Easter is the most main holiday in a year.
The Church, taking into account the psychology of people, separates the days of celebration and the days of sorrow. That joyful exultation that the Church communicates to the faithful at Easter is separated from the mood of sadness that accompanies the commemoration of the departed. Therefore, on the day of Easter, it is not supposed to go to the cemetery and not perform requiems.
If someone dies, and death on Pascha is traditionally considered a sign of God's mercy, then the funeral service is performed according to the Paschal rite, which includes many Easter hymns.
To visit the cemetery, the Church appoints a special day - Radonitsa (from the word joy - because the Easter holiday continues), and this holiday takes place on Tuesday after Easter week.
On this day, a memorial service is served and believers visit the cemetery to pray for the departed, so that Easter joy is passed on to them.
IT IS IMPORTANT! Visiting cemeteries on Easter began only in Soviet time when the temples were closed. People who felt the need to get together, to share the joy, could not go to churches that were closed, and went to the cemetery at Easter instead of going a week later. The cemetery, as it were, replaced the visit to the temple. And now, when the temples are open, so this tradition of the Soviet era cannot be justified, it is necessary to restore the church tradition: to be in the temple on Easter day and celebrate a joyful holiday, and go to the cemetery on Radonitsa.
It must be remembered that the tradition of leaving food, Easter eggs on the graves - this is paganism, which was revived in the Soviet Union, when the state persecuted the right faith. When faith is persecuted, heavy superstitions arise. The souls of our departed loved ones need prayer. From a church point of view, a ceremony is unacceptable when vodka and black bread are placed on the grave, and next to it is a photograph of the deceased: this, saying modern language- a remake, because, for example, photography appeared a little over a hundred years ago: this means that this tradition is new.
As for the commemoration of the dead with alcohol: any booze is unacceptable. AT Holy Scripture the use of wine is allowed: “Wine gladdens the heart of a man” (Psalms 103:15), but warns against excess: “Do not get drunk with wine, fornication is in it” (Eph. 5:18). You can drink, but you can't get drunk. The deceased need our fervent prayer, our pure heart and sober mind, alms given for them, but not vodka.
How the dead are commemorated on Easter
Many people visit the cemetery on Easter, where the graves of their loved ones are located.
Unfortunately, in some families there is a blasphemous custom to accompany these visits to the graves of their relatives with wild drunken revelry. But even those who do not celebrate pagan drunken feasts on the graves of their loved ones, so offensive to any Christian feeling, often do not know when in Easter days we can and should commemorate the dead. The first commemoration of the departed takes place on the second week, after Fomin Sunday, on Tuesday.
The basis for this commemoration is, on the one hand, the memory of the descent of Jesus Christ into hell, connected with St. Thomas Sunday, and on the other hand, the permission of the Church Charter to make the usual commemoration of the dead, starting with St. Thomas Monday. By this permission, believers come to the graves of their neighbors with the joyful news of the Resurrection of Christ, hence the very day of commemoration is called Radonitsa.
How to commemorate the dead
Prayer for the departed is the greatest and most important thing that we can do for those who have departed to another world.
By and large, the deceased does not need a coffin or a monument - all this is a tribute to traditions, albeit pious ones. But the eternally living soul of the deceased feels a great need for our constant prayer, because she herself cannot do good deeds with which she would be able to propitiate God. That is why prayer at home for loved ones, prayer at the cemetery at the grave of the deceased is the duty of every Orthodox Christian. But commemoration in the Church provides special help to the deceased.
Before visiting the cemetery, you should come to the temple at the beginning of the service, submit a note with the names of the deceased relatives for commemoration in the altar (best of all, if this is a commemoration at the proskomedia, when a piece is taken out of a special prosphora for the deceased, and then as a sign of the washing of his sins dipped into the Chalice with the Holy Gifts). After the Liturgy, a memorial service should be served. Prayer will be more effective if the one who commemorates this day himself partakes of the Body and Blood of Christ. It is very useful to donate to the church, to give alms to the poor with a request to pray for the departed.
How to behave in a cemetery
Arriving at the cemetery, you need to light a candle, make a lithium (this word literally means intensified prayer. To perform the rite of lithium when commemorating the dead, you need to invite a priest. Then clean up the grave or just keep quiet, remember the deceased. You don’t need to eat or drink at the cemetery, especially it is unacceptable to pour vodka into the grave mound - this offends the memory of the dead. The custom of leaving a glass of vodka and a piece of bread on the grave "for the deceased" is a relic of paganism and Orthodox families. It is not necessary to leave food on the grave, it is better to give it to the beggar or the hungry.
When can you visit the cemetery?
