What can and cannot be done on Radonitsa

The brightest holiday of the year - Easter is celebrated by all Orthodox in our world. But besides our earthly Easter, there is Easter for already dead people. Radonitsa or parental day is an Orthodox holiday in which people should visit the graves of their deceased relatives and bring them Easter cakes and eggs, some of which must be given to the hungry and needy. Thus, those who come remember their relatives. On this day, prayers and recollections of the departed are welcomed.

The meaning of the holiday

Once Radonitsy called deities personifying the commemoration of deceased people and veneration. They were brought gifts from their tables and even sacrifices. And only after a while the spring commemoration of the departed began to be called radonitsa.

Radonitsa does not have an exact and clear date for the celebration, because it is celebrated after a certain time after Easter, and since Easter falls on different dates every year, it turns out that Radonitsa too. And earlier, this day in different countries was celebrated at completely different times: somewhere on Tuesday, somewhere on Sunday.

Radonitsa in 2018 falls on April 17, because she is celebrated, nine days after Easter. This date appeared due to the fact that during Great Lent, namely the Holy and Bright Week, it was impossible to remember the dead, so Radonitsa appeared. On this day you can have a memorial service and liturgy.

It is forbidden to visit the cemetery on Easter itself, and it’s also not recommended to remember the deceased for nine days before Radonitsa herself. Because Easter is a bright holiday that personifies the victory of life over death.

What to do in Radonitsa

Before you go to the cemetery to your dead relatives, be sure to visit the church in the morning and only after that you can go to the grave.

At the grave, keep the prayer atmosphere: light a candle and just read the prayer. Do not turn the commemoration into a stormy feast and discussion of the dead.

Be sure to remove your relative’s grave and just silently, sit with him, remembering the best moments of life. You can paint a monument or a fence that surrounds the grave.

What not to do in Radonitsa

On this day, as mentioned above, you must visit the cemetery. But to behave around the graves you need a decent one.

1. You can’t swear, shout, swear and speak badly of deceased relatives. You can’t smoke and drink alcohol near the grave.
2. You should not arrange a meal on the grave - the church does not support this and does not welcome it, because the cemetery is not a cafe or a dining room for you. The deceased relatives do not need our material goods and food - all they need is your prayer.
3. Do not leave food and even more alcohol on the grave.
4. Do not get drunk that day and do not go to the cemetery while drunk.
5. It is forbidden in Radonitsa to inconsolably grieve over deceased relatives. You upset not only yourself, but also the soul of a deceased person. It is better to recall only the brightest moments and speak about a person only with good words.

Radonitsa or red slide. How to behave on a funeral day and why you can’t bring food to the cemetery.

Nine days after Easter, Orthodox Christians celebrate Radonitsa, or as they say in the people of Krasnaya Gorka - Commemoration of the Dead, which falls this year on Tuesday, May 2. Etymology, that is, the origin of the word "radonitsa" goes back to the words "gender" and "joy." There is a tradition in Radonitsa to go to the graves of relatives and friends, thereby recalling them and praying for them. It is on Radonitsa that there is a custom to bring painted eggs and Easter to the graves of the deceased. On this day in the temples, memorial services (requiem) are performed.

Christians on Radonitsa should not bitterly worry about the death of loved ones, but rather, rejoice at their birth into another life - eternal life, which Christ gave us with death and resurrection. Even St. John Chrysostom wrote: “We will try, as much as possible, to help the dead, instead of tears, instead of sobbing, instead of magnificent tombs - with our prayers, alms and offerings for them, so that they and we can receive the promised blessings.”

Archpriest Georgy Gulyaev, press secretary of the Metropolitan of Donetsk and Mariupol, Hilarion of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, tells how to behave on Radonitsa, how to remember the dead.

- Father George, is it necessary to first go to church before going to Radonitsa in the cemetery?

