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How do Orthodox funerals take place? The correct procedure when organizing a person's funeral

A funeral is an event that awaits every person living on earth. It is generally accepted that death is not the end, but rather the beginning of a new, afterlife.

Funeral stages

And from how it was lived ordinary life The further location of the soul of the deceased will depend. The existing ritual of funerals among Russians has developed over many centuries and even millennia. This ritual consists of several stages.

Stage one - seeing off

During the farewell, loved ones collected things and dressed the deceased in them. The ablution of the deceased should be carried out by people who are not related to him by family ties. In Rus' it was customary to bury people in their archery clothes. As a rule, wedding dresses were considered such. If the deceased did not live to see this event, then he was dressed as for a wedding.

You can put new clothes on the deceased, but in no case should you use the things of one of your relatives for this. Previously, it was customary for three days before the funeral to read the psalter and corresponding prayers over the deceased. This could be done by both relatives and people specially invited for this.

Russian funeral rites also include the following tradition: after the death of a person, a glass of water is placed in front of the images and covered with a piece of bread, and at a funeral service a glass of vodka is covered with bread. They do this for the soul, which, according to legend, can be in its former home about a month and a half. Also, in the house where the deceased is located, candles are lit at his headboard. One lit candle should be placed on the table, and a lamp should be lit in front of the faces of the saints (icons).

Stage two - removal of the body

Carrying out the body

The time for removal of the body for the funeral service is established by agreement with the clergyman who will conduct the funeral service. As a rule, it is prescribed between twelve o'clock and until the sun is on the horizon. After his entry, removal of the deceased is prohibited.

To prevent the deceased from returning to the house and taking someone living in it with him, he must be carried out feet first, trying not to touch the walls or door. For the same purpose, a ritual called “place replacement” is performed. To do this, place chairs in the place where the coffin stood and sit down. Then they were turned upside down for a day. In Siberia, after removing the body, a stone was placed under the corner of the house, which is located to the left of the door, so that other family members would not rush to follow the deceased.

The removal of the body is also characterized by the presence moral and ethical aspect, which is determined by the pronounced emotional state of both the relatives and friends of the deceased, and in the sympathy of other persons present at the funeral. If relatives did not cry at the funeral, society condemned them, believing that they did not love the deceased enough. There were also exceptions to the rules. Thus, mothers did not have the right to cry for their dead children, since it was believed that it would harm their souls in the next world.

Stage three - funeral procession

The funeral procession is accompanied by the sobs of the deceased's relatives and friends, as well as their lamentations. The process was led by a man who carried an icon or crucifix in a towel. After him walked a couple of people who carried the coffin lid. Then the clergy, followed by 6-8 people carrying the coffin on their shoulders. Relatives, friends and acquaintances brought up the rear of the procession. Because of superstitions that came back from pagan times, they tried to carry the coffin, like the lid, with gloves, on a special cloth. The deceased was brought to the cemetery or brought on a sleigh. The latter could then be burned or turned upside down for forty days.

If people met along the path of the funeral procession, then it was necessary to carry out the “first meeting” ritual. It symbolized the meeting of the living and dead worlds. The person they met was given a piece of bread, which was wrapped in a towel. In return, he had to pray for the soul of the deceased.

The procession can stop only near the church and cemetery, near the places that were occupied important role in the life of a deceased person or near crosses, which are popularly called “dead crosses”. The longer the coffin is carried, the more respected the deceased was during his lifetime.

Stage four - funeral service

Memorial service

This ritual is carried out in accordance with church canons. It is carried out before the burial of the deceased. It can be held in a church or in the home of the deceased. Invited persons who have clergy read prayers and psalms, which are designed to calm the soul of the departed and adapt it to another world.

Such chants figuratively show the path of a person and his ordeal from the moment of birth until death. They also talk about God's conduct and justice, about great love God to humanity.

Stage five - burial

The funeral ceremony is carried out before the sun leaves the horizon. It is believed that it takes the soul with it to the other world. It is believed that relatives of the deceased should not bury the coffin. This belief is associated with the fact that relatives are afraid that the deceased will take someone else from the family with him.

When saying goodbye, the relatives of the deceased kiss him on the forehead (the crown), and express their regret by crying and lamenting. After everyone has said goodbye, the priest says special prayers, then the coffin is nailed down and lowered into a pre-dug hole. Another element of farewell is the ritual of throwing a handful of earth onto the lid of the coffin. At the same time, one must pronounce words such as “rest in peace.”

