How to commemorate soul mates on the first Universal Parental Saturday on February 18

On February 18th, Universal Parent Saturday. For Christians, this day is very important. It exists in order to remember all the dead, and first of all they are parents who have already gone to heaven.



There are many traditionIt is associated with the Universal Parent Saturday. It is very important to have the right day. Exactly how to do this, we tell in today’s article.

Ecumenical Saturday is also called Meat Shabbat. This is the first parental Saturday in the Church calendar. She always falls on the eve of Olive Week before Lent. There are two Ecumenical Saturdays this year: February 18 and June 3. They are called so because these days it is customary to commemorate all deceased Orthodox Christians.

On parental Saturdays, it is customary to hold a service in churches so that everyone can feel an eternal, invisible connection with those who are no longer nearby. To attend the funeral services is much more important than the churchyard. Yes, it will not be superfluous to come and remove granite slabs. However, the priests do not believe that this is a mandatory part of parental Sabbath.



In order to spend this day correctly, you must come to the temple and Pray for the peace of those who are no longer with us. Special words should be uttered in memory of people who died as martyrs: drowned, frozen or in a car accident, for example.

Pray not only for the righteous, but also for the sinners. They deserve God to forgive their sins. You can go to church. centristA daily prayer commemoration that will last 40 days. This tradition is characteristic of the Russian Orthodox Church.



If you do not have such an opportunity, it will be enough to come to the morning service and write memorial notes with the names of those you remember. Also on Universal Parental Saturday, food is brought to the temple for donations. This is a great day to help those in need. God sees all our good deeds!

Ideally, it is better to meet Saturday in a clean house. If possible, make a cleanup the day before. Also, if you can, devote this day to sincere prayer, not hard work. Domestic labor and other occupations should be abandoned. However, there are no strict prohibitions in this regard.



If you can't attend church service on parental Saturday, Go to the temple on Friday night. At this time, a great memorial service is served - parastasis. On Friday, you can submit notes for the dead for Saturday, order a mortuary, leave food for a memorial service. Donation can be made to the church circle, because the temple has many other needs.

Believers prepare small memorial dinners at home. It should be on the table. pairingIt is also necessary to prepare kutya. And don’t forget to light a candle that should also be placed on the table. Before you start a meal, you should definitely pray and mention everyone who is no longer alive.



It is not always possible to escape to the temple – this is normal. In this case, pay spiritual attention to the deceased just at home. It is enough to read these words:

Rest, O Lord, the souls of Your dead servants: my parents, relatives, benefactors (their names), and all Orthodox Christians, and forgive them all their free and involuntary sins, and grant them the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen.

Remembering the dead, you can not do it with resentment or anger. Also, Universal Parent Saturday is not suitable for noisy festivities and feasts. If your birthday falls on this day, move the celebration to Sunday. In no case should you remember the dead, eating too much.



If someone begs for alms on the street, you cannot refuse someone in need. You can only give someone a small amount of money. The important thing is that you do it. In addition, on February 18 it is forbidden to swear and swear.

May the Universal Parent Saturday pass peacefully. May God protect the souls of all who are no longer with us.