Of course. It is difficult for an Orthodox person to start a business without church prayer. When some important moments in his life are committed, they are surely sanctified by church prayer and sacraments. A man is born — he is baptized, grows — we confess and partake of him in the temple of God, a young man enters the army — we bless him when a man takes a husband or wife — the church crowns them, and finally, the man dies, we see him off last way. When an Orthodox Christian goes to Radonitsa in a cemetery to pay tribute to his ancestors - parents, grandparents, relatives, naturally he will first go to the temple. After all, the temple is a place of God's special presence.

- Tell me, after all, the Memorial Day according to church canons falls on Sunday or another day?

Actually, Radonitsa or the funeral day falls on Tuesday, that is, on the ninth day after Easter. Descending to human weakness, we begin already from Sunday to make memorial services. This is all due to the fact that in pre-revolutionary Russia this day was a day off. Then the attitude towards the Church was different. Now many people have a day off mainly on Sunday, and only on this day can people go to the cemetery.

- What services these days will be held in the temples?

On Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, in the churches, memorial liturgies and memorial services are performed - special services associated with the commemoration of the dead.

What is desirable to bring to the cemetery? People at the cemetery sometimes come as on a picnic, bringing with them a lot of food and preservation. Often they bring and drink alcohol to the graves. How does the church look at it?

The problem of pious behavior in the cemetery is not the first day. Even the holy fathers centuries ago spoke about it and admonished the flock. The holy fathers spoke of feasts on the graves only in a negative context. You cannot turn a gravestone into a large table with dishes and songs. Initially, a memorial meal is alms that were distributed to the needy. So the less relatives eat, the better. Distribute to those people who once a year have the opportunity to eat hot soup or meat, which on ordinary days, alas, they find in the trash.

Unfortunately, human sinfulness and passion is carried over even to such holy things as the remembrance of loved ones. I myself had to deal with similar cases. On Radonitsa, when I come to the cemetery and pray for the dead, I try to be there for no more than an hour. Because soon pretty drunk people begin to ask "to sing something for the soul" ... Often people put cigarettes on the tombstone, because, they say, "the deceased loved to smoke." To my rebuke, if the deceased loved to fornication, you will now bring a girl here to him, for some reason they are offended. Often people pour vodka on the grave, explaining that the deceased loved to drink. But if the deceased loved to drink, you must cry about it, with your tears to water the grave. After all, a lover of drink beat his wife, children, drank property, and we, in addition to him, pour more vodka into the coffin.

You see, we don’t know what his afterlife is, maybe he suffers severely from drinking this same vodka, maybe he already regretted that he did it three thousand three hundred times, and we remind him again of that you, brother, sinned like that.

In no case do not bring alcohol to the cemetery, do not turn it into a fun event. The church looks at these things very strictly.

- How to behave in a cemetery and what to do?

The ideal option is as follows. You come to the cemetery after the temple, overshadow yourself with the cross banner, read a short prayer, for example, “Christ is Risen from the Dead, Correct Death with Death and Granted His Belly to Those Who Live in the Tomb,” that is, Easter Troparia, thus witnessing that to those who lie in the tomb The Lord grants life. You can read a few memorial prayers, for example, “God rest the souls of the dead, your servants ...” and list their names. Maybe in the Temple you will find some little book or a small leaflet where it will be painted how to pray properly. You may recall something good that connects you with the deceased. Someone will cry at the cemetery, and someone, on the contrary, will be glad that a loved one, who was seriously ill, went to God, and death for him became a relief of bodily suffering. The church here does not strictly regulate the manifestation of human feelings, if they are not of a sinful nature.

You can also give alms, give out, not eat in the cemetery. If no one is around, you can leave the testicle, apiaries, in some minimal amount. After all, we know that people in need, the poor, the poor, who will collect and, God willing, will eat what you left them, will pass. You can hang a wreath, and tidy up the grave if you did not have time to do this in advance.

If you see that other people act differently - they drink, yell songs - do not imitate them. Let's start the correction with ourselves. Someone should set a positive example. After all, as you commemorate the dead, so your children will commemorate you when the time comes.

