12 most important during the year in church calendar is Palm Sunday. There is no exact date for this great event, when believers remember the story of the Lord Jesus Christ entering the city of Jerusalem riding on a donkey. Because the holiday always falls at the end of the sixth week of Lent. A Lent, as you know, changes dates annually depending on the holiday to which it relates, Easter.
On church holidays you should definitely rejoice. This is not such a secular joy: noisy and loud, but a grace-filled joy, in the soul and next to the family, in church at the festive liturgy. All this is also true for Palm Sunday. In general, it is not recommended to go to a cemetery on holidays, but every priest will say that if your soul asks, then you should definitely visit your deceased relatives. Another thing is that on holidays church days You can't clean up the cemetery.
Advice! You cannot work on any church holiday; in particular, the ban applies to work around the house and in the garden; if possible, you should refuse other work. It turns out that in holidays You can’t even clean graves in a cemetery, because that’s also work. That is, on Palm Sunday you can go to visit your deceased relatives, but you shouldn’t bother yourself with work.
Parents' days in Lent
During Lent, on the second and third, as well as the fourth Saturday, special ones are allocated. These days are specifically determined by the church calendar in honor of deceased relatives. Funeral services are held in churches, and then it is recommended to go to the cemetery to clean the graves and update them for the new summer season.
If it was not possible to clean the graves on the parental Saturdays of Lent, then after that there will also be a special day when this is not only possible, but also necessary. It is important to emphasize here that it is also not customary to go to the cemetery on Easter itself. At least definitely not cleaning up the grave. But there is a Tuesday of the second holiday week of Lent, it is called Radunitsa in the church calendar. This is a special day intended specifically for the purpose in question.
If you really want to big celebration to visit a cemetery, bring there a bouquet of festive consecrated willow, then no one will forbid this. But what you definitely need to give up, and this action is under strict church prohibition, is cleaning. This ban applies not only to cleaning graves in the cemetery. The short list of things not to do on Palm Sunday includes all work. Housewives in Rus' even tried to prepare dishes for festive table in advance, so that on the day of the holiday you can only rejoice, relax not only with your soul, but also with your body.
In conclusion of this material, I would like to remind you that it is necessary to remember deceased relatives and friends not only on parent's Saturdays Lent or
________________________________________________________________________
The willow is popularly considered a symbol of health, vitality and fertility.
______________________________________________________________
ON PALM SUNDAY YOU CAN'T: work, do handicrafts, sew and knit, wash and potter in the garden.
ON PALM SUNDAY YOU NEED: Prepare for Holy Week, which ends with Easter - the most important holiday for Orthodox Christians.
Is it possible to visit the cemetery on Palm Sunday?
The clergy say that there is no clear ban on visiting the cemetery on Palm Sunday, but it is still better to visit the graves of loved ones on special memorial days established by the church. One of these official days of remembrance is Radonitsa - the second Tuesday after Easter.
It is very important to remember that the great holidays are a time great joy, and before going to the cemetery, you must definitely visit the church and pray.
Is it possible to triple the funeral on Palm Sunday?
You can remember your loved ones on Palm Sunday. It is even better to do the funeral on Palm Sunday than on any other day during Holy Week.
It is best to go to church, attend the service and pray for the departed.
Is it possible to baptize a child on Palm Sunday?
Is it possible to baptize a child in Palm Sunday?
Yes. A child's baptism can take place on any day.
Is it possible to eat fish on Palm Sunday?
Is it possible to eat fish on Palm Sunday? The answer is definitely positive.
This is the second day during Lent (the first day is Annunciation) when eating fish is allowed.
And on Lazarus Saturday you can eat fish caviar, but you must refuse the fish itself.
What is a must-do on Palm Sunday?
- Decorate your home with blessed willow or willow branches as a sign of memory of the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. It is also believed that these branches will protect the house from the evil eye and damage.
- Eat a little fish and drink a little wine in honor of the great church holiday. Despite the fact that Lent is not over yet, the church charter allows such indulgences.
- Stand at the all-night service and baptize the branches, remembering the existence of Jesus Christ on earth. ABOUT important points his entry into Jerusalem and subsequent events.
WHY IS PALM SUNDAY THE MOST TRAGIC HOLIDAY?
