Funeral and memorial rites. About funeral rules

As much as we would like to live forever, people are destined to die. Therefore, the hassle of a funeral will sooner or later affect everyone. It is important to know how to prepare for this day, and most importantly, when to send last way deceased.

Today we will tell you why it is customary to bury the deceased on the 3rd day after death. And also about other days that need to be taken into account from the point of view of Christian customs.

When people are buried

By Orthodox canons accepted bury the dead on the third day after death. Why the third day? Christ died on Friday and rose again on Sunday. Hence 3 days. Further, according to Christian canons, until the third day the soul is on earth, but from the 3rd to the 9th day it is shown the afterlife.

According to the holy fathers, for three days the soul of the deceased remains near his body. If we bury the body, she will have nowhere to go. During this period, there is still a relationship between body and soul, which under no circumstances should be broken. In the last three days, the soul should be at home, among loved ones.

But from the 9th day the most difficult period begins for the soul of the deceased. She goes through ordeals, where she learns all her sins. In the period from the 9th to the 40th day, loved ones are recommended to pray for the deceased. On the 40th day, the soul appears before the court of God, where it is determined where it will end up. Preferably on the 3rd, 9th and 40th days order a memorial service.

A funeral is a place where the spirit of the deceased is present, where the living and the afterlife come into contact. At a funeral you should be extremely careful and careful. It’s not for nothing that they say that pregnant women should not go to funerals. It is easy to drag an unborn soul into the afterlife. How to ask forgiveness from a deceased person during reburial. From longing for the deceased. How to remove damage done at a funeral? If a person dropped kutya or something else from the table on himself. About the dead and funerals. Tips and signs. Farewell prayer.
Funeral.
According to Christian rules, the deceased should be buried in a coffin. In it he will rest (keep) until the future resurrection. The grave of the deceased must be kept clean, respectful and orderly. After all, even the Mother of God was placed in a coffin, and the coffin was left in the grave until the day when the Lord called His Mother to Himself.

The clothes in which a person died should not be given to either one’s own or strangers. Mostly it is burned. If relatives are against this and want to wash their clothes and put them away, then that is their right. But it should be remembered that under no circumstances should these clothes be worn for 40 days.

The deceased is washed the same hour after death, until it has completely cooled down. Soap is usually left behind. It helps in many matters and from troubles. But you have to be careful, because using this soap can also cause harm to other people.

They usually dress in new clothes that are appropriate, neither too big nor too small. If there is no new clothing, then only clean ones are worn.

You should not wear clothes that have sweat and blood on them. This could lead to another death.

If a person, while still alive, asked him to wear what he wanted, then his wish must be fulfilled.

Military personnel are usually dressed in military uniform. Front-line soldiers ask to have orders put on them, because anyway they will lose them or be thrown out many years later, but they deserve them and are proud of them. In general, this is a purely personal family issue.

There must be a white blanket with which the deceased is covered. A crown with the image of Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, and John the Baptist is placed on the forehead. On the crown are words in the old style, this is the writing of the Trisagion Song. A cross or icon should be placed in your hands.

If it is not possible to invite a minister from the church, then take care in advance to invite older people to read psalms and serve a memorial service. Psalms are usually read without interruption. They are interrupted only during the funeral service.

Such prayers are a consolation for those who grieve for the dead. In addition, you should read this prayer:

Remember, Lord God, in faith and hope, the eternal life of Your servant, our brother (name), and as Goodness and love for mankind, forgive sins and consume untruths, weaken, forgive and forgive all his voluntary and involuntary sins, deliver him from eternal torment and fire Gehenna and grant him the communion and enjoyment of Your eternal good things, prepared for those who love You, even if they have sinned, but have not departed from You, and undoubtedly in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, God glorified by You in the Trinity, faith and Unity in the Trinity and the Trinity in Unity , gloriously, even to his last sigh of confession.

Be merciful to him in the same way, and I believe in You. Instead of works of imputation, and with Thy saints, as generous, rest: for there is no man who will live and not sin. But You are the only God, besides One God of mercies and generosity, and love for mankind, and to You we send up glory, to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now, ever and ever. Amen.

At the end of three days, it is necessary to take the deceased to church for a funeral service. But gradually they did not adhere to this, and the deceased spent the night at home not for three days, but for one night. Four candles are placed on the coffin in the corners, changing them as they burn.

All the time since the day of death there has been a glass of water and a piece of bread, millet is poured into a saucer. You need to be careful during a funeral. Usually relatives have no time for this. But you can stipulate who will keep order, since it is no secret that a lot is done at a funeral: they remove damage, put photos of enemies in the coffin, try to take hair, nails, strings from hands and feet, etc.

Under the pretext of “touching their feet”, so as not to be afraid, they do the necessary things. They ask for the stool on which the coffin stood, flowers from the wreath, and water. It's up to you to decide whether to give it all or not. Blood relatives should not wash the floor in the house where the deceased lay.

Relatives are not allowed to walk in front of the coffin, carry wreaths, or drink wine. It is allowed to lament and eat kutya or pancake after the burial.

At the cemetery they give the last kiss to the crown on the forehead and hands. Fresh flowers and an icon are taken from the coffin. Make sure that the icon is not buried.

People often ask whether it is possible to wear watches and gold. If you have already put on your watch, do not take it off for anything. There is no harm in the fact that a dead person has a watch on his hand. But if with dead hand take off the watch, turn the hands back, cast a spell on some person, then it won’t be that long to wait until that person dies. Regarding jewelry: if you don’t mind, then there’s nothing wrong with wearing it on a deceased person.

When saying goodbye, the face is covered. The lid is hammered in and the coffin is lowered. Usually on towels. Towels are distributed to people. But it’s better not to take them, you might get sick.

The coffin is lowered so that the deceased lies facing east. They throw money into the grave, a payoff for the deceased: the relatives throw it first. Then they throw the earth. Not only a funeral service is necessary, but also commemorations, which are done upon returning from the cemetery and which are repeated on the third, ninth and fortieth day and every year.

If you realize you made a mistake during the funeral, be sure to tell her off!

You overreact my words church domes, you are silver bells. An Tyn, Khaba, Uru, Cha, Chabash, you are dead spirits. Do not call to my world, but to your own world, do not look, do not seek. I will gird myself with the light of God. I will baptize myself with the Holy Cross. My Lord is Great. Now, forever. Forever and ever. Amen.

How to ask forgiveness from a deceased person during burial.

Sometimes it becomes necessary to rebury a deceased person. But it is unlikely that the one who conceived and executed it understands what act he is committing. People are accustomed to thinking of a dead person as some kind of object that does not see, hear or feel, and therefore, you can do whatever you want with him, without incurring any responsibility, and that any actions with the dead body will remain unpunished. But that's not true. The body is a vessel where for a long time remained, by the grace of Jesus Christ, the immortal soul of the deceased person. When the body of the deceased is buried, it finds its home, or, as they used to say, a home.

