When do they go to the cemetery after Easter according to Orthodox tradition? The priests answer - to Radonitsa. Commemoration of the dead on Easter days

The question about the frequency of visiting cemeteries arises for ordinary people quite often. After all, everyone has their own understanding of when and how to visit graves: some go strictly on set days, others almost like going to work. The Church gives its recommendations when it is necessary to go to the churchyard.

Naturally, such instructions are just recommendations: it is impossible to force a person to strictly adhere to the established rules. Therefore, you can simply take them as a basis, and then determine a convenient schedule for yourself.

What days are set for visiting cemeteries?

Visiting rules

As for the flowers that are taken to the cemetery, a common myth is that there must be an even number of them. It doesn’t matter at all whether there are 4 or 5 of them. Most often, they take artificial flowers with them, although it is recommended to refrain from them. Better plant the land various plants. And in winter, both living plants and artificial flowers are not visible from under the snow.

If you want to light candles on a grave, which is not at all forbidden today, you must do this according to certain rules. It is necessary to purchase special candles and light them directly in front of the cross (or, more often, a monument).

Only sober people should visit the cemetery. Being driven is both indecent and ugly. In addition, a cemetery is not a place for entertainment: when entering a churchyard, turn off the music.

And remember that you can’t take anything away. You will bring out negative energy, which is abundant in the cemetery. Moreover, this applies to any objects - be it a beautiful flower, a branch from a tree, or garbage (there are special trash cans for it in cemeteries).

Is it possible to go to the cemetery on Easter and remember the dead? This question worries many, but what does the church say: Read the priest’s answer.

Soon Orthodox people will celebrate the Holy Resurrection of Christ - the holiday of Easter. On this day, according to tradition, people eat Easter cakes and colored eggs, and many also go to the cemetery to remember their deceased relatives. This tradition developed many years ago, but now the church says that you cannot go to the cemetery on Easter.

But on the other hand, authorities in many Russian cities specially run additional buses to the cemetery for Easter. It’s like you don’t want to, but it’s like they’re pushing you! So is it possible to go to the cemetery on Easter? And if not, then why?

Is it possible to go to a cemetery on Easter: what does the church say?

Orthodox priests actually do not approve of visiting the cemetery on Easter, explaining that the brightest holiday for believers should not be overshadowed by a hint of sorrow. On Easter Week, churches do not commemorate the dead, and on Bright Week there are no memorial services. And for the dead during the holiday week they even hold a funeral service according to a special rite, which includes many Easter chants.

The priest's answer. But Archpriest Sergius Arkhipov, priest of the Intercession Church, Zhizdra, Kaluga region, in the Orthodox magazine “Thomas” gives the following answer to this question: “From the point of view Orthodox tradition, you should not visit cemeteries on Easter. Christ's Resurrection is the triumph of life over death, evidence that God has everyone alive. Easter is a day of joy, not sorrow. Therefore, during the entire Easter week, funeral services and memorial services are not held in churches.”

“When we go to the cemetery on Easter, we discover not only spiritual insensitivity, but also a complete misunderstanding of the meaning of saving Christian teaching,” says Hieromonk Job (Gumerov), answering a similar question on the Pravoslavie.ru portal.

Why did the custom of going to the cemetery on Easter appear?

There are several opinions on this issue.

Some believe that the custom of going to the cemetery on Easter dates back to before October Revolution. In small villages, graveyards were located next to churches, and not all villages had churches. Believers from many kilometers away came on foot to the night service and brought treats. And the next morning, since we had already walked a long distance, we also visited the graves of relatives.

Others believe that the tradition of going to the cemetery on Easter appeared already in the godless Soviet era.

The priest's answer.“For participation in the Easter service or simply for the consecration Easter cake and eggs, a person could easily get a reprimand in the service, lose his queue for an apartment, or lose his position. Therefore, instead of the temple, people began to visit the graves of their relatives on Easter Day, especially since traditionally in Russia the cemetery was located not far from the church. It was a kind of religious dissidence, when a believer, deprived of the opportunity to visit the temple, nevertheless celebrated, as best he could, what had been taken away from him. church holiday, – this is what Sergiy Arkhipov writes in the Foma magazine.

When should you go to the cemetery and remember the dead, if not on Easter?

