In the Orthodox calendar, there are separate Parental Days for the commemoration of the departed, the main among which is Radonitsa (or Radunitsa), which falls on the 9th day after Easter. In 2022, Radonitsa will take place on Tuesday, May 3, as we will celebrate Orthodox Easter on April 24.
History
The name of the day of Radonitsa comes from the Slavic "to rejoice", which in the modern concept of the holiday of remembrance of the dead may seem strange. However, our ancestors put into this word not at all sad remembering, but rather cheerful and joyful.
Interesting fact! In the pagan pantheon of the ancient Slavs, Radunitsy were called deities who patronize the dead, keepers of their souls.
According to the testimony of John Chrysostom, already in the IV century, Christians, as a church ritual, performed the Radonitsky rites on the graves of their loved ones. In many places, the peasants believed that it was impossible to remember their parents before Radunitsa, since it was on this day that they first break their fast after Easter.
Radonitsa falls on the 9th day after Orthodox Easter, on Tuesday, but in some cases Radonitsa is postponed to Monday, and if any other Orthodox holiday takes place on Tuesday, then to Wednesday of Fomina (Radonitskaya) week. In some regions of Russia, Fomin's entire week is called Radonitsa.
It is also worth noting that other names of the Radonitsa holiday are also widespread among the people, such as:
- coffins;
- wires;
- Parents' week;
- Red or Radonitskaya week.
It was believed that on the eve of Easter, the Lord opens the gates of heaven and hell, thereby allowing the souls of the dead to visit their homes to celebrate Easter. The living are then supposed to help the souls return back.
Traditions
Important! Neither Easter (in 2022 it is April 24), nor in the Bright week following Easter (April 25-May 1, 2022), the dead are not commemorated in the Church! There are no special services for the deceased, the so-called memorial services, and they do not go to the cemetery. And if someone happened to die on Easter, then the person is even buried according to a special Easter rite.
Radonitsa has a deep history, the roots of which go back to antiquity from pagan holidays. The ancient Slavs had a cult of reverence for their ancestors, they believed that the dead, being in the underworld, could influence the harvest and fertility of the earth. In the Slavic calendar, the memorial week was called Radonitskaya and began on Krasnaya Gorka, which in our time is identical with Fomin's Sunday.
On Radonitsa, there is a custom of celebrating Easter at the graves of the dead, where painted eggs and other Easter dishes are brought, where a memorial meal is served, and part of the cooked is given to the poor brethren in commemoration of the soul. Such communication with the departed, expressed through simple everyday actions, reflects the belief that even after death they do not cease to be members of the Church of that God who “is not the God of the dead, but of the living” (Gospel of Matthew 22:32).
But since our prayer is more important for the soul of the deceased than any ritual around the graves, it is customary to start the day with a visit to the Divine Liturgy. Arriving at the beginning of the service in the temple, believers submit a note with the name of the deceased for his prayer commemoration in the altar during the liturgy. It is believed that there is no more effective prayer than the one that is uttered in an undertone by a priest during the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Therefore, the so-called magpie is often ordered for the deceased - prayer commemorations during the Sacrament of the Eucharist, performed for forty days.
After the Divine Liturgy, a universal or parental requiem is served in churches on Radonitsa. During the memorial service, we, trusting in the mercy of God, ask the deceased for forgiveness of his sins and blessed eternal life.
Memorial services are special funeral services performed both before the burial of the deceased, and after - on the 3rd, 9th, 40th days after death, on the days of his birth and anniversaries of death.
It is important not only to defend the requiem, but also to prayerfully participate in it. According to the correct one, it is worth going to the cemetery in 2022 to Radonitsa only after visiting the Church and saying a prayer for the dead.
Another tradition at Radonitsa is to treat the poor, the poor and the homeless. On this parental day, there are a lot of them in the cemetery and it is not customary to refuse them. They are given part of the food brought with them.
What not to do (prohibitions)
You can work for Radonitsa if there is an urgent need for it, although you should not underestimate the significance of the day. Take some time to pray and go to church. If it is difficult to do on the set date, you can reschedule the visit to another time. It is even allowed to get married, register a marriage, arrange gatherings with friends, family, because this is not a fast day. It is important to agree on the conduct of any sacrament in advance, in order to warn the priest in the church.
It is forbidden on this day to swear, argue and deceive! Pregnant women cannot go to Radonitsa in 2022, and they do not take babies with them. Since ancient times, it has been believed that the dead can drag a child away.
Other days to commemorate the departed
In addition to Radonitsa, there will be other memorial days in 2022 - Parental Saturdays. There will be 7 of them in a year
- November 5, 2022 - Dmitrievskaya parental Saturday;
- February 26, 2022 - Ecumenical parental Saturday;
- March 19, 2022 - Parents' Saturday during Lent;
- March 26, 2022 - Parents' Saturday during Lent;
- April 2, 2022 - Parents' Saturday during Lent;
- May 3, 2022 - Radonitsa;
- June 11 - Trinity parental Saturday.
During the Universal Parental Saturday 2022, prayers for all the dead on earth will be offered in the Temples
The church also gives general recommendations on what to do on parental Saturday. If possible, on this day you need to visit the temple and pray for the soul of the deceased. After the liturgy, you can go to the cemetery, lay flowers, take care of the grave, light a candle and pray again. Then, the whole family can gather for a memorial dinner.
Read also:
- Ascension in 2022
- Forgiveness Sunday 2022
- Petrov post in 2022