They also say that it is difficult for the deceased to get used to his new home. And only after forty days after the death of a person, when his soul leaves the earth forever, the body it left behind goes into the kingdom of spirits. The abandoned, motionless body is preparing to pass into decay. For it is said: from dust he came and to dust he will go.

A sacred place where, until the Day of Judgment, the flesh that carried blood, mind and soul is kept, the sacred peace that was earned by the one who left this world in which he loved, suffered, worked, endured pain, raised children .

You can talk an insane amount about each dead person and still say absolutely nothing.

Arriving at the cemetery and peering at the monuments, seeing the faces of living people, you want to shout: My God! After all, each of them is a whole world. And in each of them this world died...

So think about whether it is necessary to disturb the peace of the deceased by digging up his ashes touched by decay in order to transport them to another place, from your point of view, the best place. Better than?

You cannot make your soul cry again over a body that has been disturbed by people. May it rest in peace. In addition, if the spirit of the dead is disturbed and does not accept a new place, there will be trouble. The spirit of the dead will punish those who came up with the idea of ​​burying the coffin in an elite cemetery.

If this does happen, you need to protect yourself from possible disaster.

At the new burial site, read this plot forty times. You have to read it while standing at the foot of the grave.

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Keep, O Lord, the soul of Your deceased servant (name) in Your kingdom. Don't let this one dead soul don't let your soul walk on earth dead alive harm souls. Saint Lazarus, did you walk on earth after death? And he walked the earth after death and never harmed living people. So that the soul of the deceased slave (name) no longer walks the earth and does not harm living people forever and ever. Key, lock, tongue. Amen.

You should leave the grave without looking back. At home, eat kutya and drink jelly.

Mark yourself with a cross and say a prayer to the Honorable Cross:

May God rise again, and may His enemies be scattered, and may those who hate Him flee from His presence. As smoke disappears, let them disappear; just as wax melts in the face of fire, so let demons perish from the face of those who love God and signify themselves with the sign of the cross, and say in joy: Rejoice, Most Honest One and Life-giving Cross e Lord, drive away demons by the power of our drunken Lord Jesus Christ, who descended into hell and trampled upon the power of the devil, and who gave us His Honest Cross to drive away every adversary.

Oh, Most Honorable and Life-Giving Cross of the Lord! Help me with the Holy Virgin Mary and with all the saints forever. Amen.

From longing for the deceased.

Get up at night, go to the mirror and, looking into your pupils, say:

Don’t be sad, don’t grieve, don’t shed tears! Night Mother, take the melancholy away from me. As the dawn takes you away, so take away my melancholy. Now and ever and unto ages of ages.

After this, wash your face and go to bed. The next day you will feel better. Do this three times, and the melancholy will go away.
How to remove damage done at a funeral.

At night, burn incense on the coals, saying:

How this incense burns and melts so that it burns, and the grave illness disappears from the servant of God (name). Amen.

If a person turns his kutya over on himself.

From the letter: “For some time now I began to believe in omens, and how could I not believe them if I myself became an eyewitness to the fact that they come true. This is why I decided to write to you: a grandfather in our family died, and my aunt accidentally spilled the funeral kutya on herself, all the food they had prepared for the entire memorial! Kutya had to be cooked again, and my aunt died forty days after the funeral, day after day!”

Indeed, if during a funeral someone’s candle falls or a piece of bread and a glass of water placed for the deceased falls directly onto the lap of a sitting person, then this person will soon die.

If this, God forbid, happens, I advise, just in case, to reprimand the person out of trouble with a special spell that I give in this book.

Read the plot before sunrise:

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Soul, body, spirit and all five senses. I protect the soul, I protect the body, I release the Spirit, I protect the feeling. The Lord God gave the commandment, the Lord God protected him and said: “Evil will not come to you, the wound will not come close to your body.” My angels will sing about you, both on earth and in heaven. The true Lord spoke the truth. He sent a savior and guardian angel. Angel of God, throughout my life, hour by hour, day by day, save, preserve and have mercy on me. I believe in One Father and Son and Holy Spirit. Now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

If the deceased was buried not at lunchtime, but after sunset, then exactly seven years later there will be a new coffin.

Children under one year of age are not taken to funerals and are not fed from the funeral table.

If at a funeral they give you part of the towel on which the coffin was lowered into the grave, do not take it. The towel should be left in the grave and not given to people. Whoever uses it will get sick.

Sometimes at a memorial service someone suggests singing the deceased person’s favorite song and everyone sings without hesitation. But it has long been noticed that those who sing at the funeral table soon begin to get sick, and those who have a weak guardian angel generally die early.

Do not borrow anything from a family where the deceased person has not been remembered for forty days. Otherwise, you will have a coffin in the same year.

According to custom, people sit around the coffin all night. Make sure that none of those sitting at the coffin sleeps or dozes. Otherwise, you will “sleep” another dead person. If something like this does happen, then it should be dismissed.

After the funeral, the bathhouse is not heated. On this day you should not wash yourself completely, just wash your face and hands. You should especially be wary of requests from strangers to wash themselves after a funeral in your bathhouse or bathtub.

Questions are often asked about commemorations that coincide with Lent. You need to know that commemorations in the first, fourth and seventh weeks of Lent are done only during fasting and strangers are never invited to the commemoration at this time.

Very Bad sign when the first person carrying the coffin leaves the apartment with his back turned. You need to take care of this in advance and warn those who will carry the coffin so that they leave the apartment facing the exit, and not with their backs.

They don’t move the coffin in the house, they don’t look for it comfortable spot. Think in advance about where to put it so you don’t have to move it from place to place.

ABOUT THE DECEASED AND FUNERALS.

How to see off a loved one on their last journey without harming yourself and your loved ones? Usually this sad event takes us by surprise, and we get lost listening to everyone and following their advice. But, as it turns out, not everything is so simple. Sometimes people use this sad event to harm you. Therefore, remember how to properly escort a person on his final journey.

At the moment of death, a person experiences a painful feeling of fear as the soul leaves the body. When leaving the body, the soul meets the Guardian Angel given to it during Holy Baptism, and demons. Relatives and friends of the dying person should try to ease his mental suffering by prayer, but under no circumstances should they scream or cry loudly.

At the moment of separation of the soul from the body, it is necessary to read the Canon of Prayer to the Mother of God. When reading the Canon, a dying Christian holds a lighted candle or a holy cross in his hand. If he does not have the strength to make the sign of the cross, one of his relatives does this, leaning towards the dying person and clearly saying: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me. In your hands, Lord Jesus, I commend my spirit, Lord Jesus, my spirit.”

You can sprinkle holy water on a dying person with the words: “Grace of the Holy Spirit, who has sanctified this water, deliver your soul from all evil.”

According to church custom, the dying person asks for forgiveness from those present and forgives them himself.

Not often, but it still happens that a person prepares his own coffin in advance. It is usually stored in the attic. In this case, pay attention to the following: the coffin is empty, and since it is made according to a person’s standards, he begins to “pull” it into himself. And a person, as a rule, dies faster. Previously, to prevent this from happening, sawdust, shavings, and grain were poured into the empty coffin. After the death of a person, sawdust, shavings and grain were also buried in the hole. After all, if you feed a bird with such grain, it will become sick.

