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For how many days is a person buried after death? Orthodox funeral rite

That's how it works material world that there is nothing eternal in it. People stay on Earth for their allotted time. Rarely do people live to be a hundred years old. As a rule, human life ends much earlier. And then the person is escorted to last path.

In this article

Funeral traditions

For some peoples, it is customary to burn the remains, for others, to throw the corpse into the river. But in most cultures of the world, the custom of burial in the ground is common.

The burial of the deceased in the Orthodox tradition is considered very important, since it is not just a rite of farewell to a person who has left the physical world. All rituals associated with the memory of the deceased have the goal of helping the soul that has left the body to cleanse itself and successfully complete the transition to spiritual world.

In this video, the rector of St. Vladimir's Church, Archpriest Oleg Tsyplakov, will talk about the canons of burial in Orthodoxy.

Relatives, close friends and good acquaintances of the deceased gather for the farewell ceremony. They come to pay their respects to him.

Usually at a funeral there is a high atmosphere of severity and solemnity. The ritual reminds all those gathered that life on Earth is finite and at any moment the Almighty can call us to Himself.

According to the canons Orthodox Church a person is buried on the third day after death, which is called the third day. The number three is not mathematically added to the date of death; it is considered the first day. Thus, if a person died on January 10, then the third day will be on January 12.

Before the burial, a funeral service takes place in the church.

Before burying the deceased, it is necessary to carry out a number of procedures and rituals. The most important are:

  1. Washing and changing into clean clothes. Purity of the body symbolizes purity of the soul. Therefore, it is important that the deceased appear before the Almighty clean. The body is placed in a coffin and covered with a white shroud.
  2. Funeral service in the temple. It is carried out immediately before a trip to the cemetery. The purpose of the ritual is to give farewell to the deceased before departing for the Kingdom of Heaven. The priest also reads prayers for the salvation of the soul.
  3. Burying the body to the ground.
  4. Funeral lunch.

Meaning in Christianity

The third day after death is counted in Christian religion extremely important:

  1. Gospel texts say that Jesus, after being crucified on the cross, rose again on the third day. This is where the belief comes from: human soul stays for the first time in the world of the living. At the same time, she maintains a connection with her mortal body, which breaks off on the third day. At this moment, a guardian angel appears who helps the soul leave the material world and serves as its guide to Heaven, that is, to the spiritual world.
  2. During the first three days, a subtle material shell remains, not devoid of emotions. It will be extremely painful for her to watch the procedure of immersion in the grave. physical body. That is why a hasty funeral is undesirable.
  3. The number three is closely related to the Orthodox concept of the Holy Trinity, personifying the unity of God the Father, God's son and the Holy Spirit.
  4. In addition, it takes time for the relatives and friends of the deceased to understand the person’s passing and say goodbye to him.

On the third day, the Guardian Angel accompanies the soul to Heaven

How to remember on this day

Traditionally, a wake for a deceased person is held immediately after the funeral. People come to the funeral dinner straight from the cemetery. Everyone who attended the funeral can come to the wake.

It is recommended to precede the feast with the prayer “Our Father.” Before starting the meal, everyone should try kutya - a traditional funeral dish made from boiled rice and raisins, with the addition of honey or sugar. Tradition requires that the person attending the wake eat a couple of spoons.

Since gluttony is seen in Christianity as great sin, the funeral dinner should consist of modest dishes, without gourmet delicacies. If guests, especially relatives of the deceased, begin to indulge in gluttony at the wake, then this sin can aggravate his afterlife.

The funeral meal should be modest

During the funeral meal there must be compote or jelly on the table, and one of the dishes must be fish. Alcoholic drinks at funerals church rules are not welcomed, although in practice such a ban is rarely respected.

Sweet dishes and baked goods left over from the funeral dinner should be distributed to guests, neighbors, or even strangers so that they remember the one who has gone to another world. It is considered a sin to throw away dishes and food left after a funeral, so it is better to treat the beggars asking for alms.