Sometimes, small money is thrown into the grave so that the deceased can pay off his grave, or to pay off when crossing the river that separates our world from the world of the dead.

Stage six - remembrance

Remembrance

After the grave is completely filled up, wreaths are usually placed on it, with fresh flowers in their center. Since, according to customs, a permanent obelisk can be erected only after the first anniversary of death, a temporary monument or cross is installed on the grave. They attach a sign with information about the name and surname of the deceased, as well as the dates of his birth and death.

Funeral rites dictate that at the end of the burial ceremony, the relatives of the deceased organize a lunch for the diggers. This should be a modest table, on which there must be kutia, pancakes, vodka and other treats. Leftover food should be left on the grave for birds to feast on. The latter were associated with the souls of previously deceased people.

After this, friends, acquaintances and relatives go to the house of the deceased, where the table for remembrance has already been set. At the end of the meal, sweets (cookies and candies) are distributed to those who come.

Rite of remembrance in Ancient Rus'

Several centuries ago in Rus' there were two types of commemoration of the deceased: secret and open. In the first case, relatives laid out alms on the windowsills and porches of their neighbors for forty days. It could be eggs, bread, matches, cloth, towels. Having accepted such alms, the neighbors had to pray for the soul of the deceased. It was also believed that they took on part of the sins of the deceased.

When there was an obvious commemoration, the relatives of the deceased ordered his funeral service in the church. After it, at the church gates, it was customary to distribute pies and other sweets to children and beggars.

To prevent the soul from going to hell, relatives donated cash to the church bell, which in the future, with its ringing, could call the sinner out of hell. Or you could donate a rooster to your neighbors so that it would sing daily for the sins of the deceased.

Also, sometimes at the end of the wake, women who provided special assistance in their organization are given scarves that need to be kept.

Burial of the dead according to the rules Orthodox Church occurs on the 3rd day after the death of a person. Rituals performed by clergy over the body of a Christian have a deep meaning and are based on dogmas Christian faith. They originate from the time of the apostles of Christ and the first followers of the Messiah.

Scripture Demonstrates Burial God's Son. First, His Body was washed, and then He was dressed in a special outfit and placed in a coffin. Similar actions are committed today on every Orthodox believer.

Funeral in Orthodoxy

Orthodox funeral and memorial traditions teach us to look at the lifeless body of a believer with tremendous respect. Even in the hands of death, he remains a member of the Church of Jesus, and his body is considered a temple where the Holy Spirit previously resided. Over time, this body, according to the laws of the Church, will come to life and acquire the qualities of incorruptibility and immortality.

Orthodoxy about death:

Orthodox funeral

Every nation showed special attention to the bodies of dead fellow citizens. Funeral rites expressed individual spirit and care for the deceased. The Jews carried out short rituals, avoiding embalming and cremation, they anointed the bodies with incense, wrapped them in thin linens and placed them in caves.

In memory of the deceased, they broke bread, sprinkled ashes on their own heads, and often observed a mourning fast.

Preparation for burial

The traditions of funerals and wakes have the deepest meaning and are based on the ancient rules of the first Christians.

The body of a follower of the Christian faith is washed immediately after physical death. This ritual is performed as a sign of the absolute purity and purity of the spirit, which will appear in a similar form before the eyes of the Lord. All parts of the body are washed: use warm water, ordinary soap and a soft cloth (sponge).
Simultaneously with the ritual, the Trisagion hymn is read, and a lamp is lit, which must burn as long as the body of the deceased is present in the room. Elderly people or clean women who have taken a bath themselves are allowed to participate in the ablution ritual.
After this ritual, the body of the deceased is dressed in new and washed clothes, which symbolizes the incorruptibility and immortality of the soul. Soon after death, a Christian will appear at the Judgment and give an account to the Almighty Creator for the life he has passed.
Put on a person orthodox cross, and the limbs are tied. Hands are carefully folded on the chest so that the right one is on top. A small icon is placed in the left right hand (for men it is the image of Christ, for women it is the image of the Virgin Mary). This shows that the deceased believed in the Son of God, betrayed own soul Him, and now moves on to the eternal, most pure and reverent contemplation of the Holy Trinity.

Note! To reinforce the authority of the ablution ritual, they use the testimony of writers who lived after the apostles. Detailed instructions for performing the ritual are described here. In the past, Christians took sacred care of the body of the deceased, washing it and singing the psalms of King David.