When a person has died and measurements are taken from him to make a coffin, under no circumstances should this measurement be placed on the bed. It is best to take it out of the house and put it in a coffin during the funeral.

Be sure to remove all silver objects from the deceased: after all, this is precisely the metal that is used to fight the “evil ones.” Therefore, the latter can “disturb” the body of the deceased.

The body of the deceased is washed immediately after death. Washing occurs as a sign of the spiritual purity and integrity of the life of the deceased, as well as so that he appears in purity before the face of God after the resurrection. Ablution should cover all parts of the body.

You need to wash your body with warm, not hot water, so as not to steam it. When they wash the body, they read: “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us” or “Lord, have mercy.”

To make it more convenient to wash the deceased, an oilcloth is laid on the floor or bench and covered with a sheet. The body of a deceased person is placed on top. They take one basin with clean water, and the other - with soap. Using a sponge dipped in soapy water, wash the entire body, starting from the face and ending with the feet, then wash with clean water and dry with a towel. Lastly, they wash the head and comb the deceased’s hair.

After washing the deceased, they dress him in a new, light-colored robe. clean clothes. They must put a cross on the deceased if he did not have one.

It is advisable that ablution takes place during daylight hours - from sunrise to sunset. Water after ablution must be handled very carefully. It is necessary to dig a hole far from the yard, vegetable garden and living quarters, where people do not walk, and pour everything, to the last drop, there and cover it with earth.

The fact is that very strong damage is done in the water in which the deceased was washed. In particular, this water can give a person cancer. Therefore, do not give this water to anyone, no matter who approaches you with such a request.

Try not to spill this water throughout the apartment so that those living in it do not get sick.

Pregnant women should not wash the deceased to avoid illness in the unborn child, as well as women who are menstruating.

As a rule, only elderly women prepare the deceased for his last journey.

Relatives and friends should not make a coffin.

It is best to bury the shavings formed during the manufacture of the coffin in the ground or, in extreme cases, throw them into water, but do not burn them.

The bed on which a person died does not need to be thrown away, as many do. Just take her out to the chicken coop and let her lie there for three nights so that, as the legend goes, the rooster will sing her song three times.

When the deceased is placed in a coffin, the coffin must be sprinkled with holy water, both inside and out, and you can also sprinkle it with incense.

A whisk is placed on the forehead of the deceased. It is given in the church at the funeral service.

A pillow, usually made of cotton wool, is placed under the feet and head of the deceased. The body is covered with a sheet.

The coffin is placed in the middle of the room in front of the icons, turning the face of the deceased with his head towards the icons.

When you see a dead person in a coffin, do not automatically touch your body with your hands. Otherwise, in the place where you touched, various skin growths in the form of a tumor may grow.

If there is a dead person in the house, then when you meet your friend or relatives there, you should greet with a bow of the head, and not with your voice.

While there is a dead person in the house, you should not sweep the floor, as this will bring trouble to your family (illness or worse).

If there is a dead person in the house, do not do any laundry.

Do not place two needles crosswise on the lips of the deceased, supposedly to preserve the body from decomposition. This will not save the body of the deceased, but the needles that were on his lips will definitely disappear; they are used to cause damage.

To prevent a heavy smell from coming from the deceased, you can put a bunch of dry sage at his head, popularly called “cornflowers”. It also serves another purpose - it drives away “evil spirits.”

For the same purposes, you can use willow branches, which are sacred in Palm Sunday and are kept behind images. These branches can be placed under the deceased,

It happens that a deceased person has already been placed in a coffin, but the bed on which he died has not yet been taken out. Acquaintances or strangers may come up to you and ask permission to lie on the bed of the deceased so that their back and bones do not hurt. Don't allow this, don't harm yourself.

Do not put fresh flowers in the coffin so that the deceased does not have a strong smell. For this purpose, use artificial or, as a last resort, dried flowers.

A candle is lit near the coffin as a sign that the deceased has moved to the realm of light - a better afterlife.

For three days, the Psalter is read over the deceased.

The Psalter is read continuously over the Christian’s tomb until the deceased remains unburied.

A lamp or candle is lit in the house, which burns as long as the deceased is in the house.

It happens that glasses with wheat are used instead of a candlestick. This wheat is often used to cause damage; it is also not allowed to bark poultry or livestock.

The hands and feet of the deceased are tied. Hands folded so that the right one is on top, B left hand the deceased is enclosed with an icon or cross; for men - the image of the savior, for women - the image of the Mother of God. Or you can do this: in the left hand - a cross, and on the chest of the deceased - a Holy image.

Make sure that someone else's things are not placed under the deceased. If you notice this, then you need to pull them out of the coffin and burn them somewhere far away.

Sometimes, out of ignorance, some heartbroken mothers put photographs of their children in the coffin of their grandparents. After this, the child begins to get sick, and if help is not provided promptly, death may occur.

It happens that there is a dead person in the house, but there are no suitable clothes for him, and then one of the family members gives his things. The deceased is buried, and the one who gave away his things begins to get sick.

The coffin is taken out of the house, turning the face of the deceased towards the exit. When the body is carried out, the mourners sing a song in honor of the Holy Trinity: “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.”

It happens that when a coffin with a deceased person is taken out of the house, someone stands near the door and begins to tie knots in rags, explaining that he is tying the knots so that no more coffins are taken out of this house. Although such a person has something completely different on his mind. Try to take these rags away from him.

If a pregnant woman goes to a funeral, she will do harm to herself. It's possible that a sick child will be born. Therefore, try to stay at home during this time, and it is necessary to say goodbye to someone close to you in advance - before the funeral.

When a dead person is being carried to a cemetery, do not cross his path under any circumstances, as various tumors may form on your body. If this happens, then you should take the hand of the deceased, always the right one, and move all your fingers over the tumor and read “Our Father.” This needs to be done three times, after each time spitting over your left shoulder.

When they carry a dead man in a coffin down the street, try not to look out of the window of your apartment. By doing this you will save yourself from troubles and will not get sick.

In the church, the coffin with the body of the deceased is placed in the middle of the church facing the altar and candles are lit on four sides of the coffin.

Relatives and friends of the deceased walk around the coffin with the body, bowing and asking forgiveness for involuntary insults, last time kiss the deceased (the corolla on his forehead or the icon on his chest). After this, the entire body is covered with a sheet and the priest sprinkles it with earth in a cross shape.

When the body and coffin are taken out of the temple, the face of the deceased is turned towards the exit.

It happens that the church is located far from the house of the deceased, then an absentee funeral service is performed for him. After the funeral service, the relatives are given a chaplet, a prayer of permission and land from the funeral table.

At home, relatives place a prayer of permission in the right hand of the deceased, a paper whisk on his forehead, and after saying goodbye to him, in the cemetery, his body, covered with a sheet from head to toe, as in a church, is sprinkled with earth in a cross shape (from head to feet, from the right shoulder to the left - to get correct form cross).