Is it possible to light a candle on a tomb if there is no monument? They say that the church does not allow to light a candle not on a monument (stone).

You can make an improvised light bulb from a jar, put a candle in it or pour a moth in it and make a wick. How much it will burn under the wind is not so important, the main thing is that you, as if part of the Easter joy, were transferred from the temple and to these tombs.

- Is it possible to put candles in the ground if there is no monument?

You can put a candle in the ground, even if there is no pebble. The minimum that should be on the tomb of an Orthodox Christian is a cross. If you have built large beautiful monuments, but it does not even have the smallest cross, be sure to do it. Work hard for your relatives, because the way you act, your children and grandchildren will put on the grave board.

- Does it matter from which side you enter the cemetery, from the main entrance or from other places?

The custom to enter the cemetery from the main entrance is initially associated with the existence of cemetery temples and chapels. An Orthodox man, coming from the main entrance, prayed in the chapel, laid a candle, and then went to the graves of close people. This should be done today. But if there is no temple in the cemetery, then it doesn’t matter from which place to go, because nowadays cemeteries can occupy more than one hectare, and there can be several entrances.

“Is it true that on this day the dead really expect us to come?”

When we say that the souls of the dead are waiting for us, then this is true, but not in terms of place and time. Because when we talk about faith, about the spiritual, any spatio-temporal moments go by the wayside. The church always prays for its parishioners - both living and deceased. To this we are moved by the commandment of love for our neighbors. As for Radonitsa, we must immediately make a reservation that the souls of the dead are found in the state and in the place in which the Lord blessed them.

The Orthodox Church does not detail many things because many things remain a mystery to us. If we told in detail what life is like behind a coffin, then we would say that this religion was simply invented. Those revelations that were given to the saints regarding the afterlife say that prayer, alms, doing good deeds in memory of the dead give them relief in the afterlife. What is known for sure is that God does not allow souls to be transported back and forth, to appear to someone, because they have a certain place. In rare cases, in order to instruct a person, the Lord may allow someone to dream about a dead person, stopping him from committing sin. But so that everyone came to the cemetery en masse, this does not happen. There are things that need a sober look.

The deceased are expecting from us above all prayers. Because prayer is not just words. Prayer is an appeal to God, an appeal to the Saints, and we reach a different, inexplicable human mind, spiritual level of communication. This is precisely the area of \u200b\u200bfaith, the belief that they are really waiting for us, waiting for a special remembrance, our special pious behavior. There is a certain family unity on Radonitsa, because on this day they gather as a whole family and tell the children that they had a grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother. And this memory of the ancestors also bears a certain instructive educational, pedagogical moment.

- What would you advise people who come to their loved ones on the memorial day?

Behave so that your deceased is not ashamed of your behavior, so that their memory is not polluted by your behavior. When we talk about the commemoration of the dead, we are talking about the manifestation of a person of certain religious feelings. Indeed, faith in the afterlife is one of the signs of a person’s religiosity. If you want to go to Radonitsa not just to go to the “cemetery picnic”, but really remember the ancestors, let it be just a spiritual remembrance expressed in prayer and alms.

On April 25, the Orthodox celebrate Radonitsa. This day is considered the day of special remembrance of the dead.

- Radonitsa is a day of remembrance of the ancestors, Easter of the departed. On this day, we remember all the relatives and friends who crossed the threshold of death. People themselves understand that they are far from holiness in this life, so we pray for the departed in the hope that our descendants will beg our sins. - We share the joy of the Resurrection of Christ, which we began to celebrate on April 16, on Radonitsa with our ancestors, ”says the Protodeacon Andrey Gorbunov, cleric of the parish of the Protection of the Holy Virgin.

According to the priest, the tradition that Christians have been observing for centuries is to come to the temple that day.

“But one must distinguish between law and grace.” Many today live in terms of the law: they do it the right way. But grace comes from the heart and soul, this is a sincere desire. Therefore, if a person loves his family, he himself will come to the temple and pray. And the second tradition is to visit the graves of the deceased, remove them. Keeping the graves clean and tidy is one of the manifestations of the memory of the ancestors, ”says Protodeacon Andrei Gorbunov.

