Parental Saturdays in 2017 Orthodox, calendar of numbers

Parental Saturdays are the days in the calendar of the Orthodox Church when rituals are performed in memory of the departed. The second name is the Ecumenical memorial service. This name explains that the commemoration of dead people has a "universal character", that is, universal for all the dead in all Orthodox churches.

The concept of parental Saturday

The concept of parental Sabbath is often confused with the universal parental Sabbath, and this is not correct. The Ecumenical Sabbath is called upon to commemorate all the dead, regardless of the degree of kinship. In churches these days, services are held for all the dead, that is, all people are connected by a higher church relationship.
Only two per year belong to ecumenical Saturdays - Myasopustnaya and Trinity. The first takes place on the Saturday before the Week doomsday, and the second precedes the feast of Pentecost or the Holy Trinity (the second name). Universal parental Saturday 2017 falls on February 18 and June 3. Saturday February 18 is called Myasopustnaya, and June 3 Trinity.

Parental Saturdays in 2017 Orthodox, calendar

To honor the memory of loved ones, friends or relatives, there are several more parental Saturdays. Every year they fall on different numbers which directly depend on other holidays church calendar. parent saturday in 2017 will be held 6 more times in addition to those described above. The dates of these holidays are March 11, 18, 25, May 9, April 25 and November 4.
The first three relate to Great Lent and take place starting from the second week. After them, several times there will be a parental Saturday in 2017 Orthodox. The calendar indicates that the first of these will take place on April 25. This day is called Radonitsa.
Despite the fact that Radonitsa traditionally takes place on Tuesday, it is also a parent Saturday. On Radonitsa, deceased relatives should be commemorated in the cemetery. The name Radonitsa has roots with the word joy, which gave such a name to the holiday. It follows the first Tuesday after Easter.
The next parental Saturday is May 9th. On this day, according to old traditions, all those who laid down their heads on the battlefields are remembered. Until some time, the same day was the parental Saturday of November 4, which is also called Dimitrievskaya.

This date was originally dedicated to the commemoration of the soldiers who died in the Battle of Kulikovo, but over time it became common for all the dead. The name Dimitrievskaya comes from the name of Prince Dmitry Donskoy, whose patron was Saint Demetrius of Thessalonica. At the suggestion of the Grand Duke, it was customary to hold memorial services for fallen soldiers.

What to do on Parental Saturday

The name parent Saturdays is associated with parents, and to some extent this is directly related to the name. The fact is that parents are often the first to leave the mortal world and commemorate their children. But even if this is not the case in some families, on the day of commemoration of the deceased, it is customary to pray first of all for the parents, and then for the children and other close relatives.
In addition, this name reminds the living of the need to pray for the repose of all ancestors, because most often people remember their parents and maximum of their parents, but the older members of the family are already forgotten. Since it is possible to pray for the repose of the soul on any day, and most often this is done in memory of close relatives, on parental Saturday it is also necessary to do this for all those who are forgotten on ordinary days.

Why Saturday was chosen as the memorial day. There is no coincidence here and it has nothing to do with the fact that in modern world Saturday and Sunday are days off. The fact is that in ancient times the week did not begin on Monday, but on Sunday and, accordingly, Saturday ended the week. The Orthodox Church has its own rules for each day of the week and Saturday received the status of a memorial day.
Traditionally, on the eve of parental Saturdays, on the night of Friday, a great memorial service is served in churches. The next morning, a funeral liturgy is read, which ends with a common one. The clergy believe that it is best to defend it in the church and give the priest a note with the name of the deceased relatives so that they can be mentioned during prayer. On this day, parishioners can bring wine and lenten products with them, which are distributed to everyone after the liturgy. At the end of the service, you can go to the cemetery to pay tribute to the memory of relatives.

In the church calendar there are many holidays revered by Orthodox Christians. These include parental Saturdays. Most of them depend on the calendar celebration of Easter, so they change dates from year to year.

- the time at which liturgies are served in all churches and temples, commemorating the dead. For such holidays, the Orthodox write notes with the names of their deceased relatives, so that the priests would mention them during the service. Also on these days it is customary to visit cemeteries to pay tribute to the memory of their loved ones.

In addition to the usual ones, there are also Universal Parental Saturdays. At this time, all the dead are commemorated, including the missing, not buried properly, as well as the saints who died for Orthodox faith.