Orthodox funeral

Burial and its sequence

At the death of an Orthodox believer, they read the composition compiled according to church rule canon of eight songs. It is used because a person experiences a natural feeling of fear before death. The clergy confirm: the soul succumbs to this affect when separated from physical shell, to which she was very accustomed.
It is especially difficult for a person’s consciousness in the first 3 days after death: here people see Guardian Angels who accompanied them all the time after the Baptism ritual, as well as evil spirits that cause horror with their disgusting appearance.
The canon should be read so that the soul of the deceased finds peace in the afterlife. Relatives are obliged to find courage and say goodbye to their deceased relative by fulfilling a prayer request before the Heavenly Father.
Before burial, the body of a Christian and his coffin are symbolically sprinkled with holy water. A whisk is placed on the forehead of the deceased, which is given by the priest for the funeral service. This symbolizes that the Orthodox believer left the field of action with honor, having won the struggle against painful life and frightening death. On the aureole are the faces of the Son of God, the Mother of God and St. John the Baptist, as well as the inscription “Trisagion.”
A cotton pillow is placed under the head and shoulders of the deceased Christian, and the body is covered with a white sheet. More often, the coffin is placed in the middle of the room in front of the home iconostasis, the face of the deceased should look at the images of the saints. Candles are lit around the deathbed, heralding the deceased believer's passage into the realms of light and tranquility.

Interesting! Monks and priests are traditionally not washed after their death. The first ones are dressed in a specific robe and wrapped in a mantle in a cruciform manner. The monks' face is covered, indicating its distance from worldly passions during earthly existence. Priests are clothed in church clothes, and a cover is placed on the head, indicating the involvement of the confessor in the Mysteries of the Lord.

Prayers after ablution

When the body of a deceased Christian has been cleansed of worldly defilement, they begin to read the canon, which is called “The Sequence of the Exodus of the Soul from the Body.” In the chorus, people ask the Lord for the repose of the deceased, and at the end they ask for eternal help. This canon helps to alleviate the mental suffering of a deceased person, who immediately after death experiences irresistible bitterness from parting with the body and the outside world.

About funeral prayer:

Singing song 5, the clergy and relatives ask the Almighty to generously pardon the deceased. In song 4 there is an appeal to the Holy Trinity, which is capable of illuminating with true light the darkened world of vanity. worldly life soul.

The initial troparion is a praise to the Mother of God, who gave birth to the Savior without a seed. The living ask for the salvation of a deceased person.

Next, for three days, the words of the Psalter are raised over the body of the deceased, which is divided into 20 parts (kathisma) and begins with a petition from the Lord for mercy. Each kathisma contains a threefold exclamation of “Glory,” which demonstrates the power and mercy of the Heavenly Father. Then prayers are chanted.

Psalter

The Psalter is read without interruption until the coffin is buried. Pious friends are allowed to sing, since family members have a lot of chores to do in organizing the funeral. The Psalter is of enormous importance in the ritual of farewell to the body.

He vividly reproduces emotional emotions, sympathizes with joy and sadness, and sheds a bright light of consolation into the grieving hearts of loved ones. The Church allows the text of the Psalter to be pronounced at its own discretion: the idea arises that the deceased independently turns to the Almighty for the sake of pardon.

Rituals in the temple

One hour before the removal of the body from the house, the canon about the exodus of the soul is read. According to tradition, the deceased is carried out feet first. During the removal, a prayer is sung in honor of Holy Trinity. This suggests that the deceased sincerely confessed to the Lord and from now on moves into the Kingdom of Heaven, where he will dwell as a disembodied spirit, surrounding the Throne and singing praise.

When the body is brought to the temple, it is placed in the middle, facing the sacred altar, and lamps are lit on 4 sides. The Church teaches: on the 3rd day of death, the thin shell (soul) of the deceased Christian experiences terrible suffering, although the body remains dead and lifeless. During this difficult period, the deceased is in extreme need of help from the clergy, so specific canons and the Psalter are read over his coffin, and a funeral ceremony is also performed, which consists of liturgical chants that briefly illustrate the fate of a person.
Sinfulness does not kill the glory of the Lord in the human soul, therefore the Church asks for mercy and the right of every righteous person to enter the Heavenly City.
To support humanity and rid the hearts of people from the sadness and dangerous doubts that are sometimes born at the sight of death, the Apostle Paul majestically consoles us, transferring religious thought beyond the limits of corruption and revealing the divine secrets of the wondrous transformation of dust into the eternal spirit. In addition, Jesus the Savior himself, dressed in the robes of a priest, allegorically encourages the relatives of the deceased when the Gospel of John is read in the temple. After this, a prayer of permission is proclaimed, destroying the worldly sinfulness of the deceased Christian.
The farewell ritual consists of kissing and singing touching stichera over the coffin, which says that the deceased leaves frailty and vanity, finding peace by the mercy of the Almighty Lord. Relatives humbly walk around the coffin, bow and ask to forgive them for the absurd insults inflicted. The last kiss is directed at the aureole or small icon located on the chest.