The grave is not a place for a feast

Traditionally, painted eggs, Easter cakes and artificial flowers are carried to the graves on this day. Vodka is poured into a glass. Some almost set the table.

“The church considers it wrong to turn the grave into a place for eating and drinking alcohol,” the priest says. Alexander Leshkevich, cleric of the Church of the Holy Myrrh-Bearing Women of Baranavichy.

- The main message of this holiday is a reverence for the memory of deceased relatives. And food and drink on the graves are in the literal sense of the word the desecration of the grave and the desecration of the memory of those people whose memory they want to honor, ”notes Alexander Leshkevich.

According to him, there are no church grounds for this tradition. He suggests that the beginning could be laid by the fact that all the holidays are held at our table. And Radonitsa was no exception: some people bring refreshments and drinks from the table to the graves.

- Unfortunately, we do not have the correct understanding of the word “remembrance” of the deceased. For the majority, this is an occasion to indulge in such passions as drunkenness and gluttony, ”priest Alexander Leshkevich emphasizes.

Alexander Leshkevich says that when a person dies, his soul is separated from the body, and she does not need any material offerings.

Artificial flowers - the cause of environmental disaster

Another difficult moment of veneration of the deceased is the flowers on the grave. Priest Alexander Leshkevich believes that there is no difference what kind of flowers are on the grave, as this is just one way of honoring the dead, but it will be “more beneficial” for the environment if the flowers are alive.

Chairman of ECOO "Nerush" Vladimir Zuev   notes that artificial flowers, which many decorate graves, can harm not only the environment, but also the human body, while they are in the house.

- The main danger of artificial flowers is that they are not disposed of. This is not the first year that we have been saying that artificial flowers are a real environmental problem. The fact is that they consist of several dissimilar parts. To recycle or dispose of them, you need to manually disassemble them, and it is very expensive, ”says Vladimir Zuev.

When buying artificial flowers, you need to pay attention to their color and smell. If the flowers have a strong chemical smell and a saturated unnatural color, then they definitely contain toxic substances. And they pollute not only the environment, but also leave their "imprint" on the organs of people. Most affected are the liver and kidneys, and to a lesser extent the respiratory system.

- I plant fresh flowers, perennials at my relatives' graves, which I advise others to do. Maybe they are not so bright and do not bloom for a whole year, but they are environmentally friendly and do not harm the environment, says Vladimir Zuev.

Quote message   What can and cannot be done on Radonitsa?

Radonitsa is the day of special all-church commemoration of the departed on the 9th day after Easter. It is specially installed in order to, on the one hand, renew and make up for the daily prayers of the dead, which were not between the Great Thursday and the whole Bright Week. On the other hand, this holiday reminds us that Easter is the holiday of the Victory of God over death, and on this day we share this great joy with our deceased loved ones. On this day, a liturgy and a requiem (memorial service) are served in all churches. What kind of holiday it is, how to spend this day correctly, whether the Church prescribes something - we answered these and other popular questions in this material.

Is it possible to clean the Radonitsa in the cemetery?

You can clean the cemetery on Radonitsa.

Radonitsa is a special day for the commemoration of the dead, which falls on the second Tuesday after Easter. In the period from Palm Sunday to Radonitsa, Orthodox believers do not visit cemeteries (except for a funeral), since the whole life of a Christian at that time is concentrated around events that took place two thousand years ago - the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ. On Radonitsa, it is customary to commemorate the deceased loved ones in the church, as well as a prayer in the cemetery, and, of course, having arrived at the grave, it is strange not to restore order if necessary.

What kind of holiday is Radonitsa and what can I do?