Parental Saturdays in 2017

February 18 - Ecumenical meat-and-fat parental Saturday. It is so named because of the ban on the use of meat products. The holiday begins 7 days before the start of Lent before Easter. The people called Saturday the Small Maslenitsa, because it takes place a week before Maslenitsa. On this day, all Orthodox believers serve a memorial service for all the dead since the creation of the world. According to tradition, a special dish is prepared - kutya. It is a porridge with nuts, candied fruits or dried fruits, smeared with honey. The special meaning of this dish is that the grain, in order to give bread, must first decay, and then be reborn. Similarly, the human body must be interred in the earth so that the immortal soul can continue its journey in the Kingdom of Heaven. On this day, they visit the church, illuminate the kutya, and going to the cemetery is undesirable. In a temple or at home, it is worth praying for all the dead to help them ascend to the Lord:

"Lord Jesus! Your servants pray to you for the repose of all those who have died now and who live in the Kingdom of Heaven. Rest the souls of the unburied, and grant them eternal rest under Your gaze. From the beginning of the created world to this day. We pray for everyone, for everyone who has died on earth and in water, in air and fire. Amen".

March 25 is the parental Saturday of the fourth week (or week) of Lent. During Lent, the Orthodox continue to pray for the souls of their dead relatives, visit the cemetery, where they also ask the Lord to have mercy on all the dead. During Lent, if parental Saturdays do not fall on significant church holidays, services are short. The Church has established 3 days of prayer, corresponding to each parental Saturday. Orthodox carry notes with the names of everyone they want to remember, and also bring food to the canon. This ancient tradition commemoration of the dead through the proposed treat.

April 25 - Radonitsa. The name comes from the word "rejoice", because Holy holiday Easter continues. This day falls on a Tuesday, and after a memorial service and Easter hymns, Orthodox Christians visit the graves of their deceased relatives to commemorate the memory and pray for their souls:

“Our Lord Almighty. We believe in You and hope for the Kingdom of Heaven. Take to yourself the souls of our relatives (names), and guide us on the true path, and deliver us from the evil one, unclean thoughts, malice and grief inappropriate. Let us rejoice together, so that the souls of our loved ones ascend to You. Amen".

On May 9, all the dead warriors are commemorated. This great day is celebrated all over the country. Celebrating the main holiday of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, all Orthodox Christians pray for the souls of the defenders who fell in battle. The liturgy also mentions all military personnel who gave their lives for the human race, for its prosperity and well-being.

June 3 - Trinity parental Saturday. It is celebrated on the eve of the fast, just like the meat-packing one. On this day, a memorial service (night vigil) takes place, where they pray for the souls of all the departed Orthodox Christians since the creation of the world. The great martyrs are mentioned, who accepted death from unbelievers, without departing from their faith in Jesus Christ. This day also precedes the feast of the Trinity, or, as it is also called, Pentecost.

October 28 - Dmitrievskaya parental Saturday. The holiday is named in honor of Demetrius of Thessalonica, the holy great martyr. This day was originally reserved for the commemoration of the deceased soldiers who fought at the Battle of Kulikovo. Now Dmitrievskaya parental Saturday is the day of commemoration of all the dead Orthodox Christians.

Each Orthodox Christian sacredly honors church holidays and spends time in prayers. They open the soul to the Lord, purify the mind and help to embark on the righteous path. Words that come from the heart always resonate in Heaven, so the place for prayer words does not play a huge role. You can also pray at home in front of holy images, by candlelight, or simply at a moment of weakness and doubt. We wish you happiness and don't forget to press the buttons and

For the preferential commemoration of personally dear people to us, there are other parental Saturdays, including Demetrius parental Saturday, which was originally intended to commemorate the soldiers who fell 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 Thessalonica - patron saint of Prince. Dmitry Donskoy, at whose suggestion, after the Battle of Kulikovo, an annual commemoration of the soldiers was established.

Dmitrov Parents' Saturday in November 2017 in Russia

The Slavs have funeral days in folk calendar do not coincide with the "Parental Saturdays" of the church calendar; not all “parental Saturdays” of the church calendar are celebrated among the people. In customs, it was customary to commemorate "parents" on the eve of b great holidays: before Shrovetide, before the Trinity, before the Intercession and before Dmitrov day. In Polissya, this list was supplemented by St. Michael's Saturday and memorial Fridays. At Eastern Slavs main calendar memorial days in many places were considered: Radonitsa, Trinity Saturday, Dmitrievskaya Saturday.