The joy of the Feast of the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem is darkened not only by the thought of the coming suffering of Christ, but also by the fact that this day reminds us how unfaithful the human heart is, how easily it is ready to renounce what it just recently glorified...
Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem
So, the event of the Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, 30 years after the Nativity of Christ. Jerusalem is waiting, everywhere there is only talk about the miracles performed by Jesus. He heals the sick: the blind receive their sight, lepers are cleansed of their scabs, the crippled and paralytic begin to walk. He pacifies the elements, commanding the storm to subside. He fed “about five thousand people, not counting women and children” with five loaves of bread and two fish! What is there! Recently, in front of everyone, He resurrected His friend Lazarus! Lazarus, four days dead! Lazarus, who already stinks! Moreover, the Messiah is not alone, with him is a crowd of disciples and followers. He Himself speaks of a new kingdom. Rather, greet Him, so omnipotent! He will finally bring freedom to the Jews suffering under the Roman yoke! Hosanna to the new king!
This is how Jesus was greeted in Jerusalem almost two thousand years ago. “Hosanna!” – which means: “Save! Grant salvation! “Blessed be the coming Kingdom!” the inhabitants of Jerusalem rejoiced, covering the path of Christ with their clothes and date shoots. Children and women ran after Jesus, waving palm branches - a sign of the highest honors in the east. The fact that Jesus does not enter Jerusalem on a horse, symbolizing royal power, and no one seemed to pay attention to the young donkey, a symbol of peace. Jesus was given honor as a king. Those who greeted Christ were sincere. But only four days will pass, and the same crowd that today enthusiastically greets Jesus with shouts of “Hosanna!” will demand from Pilate: “Crucify Him!”
One can wonder for a long time why? The question is what people expected from Christ, and what He actually brought. Some saw in Christ the new political Messiah, the king, the organizer of a new kingdom. Others - the one who feeds them. Still others may have expected more miracles and healings. But on that day almost two thousand years ago, on the day of the Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem, there is not a solemn entry into the kingdom, no, something else: Jesus is coming to free suffering. He does this out of love for man - only a few days will pass, and another procession will take place - the procession of Christ to Calvary. Voluntary. Out of love for us people. This means that Jesus brings into our world not miracles, not earthly prosperity - love. Love is of such a scale, of such a measure that even for us, who read the Gospel and experience the Way of the Cross of His suffering during the services of Holy Week, it is difficult for us to comprehend this measure of love. Therefore, let us not rush to condemn the Jerusalem crowd.
This is what we read in the diaries of the Russian writer Mikhail Prishvin: “On Palm Sunday, we walked along the road with harmonies and cursed God and the Mother of God and faith - everything! I asked, “Who are these people?” - “Their own people, the most Orthodox, now they scold God, and when a child is born, they go to the priest and bow: baptize!” It's about about Palm Sunday 1926, tragic persecution of the Church lies ahead. Persecutions that would not be so terrible if they were carried out only by the authorities. Therefore, the feast of the Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem is an occasion to ask ourselves: what would happen if the Lord walked through our streets today? Will we remain with Christ at His Cross? And, standing in churches with willow branches (there are no palm trees in Russia, we greet the coming Christ with stubborn willow shoots!), we not only remember the event of the Lord’s Entry into Jerusalem, we, according to the word of Patriarch Kirill, must open our hearts on this day for the Lord to enter into them. Ahead, tomorrow, April 25, begins Holy Week. Eternity stubbornly invades everyday life. And after Passion, of course, Easter is the holiday of the Resurrection of Christ.
OTHER PUBLICATIONS THAT MAY BE INTERESTING TO YOU:
On the great Orthodox holiday Palm Sunday, which in 2017 will be celebrated on April 13, it is important to go to church. Many people also eat at the cemetery on this day, but how correct is this from the point of view of church traditions?
Palm Sunday in 2017: visiting the cemetery is possible, but only after a person has visited the temple. Because such big holidays as Palm Sunday and Easter are, first of all, a day of spiritual joy, prayers, and obligatory participation in divine services.
It turns out that the answer to the question of whether it is possible to visit the cemetery on Palm Sunday. But it is best to do this on special days that are dedicated to commemorating the dead. During Lent there were three such parental days; after Easter there is a special holiday - Radonitsa, when one should go to the cemetery and remember the dead. Radonitsa always falls on the second Tuesday after Easter. In any case, even on such a special day, you can stop by the temple to pray for the departed and light a candle. The most important thing for the departed is our prayer.