Radonitsa is the day of remembrance of the dead, which falls on the Easter period. On this day, you can and should pray for your deceased loved ones in the temple, as well as in the cemetery and clean up the graves. Easter is the celebration of Victory over death, the affirmation of eternal life. Therefore, Christians on this day want to share the Easter Joy with their deceased for the earth, but living for eternal life relatives. And even the very name of this holiday - Radonitsa - emphasizes that this is not just a day of sadness for those who are not nearby, but also a day of joy.

Is it possible to work for Radonitsa?

You can work for Radonitsa. You can work even on twelve great church holidays, if there is such a need, but it is important not to forget about the significance of the holiday. At the same time, you need to find time in your life not only for work, but also for prayer, and for going to the temple.

Radonitsa is an ordinary day in which it is customary to remember the dead. It falls on the second Tuesday after Easter. It’s good if the working person has the opportunity to visit the temple that day, pray at the memorial service for deceased loved ones, and go to the cemetery. If things don’t allow you to do it on Radonitsa in any way, you can choose another day, and on this day pray for your deceased at home.

Can pregnant women go to Radonitsa?

Of course, pregnant women can go to Radonitsa both to the church and to the cemetery. Praying for the deceased loved ones can not harm either the mother or the child. Another thing is that the physical and psychological state of a pregnant woman can be different, and if it’s hard for her to go to the cemetery in Radonitsa, then do not do this through force. You can pray for the deceased relatives in the temple or even at home.

What can be done on Radonitsa?

On Radonitsa one can and should pray for deceased relatives and friends. Radonitsa is a church-wide commemoration day for the dead, which falls on the Easter period, and therefore this day is filled not only with sorrow, but also with hope for a future meeting with the dead bodily, but close to their souls alive.

On Radonitsa, it is customary to attend a service in the church, as well as go to the cemetery, where you can independently perform a lithium (short memorial service) with a secular rank. If this has not been done before (until Palm Sunday, since it is not customary for believers to visit the cemetery between Palm and Radonitsa), you need to clean up the grave. But there is no need to leave food, colored eggs, a stack of vodka on the graves. The souls of dead people do not need such pagan offerings. The only thing they need is memory and prayer. Food for the commemoration of the deceased can be given to the poor or taken to the temple on the eve.

Wedding on Radonitsa - is it possible?

You can arrange a wedding on Radonitsa, if this is registration at the registry office and / or gatherings with friends. Radonitsa is a usual non-fasting day of the church year, in which it is customary to remember the dead. But you can’t marry Radonitsa. The radonitsa always falls on Tuesday, and the Sacrament of the Wedding is not performed on Tuesdays, so that the first day of the married couple’s life does not fall on Wednesday of fasting.

Is it possible to celebrate a birthday on Radonitsa?

You can celebrate a birthday on Radonitsa. Radonitsa is the day of the general church commemoration of the dead, which falls on the Easter period, and even the name of the holiday encourages us not to grieve, but to rejoice. But before celebrating your personal joy, on this day, perhaps, it is worth remembering and praying with love and gratitude for the departed ancestors.

When can I clean the cemetery in front of Radonitsa?

You can clean the cemetery in front of Radonitsa in advance. But then you need to do this in the days of Lent. Believers do not visit the cemetery (except for the funeral) from Palm Sunday to Radonitsa, since in the days of Holy Week, the Christian's attention is focused on the sufferings of Christ, and on the Bright Week, on the joy of His Resurrection and the victory of Life over death.

Radonitsa is the day when the requiem is renewed in the temples, which were not in the previous days. On this day, believers commemorate their deceased loved ones with a prayer both in the church and in the cemetery. And of course, when people came to the graves, they put things in order there, if it was not possible or weather conditions to clean up the cemetery in front of Radonitsa during the days of fasting.

Is it possible to marry Radonitsa?

You can marry Radonitsa if the state registration of marriage or a celebration with relatives is scheduled for this day. You can’t marry on Radonitsa, since this holiday always falls on Tuesday, and on Tuesdays, weddings in churches do not take place.

