Very soon, all Orthodox believers will celebrate a big holiday - Intercession Holy Mother of God. Parental Saturday, which will come in October of this year, is also not without attention.

When is parent Saturday in October 2018?

In the list of serious Orthodox dates there are days that appear under the name "Parental". They are celebrated on Saturday. For example, Meatless Saturday is referred to as a parent. Also, the Beheading of John the Baptist is included in this list. Dmitrievskaya and Trinity Saturdays are also parental. During Great Lent, the clergy note that the second, third and fourth Saturdays are considered parental. Radonitsa is also included in this list. Before the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, parental Saturday will come on October 13 this year.

Why are these dates indicated in the Orthodox calendar?

The clergy say that parental Saturdays are needed to commemorate all the departed people. Representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church claim that only on such days, close people who have left this world hear their relatives. The name "Parental Saturday" is given to these days for a reason. Often the closest people are the parents who leave this world before the children.

It is noteworthy that the tradition of remembering deceased relatives among Orthodox and pagans is very closely intertwined. People who previously believed that inanimate objects and natural phenomena have a certain power, they also remembered relatives who died.

How do relatives commemorate on parental Saturday?

Do not go to the cemetery on this day. The clergy focus on the fact that the souls of the dead people will be more pleasant if their close relative can be present at the memorial service or funeral service held in the temple. You can also contact the representatives of the church to mention the deceased relative during the funeral liturgy.

It is worth thinking in advance about those people who left this world, and mark their names on a special piece of paper. It will be given to a representative of the church during the reading. It should be noted that in churches there is a very strict rule - in no case should you indicate on paper the names of people who killed themselves. Also, unbaptized people are not commemorated in the funeral liturgy. You can go to the temple to light a candle for the repose certain person. If it is not possible to visit the temple, you can read a prayer at home.

From this article you will find out what date Orthodox parental Saturdays will be in 2020. You will also learn about the meaning of this Ecumenical worship.

Parental Saturdays in 2020

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

The main meaning of these “ecumenical” (common for the entire Orthodox Church) funeral services is in prayer for all the Orthodox who have died, regardless of their personal closeness to us. This is a matter of love, not dividing the world into friends and foes. The main focus these days is on all those who are united with us by the highest kinship - kinship in Christ, and especially those who have no one to remember.

• Parental Saturdays in 2020 fall on the following dates:

  • - 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 dead warriors- May 9, 2020.
  • Radonitsa- April 28, 2020.
  • - June 6, 2020.
  • — October 31, 2020.

• Parental Saturdays in 2021 fall on the following dates:

  • Universal parental Saturday (meatless)— 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 dead warriors— May 9, 2021.
  • Radonitsa— May 11, 2021.
  • - June 19, 2021.
  • — November 6, 2021.

For the primary commemoration of people dear to us personally, 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 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. But over time, the memory of the soldiers-liberators was supplanted in the public mind, which is very regrettable, and Dimitri's memorial Saturday turned into one of the "parents' days."

Why "parental"? After all, we commemorate not only our parents, but also other people, often not connected with us by any family ties? For different reasons. First of all, not even because parents, as a rule, leave this world ahead of their children (and therefore, too, 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 grandparents.

In 2018, Pokrovskaya parental Saturday is celebrated the day before the onset of the Intercession, namely October 13th. Despite the fact that the traditions of all memorial days are generally similar, there are certain nuances that should be taken into account in order to avoid trouble.

Before the beginning of the liturgy, it is necessary to put a note with the names of the deceased in a pre-prepared urn. You can also bring Cahors or treats to the temple, which are then distributed to the poor.

On this day, memorial services are performed in temples for the dead, during which they commemorate the deceased loved ones and pray for the repose of their souls. However, it is forbidden to order a memorial service for the deceased, who passed away voluntarily or was an unbeliever.

Many people doubt that it is possible to visit the cemetery in front of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos. But the clergy do not forbid doing this, and even, on the contrary, recommend it. On this day, people clean up the graves, bring consecrated sweets or pastries.