* on the day of the funeral;
*on the 3rd, 9th and 40th day after death;
*every year on the day of the death of a person;
*on memorial days - Monday and Tuesday of the week following Paschal;
*Meat-fare Saturday preceding the week of Great Lent;
*2nd, 3rd and 4th Saturdays of Great Lent;
* Trinity Saturday - the day before the feast of the Holy Trinity;
* Dmitrov Saturday is the first Saturday in November.
When not to go to the cemetery:
* Orthodoxy does not welcome visiting the graves of relatives on such Christian holidays as Easter, the Annunciation and Christmas;
*The Trinity is not celebrated at the cemetery either. On Trinity they go to church;
* it is believed that you do not need to go to the churchyard after sunset;
*Women are not advised to visit the place of the dead during pregnancy or menstruation. But this is a personal choice of each of the fair sex.
Some sources report that it would be wrong to go to the tomb on the birthday of the deceased. You can just remember him with a kind word, in the circle of the family and loved ones of the deceased.
Upon arrival at the grave, a positive action will be to light a candle, to remember the deceased. Do not drink or eat near the tombstone. Arrange memorial dinner at home.
Do not step on the graves and do not jump over them. You don’t need to touch other people’s graves, put things in order there, unless the relatives of the person buried there asked you to do so.
In the case when you dropped something on the dead earth, it is better not to pick up this thing. If the fallen item is very important to you, pick it up and put something in return (candy, cookies, flowers).
When leaving the cemetery, do not turn around and, moreover, do not return. When you get home, wash your hands thoroughly (and it’s better to do it at the cemetery), be sure to wash off the cemetery soil from your shoes, and wash the tool that was used to clean the grave.
According to the materials of the news agency "Orthodoxy and the World"
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Easter is the brightest and most joyful day for all Christians. Many traditions and rituals are associated with this holiday, some of which cause thematic disputes among believers. For example, the question of when they go to the cemetery for Easter or Krasnaya Gorka quite often gives rise to disputes among ordinary citizens. In many large cities, it is customary to go to the cemetery on Easter, while in most regions this is done before and after the Holy Resurrection of Christ. A similar question arises with respect to another important Orthodox holiday - the Trinity. But in this case, believers are more interested in the day - Saturday or Sunday, on which you need to go to the churchyard. About when it is right to visit deceased relatives on great Christian holidays from the position of the Orthodox Church and will be discussed further.
When do they go to the cemetery before or after Easter 2017 on Krasnaya Gorka?
Before turning to the question of when they go to the cemetery - before or after Easter on Krasnaya Gorka, it is worth identifying one important point. Most often, it is on the main Christian holidays that people have a need to remember the deceased relatives. But in Orthodox church calendar there are special Memorial Saturdays, in which you can not only order a service in the temple, but also visit the churchyard. Alas, most modern believers forget about them and neglect this possibility.
But back to the question of when you still need to go to the cemetery before, on Easter or after on Krasnaya Gorka. The Orthodox Church has a fairly clear answer to this question. You can visit the cemetery both before and after the Resurrection of the Lord on Krasnaya Gorka, but not on the holiday itself Happy Easter. The fact is that Easter is a holiday above holidays for every Christian. On this day, the believer should rejoice with all his heart and in no case grieve, standing near the graves of loved ones. There is a time for commemoration, in particular, the first Sunday and Tuesday after Easter, which the people, depending on the region, are called differently: Radonitsa, Krasnaya Gorka, Coffins, Postings, St. Thomas Week.
Why do people go to the cemetery on Krasnaya Gorka after Easter
It is believed that on Easter the souls of the dead descend from heaven and visit their relatives throughout the Easter week. Hence it is logical to assume that these days there is no need to visit the cemetery. But after the end of the festive week, the souls of the deceased should be taken back by visiting their graves and remembering them in the cemetery. But where did the fundamentally wrong tradition of going to the cemetery on Easter come from then? It arose in Soviet times, during the persecution of Orthodox believers. Celebrate Easter like any other Christian holiday, was forbidden, and attending a church service was impossible due to the lack of temples. The only place where a believer could celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord without fear was a cemetery where the Orthodox could pray, and at the same time commemorate the dead.
When and why do Orthodox go to the cemetery before Easter 2017
We figured out when the Orthodox should go to the cemetery after Easter, but the question remains about why visit the graves before the Resurrection of Christ. During Great Lent there are Parental Saturdays - four days of commemoration of older deceased relatives. These days you need to go to the temple and, if possible, visit the churchyard. In addition, believers go to the cemetery before Easter and in order to have time to clean up the graves. Taking into account the fact that the Resurrection of Christ is celebrated in the spring, it is necessary to have time to remove last year's dry branches and weeds before the Radonitsa, change the wreaths and renew the paint on the fence. We hope that now it has become more clear to you when and why the Orthodox go to the cemetery before Easter.