The Church says that it is necessary to remember the dead and visit cemeteries on the ninth day after Easter - on Radonitsa. It is Tuesday of the week following Bright Week that is the special day of remembrance of the dead in the Church. This tradition is Russian. Orthodox Christians in the Middle East and Greece do not have it.

“Christ is Risen!” - you hear this exclamation on the first day of Easter, and your soul is filled with such incredible joy that you have no strength to keep it within yourself. I want to run away and share it with the living and the dead. But is it possible to visit the graves of relatives and friends on a bright holiday, if a separate day is set aside for this in the religious calendar - Radonitsa?

Catholics are not prohibited from visiting a cemetery on Easter. Many on this day, having attended services in the church, rush to the graves. We will not find a ban on visiting a cemetery on any day in the Charter of the Orthodox Church. But considering human psychology, Orthodox Church nevertheless, he advises to refrain from commemorating the dead on this day. It’s not for nothing that Easter is called the Bright Holiday, and the week after it is called Bright Week. This is a time of joy and rejoicing, even during worship we hear mostly only songs. And in all this there is no place for sadness and regret about what happened. And when we come to the cemetery, especially to the graves of those who recently left us, we will probably shed a tear and be sad that a loved one is not with us on this day.

According to one version, folk tradition going to graves on Easter appeared in Soviet times. Since believers did not have the opportunity to visit churches, but there was a desire to share the joy of the holiday, they began to gather at the cemetery, which partly replaced the church for believers. However, times have changed. Of course, no one will be driven away from the graves today on Easter Day. After Easter service you can go to the cemetery to congratulate those who have passed on to another world on the holiday. But it should be remembered that both on Easter Day and throughout Bright Week, the church does not remember the dead and does not serve memorial services, that is, it will not be possible to “communicate” with the dead in the usual way. The church charter allows for the usual commemoration of the dead after Holy and Bright Week, starting on St. Thomas Monday.

We come to Radonitsa to visit the graves of our loved ones not just for the purpose of next visit, but with the joyful news of the Resurrection of Christ. It is joy that underlies the name of this day. It is quite natural, when recalling the image of a person dear to us, to cry a little, but we should not sob inconsolably over the grave. With His Resurrection, the Lord shows that there is a future life, so we must come to the graves of loved ones with the faith that our separation is relative and temporary. However, since we are all not without sin, we must understand that our loved ones may need help to get into that other world. best place. And our duty is to pray for them, do good deeds in memory of them and give alms. This is what the departed saints long for from us. And not sweets left at the monument, or a red egg buried in the ground of a grave.

The Church is categorically against bringing any food products to the cemetery. Indirectly, this can serve to desecrate graves. Birds and animals, attracted by the smell of food, will begin to tear it apart at the graves and leave their mark on the burial sites. It’s even worse when they start pouring alcohol on the graves. “These are all remnants of paganism,” says Archpriest Evgeniy Svidersky. - Everyone understands that the deceased do not need material food. They need spiritual food much more - prayer.

IMPORTANT TO KNOW

Five rules for those celebrating Radonitsa

Before visiting the cemetery, come to the temple. Submit a note with the names of deceased loved ones, stay at the service, serve a memorial service.

You can light candles for the repose - they are placed near the crucifix, large or small. The small one is on a special table called “eve”. There are small candlesticks on it, where the candles purchased in the church shop should be lit.

It is worth lighting a candle when you come to the cemetery. Perform litia (literally means “intense prayer”) - a rite that can be found in the Orthodox prayer book.

Clean up the grave, just be silent and remember the deceased.

Do not have a meal in a cemetery, do not leave food on graves - it is better to give the excess to the poor or needy. Donations in the form of food can also be left on the funeral table in the church. Subsequently, they will be distributed to temple employees, the poor, or sent to orphanages and other institutions that are cared for by one or another temple.

Is it possible to go to a cemetery on Easter? This is a question that concerns many people. The answer to it is unanimous - it is impossible. And all because Easter is the main church holiday that believers look forward to. He clearly proves that life has conquered death. Jesus Christ did this first. And every person who follows him already has eternal life.

On this day they do not remember the dead, but rejoice and celebrate a bright holiday. There are no funeral services for Easter. A trip to the cemetery on the Resurrection of Christ is considered a sin. Because this holiday, which is the first in a series of forty holidays, should be spent with family and loved ones. Easter is a holiday of the living.