The deceased is buried facing east. The cross on the grave is placed at the feet of the buried person so that the crucifix is ​​facing the face of the deceased.

According to Christian custom, when a person is buried, his body must be interred or “sealed.” Priests do this.

The ties that bind the hands and feet of the deceased must be untied and placed in the coffin with the deceased before lowering the coffin into the grave. Otherwise, they are usually used to cause damage.

When saying goodbye to the deceased, try not to step on the towel that is placed in the cemetery near the coffin, so as not to incur damage to yourself.

If you are afraid of a dead person, hold on to his legs.

Sometimes they may throw earth from a grave into your bosom or collar, proving that this way you can avoid the fear of the dead. Don't believe it - they do it to cause damage.

When the coffin with the body of the deceased is lowered into the grave on towels, these towels must be left in the grave, and not used for various household needs or given to anyone.

When lowering the coffin with the body into the grave, all those accompanying the deceased on his last journey throw a lump of earth into it.

After the ritual of committing the body to the earth, this earth must be taken to the grave and poured out in a cross shape. And if you are lazy, don’t go to the cemetery and take the soil for this ritual from your yard, then you will do very bad things to yourself.

It is not Christian to bury a dead person with music; it should be buried with a priest.

It happens that a person was buried, but the body was not buried. You must definitely go to the grave and take a handful of earth from there, with which you can then go to church.

It is advisable, in order to avoid any troubles, to spray the house or apartment where the deceased lived blessed water. This must be done immediately after the funeral. It is also necessary to sprinkle such water on the people who participated in the funeral procession.

The funeral is over, and according to the old Christian custom, water and something from food are placed in a glass on the table to treat the soul of the deceased. Make sure that small children or adults do not inadvertently drink from this glass or eat anything. After such a treat, both adults and children begin to get sick.

During the wake, according to tradition, a glass of vodka is poured for the deceased. Don't drink it if anyone advises you to. It would be better if you poured vodka on the grave.

Returning from a funeral, it is imperative to dust off your shoes before entering the house, and also hold your hands over the fire of a lit candle. This is done in order to prevent damage to the home.

There is also this type of damage: a dead person lies in a coffin, wires are tied to his arms and legs, which are lowered into a bucket of water located under the coffin. This is how they supposedly ground the deceased. Actually this is not true. This water is subsequently used to cause damage.

Here is another type of damage in which incompatible things are present - death and flowers.

One person gives another a bouquet of flowers. Only these flowers do not bring joy, but grief, since the bouquet, before being given, lay on the grave all night.

If any of you has had a loved one die or dear person and you often cry for him, then I advise you to get thistle grass in your house.

In order to miss the deceased less, you need to take the headdress (scarf or hat) that the deceased wore, light it in front of the front door and walk around all the rooms with it one by one, reading the “Our Father” aloud. After this, take out the remains of the burnt headdress from the apartment, burn it completely and bury the ashes in the ground.

It also happens: you came to the grave of to a loved one pull out the grass, paint the fence or plant something. You start digging and unearth things that shouldn't be there. Someone outsider buried them there. In this case, take everything you find outside the cemetery and burn it, trying not to get exposed to the smoke, otherwise you may get sick yourself.

Some believe that after death, forgiveness of sins is impossible, and if a sinful person has died, nothing can be done to help him. However, the Lord himself said: “And all sin and blasphemy will be forgiven to men, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven to men, neither in this age nor in the next.” This means that in the future life only blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. Consequently, through our prayers we can have mercy on our deceased bodies, but our loved ones who are alive in soul and who did not blaspheme the Holy Spirit during their earthly life.

A memorial service and home prayer for the good deeds of the deceased, performed in his memory (alms and donations to the church), are all useful for the dead. But commemoration at the Divine Liturgy is especially useful for them.

If you encounter a funeral procession on your way, you should stop, take off your headdress and cross yourself.

When they carry a dead person to a cemetery, do not throw fresh flowers on the road after him - by doing this you damage not only yourself, but also many people who step on these flowers.

After the funeral, do not visit any of your friends or relatives.

If they take the earth to “seal” the dead body, under no circumstances allow this earth to be taken from under your feet.

When someone dies, try to have only women present.

If the patient is dying seriously, then for an easier death, remove the feather pillow from under his head. In villages, the dying person is laid on straw.

Make sure that the deceased's eyes are tightly closed.

Do not leave a deceased person alone in the house; as a rule, elderly women should sit next to him.

When there is a dead person in the house, you cannot drink water in the neighboring houses in the morning, which was in buckets or pans. It must be poured out and freshly poured in.

When a coffin is made, a cross is made on its lid with an ax.

In the place where the deceased lay in the house, it is necessary to place an ax so that no more people die in this house for a long time.

For up to 40 days, do not distribute the deceased’s belongings to relatives, friends or acquaintances.

Under no circumstances should you put your pectoral cross ik.

Before burial, do not forget to remove from the deceased wedding ring. This way the widow (widower) will save herself from illness.

During the death of your loved ones or acquaintances, you must close the mirrors and not look into them after death for 40 days.

You can't let tears fall on your peace. This is a heavy burden for the deceased.

After the funeral, do not allow your loved ones, acquaintances or relatives to lie on your bed under any pretext.

When a deceased person is taken out of the house, make sure that none of those accompanying him on his final journey leave with his back turned.

After removing the deceased from the house, the old broom should also be removed from the house.

Before the last farewell to the deceased in the cemetery, when they lift the lid of the coffin, under no circumstances put your head under it.

The coffin with the deceased, as a rule, is placed in the middle of the room in front of household icons, facing the exit.

As soon as a person has died, relatives and friends must order the sorokoust in the church, that is, daily commemoration during the Divine Liturgy.

Under no circumstances listen to those people who advise you to wipe your body with the water in which the deceased was washed to get rid of pain.

If the wake (third, ninth, fortieth day, anniversary) falls during Lent, then in the first, fourth and seventh weeks of Lent the relatives of the deceased do not invite anyone to the funeral.

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Orthodox believers in Russia have many customs associated with the burial rite. It is believed that if you do not follow all church traditions and signs, you can harm the deceased in afterlife. Traditions concern not only the burial process, but also the date when it should take place. One of mandatory requirements is the funeral service of a believer after death, which is performed in person, that is, in the presence of a clergyman directly next to the body, or in absentia, when this is impossible for some reason.

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Traditions and burial rites

The Orthodox Church claims that funerals must be carried out in compliance with all traditions. Christians perceive death as a transition to new life, so the deceased must be properly prepared for this stage.

The deceased must appear before the Supreme Court clean, both spiritually and physically. Close relatives should not wash the body. The procedure is carried out at the doorstep of the house.

There is a belief that the energy of the deceased is transferred to things used during washing. Therefore, after completing the process, you need to get rid of them as quickly as possible.

The dishes that contained the water for washing, combs and all other items are taken to the crossroads or to the field. This is necessary so that the deceased does not return and take someone close to him with him.