Is it possible to bury on the second day after death?

Orthodox traditions do not approve of this. It is believed that the connection between the body and soul of the deceased is still strong. The Guardian Angel has not yet descended from Heaven to help us go to the spiritual world. Therefore, at this moment the soul is deprived of support from above, and an early funeral will lead it into confusion. A three-day period is needed for the soul to get used to the death of the physical shell.

IN exceptional cases the funeral takes place earlier. This requires an important reason. For example, if it costs extreme heat, and the body begins to decompose from high temperature. Then the priest can allow tradition to be broken and funeral rites be performed earlier.

Is it possible to bury on the fourth day?

Arrange the burial of the deceased in more late dates quite acceptable. It is important not to have a funeral before the third day. The Church does not object to requiem services and funerals after three days from the date of death.

In the event of the tragic death of a person, if he was the victim of a traffic accident or crime, an autopsy procedure is required, without which permission for burial will not be obtained. It will take time to establish the cause of death, so the burial will have to be postponed to a later date.

The funeral can be held on the third day after death or later

The delay may also be due to other reasons. For example, waiting for relatives living far from the funeral site. Therefore, funeral rites will be performed on the day when all relatives gather to say goodbye to the deceased.

Is it possible to bury on your birthday?

The traditions of Orthodoxy do not contain prohibitions.

However, the date of birth is considered important since custom recommends visiting the grave loved one and remember him for three years after leaving for the other world. And this must be done twice a year: on the birthday and the day of death.

Restrictions regarding funeral rituals

On some days the church prohibits funerals, and there are also important ban regarding the funeral service of the deceased:

  1. The Church condemns suicide as grave sin. Therefore, suicides are not buried in church. In the old days they were buried outside the general cemetery, but now this custom is not observed.
  2. Holy Easter and Christmas are considered the main holidays in Orthodoxy. It is prohibited to arrange a funeral on this day.
  3. New Year is not church holiday, but according to folk traditions It is better not to arrange funerals on this day. It is believed that a whole year can pass in an atmosphere of grief and trouble.
  4. The Orthodox Church does not approve of the ritual of cremation. According to customs, the mortal body is returned to the earth.

The video is a continuation of the conversation with the rector of St. Vladimir’s Church, Archpriest Oleg Tsyplakov.

All religions and cultures have traditions and rituals that take their roots from ancient times. This also applies to such a sad moment in a person’s life as a funeral. The burial procedure of our ancestors was a complex and lengthy ritual, but today funerals have become somewhat formalized, but some aspects remain unshakable. Of course, a person’s funeral is integrally connected with the religion that the deceased professed. Let's look at how people of one faith or another are buried.

Funeral in paganism

Today, paganism has practically not survived. At the same time, the traditions of this religion influenced the formation of all major beliefs around the world. This also applies, naturally, to funeral rites.

Early pagans tied up the deceased after death with dipped ropes or rods. It was believed that a person should rest in the fetal position, since after death he gains new life. This tradition continued for several centuries. It was replaced by cremation. The burning of a dead person was a very important ritual for our ancestors; it was believed that fire cleanses the human soul after death. The same applies to the tradition of floating a corpse on water. Money was placed next to the deceased so that afterlife he had something to live on, sometimes broken dishes were left behind. True, historians are still arguing about the purpose of this custom. After burning, the corpse was scattered to the wind or stored in a special urn.

After the burning, mournful meals were held. It was not customary to have fun at them. Our ancestors believed that the deceased feasted with everyone on this day. This tradition has survived to this day. Today the deceased is also poured alcoholic drink which is covered with a piece of bread.

How to bury in Orthodoxy

It is not customary in Orthodoxy to be sad and cry over the death of a very elderly person. It is believed that he lived a long and glorious life, and by death he gave life to someone else. As a rule, they are buried on the third day, and before the day of the funeral, the church orders a chant - the sorokoust.