When Orthodox Christians go to the cemetery before Easter
If we talk in more detail about when it is best to go to the cemetery before Easter for cleaning work, then there are no special church instructions on this matter. In the people, the period of 1-2 weeks before the Resurrection of the Lord is considered optimal. Thus, the graves removed at this time will not have time to overgrow with grass and lose their neat appearance before the start of the Radonitsa.
When do they go to the cemetery on Trinity - on Saturday or Sunday?
Another issue that worries believers no less than the time to visit the churchyard before and after Easter concerns the Trinity and when they should go to the cemetery - on Saturday or Sunday. The Church gives a fairly clear answer to this question - on the Trinity, which always falls on Sunday, you should not go to the cemetery. As in any other religious holiday, on Trinity, you should visit the morning service in the temple, after which you can pray for the dead and light candles for the repose. It is believed that on the Trinity in the temple you can even pray for suicides, whose restless souls such prayers give at least temporary peace.
When is Trinity Saturday and why do they go to the cemetery on this day
Then when they go to the cemetery on Trinity, you need to visit the graves of your loved ones not on Sunday, but on Saturday before the holiday. By the way, the day before Trinity is called Trinity Parental Saturday and is a special day for commemorating the dead. At this time, you should not only visit church services, but also to go to the churchyard.
Now you know when they go to the cemetery before and after Easter 2017 on Krasnaya Gorka, and also on what day for Trinity - on Saturday or Sunday. We are sure that this knowledge will help you observe Christian customs correctly in accordance with church prescriptions.
Many people associate a cemetery with something terrible, unpleasant and unwanted. But there are days when all relatives should gather at the grave of a deceased family member in order to clean the burial place, remember the person and honor his memory.
Why is this needed?The modern generation is increasingly losing touch with traditions and does not even know when people go to the cemetery to honor the dead. Young people, without much desire, trail behind their parents or grandparents, because it just needs to be done. And more and more often you can hear disputes about whether it is worth going to the cemetery at all, because dead man this will not help in any way, and for the living this duty is only a burden. We can say one thing: everything should come from the heart.
Memorable days
Orthodox traditions have a certain list of days when it is worth going to the cemetery in order to pay attention to the dead. So, the meat-fare Saturday opens the list - the last one before Lent. During it, it is also possible, but only on Saturdays - the second, third, fourth. Important to visit the cemetery is Radunitsa - a day that falls on the second Tuesday after Easter. It is believed that at this moment the living, together with the dead, rejoice at the resurrection of Christ. When do they go to the cemetery to see the soldiers? May 9 thank them for the great feat - victory. The dead soldiers are also honored on September 11, on the day More days when they go to the cemetery to visit their relatives: Trinity Saturday - the day before the holiday and also on Dmitrov Saturday, November 8, when it is also customary to remember all the dead people.
We figured out when they go to the cemetery. Now it’s worth finding out what to be afraid of when you come to such a place. You can often hear the question of whether it is possible to go to the cemetery at night. It is believed among the people that it is impossible to be here even in the afternoon, because after that the devils will mercilessly mock a person, constantly ruining his life. Not to mention the night time. Also, do not come to the cemetery drunk or get drunk at the burial place of the dead. This can only show disrespect for the dead people, while angering their souls. And it never ends well. But this does not mean that you can not drink at all in the cemetery. On the contrary, remember native person a sip of good wine is even needed. Also, you should not swear and use foul language on the territory of the cemetery, because all the bad words spoken by a person immediately “stick” to him and affect life. The dead do not forgive disrespect. And most importantly, do not bring anything from the cemetery to your home. It is believed that this can bring trouble on oneself by bringing a piece of "dead life" into the house.
It is also worth sorting out, nursing mothers and small children. Here everything is somewhat simpler. Many people know that there are people who can do bad things - black magicians, whisperers, etc. Often the favorite place of bad people is the cemetery, because. only here you can feed on the negative dead energy to the maximum. And the above category of people is the most unprotected, most often all the bad things that can happen there “stick” to them. And if you really want to go to the grave of a loved one, you need to try to protect yourself by taking with you and attaching a pin to the back of your clothes.
June 13, 2018, 17:00To understand whether they go to the cemetery on Trinity, you need to figure out what kind of holiday it is. According to the teachings of the Orthodox Church, the Trinity is one (in three persons) God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. For the human mind, the dogma about the feast of the Trinity is contradictory, and therefore incomprehensible.