After washing, the deceased must be dressed. Russian men traditionally dress in a dark suit, women in light clothes. The most suitable one is chosen for burial best clothes or buy a special kit. White slippers without hard soles are put on the feet. A woman's head should be covered with a scarf. If he dies unmarried girl, she is buried in a wedding dress, and the unmarried young man putting on a wedding ring.

There must be silence in the house where a person has died. All glass surfaces, mirrors, are covered with cloth or white paper.

Much attention should be paid to the coffin. This is the last refuge for a person. Almost any type of wood is used to make a coffin; the only exception is aspen. The inside of the coffin must be padded soft material. The body of the deceased itself is placed on a white sheet.

Baptized people are buried with crosses. The hands of the deceased are crossed on the chest, and a lighted candle is placed in them. Things that were played during life can be placed in the coffin great importance for the deceased.

Before removing the body from the house, you should not throw away garbage. This tradition is still observed today.

In cities, bodies for burial are taken from the morgue already prepared.

The farewell must take place in the church; however, most often, instead, they limit themselves to only inviting the clergyman to the house. In villages, people most often say goodbye to the deceased for 3 days; Throughout this period, the coffin with the body is in the house. It is customary to remove the body no earlier than 12:00, but in any case it must be buried before sunset.

The deceased must be carried out feet first: this is done very carefully so that the deceased does not touch the threshold and doorposts with his feet. This prevents his “return” and means a speedy transition to eternal life.

The coffin cannot be carried by close relatives: as a rule, people are specially hired for this.

There is a tradition for a funeral procession - the first person to meet is given bread, which he must wrap in a towel. The person you meet must also pray for the deceased. The procession may only stop at a church or cemetery.

Funeral service for the deceased

In the Orthodox Church, the funeral service for the deceased is of great importance. According to a Christian, a person must repent of his sins before death. This increases his chances of going to heaven. But a person does not always have time to repent before death. To do this, the church performs a funeral service for the deceased and gives his soul a blessing.

The Orthodox Church in Russia carries out five types of funeral services:

• Infants - all children under seven years of age are considered these.
• Worldly people.
• Easter funeral service - the ceremony is scheduled in the first week after Easter. Funeral services are prohibited during Easter week.
• Monks and hieromonks.
• Bishops.

The ceremony is carried out both in the temple and at home. Relatives can invite a priest to their home. If it is not possible to visit the temple, and it is not possible to bring a priest, a funeral service is performed in absentia.

It is not always permissible, but only in cases where an in-person funeral service is practically impossible:

• for soldiers who are buried in a mass grave;
• for victims of large-scale air and railway accidents;
• for those who died in settlements without a church.

It is not advisable to order an absentee funeral service for the missing - you should pray for them in the same way as the living, because in Orthodoxy everyone is alive before the face of the Lord.

During the funeral service, the priest reads a prayer in front of a tetrapod - this is a candlestick intended for candles in memory of the dead. The funeral service begins with funeral troparions, during which forgiveness of the deceased’s sins is sought. After this, the clergyman commemorates the deceased at a funeral litany (prayer petition); the funeral sedalen is sung in chorus, after which the irmos of the funeral canon are sung with refrains about giving peace to the deceased.

At the end of the ceremony in absentia, the priest gives the land to the relatives. It should be scattered in the form of a cross on the grave of the deceased. During a regular funeral service, soil is sprinkled directly into the coffin onto the coverlet.

There is a belief that if the relatives of the deceased refused to perform the funeral service for financial reasons, in order to save on the funeral, they will be punished - he will return and will make their life difficult in every possible way.

It is not always possible to perform a funeral service for the deceased. The ceremony cannot be performed if:

• The deceased was a suicide. The only exceptions are people with mental disorders.
• The man was not baptized during his lifetime. This does not apply to babies who did not have time to be baptized.
• The deceased led an immoral lifestyle and called for atheism.

Previously, there was a ban on funeral services for those cremated. It was believed that the deceased must be buried in the ground. But the ban was lifted, as this method became more relevant.



Burial day

According to tradition, a person is buried after death among Orthodox Christians on the third day. This applies only to those people who died not a violent death, but their own.

The third day in church is a memorial day. Believers are convinced that on this day the connection between the soul and the body is broken.

On this day, the soul, accompanied by its guardian angel, goes to heaven. Before this, it is on the ground, so it is impossible to bury a person before the third day. If the soul sees its own funeral, this will become a lot of stress for her, she will suffer.

The third day is always identified with the Trinity. It is during this period that the first wake should be held, which is held immediately after the funeral.

The priests say that the deceased can be buried later, but not earlier: the soul will still be very closely connected with the body. She will have nowhere to go if the funeral takes place early. This point cannot be ignored, since there is a certain natural process that God has provided.

Three days in Orthodoxy are an important period both for the soul of the deceased and for his relatives. The soul is preparing to undergo tests on the way to heaven. And compliance with all customs and rules for burial will help the deceased appear before the High Court.

Many people wonder why the funeral takes place on the third day. It is called auntie. Jesus Christ resurrected on the third day after the crucifixion. It is believed that the transition of the soul to heaven occurs in a similar way.

If a person dies on the eve of his birthday, according to Orthodox traditions there is no special prohibition on burying him on this day. In fact, a burial can take place on the deceased’s birthday, just like any other. However, in this case, for three years it is necessary to visit the cemetery on the day of birth and death.



Farewell to the deceased

One of important stages at the burial there is a farewell to the deceased.

There is a tradition of placing a glass of water and a piece of bread at the coffin. After the funeral they must stay in the house for 40 days. After this, the water is poured behind the house, and the bread is crumbled for the birds. When saying goodbye to the deceased, relatives should constantly read the psalter.

To ensure the farewell process is correct, it is recommended to follow these tips:

• Relatives cannot go immediately behind the coffin.
• The deceased must be kissed on the crown on his forehead when bidding farewell.
• You cannot be buried with an icon in a coffin.
• After everyone has said goodbye, the face of the deceased is covered.
• When lowering the coffin, the head of the deceased should be directed to the east.

Those who came to see the deceased off on their last journey throw money into the grave. Exists popular belief that this is necessary to pay off the deceased in the next world.

Wake

A wake is organized immediately after the funeral. Everyone who came to say goodbye to the deceased at the cemetery is invited to attend. Before you start funeral dinner, you need to read "Our Father". The first dish on funeral table there must be kutya. This is a dish of rice or wheat with honey or jam. Even if those present don’t like it, you need to eat at least a few spoons.

It is important that the table is not rich. Gluttony is considered one of the especially unacceptable sins at such a sad moment. If people sin during the wake, the deceased will be responsible for this in the afterlife.

Those who come should be served fish dishes and jelly. There should be no alcohol on the table or in the cemetery.

After the funeral, it is necessary to distribute sweets to neighbors, as well as people who meet on the way from the cemetery. If there are food left over after the funeral, they should not be thrown away, but should be distributed to those in need.