Funeral service Orthodox rite

Finally, the deceased is covered with a sheet, and the priest sprinkles the body with earth in a cross-shaped motion, pronouncing sacred words. The coffin is sealed and never opened again. When the deceased is taken out of the temple, the relatives sing the Trisagion.

Note! If the church is located at a great distance from the home of the deceased Christian, an absentee funeral service is performed, which is ordered by relatives in the nearest monastery.

After the ritual, a prayer book of permission is placed in the right hand of the deceased, and a paper whisk is traditionally placed on the forehead; During farewell, the body, wrapped in sheets, is sprinkled with earth in a cross pattern.

The actual burial ritual

In the grave itself, the deceased person is turned to face the East, which symbolizes the expectation of the church morning (second coming) of the Son of God. When the coffin is slowly lowered into the prepared space, the Trisagion prayer is sung again. Before burying, everyone present throws a lump of earth into the hole. This speaks of submission to a higher providence.

The cross, which is a symbol of salvation, is placed at the feet of the deceased. From now on, the Christian who believes in the crucified Savior rests long sleep death under the care of the Father. The cross must be of the correct shape and eight-pointed.

Oil of oil is not traditionally poured on a dead body or placed in a coffin, but is only used during life for healing.

Orthodox tradition blesses people who help carry out the rituals of washing, putting on clean clothes and burials. It is believed that these actions are the last and necessary mercy that we are able to provide for a Christian who has passed into another world.

Commemoration

The Church constantly offers prayers for those who have gone through their life path. She also allows private commemoration if relatives have a pious desire.

On the third day this ritual is carried out according to the apostolic tradition, since the Orthodox believer is baptized in the glory of the Trinity. In addition to the theological and philosophical meaning, there is also a mystical meaning, affecting afterlife souls. The angels explained the meaning of the commemoration of the third day to Saint Macarius. The soul, still attached to the worldly, for the first 2 days wanders around its own house, where the funeral service takes place, accompanied by divine angels and tries to get a body again. The pious consciousness ascends on the third day, like Christ, to the Heavenly abode.
On the ninth day The Church makes prayer requests and bloodless sacrifices. Over the course of 6 days, the soul discovers the beauty of Paradise, where it glorifies God, forgetting about the suffering that was based on connection with the body. However, sinners, at the sight of pleasure, reproach themselves until they receive pardon.
40 day period, which is intended for full commemoration of the deceased. During this time, the Holy Church reads prayers, asks for special mercy, makes bloodless sacrifices, and humbly asks for grace for the deceased Christian. From days 9 to 40, the soul is shown the halls of hell, where the terrible suffering of sinners is demonstrated. After 30 days of wandering through fiery Gehenna, she returns to worship and waits to see what place the Almighty will determine for her.

Orthodox traditions of funerals and memorials show the special attitude of the Church towards each individual. Religion takes every possible care of the purity and pardon of the soul, and the deceased body undergoes the rituals of washing, vesting, funeral service and burial.

Important! All these rituals are done with special care in order to prepare the deceased person for a meeting with God, which will determine his future fate according to the life he lived.

Funeral service and burial according to Orthodox custom

Customs, rituals, traditions, signs

Everyone decides for himself to believe or not to believe in omens, to observe or not to observe rituals and traditions, but do not take observance to the point of absurdity.

How to conduct in last path a loved one, 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 alleviate his mental suffering with prayer, but under no circumstances should they scream loudly or cry.

At the moment of separation of the soul from the body, it is necessary to read the Canon of Prayer Mother of God. When reading the Canon, a dying Christian holds a lighted candle or a holy cross in his hand. If he lacks the strength to overshadow himself sign of the cross, this is done by one of the loved ones, 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, receive my spirit.”

