Why bake pancakes, hold on to the shoes of the newly deceased and how to hold it so as not to sin?

When was the last time you saw a normal human funeral? There is nothing more strange and superstitious than the death of a man. burial.

All the "technical" moments associated with the wires of a loved one on the last journey can be divided into two groups: a strictly limited time sanitary procedure at the morgue, and the "official part" - spruce branches, orchestras, drunks and knowledgeable grandmothers who immediately say that relatives do not do so.





Most people try not to think about death. They have no time: they run somewhere, live hastily and are surprised when the life of a loved one ends. And then, in complete helplessness, they ask everyone in a row, “What should I do now?” Some are willing to pay any money and protect themselves from issues related to the funeral. And others, not understanding the depth of what is happening, succumb to false traditions, firmly stuck in the popular consciousness.

Today's edition. "Site" He will try to comfort the grieving and warn the lost. We'll tell you, What does it mean to remember the dead? And why not pay attention to some funeral customs.





The golden rule of any funeral is tradition. mirroring. Most of the mourners are unable to answer the question of why they do this. In bewilderment, they only shrug their shoulders: “It seems that it is necessary, after all, my grandmother said ...” She has been in church for a hundred years and knows how to do it. Ignorance and fear force a person to follow such senseless superstitions.

So let’s see what common rituals Orthodox Christians have. don't follow.

Signs, rites and superstitions at funerals

1. A pancake eaten from the face of the dead will save the deceased from sins and help him to enter paradise. “As he ate a dead pancake and did not choke, so the soul went to paradise. It is holy from the ages...”
   
   
   
   
2. So that the deceased did not suffer in the next world, they put the necessary things in his coffin: a handkerchief, a comb, a razor, money, food.
3. So that there are no more deaths in the family, the next of kin of the deceased is forbidden to carry the coffin.
4. Return to the house immediately after the removal of the coffin and before everyone returns from the cemetery - to near death.
5. To walk in front of the coffin, to cross the path of the funeral procession, to look at the funeral procession from the window, is soon to go after the deceased to the other world.
   
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6. At the wake, the deceased put a glass of vodka (water) and bread, which is then left in the house for 40 days.
7. If the priest does not sing, his soul will turn into a ghost and will forever wander the earth.
8. In order for 40 saints to pass the soul into paradise, a towel is spread out in front of the doorstep of the house, under which 40 coins are placed.
9. So that the deceased did not come to the funeral meal, a glass of vodka is poured on his grave.
10. So that the soul of the deceased does not see its reflection, does not fear and does not return to the world of the living, all mirrors are hung in the house. Mirrors are not opened for 40 days, as the soul periodically returns to the house.
    
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11. In the cemetery, it should be said: “May the earth be to pieces.”
12. So that people who came to honor the memory of the deceased, did not take death to their home, at the threshold should be placed spruce.
13. You can not leave the dead alone not only in the house, but also in the room. A woman should be sitting next to the coffin. If she I fell asleep at the coffin.There will be three more dead in her family.
14. The chair or shop on which the coffin stood must be turned upside down when the deceased is taken to the cemetery. Only in a day the shop can be turned back. And on the place where the coffin stood, they put an axe.
15. Clothing in which a person died should be burned in a wasteland.
    
    
    
    
16. Blood relatives are not allowed to wash the floor in the house where the deceased lay.
17. You cannot dress the deceased in bright clothes. The deceased should not have any knots and rings, and buttons should be unbuttoned.
18. If dead man droppedIn the family of the deceased within three years there will be another dead.
19. Pregnant women are not allowed to go to the cemetery.
20. In order to "buy off" from subsequent deaths, small coins are thrown into the grave.
    
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21. If a thing falls out of the hands of a cemetery, it cannot be lifted, it belongs to the dead.
22. The deceased during his stay in the house should be “grounded”, tied to the finger copper wire, the other end of which should be stuck in a bucket with the earth.
23. The more magnificent the memorial and the more flowers, wreaths on the grave, the easier it is for the dead in the next world. And at the wake you only need spoons.
24. To prevent the dead from dreaming, children are advised to hold on to his shoes.
    
    
    
    

This huge list can be supplemented with other useless rites. They will not be able to do so because they will not make it easier for the deceased to go to another world, nor will it make him happy there. The performance of the above rituals has nothing to do with Orthodoxy.

The funeral rite should begin with mundane procedures: the statement of death by a doctor, examination of the body by the police. And then, if relatives decide to say goodbye to the deceased at home, his body must be specially prepared. To find out, Do they remember the dead? On a certain day and how to properly conduct a funeral, you should ask the advice of the priest, and not listen to the instructions of “experienced”.



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This is how the Holy Fathers describe burialThe body of man is the temple of the spirit that dwells in him, sanctified by the grace of the sacraments. After death, the body of the deceased is washed with clean water, clothed in clean clothes and placed in a coffin. Both the coffin and the remains themselves are sprinkled with holy water. The deceased is covered with a white veil - a shroud, a wreath is placed on the forehead - a paper tape with the image of the Savior, the Mother of God and John the Forerunner. In the hands of the deceased put a small icon or cross.

Before the funeral over the body of the deceased, it is customary to continuously read the Psalms and perform funeral services. The Psalm can be read by any Orthodox Christian. Before taking the deceased out of the house, his relatives can invite a priest who will perform a memorial service at the coffin and lead the funeral procession. Funeral service must be performed in the temple, correspondence funeral service is allowed as an exception.





DepositPhotos Commemorative Meal Begins with prayers for the soul of the deceasedIt ends with prayer. Vodka and other alcoholic beverages are completely excluded. The meaning of the word “to remember” is to remember the virtues that the deceased possessed, and to pray for the forgiveness of his sins.





When accompanying a loved one on his last journey, it is important to think not about his merits, but to pray to the Lord for forgiveness of his sins. You have to trust God, not signs. After all, it is not for nothing that the Orthodox Church calls a deceased person dead, that is, asleep. Death does not mean that a loved one has disappeared. His soul passes into another, eternal world, the spiritual world.

The dead do not need wreaths and lavish wires, they only need sincere prayer. All those who have died in Christ are alive and well. God help you.

Have you ever met someone like that? What do you think we should do to help the dead and not sin before the Lord? Click the “Share on Facebook” button to tell your friends what they want. funeral You don't have to follow.