Visiting a cemetery on Easter: the history of the custom

Some people even today have a desire to go to a cemetery on Easter. This tradition appeared in Soviet times. The fact is that visiting the cemetery on Easter was not practiced before the 1917 revolution. In those days, people went to church to defend the service. Villagers sometimes had to travel a long way to get to the temple. Churches at that time were built mainly near cemeteries, and therefore, after the service, believers also visited the graves of their ancestors. They cleaned up the churchyard and remembered old times.

With the arrival Soviet power Most of the churches were destroyed, and visiting the survivors was severely punished. That’s when believers decided to visit cemeteries on Easter. Nobody prohibited such visits. This tradition has especially taken root in villages and villages.

Today, priests publicly announce that people should not go to the cemetery on Easter. After all, there are specially designated areas for this, for example, parents' Saturdays.

Easter is a bright holiday that celebrates the resurrection of Christ from the dead. Therefore, it is important to think about the good and enjoy everything we have. After all, the fact that Jesus was resurrected proves that there is no death, but only a transition to eternal life.

When to go to the cemetery - before or after Easter?

You can go to the cemetery until Easter. There are special days for this – parent’s Saturdays. During Lent there are three. On any of these days you can visit the graves of your ancestors.

After Easter, they also go to the churchyard on a specially designated day - which falls on the Tuesday after Easter week. Before visiting the cemetery, priests recommend going to church and praying for deceased relatives, and only after that going to the graveyard.

How to properly remember the dead?

Prayer for the departed is the most important thing we can do for those who have passed on to another world. By and large, a deceased person does not need a coffin, a cross, or a monument - all this is a tribute to tradition. Forever living soul the deceased feels a great need for constant prayer. After all, she can no longer do good deeds with which she could appease God. That's why everyone's duty Orthodox Christian – home prayer for the deceased, prayer in the cemetery at the grave.

Commemoration in the Church provides special assistance. Before going to the cemetery, you should visit the temple. Come to the beginning of the service, submit a note with the names of the deceased for commemoration at the altar. After the Liturgy, it is necessary to serve a memorial service.

The prayer will be more effective if the one commemorating himself receives communion on this day. You can also give alms to the poor, asking them to pray for the deceased.

How to behave in a cemetery?

Arriving at the cemetery, you need to light a candle and once again pray for the deceased. A good custom is to invite a priest to the grave to serve the funeral litia.

The grave needs to be cleaned up. Remember the good moments from the life of the deceased. Most people leave candy and cookies on graves. The priests argue that there is no need to do this and it is better to distribute food to the poor.

Video: Is it possible to go to the cemetery on Easter: what does the church say?

Every year on the day of the Resurrection of Christ, thousands of people go to the cemetery to clean up the graves and remember their deceased relatives. Let's understand the reasons for this attraction to graves on the first day, and not on, when the commemoration of the dead is required according to church regulations.

The tradition of honoring the graves of ancestors dates back to ancient times. Philologist Mikhail Gasparov in his book “The Capitoline Wolf” says that the Romans buried their deceased relatives outside the city on the sides of large roads; it was believed that a passerby should stop near the grave and read an edifying epitaph, many of which began with the words: “ Stop, passerby" It was believed that the more passersby read the epitaph and remembered the deceased, the happier his afterlife fate would be.

The first Christians literally owe their survival to the custom of honoring the dead. The Roman Empire did not allow the creation public organizations or groups other than funeral colleges, whose members took care of each other's dignified burial. So the followers of the new religion began to gather in the catacombs, where Christian symbols can still be found.

Almost simultaneously with the veneration of the dead in the Church, there is also a tradition of condemning meals at graves as remnants of pagan superstitions.

Blessed Augustine, in his Confessions, talks about how his mother, Blessed Monica, a pious Christian, stopped going to cemeteries with offerings:

“One day, according to the established order in Africa, she brought porridge, bread and pure wine to the graves of the saints. The gatekeeper did not accept them. Having learned that this was the bishop’s prohibition, she accepted his order so obediently and respectfully that I myself was surprised at how easily she began to condemn her own custom, rather than talk about its prohibition. Having learned that the glorious preacher and guardian of piety forbade this custom even to those who soberly celebrated it - there is no need to give drunkards the opportunity to drink to the point of insensibility - in addition, these peculiar commemorations were very reminiscent of pagan superstition - my mother very willingly abandoned it: she learned to bring to the graves of martyrs, instead of a basket full of earthly fruits, a heart full of pure vows, and to give to the poor according to her means. The Corpus Christi was communed there; Imitating the passions of the Lord, the martyrs sacrificed themselves and received the crown.”