Relatives wash the body of the deceased with warm water, while reading prayers. After washing, the deceased is dressed in clean clothes, preferably new clothes. The same applies to shoes. At the end it is put on pectoral cross. Next, the preparation of the coffin begins. The coffin is sprinkled with holy water inside and outside. Only after this the deceased is placed in a coffin, and his head should be placed on a pillow. A special cover is placed on the body of the deceased in the coffin, on which images of saints and prayer inscriptions are depicted. A crown is placed on the head, which serves as hope for the ascension of the deceased. The coffin is placed in the middle of the room, always with its head towards the icons.

The coffin is carried out of the house feet first. In Orthodoxy, the coffin is supposed to be carried by the closest relatives. The priest walks in front of the coffin. There are many superstitions among people about how to bury a person. One of them says that loved ones should not carry out the coffin.

In Orthodoxy they are buried by burial in the ground. It is customary to place a cross over the grave. It is always installed at the feet of the deceased, preferably facing the west. This way the face of the deceased will be directed towards the cross. You can read about how to behave at a funeral.

How Muslims are buried

During burial, Muslims pay a lot of attention to ablution. As a rule, the corpse is washed three times. The first time with water and cedar powder, the second time with camphor, the third time - clean water. It is believed that during ablution one should never see the genitals of the deceased, so they are always covered with a cloth.

It is prohibited to bury a person in clothes. The deceased is wrapped in a special shroud; in some cases, clothes are placed on top in order to know the gender of the deceased. Muslims bury people on special stretchers with a sliding lid; coffins are prohibited.

Funerals in Islam are carried out as quickly as possible. More often it is customary to bury on the day of death, less often not on the next day. The deceased is carried on a stretcher to the cemetery. Before this, he is placed on a hill where men read prayers. The priest - imam - stands above his head during prayer if a man is being buried. If a woman, then at the level of the abdomen.

A Muslim is buried in a nearby cemetery. Before immersion in the grave, the deceased is first lowered to the ground, then raised as high as possible. The deceased is lowered feet first. If a woman is buried, this procedure is carried out behind an unrolled veil. Then a handful of earth is thrown into the grave, water is poured over it 7 times, after which the body is buried. The monument faces Mecca, and Islam prohibits photography on it. Sharia law allows mourning a deceased person, but prohibits doing it loudly. Men are not allowed to cry at funerals.

Funerals take place differently in different cultures. In order to know well how people are buried, it is necessary to study this issue in detail.

Brief description below!

In the life of every person, such an unpleasant event occurs as the death of a loved one. And it happens that the funeral has to be organized personally. As a rule, this bleak event takes people by surprise, which is what funeral directors take advantage of. They process people at the most “appropriate” moment, while the person is still in disarray and has poor understanding and, as a rule, knows nothing about his further actions.