What is parental saturday

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

Orthodox traditions of Dmitrievskaya parental Saturday

Those believing Christians who clearly adhere to church canons come to church services on Friday evening on the eve of parental Saturday. At this time, a great memorial service, or parastas, is performed. All troparia, stichera, hymns and parastas readings are dedicated to prayer for the dead. On the morning of Memorial Saturday itself, a Divine Liturgy for the dead is performed in the churches, after which a common memorial service is held.

To commemorate your deceased relatives in the church, you need to prepare notes in advance with the names of the deceased. In a note in large block letters, you must write the names of those who should be remembered. All names must be in ecclesiastical spelling and in the genitive case. As a donation to the temple, it is customary to bring lenten products - bread, sweets, fruits, vegetables. But meat products or alcohol (except for Cahors) are not supposed to be donated.

On Dmitriev's parental Saturday, all believing Christians visit the graves of their deceased relatives, memorial services and funeral litias are served in temples, churches and cemeteries, and they arrange memorial meals.

The morning of Dmitriev Saturday must begin with a visit to the church and a prayer for the repose of the souls of the deceased Christians. Unlike other parental days, Dmitrievskaya Saturday still has a special meaning: established after the Battle of Kulikovo, it reminds us of all those who died and suffered for the Orthodox faith. If it is not possible to visit a temple or a cemetery, you can pray for the repose of the deceased in a home prayer.

The memory of deceased parents, sincere prayers for their souls are an important support for a believer. Taking care that the spiritual connection between the dead and the living is not interrupted, the Church appointed days called Parental Saturdays. Almost all dates of memorial days are "floating". After all, they are attached to the great church holidays(Easter, Pentecost). The Orthodox calendar reminds us of when the memorial days of 2017 will be. There are certain patterns, rules associated with each memorial day. They will be discussed further.

All memorial days of 2017 (calendar)

Memorial Day falls on a Saturday. But this pattern is not an unshakable rule. For example, Radonitsa is a holiday weekday(Tuesday). So that an inexperienced person does not have confusion in the mind, we list the days set aside by the Church for the commemoration of deceased relatives:

In the vain modern life some people simply cannot find time to meet all the days listed in a proper way - to visit the church, clean up the graves of deceased relatives. It happens that it is on parental day that someone needs to go on a business trip or devote all their attention to a sick child. It is important to honor the memory of the departed at least on such significant days as Radonitsa and Ecumenical parental Saturdays.

A little about the meaning of memorial days

“Why is the Sabbath set aside by the Church for commemoration called Ecumenical?” people often ask. Two Saturdays with this name are intended by the Church to commemorate all deceased ancestors and all brothers in faith.

The first Saturday with the name "Ecumenical" falls on the eighteenth of February. The second memorial Saturday is close to the Trinity (people will pray for the deceased relatives, put things in order on their graves on the third of June). On these serious days, a believer should visit the church, pray, give alms to those who need it.

Another important holiday (we will celebrate it nine days after Easter) is Radonitsa. Finding out when the memorial days are in 2017 in Ukraine, most people will immediately remember this majestically joyful holiday. This is not surprising: the Slavs celebrated Radonitsa on a special scale even in the era of paganism. The Orthodox Church ennobled this day, giving it a more restrained tone. But even now Radonitsa is considered more a joyful holiday than a mournful one. After all, the souls of our deceased relatives are in better world who abhors injustice. So, it’s not worth it to moan sadly, remembering those whom we loved.

What to do on Parent's Day

What is desirable to do on parental Saturday:

• Church visit. While in the temple, submit a note about the commemoration of your deceased parents.
• A trip to the cemetery. At the graves of relatives, you should first pray. Then do not forget to clean up the grave: tear out the dried grass, take it to special place dry flowers and everything that is no longer needed on the grave.
• Feeding people in need.

Funeral meal: what to cook

Thinking about the dishes that you will cook for the commemoration, it is worth considering what significance this or that memorial day carries in itself in 2017, what date it is celebrated. If the day you are interested in falls on a fast, you will have to refuse meat.

Recall what dishes are traditional for funeral days:

What You Should Avoid on Memorial Day

Having learned when the memorial days are in 2017, Orthodox Christians check with church ministers what actions are incompatible with the atmosphere of commemoration of relatives. On parental Saturday, refrain from such "provocations":

1. Conflict, gossip.
2. A violent manifestation of melancholy (groaning, a nervous breakdown).
3. Excessive drinking of wine. Recall that ideally there should not be vodka at the cemetery and on memorial tables at all.

Additionally

Nika Kravchuk

Parental Saturdays 2017: don't forget to remember the dead

Did you know that our dead relatives and friends need prayers even more than the living? You can pray for them both in home prayer and in church. The church even established special days of remembrance. In this article, we will tell you what days the parental Saturdays of 2017 fall on and how to properly commemorate the dead. Hurry up to find out, because the first parental Saturday is already February 18th.