What not to do at a funeral

The Orthodox Church is very sensitive to the burial ceremony. Compliance with all the rules is necessary not only for the deceased, but also for his relatives. Making mistakes can get you into trouble. In order for the funeral to take place correctly, the following rules must be followed:

• You can't bury New Year and on Sunday.
• Children and pregnant women are not allowed to take part in the funeral ceremony.
• It is forbidden for women with menstrual bleeding to wash the body of the deceased.
• If there is a deceased person in the house, you cannot do laundry, wash the floors or sweep.
• In the presence of the deceased, you cannot say hello out loud, you can only restrainedly nod your head.
• It is forbidden to place fresh flowers in the coffin.
• It is necessary to take the body out of the house only during church hymns.
• After the coffin with the body is removed from the house, you must immediately begin washing the floors.
• You can walk around the coffin only from the head, and you should bow to the deceased.
• On the day of the funeral, you cannot visit other graves.
• You can't look at the coffin from the windows.
• After the funeral, you cannot visit for 24 hours.

Memorial service

On the third, ninth and fortieth days you need to order a memorial service for the deceased. This means that a service will be held in the church for the repose of his soul. Prayers will help the soul pass all tests and appear before the Supreme Court. It is also recommended to pray at home and light candles in church for the repose of the soul.

Funeral and burial rites are of great importance in Orthodox faith. Following them will help the soul to calmly leave for another world.

Very often lack of understanding of the meaning Orthodox rites and traditions leads to the fact that people, instead of helping the soul of a deceased loved one, begin to believe in all sorts of superstitions and observe customs that have nothing to do with Christianity. In this article we will tell you how to bury a person in accordance with Orthodox traditions.

PREPARATION FOR A FUNERAL

If the body of the deceased will be at home before the funeral

• The body is washed warm water, while reading the “Trisagion” * or “Lord, have mercy.”
• After washing, the Christian’s body is dressed in clean and, if possible, new clothes.
• Then the body of the deceased is placed on the table and covered with a white blanket - a shroud.
• Before placing the deceased in the coffin, the body and coffin (outside and inside) are sprinkled with holy water.
• The deceased is placed face up in the coffin, with a pillow stuffed with straw or sawdust placed under the head.
• The eyes of the deceased should be closed, lips closed, hands folded crosswise, right hand on top of the left. The hands and feet of the deceased are tied (untied just before the body is brought into the temple).
• The deceased must wear a pectoral cross.
• Then the deceased is covered with a special consecrated veil (funeral veil) with the image of a cross, images of saints and prayer inscriptions (sold in church shop).
• When the body of the deceased is washed and dressed, they immediately begin to read the canon called “The Sequence of the Exodus of the Soul from the Body”**. If it is not possible to invite a priest to the house, then the Sedition can be read by close relatives and acquaintances.***
• When the body is washed and dressed, a lamp or candle is also lit, which should burn as long as the deceased is in the house.
• A funeral cross is placed in the hands of the deceased, a holy icon is placed on the chest: for men - the image of the Savior, for women - the image Mother of God(it’s better to buy in a church store, where everything is already consecrated).
• A crown is placed on the forehead of the deceased, which is a symbol of the deceased Christian’s observance of faith and his accomplishment of a Christian feat in life. The chaplet is laid in the hope that the one who has died in faith will receive a heavenly reward and an incorruptible crown from God upon resurrection.
• The coffin is usually placed in the middle of the room in front of household icons, with its head facing the images.
• It is advisable immediately after the death of a person to order in the temple or monastery Sorokoust **** - commemoration for Divine Liturgy within 40 days. (In churches where divine services are not performed daily, the deceased is remembered during 40 Divine Liturgies (see link 5). If desired and possible, you can submit notes with the name of the deceased in several churches. It is advisable to do this before the funeral service and burial.

If a person died not at home, and his body is not in the house

• After all the formalities have been completed and the body has been taken to the morgue, you must begin to read the canon in the red corner in front of the icons, called “The Sequence of the Exodus of the Soul from the Body”**, and then read the Psalter for the deceased. If it is not possible to invite a priest to the house, then the Sedition can be read by close relatives and acquaintances.***
• The next day you need to take clean and, if possible, new clothes and other necessary things to the morgue (you can read more here “What to do when a person dies”), as well as a pectoral cross (if the deceased was not wearing one), a funeral cross in the hands and an icon: for men - the image of the Savior, for women - the image of the Mother of God (it is better to buy in a church shop where everything has already been consecrated).
• It is necessary to ask the morgue workers to prepare the body for burial, taking into account Orthodox traditions(usually morgue workers know them very well).
• On the very first day after death, it is imperative to take care of the church commemoration of the deceased. It is advisable to immediately order at the Sorokoust temple or monastery **** If desired and possible, you can submit notes with the name of the deceased in several churches. It is advisable to do this before the funeral service and burial. But you should not forget to order Sorokoust**** even after 40 days.

FUNERAL

• If the funeral starts from home , then an hour and a half before the coffin is taken out of the house, “Sequence on the Exodus of the Soul”*** is read again over the body of the deceased. If the ritual starts from the morgue , then you can read “Sequence on the Exodus of the Soul”*** before the start of the ritual in any place (in the temple, at the morgue).
• The coffin is carried out, turning the face of the deceased towards the exit, i.e. feet forward. The mourners sing the Trisagion*.
• According to church rules, contrary to existing superstition, the coffin with the body should be carried, if possible, by close relatives and friends. An exception exists only for priests, who should not carry the coffin of a layman, no matter who he is. If a priest is present at the funeral, he walks in front of the coffin as a spiritual shepherd.
• The deceased is placed in the grave with his face facing east. As the coffin is lowered, the Trisagion* is sung again. All mourners throw a handful of earth into the grave. If possible, cremation should be avoided (Read more about this in the article “On the attitude of Orthodoxy to cremation and the possibility of the resurrection of bodies”).
• The gravestone cross is placed at the feet of the deceased, facing west so that the face of the deceased is directed towards the holy cross.
• Not allowed for funerals Orthodox Christian invite an orchestra.
• The burial should not take place on the day of Holy Easter and on the day of the Nativity of Christ.