As you can see, the tradition of visiting graves in certain days has a long history, and the Church from the very beginning made sure that the commemoration of the dead did not turn into disgusting. If you open the texts of ancient Russian preachers, they are surprisingly similar to the notices asking not to litter on graves, which can be seen at the entrance to cemeteries even in our time.

Since ancient times, the Church has struggled with excessive veneration of the dead by Christians. Historian Vasily Bolotov talks about the Carthaginian bishop Caecilian, who reproached the rich pious widow Lucilla for “ that, according to her custom, before receiving the Holy Mysteries, she kissed the bone of some dubious martyr».

This episode brings us almost directly to the problem of visiting a cemetery instead of a temple on Easter. Caecilian threatened to excommunicate the widow because she preferred to communicate with dead communication with Christ, and this remark also applies to those who are the joy of the Light Christ's Resurrection shares with the dead, and not with living people.

However, let’s not get carried away with moralizing and again turn to historical examples. In the records of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra of the 15th century, which were included in later editions of the Pechersk Patericon, there is a story about how the deceased responded to the Easter greeting:

“In 6971 (1463) such a sign happened in the Pechersk Monastery. Under Prince Semyon Alexandrovich and under his brother Prince Mikhail, under Archimandrite Nikola of Pechersk, a certain Dionysius, nicknamed Shchepa, looked after the cave. On the Great Day he came to the cave to worship the bodies of the dead, and when he reached the place called the Community, he said: “Fathers and brothers, Christ has risen! Today is a Great Day." And the answer thundered like powerful thunder: “Truly Christ has risen.”

This passage is sometimes used as an argument for visiting cemeteries at Easter. However, there are several significant clarifications to this story.

Firstly, in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra there are still small churches in caves where the venerable fathers are buried. Of course, divine services are held there and on Bright Week, but no one considers the tombs of holy relics as an analogue of a cemetery. Secondly, the Monk Dionysius did not perform any funeral commemoration, but simply came to incense the deceased monks and congratulate them on the Easter holiday, since Christians believe that their God “ Not God of the dead but God of the living" Thirdly, the monk did not arrange any meals in the tomb, did not place a glass of vodka with black bread on the graves and did not crumble an egg there. In other words, his actions were nothing like what some of our fellow citizens do at the graves of loved ones on Easter.

The Church says it is undesirable to visit cemeteries on Easter not because it has anything against our deceased relatives, but because the church charter provides many other days for visiting cemeteries and funeral prayers.

An expert in church charter, priest Afanasy (Sakharov), Bishop of Kovrov, in his book about Orthodox rite burial writes about the features of Easter and Bright Week:

“On this day, as throughout Bright Week, there is no place for weeping about one’s misery, for crying about sins, for fear of death.”

Let us remember that at the Easter service the famous word of St. John Chrysostom is read, which in particular says that Christ abolished “the sting of death.”

To visit a cemetery on this day means not to believe in the Resurrection of Christ.

Metropolitan Sourozhsky Anthony(Bloom) once remarked that “a cemetery is not a place where corpses are piled up, but a place where they await the Resurrection.” For repentance, Christians had 6 weeks of Lent and Holy Week, so a person should rejoice after such a difficult path.

Of course, if a person, after the Easter service and breaking the fast, decides to go to the cemetery, clean up the grave and sing the troparion “ Christ is risen from the dead“, he will not sin, but most people go to the cemetery instead of visiting the temple.

The same Saint Athanasius (Sakharov) has wonderful words that the Church does not forget about the departed even on the day of Holy Pascha:

“Death and the dead, however, are often remembered on this designated and holy day... a holiday and a triumph of celebrations, much more often than on other, lesser holidays. But on Easter - this is a victorious remembrance of the trampling of death by the death of Christ, this is the most joyful and comforting confession of faith that life is given to those in the tombs). It is clear, therefore, that at Easter there cannot and should not be any talk of memorial prayers, of any public commemoration not only of the dead, but also of the living.”

I personally know people who go to the grave of their father and husband on Easter only to pour a glass of vodka there, because “ the deceased was very fond of drinking" To do this means to cease to be a Christian, turning into a strange follower of the cult of the active dead, who continue to eat, drink or “wear pants” after death.