It is better not to spend Palm Sunday in the cemetery in 2014. On this day, it is customary to rejoice, bless palm branches and prepare for the onset of the great holiday of Easter. The willow is a symbol of the holiday because there were no palm branches in Rus'. It was with palm branches and flowers that the Jews greeted Jesus Christ, who, five days before his execution and seven days before his resurrection, rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.
Is it possible to visit the cemetery on Palm Sunday?
Foreshadowing of the Resurrection - the resurrection of Lazarus
Visiting the cemetery on Palm Sunday is not prohibited, but it is better to do it after visiting church, praying and performing other important sacraments of this day. On the eve of Palm Sunday, Lazarus Saturday is celebrated. On the eve of entering Jerusalem, as these events are described in the Gospel, Jesus Christ performed a miracle - he resurrected the righteous Lazarus, who lived with his sisters Martha and Mary in a town near Jerusalem. Lazarus died four days before Jesus arrived in his town. When Christ approached the cave where Lazarus lay, he asked to remove the stone that was blocking the entrance to the cave.
When Jesus called for Lazarus to come out of the cave, the deceased came out with his hands and feet still wrapped in burial cloths. The resurrection of Lazarus is a symbol for believers and the church general resurrection. Such hope should live in the soul of every believer.
The news that Laser had been resurrected quickly spread throughout the surrounding area and became known in Jerusalem. When Jesus Christ entered this city on Sunday, he was greeted like a king: with palm branches and flowers, and they also laid out their clothes in front of him.
Visiting the cemetery before Easter, if this was not done at three memorial day, which are included in the period of Lent, it is better to postpone. On Palm Sunday, one should rejoice at the holiday, and one can pray for the deceased on a special day established for this purpose after Easter - Radonitsa. Every year it falls on the second Tuesday after Easter.
Palm Sunday in 2016: visiting the cemetery is possible, but only after visiting the church. This holiday is one of the twelve most important church holidays. It is as popular among the people as Trinity, Easter or Christmas. So, Palm Sunday is one of those holidays when you definitely need to visit a church or temple.
It is believed that visiting a cemetery is allowed at any time convenient for a person. It’s just advisable to do this before lunch, and, of course, it’s common among people not to go to graves in large areas. Orthodox holidays, not because there are church prohibitions on this matter, but only because you need to visit the temple in the morning and pray!
In order to clean the graves and the surrounding area, everyone visits the cemetery at free time, and usually this is not only before lunch, but also after, right up to the evening. But how to decide on cleaning the cemetery when there are many Orthodox events ahead, important and bright? How to choose a good time for such things?
Is it possible to clean the cemetery during Holy Week?
It is considered correct, at least it has developed among the Orthodox people, to clean the graves of deceased relatives only in advance, at least the day before Palm Sunday. Next to him Holy Week, as is often said, Holy Week is not at all conducive to similar events. As the ancestors said, every minute of this week brings humanity closer to the memory of the greatest tragedy of its kind, which does not exist in Orthodoxy! That is why this week, before Easter, believers should not mind their own business, much less go to the cemetery to clean up the area.
The very first date after Palm Sunday, on which in general Orthodox man may step on cemetery land, no matter for what purpose, this is only Radonitsa. This holiday falls on the 9th day from Easter, only on Tuesday, and in some villages it is called Parents' Day.
What to do if it was not possible to remove the graves before Holy Week?
Every believer must treat all Orthodox events with special trepidation. However, at the same time, in case of strong need, some advice can be neglected, of course, for good purposes!
If shortly before Holy Week it was not possible to clean up the cemetery, and the graves are simply in terrible condition, overgrown with weeds and decorated with old sun-bleached flowers and wreaths, then, of course, you need to visit the cemetery. Just not during this period, but a little later, three days after Easter, and remove everything there. After all, people don’t visit the cemetery on Easter, which means there’s no need to feel complex about it, but parent's day, in principle, you will still have time to clean up the cemetery!
Of course, on the one hand, such trips during Holy Week are undesirable, but along with God’s prohibitions there are also common sense and what should relatives do when they can’t do it after Easter, and they couldn’t do it during Palm Week either?! Here, of course, you can ask God and the dead for forgiveness and, having disturbed their peace, remove the graves during Holy Week!
Loading...