To accept this teaching, a person must get rid of pride, the ability to explain everything rationally. That is, Orthodox Christian must unquestioningly accept the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, thus proving the strength and depth of his faith in God.
Is it possible to go to the cemetery on Trinity?
Many do not know if they go to the cemetery on Trinity, so they visit the graves at their own discretion. Meanwhile, the Church does not recommend doing this. All priests unanimously say that you need to go to the cemetery on the Saturday preceding the holiday, and on Trinity Sunday you do not need to visit the graves.
Asking the question whether it is possible to go to the cemetery on Trinity, people forget about the day preceding this holiday - parental Saturday. This Saturday you can:
- visit graves;
- paint benches and fences;
- mow grass, plant or water fresh flowers.
As you can see, to the question of whether they go to the cemetery on Trinity, the Church gives an unequivocal answer - no, they don’t.
Do I need to go to the cemetery on Trinity: the priest's answer
To the question of whether it is possible to go to the cemetery on Trinity, Archpriest of the Orthodox Church Andrey Efanov answers. According to him, the Trinity is considered a birthday Orthodox Church Therefore, every believing Christian must:
- be present in the church for prayer;
- confess sins;
- take communion.
But, do Orthodox Christians go to the Trinity to the cemetery after the end of the service in the church? No, they do not do this, because prayers for the dead are not read at Trinity services. At the end of the liturgy, they begin to serve the vespers, at which all the faithful pray to the Lord for mercy for the dead and the living.
So is it necessary to go to the cemetery on the Trinity to the graves of relatives? No, it doesn `t need. Now let's figure out how Orthodox Christians should celebrate this holiday.
Trinity Celebration
We answered the question of whether Orthodox Christians go to the cemetery on Trinity to visit the graves of relatives and close people. Here are some tips for celebrating the Trinity:
- before this holiday, you need to clean the house, find and get rid of old things;
- on the eve of the holiday, you need to decorate all the rooms in the house or apartment with greenery;
- you can collect several bouquets from fresh flowers, one of them must be taken with you to the service in the church.
There are also Orthodox tradition- believing people help priests decorate churches and temples on the eve of the Trinity holiday.
After the Sunday service, relatives and friends can gather at the family table and celebrate the Trinity.
Some popular signs on the day of the Holy Trinity are frightening. Among Orthodox people there is a belief that the deceased will come for someone from the family, if you do not visit the grave on Trinity. So is it possible to go to the cemetery on the feast of the Trinity? Now we will tell about it.
Trinity is light Orthodox holiday which has great spiritual significance for every Christian. It contains a huge number of traditions, signs and superstitions. Many centuries ago, people believed and feared evil spirits, hence many of the rites on this day come from. One of the most important questions is whether it is still possible to come to the cemetery and visit the dead on the day of the Holy Trinity.
1. Is it possible to visit the cemetery on Trinity
Trinity (parental) Saturday is the day when the dead are commemorated. Every Orthodox believer wants to visit deceased loved ones at the cemetery on this day and pray before the Lord for the sins of the departed. Also, on parent Saturday you need to visit the church, put a candle for the repose of the souls of the dead and say prayers. Church ministers strongly recommend not to forget about the deceased relatives on this day, as in afterlife they need our support.
Since a visit to the cemetery falls on Saturday, then on the feast of the Trinity itself, which is celebrated on Sunday, this is not worth doing. Trinity is Holy holiday, which is accompanied by a smile, joy and triumph. This great holiday should not be overshadowed by sadness, longing and grief for deceased loved ones. That's why, special parental days are set aside to commemorate the dead.
2. How to honor the memory of the dead
In a day Holy Trinity, believing people give their prayers not only for those who have gone to another world, but also for those who have left faith. Also, on this day, you can offer the words of prayer for people who have left this life of their own free will, for those whose death is the cause of alcohol poisoning or drugs.
There is a popular belief among the people that those people who did not visit the deceased in the cemetery will face serious punishment, for example, the deceased can take someone from the family to the world of the dead. Everyone decides for himself whether to believe in it or not, but, according to the priest, everyone has the right to be commemorated, especially before the Trinity.
After the service in the temple, you should go to the cemetery to the grave of a deceased relative and clean it up. You can bring flowers or birch branches with you. Under no circumstances should food or drink be brought into the cemetery. It is better to leave everything edible in the temple, or give it to the poor.
The Day of the Blessed Trinity is a celebration for the living, happy event, and it’s better not to come to the cemetery. But, if you still didn’t manage to visit those who left on Saturday, then you can do it on the Trinity, by reading, without fail, prayers from longing. On the bright solemn feast of the Holy Trinity, any work is prohibited. We wish you happiness, and don't forget to press the buttons and
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