What time do they bury people according to Orthodox time. The correct procedure for organizing a person's funeral

Death is a natural process that every person has to go through. In all cultures, there are certain ritual actions aimed at seeing off the deceased. How is the funeral ceremony for Russians? Let's take a closer look at the procedure.

What it is

All peoples had certain traditions of farewell to a person. Burial differences are associated with religious and national customs. The body was given to one of the elements:

• earth (burial in a crypt, grave);
• fire (cremation);
• air (hanging the remains);
• water.

Now you can find combined rituals that combine several rituals. The deceased was buried in a natural state or the limbs were bent. Modern traditions favor earth burial.

In many cultures, death is a transition from one world to another. In order not to interfere with the deceased, certain ritual actions must be observed. Some peoples were forbidden to cry and grieve at parting. Others, on the contrary, needed to show their grief as much as possible.

Christianity has had a huge impact on many cultures. The peculiarity of religion is that it did not completely destroy the old customs, but imperceptibly adjusted itself. Funeral rites in Orthodoxy have preserved echoes of ancient pagan beliefs.

How has burial evolved?

The traditional ritual is much longer than what is happening now. It began from the moment the first signs of death appeared. Knowledge about the sacrament was lost, and the modern burial was reduced.

Back in the 19th century, Russian peasants were preparing to leave in advance. It was considered good form if a person made a coffin on his own. It is placed in the attic and filled with grain. On the day of the funeral, cereals were poured out to the birds.

The clothes for the last outfit were also sewn ahead of time. There was a special technique that made it possible to create decoration without a single knot and buttons. Women prepared a “dowry” for both themselves and their spouses. All the necessary attributes for death were tied into a knot.

In the 20th century, an active struggle with Orthodoxy begins, so the ritual lands and simplifies as much as possible. The destruction of faith in the afterlife made the ceremony boring and lean. The sacred meaning of all actions has disappeared, and the banal burial of a dead body remains.

Seeing off

A funeral is an event that will happen to every person. If you carry out all the actions according to the rules, then it will be easier for the deceased to leave the house. Let's analyze the main aspects.

At this stage, it is necessary to prepare the body for the sacrament. People who were not related by blood were invited to wash the remains. The deceased is washed with warm water, reading the prayers “Lord, have mercy” or “Trisagion”. Remember that only representatives of the gender of the deceased are suitable for the procedure.

It is customary for Russians to use clean, new clothes for funerals. You can not take other people's outfits, especially relatives. In this case, the deceased will "take" the person with him. Our ancestors were dressed in the best attire. It was customary for unmarried people to dress up as for a wedding.

The body was laid on the table and covered with a shroud - a white blanket. Before transferring the deceased to the coffin, the remains and the “wooden house” were sprinkled with consecrated water. A pillow was placed under the head, and a “corolla” was placed on the forehead. Remember that the eyes must be closed and the lips closed.

Hands folded crosswise - right over left. To fix the limbs, they were tied with special fetters, which were released before burial. Be sure to put on a cross, and put an icon on the chest: for men, the Savior, and for women, the Mother of God. While the deceased is in the room, a lamp or a candle at the head of the head is lit in the house.

Superstition while the dead man is at home

The funeral rites of Russians are densely overgrown with signs. What are the rules of conduct before the coffin is taken out of the room? There are many points that should not be forgotten.

There is a superstition that you should not leave the dead alone in the room. All items related to death are a desired artifact for sorcerers. Those nearby make sure that nothing is lost or planted in the coffin.

A dead man's open eyes were a bad omen. It is believed that the person on whom the eye falls will soon die. They carefully examine the body, not allowing even the slightest gap between the eyelids.

Old people say that if a dead person accidentally looks into a mirror, he will be captivated and leave without help. knowing person can no longer.

While the coffin is in the room, you can’t sweep it, otherwise you can “sweep out” everyone living in the house. After the remains were taken to the cemetery, there remains a person who cleans up. To expel death, they thoroughly wash the floor and throw away the broom, bucket and rag.

The pieces of furniture on which the sarcophagus stood with the deceased are then turned upside down. You can install it in a normal state only after forty days. So that the spirit would not disturb the residents, stools were broken in the villages and burned at the stake.

Takeaway

Traditions at Russian funerals required the coffin to be placed in the center of the room. The funeral is scheduled between noon and sunset. Any funeral events in the evening are prohibited for the Orthodox. Mirrors were closed in the dwelling and the clock was stopped. Often, towels were hung on the windows, on which the soul rested.

So that the deceased does not take anyone from relatives, it is necessary to take them out with their feet forward. Our ancestors believed that such manipulation would make the deceased forget the way home. When moving the coffin, you must try not to touch the door or walls with it. In the north of Russia, after the deceased left the house, a stone was placed under the corner of the building. Such a charm protected all loved ones from imminent death.