FUNERAL SERVICE

• On the third day after death (in practice, due to various circumstances, it can be any other day), the deceased Orthodox Christian is awarded a church funeral service and burial. This rite is not performed only on the day of Holy Easter and on the day of the Nativity of Christ.
• The funeral service is performed for the deceased only once, unlike funeral services (see link 6) and lithium (see link 7), which can be done multiple times.
• The funeral service is not performed at the burial of the unbaptized (i.e., those who do not belong to the Church), heterodox (people of non-Orthodox faith).
• The Church also does not perform funeral services for those who are baptized but have renounced the faith. In this case, relatives and friends themselves should pray for them in home prayers, give alms for them, (More about this in the article “How to make a “bank transfer” to the next world to help the soul of a loved one”) repent in confession that they did not contribute to their conversion to faith.
• The Church does not perform funeral services for suicides, except in special cases (for example, when the person who committed suicide is insane), but even then only with blessing ruling bishop (see link 8).
• For the funeral service, the coffin with the body of the deceased is brought into the temple feet first and placed facing the altar, i.e. feet to the east, head to the west.
• When performing the funeral service, relatives and friends should stand at the coffin with lighted candles and pray intensely with the priest for the soul of the deceased.
• After the proclamation of “Eternal Memory,” the priest reads a prayer of permission over the deceased. This prayer forgives the deceased’s oaths and sins, which he repented of in confession (or forgot to repent due to forgetfulness or ignorance). But those sins for which he did not intentionally repent (or did not repent at all in confession) are not forgiven by the prayer of permission. The text of the prayer of permission is placed by the priest in the hands of the deceased.
• After this, the mourners, having extinguished the candles, walk around the coffin with the body, ask the deceased for forgiveness, kiss the aureole on the forehead and the icon on the chest. The body is completely covered with a veil, the priest sprinkles it with earth in a cross shape. After this, the coffin is covered with a lid and cannot be opened again.
• With the singing of the Trisagion* the coffin is carried out of the temple facing the exit (feet first).
• If it is not possible to bring the body of the deceased to the church, and it is also not possible to invite a priest to the house, then an absentee funeral service can be held in the church. After it, the relatives are given earth (sand) from the funeral table. This earth is sprinkled crosswise over the body of the deceased. If by this time the deceased has already been buried, then earth from the funeral table is sprinkled crosswise over his grave. (If the urn is buried in a columbarium, then in this case the consecrated earth is poured onto any grave of an Orthodox Christian, but it is not placed (scattered) in a cell of the columbarium).

WAKE

• After the funeral service in the church and the burial of the body in the cemetery, the relatives of the deceased arrange a memorial meal - this is a kind of Christian alms for those gathered.
• Such a meal can be held on the third day after death (the day of the funeral), the ninth, fortieth days, six months and a year after death, on the birthday and day of the angel of the deceased (name day, name day).
• There should absolutely be no alcohol at the funeral table. Drinking alcohol at funerals harms the souls of deceased people. This is an echo of pagan funeral feasts.
• If the funeral takes place on fast days (see link 9), then the food should be lean.
• On weekdays during Lent, funeral services are not held, but are postponed to the next (forward) Saturday and Sunday. This is done because only on Saturday and Sunday are the Divine Liturgies of St. John Chrysostom and St. Basil the Great performed, and during the proskomedia, particles are taken out for the deceased, and memorial services are also performed.
• Memorial days falling on Bright Week (see link 10) and on Monday the second Easter week transferred to Radonitsa. (see link 11)
• It is important on the days of remembrance of the dead and for 40 days to intensively distribute alms to the poor and needy in the name of the soul of the deceased. It is also good to distribute the deceased's belongings to those in need. But even after 40 days have passed, you should not stop this godly work, which greatly helps the soul of the deceased.

You can read more about the meaning and meaning of funerals in interview"Merry wake or How we harm the souls of the dead."

1. Full text this prayer: Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

2. “Following the departure of the soul from the body”. A special prayer, which is usually read immediately after death, is intended for such an exceptional case. The service has an exceptional structure, different from a memorial service.

If death occurred within eight days from Easter to Tuesday of St. Thomas Week (Radonitsa), then in addition to “Following the Exodus of the Soul,” the Easter Canon is read. IN Orthodox Church There is a pious custom of continuous reading of the Psalter for the deceased until his burial. The Psalter is read in the future on days of remembrance, and especially intensively in the first 40 days after death. During Easter week(eight days from Easter to Radonitsa) reading in Church Psalms replaced by reading Easter canon. At home over the deceased, the reading of the Psalter can also be replaced by the Easter Canon. But if this is not possible, then you can read the Psalter.

3. Following the departure of the soul from the body Not only priests, but also laity can read. It exists for reading by the laity.

4. Sorokoust- daily prayerful commemoration during the Divine Liturgy for 40 days. In churches where divine services are not held daily, the deceased is remembered during 40 Divine Liturgies.

5. Liturgy(Greek λειτουργία, “service”, “common cause”)- the most important thing christian worship among Orthodox, Catholics and some other churches, in which the sacrament of the Eucharist is celebrated. Liturgy is a prototype of the Last Supper.

Done in large temples daily, in most others - every Sunday. The Liturgy usually begins at 7-10 am; in churches where there is more than one altar, an early liturgy can also be celebrated.

6. Memorial service- a funeral service established by the Church, which consists of prayers in which those praying trust in God’s mercy, asking for forgiveness of the sins of the deceased and the granting of blissful eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven. During the service of memorial services, the gathered relatives and acquaintances of the deceased stand with lit candles as a sign that they also believe in light. future life; at the end of the requiem service (during the reading of the Lord’s Prayer), these candles are extinguished as a sign that earthly life ours, burning like a candle, must go out, most often before it burns out to the end we envision. It is customary to perform memorial services both before the burial of the deceased and after - on the 3rd, 9th, 40th day after death, on his birthday, namesake (name day), on the anniversary of death. But it is very good to pray at a memorial service, and also to submit notes for remembrance on other days. This greatly helps the souls of the departed and comforts those praying. In churches, memorial services are usually served on Saturday after the Liturgy.

7. Lithium(from the Greek “zealous prayer”) is part of the all-night vigil in Orthodox worship. Nowadays, the lithium, in addition to the pre-holiday all-night vigils, is celebrated in cases of public disasters or when remembering them, usually outside the church, combined with a prayer service, and sometimes with a procession of the cross.

A special kind of litiya is established for prayer for the deceased, performed when he is taken out of the house, and also, at the request of his relatives, during church commemoration of him at any other time in another place. Litiya can be read not only by priests, but also by laity. (). It is very good to read the lithium and pray when visiting a cemetery.

8. Funeral service for suicides is carried out only with the blessing (permission) of the ruling bishop (bishop). In order to receive this blessing, after suicide it is necessary to urgently contact the diocesan administration (in the regional center) with a request to allow the funeral service (and church commemoration). To do this, you must submit to the diocesan administration Required documents(certificates from a psychoneurological dispensary, drug dispensary, hospital, clinic, etc.) and evidence (from a psychologist, psychiatrist, neighbors, teachers, etc.) that could explain the suicide by insanity, mental illness of the suicide, affect in time of suicide and other mitigating factors. You should also contact the bishop if there are doubts that the deceased committed suicide himself (for example, it could have been an accident, death due to negligence, etc. But relatives know that if the suicide committed suicide in the absence of factors that the Church recognizes as mitigating, then You shouldn't try to get the bishop's blessing through deception and manipulation. After all, even if a bishop, misled, gives permission, then God cannot be deceived. He knows exactly what was in the hearts of the suicide and those people who misled the hierarchy. It is much better in In this case, do not deceive, but pray intensely, perform acts of mercy for the suicide, give alms for him, fast, and also do everything that can bring comfort to his soul.

9. Fast days are the days of fasting, as well as Wednesdays and Fridays. Fasting is the abstinence of the body from food of animal origin, as well as from oversaturation and indulgence in lean food (it must be borne in mind that fasting days vary in the severity of fasting. Information about the severity of fasting can be obtained from Church calendar. Fasting is a time for the soul to abstain from evil thoughts, deeds and words; a time of deep repentance and sobriety. Fasting is a means of combating passions and acquiring virtues.