Traditions of the Intercession Parental Saturday

If you wish, you can commemorate the deceased relatives by setting the table and inviting the closest friends and relatives of the deceased. But do not forget that the commemoration of the deceased is not a reason to have fun and abuse alcohol, and even more so, you do not need to do it at the cemetery.

On Intercession Parental Saturday, it is recommended to give up heavy and fatty foods and cook only lenten meals for the Saturday meal. According to one of the signs, if you want the deceased to come to dinner, you need to put extra cutlery on the table and fill the plate with various treats.

It is believed that as soon as all the household members go to bed, the soul of the deceased will descend to earth to visit their loved ones. Those who do not have the opportunity to visit the temple and order a memorial service can pray for the departed at home.

The soul of a deceased person has an inseparable connection with the earthly world. That is why the dead often remind of themselves and sometimes try to notify us of upcoming events and even protect us from danger. Most often, signals from another world come to us in dreams, so we invite you to find out what the deceased may dream of.

What does Pokrovskaya Parental Saturday symbolize?

Intercession parental Saturday is a holiday when you need to honor all the deceased relatives and acquaintances according to East Slavic traditions. This holiday is also called “parental” because, according to Christian beliefs, dead people end up in the same world with their parents.

In addition, it is worth saying that Intercession parental Saturday has a lot of different traditions. People go to churches, put candles for the repose, give special notes to the priest and pray for the repose of their souls in better world. After visiting the church, they usually go to the cemetery, put the graves in order and commemorate loved ones.

It is customary to have a modest meal on this day. One of the main dishes on the table is kutya (wheat porridge with raisins, nuts, sprinkled with honey). She is a kind of symbol of eternal life. It is customary to put on the table a large number of appliances than a person is present. They believe that, on this day, the souls are close together, again come to the mortal earth.

After the parental Saturday, the Intercession and the last festivities followed. After the winter began, the cold and home gatherings. On Intercession parental Saturday, autumn meets winter, and if snow fell, then it was considered a Divine sign - “cover”.

Parental Saturdays are days of special commemoration of the departed. These days, at the Liturgy, prayers are read for the dead Orthodox Christians, funeral services are performed. Since almost all such days are associated with the Easter calendar, the dates of parental days change from year to year.

Parental Saturdays in 2020

9 days of special commemoration of the departed in 2020:

Universal Parent Saturdays

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

1. Meatfare Saturday - February 22

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

2. Trinity Saturday - Saturday before the feast of the Holy Trinity - June 6

With God, everyone is alive. In the Church, we feel connected to all the 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 in the temple, after the Liturgy, a special funeral service is performed - a memorial service.

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

2nd week of Lent - March 14

3rd week of Great Lent - March 21

4th week of Lent - March 28

Private parenting days

These days of commemoration of the departed exist in the liturgical practice only of the Russian Orthodox Church.

1. Commemoration day for all those who died during the Great Patriotic War - May 9

After the liturgy, a thanksgiving service is performed for the gift of victory and a funeral litia.

2. Radonitsa - 9th day after Easter, Tuesday of St. Thomas' week - April 28

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

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

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

4. Dimitrievskaya parental Saturday - November 7th.

On the Saturday preceding the day of memory of the Great Martyr Demetrius of Thessalonica (November 8). Installed by the right-believing prince Dmitry Donskoy after returning to Moscow from the battle on the Kulikovo field (1380).

Parent Saturday in 2018, all Orthodox will celebrate October 13th. On this day, there are many signs, traditions and rituals. Believers visit temples and graves of relatives.

Intercession Saturday is one of the Ecumenical requiems. In the Orthodox faith, there are only three of them: before the Trinity, during Great Lent and on the eve of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos. These days are considered very important for all believers, because on such holidays it is customary for the whole world to pray for the repose of each deceased. It is worth noting that the history of such a holiday as Intercession parental Saturday is exactly the same as that of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, who saved people during the defense of Constantinople.