You can sprinkle holy water on a dying person with the words: “The 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 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 unclean. 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 water, 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.”

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

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.

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, garden and living quarters, where people do not walk, and all the way to last straw, pour it in and cover it with earth.

The fact is that with the water in which the deceased was washed, they do very strong damage. 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 around the apartment so that those living in it do not get sick.

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

After washing, the deceased is dressed in new, light, clean clothes. They must put a cross on the deceased if he did not have one.

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.

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 as a last resort, throw them into the water, but do not burn them.

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.

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.

So that the deceased does not come from heavy smell, you can put a bunch of dry sage at his head; people call it “cornflowers.” It also serves another purpose - it drives away evil spirits.

For the same purposes, you can use willow branches, which are blessed on Palm Sunday and kept behind the 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 hurt 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 spoiled and should not be fed to poultry or livestock.

The hands and feet of the deceased are tied. Hands are folded so that the right one is on top. IN 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 compassionate mothers put photographs of their children in a coffin with their grandparents. After this, the child begins to get sick, and if help is not provided in time, death can 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 starts tying 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. A sick child may be born. Therefore, try to stay at home during this time, and you need to say goodbye to your loved one 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 through 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. This way 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 halo on his forehead or the icon on his chest). After this, the entire body is covered with a sheet and the priest sprinkles earth on it 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 home of the deceased, then a funeral service is held for him in absentia. After the funeral service, the relatives are given a whisk, 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 the 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 a correctly shaped 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 sprinkle the house or apartment where the deceased lived with 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 someone advises you. It would be better if you poured vodka on the grave.

Upon returning from the funeral, you must mandatory 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 later 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 presented, 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.

To miss the deceased less, you need to take the headdress (scarf or hat) that the deceased wore before front door light it and walk around all the rooms with it one by one, reading the “Our Father” aloud. After this, take the remains of the burnt headdress out of 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 every 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 is not forgiven. Consequently, through our prayers we can have mercy on our loved ones who are deceased in body, but who are alive in soul and who did not blaspheme the Holy Spirit during their earthly life.

Memorial service and home prayer for the good deeds of the deceased, done in his memory (alms and donations to the church), everything is 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 the 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 earth to “seal” a dead person, 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 that 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.

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

Under no circumstances should you put your pectoral cross on the deceased.

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 do not look into them after death for 40 days.

It is impossible for tears to fall on a dead person. 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 last journey walk out with his back.

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 coffin lid, 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 the home icons, facing the exit.

As soon as a person has died, relatives and friends must order the magpie 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 fasting the relatives of the deceased do not invite anyone to the funeral.

When memorial days fall on weekdays of other weeks of Lent, they are transferred to the next (ahead) Saturday or Sunday.

If the commemoration falls on Bright Week (the first week after Easter), then in these first eight days after Easter they do not read prayers for the deceased or perform memorial services for them.

The Orthodox Church allows commemoration of the departed from Tuesday of St. Thomas Week (the second week after Easter).

The dead are remembered with the food that is prescribed on the day of the funeral: on Wednesday, Friday, on days of long fasts - fasting, on meat-eating days - fasting.

Funerals evoke feelings of fear and anxiety for many people. And this is not surprising. Indeed, in this rite of farewell to the deceased there is not only sadness, but also something mysterious and even mystical. Knowledgeable people claim that one awkward movement during the ritual can doom the soul of the deceased to eternal suffering, as well as bring disaster to the living. Whether this is actually true is unknown. But in any case, everyone should know what to do at a funeral. And, most importantly, how to do it correctly, so that in the future you do not attribute your problems and failures to mistakes made at that moment.

Why are funerals held?

The ritual of farewell to the deceased has long been carried out all over the world. It is intended to pay tribute and respect to people who have suffered death. Despite significant differences between funeral rituals different cultures and religions, they are all considered sacred and retain the main principle: the relatives, friends and acquaintances of the deceased all gather together to say goodbye to him forever and take him on his final journey.

Funerals also carry a powerful information message. They remind those present that their existence on earth is short-lived, and sooner or later death will come for everyone. This makes many people think seriously about their lives and reconsider their views.

Therefore, this ritual is important part our culture and a real guide to the right life.