How this happens: as soon as the body arrives at the morgue, the employee first calls “his” agent, and only then the relative of the deceased. Those. When relatives arrive at the morgue, they are already met there by an agent rubbing his hands. These people have no sympathy, it’s just their job, and they treat it the same way you and I treat our work. Moreover, they really like to smile when looking at a potential client, they do not have the awareness in their heads that the event is tragic, the main thing is to win the client over.
We knew that agents would arrive and called the phone number that my grandmother had left “just in case,” by which she was promised a free funeral. As it later turned out, this is the same agent. In general, we agreed to meet at the morgue (and we were informed about the death 3 hours after the death itself and were told to come quickly before the body was sent away forensic examination due to the absence of relatives). We arrived, we were quietly shown into the office, they said that the agent had already called from us and would arrive soon. In the meantime, they described to us the procedures that they are ready to offer us.
I had time to do some research on the situation on the Internet before leaving for the morgue, because... our budget was very weak and there was practically no cash. There was practically no useful information (that’s why I decided to write this guide), I only found a brief description of the procedures required for implementation and prices, as well as about funeral at state expense . It was this point that interested us.
As a result, when they started describing the morgue services and their necessity to us, and then they told us the price for everything, our eyes began to cost five rubles. Woe, woe, but it’s cruel to rob insolently. We nodded and decided to remain silent for now until the agent arrived. The agent had just arrived, they greeted the morgue worker nicely like old friends, joked around the corner and went to process us. straight from one hand, we were released to another, where they continued to process us. While passing us hands, the agent gave a strange phrase to the morgue worker: “Did you tell them about the thing?” We didn’t know about it yet, we put it aside for dessert.
The agent immediately began by describing the beautiful funeral that she should have. close relative, after which she said: “So that I can work with you, you need to pay extra for the coffin, i.e. according to the state budget, we are entitled to a coffin for 2000 rubles, and we only work with expensive ones from 8000 rubles, accordingly you will need to pay an additional 6000 rubles. and everything will be chick-fuck." This moment immediately did not suit us and made us indignant. We categorically refused additional payments and the agent was offended and even started saying humiliating things: “how can you bury your mother in such a terrible coffin, you have to do everything beautifully, expensively.” We were out of touch and bluntly said that there was no money and only a state funeral would save us. To which the agent said that in this case we don’t need her. Because her services cost money. She couldn’t name the exact amount, she kept going around and around, and for about half an hour they pulled clear amounts out of her for the necessary items. As a result, they fished out about 25,000 rubles. at a minimum, while her services cost 8000 rubles. We stayed on the sidelines, promised to think about her services, before leaving, the agent demanded 1000 rubles. for leaving, although this was not agreed upon in advance. We never saw the price list for the services; only after bending the sheet of paper into three pieces, she surreptitiously showed the line where it was written “agent’s departure 1000 rubles.”
As for the “fad” of the morgue worker, there is also a mafia there: the price for morgue services was quoted to us as 12,000 rubles, but if we work with an agent, then we can do it without a check and for 9,000 rubles. Those. the price itself is not official, they inflate it and then divide it among themselves. We called relatives who had already buried, they were also shocked by the price, there are no such things. We went to the morgue worker and said that we had nothing to pay us with, so let’s reduce prices with a “fad”, but without an agent. To which we received the phrase: “What price do you need to meet?” Wow! Well, we called 7000 rubles. She crawled under the table, picked something in the papers, came out and called 4180 rubles. with minimal embalming (this figure is official, this is exactly what is established by law!), and we also never saw a price list for the services. After which she displeasedly sent us out until tomorrow, because... Today they won’t perform an autopsy, and because the pathologist DID NOT WANT - that’s what they said. As a result, the body lay there for a day just like that.
On to the next the day we arrived for a death certificate (we refused the agent), they gave it to us right on the street, without taking us to the office. But we found out in time that for the funeral service in the church we needed another corresponding certificate, we asked for it, to which we received a rude refusal, allegedly we paid little and such a certificate is not included in this price. I had to argue, this is again illegal. As a result, you shouldn’t count on anyone’s help, no one will tell or warn you anything, you’ll have to run 10 times to the same place. It seems that since you are without an agent, then figure it out yourself, we are not obliged to do anything. The Internet is a great thing in this regard.
Immediately after receiving the certificates, we went to the registry office at the place of registration to exchange the death certificate for a death certificate. Everything went quite quickly there, you need to remember that the agent will not be given a certificate, the presence of a relative is required. Then we went to Social Security to arrange funeral arrangements according to our budget. The women sat there lazy; they really didn’t want to deal with us. They don’t give it out at Social Security monetary compensation, everything is done there by bank transfer. If you want to get money, you need to go to pension fund and receive a receipt, which is cashed at the savings bank. Gor. The budget is calculated at 15,000 rubles. (this includes a coffin, grave digging, a wreath, transport). We decided by bank transfer, employees at Social Security had never done this in their lives, and therefore we were puzzled and really wanted to send us to the pension, but it’s a long way to go, and everything needs to be done quickly. Filling out this order took an hour and a half. We didn’t have time to open this order, but we decided to immediately go to the cemetery and agree on everything there (luckily it’s close to the house). Without a signed order, they did not immediately take on us, but then they condescended and filled out everything necessary, and told us to bring the documents on the day of the funeral. As a result, we managed to do almost everything in one day; all that remained was to order funeral services.
On the second day we went straight to State Unitary Enterprise "Ritual", where we arranged all the services. I must say that they are quite far from the metro, it took a while to find them, the walk is not for the weak. The people working there are pretty unpleasant. again they began to say that relatives should not be buried so poorly, poorly and unsightly, they need to invest in the funeral, etc. We endured it with dignity, because... We don’t understand why there is extra tinsel, it’s not a holiday after all, but there are people who really want to arrange a luxurious funeral for a loved one, but due to circumstances they can’t and they will be told this... the person will be hysterical, he will feel so insignificant. In the end, they only included a coffin, slippers, a blanket, transportation and grave digging; they wanted a lot of money for the rest. They also wanted to give us a ride with transport. We scheduled the funeral for the 4th day after death, i.e. already on the trail. day after ordering services. They announced that there were no hearses, we had to argue again, and a car was immediately found.
All that remains is to visit the church and order the funeral service. Everything here is simple and quick, the church was in a cemetery. The workers digging the graves also wanted to load our budget with bearers for the coffin (6 people cost 6,000 rubles), but we had male relatives + the cemetery always has gurneys on which you can safely carry the coffin, the only time hands were needed was from the path to the grave itself. They buried it in winter, so everything was covered in knee-deep snow and they had to pay to clear the path to the grave, but the clearing was very narrow for one person, and you had to carry the coffin from both sides, they got out of it and carried it.