It is worth noting that Pokrovskaya parental Saturday appeared much later than Pokrov, and is not celebrated as widely. Initially, this celebration was dedicated to people who gave their lives to protect their country. By the way, the Intercession parental Saturday appeared around the 16th century and since that time has been celebrated annually on the eve of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos.

Of course, on such a holiday as Parental Protection Saturday, quite a lot of different services will be held, which are strongly recommended to be visited by all believers. Almost every one of us has a person for whom we need to light candles and pray. And this is best done on Pokrovskaya parental Saturday. But still it is considered that this is an ordinary day, with a slight difference. It is Intercession parental Saturday - this is the day when the dead can be helped to get into the kingdom of heaven.

Parent Saturday Traditions in October 2018

The memorial day on Intercession Saturday was established in the middle of the 16th century - Ivan the Terrible punished on a certain day - on Saturday, on the eve of Intercession, to commemorate the soldiers who died during the storming of Kazan in 1552. But, Orthodox Church recognized this day only 40 years later - Patriarch Job issued an official decree on the annual commemoration of the fallen during the capture of Kazan on the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos in 1592.

Over time, on this day, they began to commemorate not only the fallen soldiers, but also their own deceased relatives - this tradition has been preserved to this day.

This Saturday was called "commemoration" or "parental" because, according to the Christian faith, the dead go to the next world to their parents, forefathers. In addition, the ritual of remembrance begins with the names of the closest people - our parents.

On this day, one should commemorate their deceased parents in the church - people submit notes for deceased relatives, as well as for their souls to the priest, and also pray for the repose of their souls in the afterlife. But, if you could not visit the church, you can put a candle for your dead in front of the icons of the house and pray for them.

After visiting the temples, the Orthodox go to the cemetery, read prayers for the repose of the souls of deceased relatives, put the graves in order.

Signs and rituals of parental Saturday in October 2018

On this day, according to tradition, the Orthodox arrange modest meals and remember those who are not around - they put more cutlery on the table, and among the funeral food they always serve a ritual dish - kutya (wheat porridge with raisins, nuts, poured with honey) - symbolizing faith to eternal life and resurrection.

Sorrow for loved ones who had gone to another world in villages and villages was closely intertwined with entertainment - the last festivities fell on Pokrovsky Saturday. And after the Intercession, the time of Pokrovsky evenings and home gatherings began - this tradition has its roots in the pre-Christian period of the Slavs.

Tips for Proper Church Behavior on Parents' Saturday in October 2018

First of all, performing the actions taken on this day, visiting the grave loved one, or attending a service in the temple, open your heart and sincerely answer yourself the questions: what is my true attitude towards the deceased, have I forgiven him in everything and what feelings do I really experience? The effectiveness of your prayer directly depends on your sincerity in these moments. This is the main answer to the frequently asked question of what to do on parental Saturday in church.

Parental Saturday before the Intercession in 2018 falls on October 13th. On this day, memorial services and memorial services will be held in Orthodox churches. It happens that people neglect visiting the church and prefer to visit the graves of the dead. But for the repose of the souls of loved ones, prayer and participation in the service in the temple is much more important.

Going to the funeral liturgy, you will need to prepare notes with the names of deceased relatives or friends. According to the rules, one cannot submit requests for the commemoration of unbaptized people and suicides; all others may be mentioned without restriction. Believers lower these notes into prepared urns or hand them over to the priest.

You can read a prayer for the departed in a church or at home: “God rest the souls of your departed servants: my parents, relatives, benefactors (their names) and all Orthodox Christians, and forgive them all sins, free and involuntary, and grant them the Kingdom of Heaven” .

Earlier on this day in churches they covered festive table, behind which one could taste consecrated food and wine. Now in the same place you can simply bless the food and wine brought with you, and the clergy distribute alms to the poor. After visiting the temple, you can go to the cemetery, clean the graves and bring flowers and sweets, or any other food there.