Orthodox funeral

The Orthodox Church views death as a transition from earthly life to eternal life. And to get to heaven a person must go through special training. This preparation consists of several stages:

Unction. Before death, the priest must perform the sacrament of unction.
Absolution. A dying person must confess his sins to a clergyman and ask for forgiveness from God and loved ones.
Communion. The priest must give communion to the dying person before death.
Reading the canon. The clergyman must read a parting prayer to the dying person before death. Relatives or loved ones can also do this.
Washing and changing clothes. After the dying person has given up the ghost, he must be washed with clean water and wiped dry so that he appears clean before God. The deceased is also dressed in elegant clothes and covered with a shroud.
Funeral lithium. 1-1.5 hours before the coffin is taken out of the house, the clergyman sprinkles the coffin and body with holy water and conducts a funeral service with censing.
Funeral service. Before the burial, the priest reads a series of prayers and chants. Only after completing all these stages is it believed that the deceased will be able to gain eternal life in another world.

Funeral rules

During the preparation of the body, burial and for a certain period after the funeral, a number of rules apply, the violation of which, according to the Orthodox Church, is fraught with serious consequences. Here are some of them:

It is better to conduct a funeral on the third day after the death of a person.
You cannot bury the dead on Sunday or New Year's Day.
Immediately after death, all mirrors in the house must be curtained and the clock must be stopped. They must remain in this state for 40 days.
The deceased should not be left alone in the room for a minute.
It is forbidden to take the deceased out of the house before noon and after sunset.
Pregnant women and children are not advised to participate in the ritual.
From the moment of death until burial, the relatives of the deceased must continuously read the Psalter.
You can wash the body of the deceased only during daylight hours.
Pregnant women and those who are pregnant menstrual bleeding, cannot wash the deceased.
Funeral clothes should be elegant and light, the shroud should be white. If she died unmarried girl, she is dressed in a wedding dress.
In the house where the person died, a candle or lamp should burn until the funeral is over. It is better to use a glass with wheat as a candlestick.
You cannot wash, sweep or sweep away dust if there is a dead person in the house.
It is not recommended to have animals in the same room as the coffin.
In the presence of the deceased, they greet not with a voice, but with a nod of the head.
The eyes and mouth of the deceased must be closed. To this end lower jaw tied with a scarf, and coins placed over the eyes.
A corolla, a long strip of paper or fabric with prayers and images of saints, is placed on the forehead of the deceased.
It is imperative to put a cross on the deceased.
Together with the body, all his personal belongings are placed in the coffin: dentures, glasses, watches, etc.
The hands of the deceased should be folded on the chest in a cross. Moreover, place the right one on top of the left one.
The feet and hands of the deceased must be tied. Before burial, the ties are removed and placed in the coffin.
Cotton pads should be placed under the head, shoulders and legs of the deceased in the coffin.
The heads of deceased women should be covered with a headscarf. Also, all women present at the funeral must have a hat.
It is forbidden to put fresh flowers in the coffin, only artificial or dried ones.
The coffin with the deceased is carried out of the house feet first and is accompanied by church hymns.
When taking the coffin out of the house, you need to say: “The dead man is out of the house,” and lock the people there in the house or apartment for a few minutes.
After removing the coffin, all floors must be washed.
Blood relatives cannot carry the coffin and lid.
From the beginning of the ritual until the moment of burial, there should be a cross in the left hand of the deceased, and an icon on the chest, placed with the face facing the body. For women, the image of the Mother of God is placed on the chest, for men - the image of Christ the Savior.
You can walk around the coffin with the deceased only at the head, bowing to him at the same time.
During the funeral service, there should be 4 lit candles around the coffin: at the head, at the feet and at the hands.
The funeral procession should proceed in strict sequence: cross, icon of Christ the Savior, priest with a candle and censer, coffin with the deceased, relatives, other participants with flowers and wreaths.
Everyone who meets funeral procession must cross himself. Men are additionally required to remove their hats.
When saying goodbye to the deceased, you must kiss the aureole on his forehead and the icon on his chest. If the coffin is closed, they are applied to the cross on the lid.
Everyone participating in the funeral procession must throw a handful of earth into the grave.
On the day of burial, you cannot visit the graves of other relatives or friends.
It is not recommended to look at the coffin with the deceased from the windows of a house or apartment.
After the funeral, the relatives of the deceased should present those present with pies, sweets and handkerchiefs.
The chairs on which the coffin stood must be placed with their legs up during the day.
At funerals, the only alcohol served is vodka. You need to drink it without clinking glasses.
During a wake, a glass of vodka is poured for the deceased and covered with a slice of bread. After the wake, a glass of bread lasts for another 40 days.
Kutya must be present at the funeral table. The funeral dinner begins with her.
Before entering your home after a funeral, you must clean your shoes and hold your hands over the candle fire.
After the funeral, you cannot visit guests for 24 hours.
On next morning After the burial, relatives and friends must take breakfast to the grave.
For a week from the date of death, nothing should be taken out of the deceased’s house. The belongings of the deceased can be distributed no earlier than 40 days after burial.
For 6 weeks after the funeral, in the house where the deceased lived, there should be a glass of water and a plate of food on the windowsill.
It is recommended to plant viburnum on the graves of young men and women near their heads.
One can only speak well of a deceased person.
You shouldn’t cry and be sad for the deceased.