Why should we pray for the dead?

Christianity is called the religion of life. And this is no coincidence. Both Orthodox and Catholics, and many Protestants believe that after physical death they continue to exist, because a person is eternal.

Therefore, the Church prays for both health and repose. It is believed that after bodily death, the fate of a person is determined - where he will expect the second coming of Christ and the Last Judgment. Some will go to heaven, others to hell.

But this is not yet the final decision. Every sinner has a chance that before the Last Judgment his posthumous fate will change. All this is thanks to the prayers of the living: relatives, loved ones, friends.

That is why believers do not forget their relatives, even if they are in another world. They pray for the dead both at home and in the temple.

Parental Saturdays - days of special church commemoration

In the morning rule there is a prayer to the Lord with a request to repose our parents, relatives, benefactors and all Orthodox.
In the temples are performed individual services- memorial services, during which they pray only for repose. There are even certain days - parental Saturdays, on which the Church calls on all believers to pray for those who are temporarily not with us.

True, in an Orthodox church, you can submit notes only for those baptized in Orthodoxy who died a natural death. The Church does not commemorate the unbaptized, those of other faiths, or suicides, since even in earthly life they were not members of the Church of Christ and did not strive to be with God.

Every Saturday at Orthodox churches memorial services are performed (and in monasteries more often), but only eight days a year have a special status - this is Memorial Saturdays.

On what days of 2017 does the Russian Orthodox Church commemorate the dead?

Parental Saturdays 2017 fall on the following days:

1. Universal parental Saturday (meatless) - February 18, 2017.
2. Saturday of the second week of Great Lent - March 11.
3. Saturday of the third week - March 18.
4. Saturday of the fourth week - 25 March.
5. Commemoration of the deceased soldiers - May 9.
6. Radonitsa - April 25.
7. Trinity Ecumenical Parental Saturday - June 3rd.
8. Dmitrievskaya parental Saturday - November 4th.

Why are funeral Saturdays called parental?

In the calendar above, the two parent Saturdays of 2017 are referred to as "universal". It means that these days Orthodox Churches the dead are commemorated all over the world.

Why are funeral Saturdays called parental? Do they only pray for their parents these days? No, the Church commemorates all the departed Orthodox, but first of all, our relatives. Praying for the parents who gave us life is the duty of every Christian. And if our fathers and mothers have departed into eternity, then we are all the more obliged to remember them, thereby expressing our love and care.

In addition, by parents one should understand not only fathers and mothers, but also other relatives - grandfathers, grandmothers, great-grandfathers, and so on.

In this sense, parental Saturdays are an opportunity, first of all, to pray for our family, for people with whom we are related by blood. And only then - for friends, philanthropists and in general for all Orthodox.

How to prepare for the commemoration?

The first parent Saturday 2017 falls on February 18, nine days before the start of Lent. It is also called meat-fat - on this day and next Sunday you can still eat meat food. On Monday, February 20, 2017, Maslenitsa begins.

The commemoration of the dead begins on Friday. In Orthodox churches, they serve not just Vespers, but the funeral Vespers - parastas . On Saturday morning they do Divine Liturgy and then a memorial service.

At the memorial service, notes are usually served with the names of the deceased, as well as food and kolivo.

Why exactly? It's believed that best help to the deceased - this is prayer and almsgiving. Our personal petitions and notes for a memorial service are prayer, and the food brought, which, after consecration, is distributed to the needy and those serving in the church, is almsgiving.

There is no specific list of what to bring to the memorial service, and there is no specific “norm”. As much as possible - this is the main rule. Bread, sugar, flour, canned food, sweets, vegetables, fruits - the list goes on. The only prohibition is meat, which cannot be brought into the temple.

Also in churches for memorial Saturdays they prepare kolivo - a ritual dish in the form of wheat or rice with honey. Interestingly, the grain symbolizes the earthly and eternal life of man. In order for a seed to germinate and give a harvest, it must first be planted in the ground. For a person to be born eternal life, he must first die and be interred. Honey symbolizes the sweetness of the Kingdom of Heaven.

These external paraphernalia - both food for the memorial service and kolivo - are important, but they should not distract a person from the main thing - prayer. The latter should not be assigned only to priests. Our prayer from a sincere loving heart is no less important.

We also invite you to watch this video:

Take it, tell your friends!

Read also on our website:

show more