10. Bright Week The 7 days of celebration of Holy Easter are called - from Easter proper to St. Thomas Week. During Bright Week, fasting on Wednesday and Friday, as well as prostrations to the ground, are canceled. Morning and evening prayers are replaced by the singing of the Easter Hours.

11. Radonitsa- a day specially established by the Church to commemorate the dead, which takes place on the 9th day after Easter, on Tuesday of St. Thomas Week, which follows Bright Week. The day was established so that believers could share the joy of Easter with the souls of relatives and friends who died in the hope of the Resurrection and Eternal life. On Radonitsa, unlike days Holy Week, it is customary to visit cemeteries where loved ones are buried, clean the graves (but do not have a meal in the cemetery) and pray.

The following publications were used in the preparation of this material:

1. “On the path of all the earth. Funeral service, burial and commemoration of the dead”, publication of the Sretensky Monastery in Moscow.
2. “The last journey of the whole earth. Questions and answers about the burial rite”, publication of the Danilov Monastery in Moscow.
3. “Orthodox Commemoration of the Dead” edited by Melnikov V.G.
4. “How can we help the dead? The doctrine of posthumous fate. Orthodox rite burials. Prayers for repose”, society publication

span style=”text-decoration: underline;”You can read more about the meaning and meaning of the wake in

Death is the most hidden part human life. People are born, live, then the time of death comes. There are many secrets associated with death, it cannot be otherwise, because it is beyond the conscious. The departure of a person to another world is a difficult time for family and friends, and the last thing that can be done is to see off the now deceased on their last journey. Any religion has its own rituals and funeral ceremonies, special burial traditions and beliefs that significantly distinguish it from other faiths.

Farewell to the last journey

In ancient times there was a certain list of persons who could not be buried in the cemetery:

• suicides;
• drowned people;
• the killers;
• actors.

A person of a different religion must be buried according to his traditions. If a person has previously been baptized, and before death accepted another faith, then they are buried according to the traditions of the real religion. Some religions imply that if you refuse true faith, need to go back. Thus, sins will be forgiven by the Almighty.

Suicide is considered a great sin and most religions refuse to perform a funeral service for a suicide victim.

IN Kievan Rus there was a belief that drowning was a shameful death. People who saw their end in the river were prophesied to become aquatic creatures in another life. They, like suicides, drowned people, murderers and actors, were buried outside the cemetery.

Modern society has moved away from old beliefs to a greater extent. The burial of the deceased takes place exclusively in the cemetery and with a monument. A separate category the unbaptized are still considered. They are buried in cemeteries, but there is no funeral service.

Orthodox funeral traditions

Orthodox rituals clearly show a relationship with pagan culture. On the day of death, it is necessary to cover all mirrors in the apartment with black cloth, paper or other opaque material.

There should be no music in the house. This is a manifestation of grief and respect for the deceased, since the soul is still nearby, so it does not need to be disturbed.

You can learn from church ministers that the soul stays on earth for 3 days, and after that it goes to study the afterlife, up to 9. Hence the ritual that it is necessary to bury the body on the 3rd day. It is necessary to keep an icon in the apartment, and also a glass of water, if the spirit of the deceased wants to drink.

Farewell to the deceased

If a person dies in a hospital, his body is first taken to the morgue, where a protocol for examination and determination of death is drawn up, but farewell to the deceased still takes place at home.

IN modern society They don’t put much emphasis on some traditions. In megacities, they do not leave the deceased in an apartment for 3 days, although this custom has been preserved in small towns and villages.

But the farewell traditions have not undergone major changes. On the day of the funeral, before the process itself, loved ones and relatives gather to say goodbye. The coffin is usually left open to allow people to see the person one last time.

Exceptions occur when a person’s face and body do not have a holistic appearance, that is, they are assembled in parts. In such cases, use closed coffin so as not to shock loved ones.

The coffin, which is also considered the “house of the deceased,” must be chosen carefully. The sizes depend on the height and build of the person. The last “home” should be comfortable and also have a harmonious appearance.

In the last century there was a tradition of photographing the deceased, but in the 21st century the popularity of such photographs has sharply decreased. A technically developed society is able to remember moments with a living person, but at the same time, in the 19th century such an opportunity was limited. It was necessary to wait for the moment in one position, so photographs from the funeral were valuable.

Things that are valuable to him are placed in the “house” of the deceased: things he liked to use, jewelry and simply frequently used items. The modern world, which is shrouded in electronics, often puts mobile phones in the coffin.

Clothing and signs

Clothing must be selected according to the ritual. It is believed that the deceased must be pure when moving to another world. To do this, he is dressed in everything clean, new if possible. Slippers that fit properly are put on your feet. The deceased should feel comfortable going to the afterlife.

Unmarried women are often buried in wedding dresses. You just need to buy a new one, because if you put on a dress from a person who is still alive, it will negatively affect his health. Girls are dressed in light-colored dresses.

Young guys are given a suit with a white shirt. A ring is put on the finger.

Grandmother is buried in a dress. And a suit is being chosen for grandfather. Elderly people wear any comfortable shoes.

Signs, related to death, come with positive and negative consequences.

Funeral ritual

The coffin is taken outside or to a church, where the deceased will be mourned. Before this, wreaths and photos of the deceased are brought out . If so, medals and orders. It is necessary to spend time sitting on the chairs where the coffin stood.

Some take the coffin to the church where the funeral service takes place. On Sunday, if it falls on Easter, the funeral service is performed in a special way. Most people order a priest to the place where the farewell will take place. Relatives gather around the body, holding candles, while the priest reads a prayer. After reading the prayer, the candles are blown out and people walk around the coffin.

There is an absentee type of funeral service in several cases:

1. If a person is a military man and is buried in a mass grave.
2. There is no opportunity to have a funeral service (usually occurs in villages where there are no churches).
3. Those killed in disasters.
4. If you didn’t manage to sing the funeral service on time.

Burial procedure

Before the burial procedure, the deceased can be seen for the last time. At this moment, according to Christian traditions, they say goodbye to the deceased. The priest reads out all the person’s achievements, and loved ones say goodbye and kiss the deceased.

The coffin is lowered into the grave on towels. In some cases, candles and coins are sent along with the deceased. Each person throws a handful of earth, and then reads a prayer to himself so that the person’s soul finds peace.

What to prepare for a funeral

On the day of the funeral, after the burial, everyone goes to the wake. It is necessary to organize the funeral hall and discuss food in advance.

Kutya is a must-have dish. The first course is served with Russian cabbage soup or other varieties of soup. Bread should be on the table. For the second course, various cereals are used. In addition to them, they are served with meat or fish. Drinks include vodka for men and wine for women. For the third, compote and flour products are used. Each of those present is given pastries and sweets for the journey in order to remember the deceased.

Funeral services must be done on days 9 and 40. At this time, prayer is ordered in the church.

It is necessary to bury a Christian correctly in order for his soul to find peace in the afterlife.