Signs and superstitions

There are many signs and superstitions associated with funerals. All of them are called upon to protect relatives, friends and acquaintances who came to say goodbye to the deceased, and to explain to them how to behave correctly during the ceremony so as not to damage themselves. The most common of them are the following beliefs:

If during the funeral the eyes of the deceased open, then the one on whom his gaze falls will go to the next world after him.
If you hold the feet of the deceased, the fear of him will go away.
If you put a willow, blessed in a church in Palm Sunday, she will drive away evil spirits.
If wheat that was used with a glass as a candlestick at a funeral is fed to a bird, it will die.
If you cross the path of a funeral procession, you can get seriously ill.
If you move all your fingers over the tumor right hand deceased, while reading the “Our Father” 3 times and spitting over the left shoulder after each time, you can completely recover from it.
If, after seeing a dead person in a coffin, you touch yourself, a tumor may develop at the point of contact.
If other people's things get into the coffin and are buried along with the body, then trouble will happen to the owners of these things.
If you bury a photograph of a living person with the deceased, this person may get sick and die.
If a pregnant woman attends a funeral, she will give birth to a sick child.
If you step on the towel that the priests place near the coffin during the ritual, you can get sick.
If you drink water from a glass for the deceased or eat his food, a significant deterioration in health will follow.
If someone dies on the street and you plant a vegetable garden before his funeral, there will be no harvest.
If the funeral is postponed for a week or more, the deceased will take one of his relatives with him.
If someone dies in your neighborhood, you need to replace it. drinking water, which stood in dishes or bottles so as not to get sick.
If water that was used to wash a dead person is spilled in a house, those living in that house may die.
If, while carrying the coffin with the deceased from the house, the threshold or doorframe is touched, his soul may return to the house and bring trouble.
If a wake is not arranged on the 40th day after death, the soul of the deceased will suffer.
If you sleep while a coffin is being carried down the street, you can go to the next world for the deceased.
If the feet of the deceased are warm, he calls someone to follow him.

Magic rituals with the dead

Despite the fact that the time of witches and warlocks is far behind, some still practice black rituals. And funerals are still a favorite event for them. They will certainly take the opportunity to fulfill magical ritual or get the necessary details for it.

During the farewell and burial rites, these people can do the following:

lie down on the place where the person died;
ask for the sheet on which the deceased lay;
steal ties from the hands and feet of the deceased;
prick the lips of the deceased with needles and then quietly take them away;
replace personal belongings of the deceased;
pour grain from the candlestick;
take away the water or soap used to wash the deceased;
go out behind the coffin backwards;
standing near the coffin with the deceased, tie knots on rags;
take earth from the grave and put it in your bosom;
sprinkle someone present with salt;
putting other people's things in the coffin;
bury things or objects in the grave;
pick up a glass of vodka from the deceased or water from the windowsill, etc.

All these actions are aimed at connecting living people with the dead and dooming them to illness and death. Therefore, you need to be attentive to strangers at funerals, not allow strangers near the coffin, and completely stop suspicious manipulations and theft.

You also need to know that if buried objects were discovered during the care of the grave, they must be burned. At the same time, touching them with bare hands is prohibited!

How to behave at a funeral

Today funerals are managed by funeral directors. They know exactly all the rules of the ceremony and always promptly tell those present how to behave and what needs to be done.

As for the rest: signs and magical rituals, it all depends on you. You make a decision: to follow the advice or not, to avoid suspicious people at the funeral or not to pay attention to anyone. But in any case, during the funeral it is necessary to behave with restraint and caution, and to experience only positive feelings towards the deceased.

Let such events pass you by and do not give rise to fears and doubts. Be healthy!