Radonitsa is the day of remembrance of the dead, but it is celebrated during the period of Easter joy. There are usually many weddings at this time, since for a long time before this - from Shrovetide to Antipasa (the next Sunday after Easter) - there were no weddings in the temples. You can get married on the eve of Radonitsa (Sunday or Monday) or the next day (Wednesday), and you can arrange some other wedding events on Radonitsa.

Is it possible to remove the grave on Radonitsa?

Of course, Radonitsa can and should be removed on the graves of deceased loved ones. On Radonitsa, it is customary to pray for the deceased in a temple or in a cemetery, as well as to tidy their graves after winter. Cleaning at the cemetery can be carried out before Radonitsa, but in the pre-Easter period and the first week of Easter, believers do not visit the cemetery, since at this time the whole life of a Christian is focused on gospel events. And until Palm Sunday, after which it is not customary to visit cemeteries right up to Radonitsa, the weather does not always allow cleaning at the graves.

What can be done on Radonitsa in the cemetery?

At the cemetery on Radonitsa, you can pray, get out, and remember your deceased loved ones.

Prayer for the departed is the duty of a Christian. You can invite a priest to Radonitsa to the cemetery to serve a memorial service at the grave, or you can make a litia (short memorial service) yourself with a worldly order.

Keeping the graves in order is also a Christian's duty. And therefore, you can put order in the cemetery on Radonitsa, throw out the garbage, sow grass and flowers.

Remembering those whose earthly path has ended is important for the believer, because in the churchly understanding, the life of the soul is eternal. But, unfortunately, often the meaning of commemoration comes down to drinking. You don’t need to drink and leave a glass of vodka at the grave, just as you don’t need to leave food in the cemetery. To remember is to pray, to remember something good about a person, to think and feel that his soul is alive and we all have hope for a meeting with our rested relatives.

Is it possible to baptize on Radonitsa?

You can baptize on Radonitsa, as on any other day of the year. But you need to negotiate the Sacrament in a particular temple or with a specific priest. Radonitsa is a church-wide day of remembrance of the departed. Priests can be very busy, and then you will be asked to transfer the baptism to another day.

Is it possible to have an operation in Radonitsa?

You can do surgery in Radonitsa.

Radonitsa is a usual day on which, for the first time after Easter, a memorial service is served (there is no requiem from the Great Thursday to Radonitsa). Therefore, it is customary to commemorate deceased loved ones in the church and in the cemetery on Radonitsa. If some important matters are scheduled for this day and there is no way to pray at the memorial service, then this can be done on any other day, and not just on the days of the special commemoration of the departed.

Is it possible to commemorate suicide on Radonitsa?

A memorial for a believer is primarily a prayer, but the Church does not pray for suicides as for those who arbitrarily rejected God. The names of the suicides are not written in the notes, they do not take out a piece of the Liturgy for them, they do not pray for them at memorial services.

Of course, he remains dear to the relatives of the person who committed suicide, and the impossibility of prayer only intensifies the pain. There is a special service in the Church for the comfort and support of grieving relatives, but it is performed by separate agreement with the priest and is not a remembrance. Suicides can be remembered in personal prayer by reading, for example, the prayer of the Rev. Elder Leo of Optina: Seek, Lord, the lost soul of Your servant (name): if it is possible to eat, have mercy. Your destinies are unsearchable. Do not give me this prayer in my sin, but Thy holy will be done.

Is it possible to get married on Radonitsa?

You can’t marry on Radonitsa. But not because it is a day of special remembrance of the dead, but because Radonitsa always falls on Tuesday, and on Tuesdays, on the eve of fasting day - Wednesday, the Sacrament of the Wedding is not performed.

You can get married on Sunday or Monday on the eve of Radonitsa, as well as on Wednesday - after.

Is it possible to bury on Radonitsa?

And you can bury and funeral at Radonitsa. The Church does not have any special instructions about which days it is impossible to bury, because the death of a person cannot be predicted and adjusted to the church calendar. But there are a few days on which funeral services are usually not performed - Good Friday, Easter Day itself and Christmas. If these days are the third day after the death of a person, then the funeral service is most often tolerated.