Now for a quick guide:
1. Go to the morgue, refuse the agents, ask for a price list from the morgue worker!, take the death certificate + certificate for the funeral service (if needed)
2. If you agree to work with an agent: ask him for a price list! Keep in mind that you will have to go with an agent to get all the documents, otherwise they won’t issue you. Those. the agent will only shorten the time spent in a particular place and his travel pattern has already been clearly worked out.
3. Go to the registry office at the place of registration of the deceased and obtain a death certificate.
4. Go to Social Security or the pension fund at the place of registration of the deceased and receive instructions for the funeral at the expense of the mountains of the budget (if necessary)
5. If you need to get it in cash, then go to Sberbank.
6. Go to State Unitary Enterprise "Ritual" (or another funeral agency), arrange funeral services: transport and a coffin, it is better to buy the rest in other places - much cheaper.
7. Go to the cemetery, order the digging of a grave (if necessary: ​​buy a place), buy a cross and a wreath. Tombstones and flower beds are bought long after, when the ground settles.
8. Go to church, order a funeral service, buy an icon and candles and a bed for the coffin.
9. On the day of the funeral, drive up to the morgue, find your bus, do not forget the death certificate and passports (must be presented at the morgue and to the driver). You say goodbye to the body in the morgue, go to church or the cemetery.
That's it. It's not so scary when you know everything. In 3 days, they buried a man completely independently and without prompting.

Required documents:
1. To the morgue - outpatient card the deceased (take it from the clinic) and your and the deceased’s passports, if you changed your last name, then a birth and marriage certificate.
2. At the registry office - death certificate, passports, birth and marriage certificates.
3. To the Social Security\Pension Fund - passports, death certificate, pension certificate the deceased, a Muscovite card of the deceased, a birth and marriage certificate.
4. At the cemetery: warrant for a place in the cemetery, death certificate, passport, birth and marriage certificate.
5. For the funeral service - death certificate, certificate for the funeral service, passport.
6. To the funeral agency - death certificate, funeral order (if any), passports.

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

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    Traditions and burial rites

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Funeral service for the deceased

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Burial day

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Farewell to the deceased

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

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

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

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

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

    Wake

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

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

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

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

    What not to do at a funeral

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

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