The removal of the deceased is an important procedure, accompanied by the emotional state of relatives. Society condemned those who did not cry at the funeral or did not grieve enough. At the same time, mothers were forbidden to shed tears for the dead children. It was believed that after death they turned into angels, so it was impossible to be sad.

Among the Slavic peoples, traditions forbade leaving the dead alone. There was always someone from friends, neighbors or acquaintances sitting nearby. It is believed that the soul is very vulnerable in the first three days, so they provided maximum support - they said prayers from the Psalter or invited special readers.

Procession

Orthodoxy treated funerals very reverently, so the procession was accompanied by the sobs of relatives. At the head was a man who carried a crucifix or an icon on a funeral towel. According to church rules, blood relatives and friends must carry the coffin with the remains. But the superstition that the action was trusted exclusively to strangers became stronger.

Since pagan times, fears of death remained, so they tried not to touch the funeral attributes with their hands. The lid and the sarcophagus were carried with gloves or on special cloths. In winter, they brought to the cemetery on a sleigh. Now this mission is carried out by hearses.

The first person the procession met along the way had to be given bread wrapped in a towel. This ancient ritual symbolized the rendezvous of the world of the living and the abode of the dead. The "traveler" was obliged to pray for the soul of the deceased.

It was forbidden for the procession to stop before the cemetery or church. The only exceptions could be only places dear to the deceased. It was believed that the more respected the deceased was, the longer the coffin was carried.

Signs of a funeral procession

After the coffin was taken out of the house, there were certain superstitions. If the funeral procession went past the windows, then our ancestors tried to wake up all the sleeping ones. It was believed that the deceased took with him any person who was in a slumber.

The Orthodox funeral rite forbade looking at the procession through glass. According to signs, the soul was nearby and could be offended by such uncultured behavior. Disease and quick death became the punishment for the insolent. The old people advised not to stare out the window and at the dead man, but to look away, to make the sign of the cross over oneself.

You can not cross the road before the funeral procession. If a person died from an accident or illness, then the trouble "jumped" to the violator of the taboo. It is better to wait out the procession on the sidelines than to receive a negative blow to the aura.

When a dead man is taken out of the house, the old people advised against looking in the windows. A careless movement of the head will attract death to these dwellings. So that the relatives of the deceased do not die, during the procession it is impossible to turn back.

memorial service

A church service for the deceased was held before burial. It can be done both in the temple and at home. The priest reads prayers and psalms to help calm the soul and adapt it to the new world. The texts figuratively tell about the earthly path of a person and his ordeals in life. At the end, mention is made of heavenly conduct and great love to people.

Why is a memorial service needed? When the spirit leaves the body, demons gather around it and try to drag it to hell. It is at this moment that the maximum help of the church is needed, and the action of the ritual facilitates the transition. For three days after death, the soul will be in places where they pray for it.

A secular memorial service is a farewell ceremony at the coffin that precedes burial. The civil ceremony does not carry any religious overtones, although it often takes place in the presence of a priest. There are no serious requirements for the ritual, so it is carried out according to established traditions or the will of the deceased.

Funeral signs - superstitions, traditions, rituals

Orthodox funeral. funeral rite

5 FUNERAL TYPES IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES | De facto

burial

Christian funeral rites are performed until the sun begins to set below the horizon. There remains the pagan belief that daylight takes with him the soul of the deceased. If relatives do not have time to bury the coffin before this period, then one of the relatives will leave after the deceased.

Saying goodbye to the deceased, it is necessary to kiss him on the halo on his forehead. You are allowed to cry and lament. The priest says prayers. The lid is nailed and the body is gently lowered into the pit. A sacred action is a handful of soil thrown into the grave with the words: "The earth rest in peace."

In the pit, the coffin is placed facing east. A cross is set at the feet, facing the west. According to beliefs, the "look" of the deceased should fall on the Christian symbol. Ancient traditions demanded that only a wooden monument, handmade by relatives, be on the grave. Modern stone slabs do not correspond to folk beliefs.

Sometimes a ritual of redemption of land was performed at the cemetery. Those present took small coins and threw them into the pit. These are fragments of pagan rites that have come down to our times. Orthodox traditions exclude any non-Christian practices.

Returning from the cemetery, it was important not to bring a particle of the world of the dead with you. The earth was carefully shaved off the shoes, and those in contact with the deceased were washed in the bath. It is impossible to invite an orchestra for the funeral of Russian Christians. It is forbidden to make a burial at Christmas or Easter.

Signs in the cemetery

A grave not dug to size is true omen death of a family member. It has the same meaning forgotten at home cap or mourning wreaths. Remember that you need to nail up the coffin only at the burial site. Death will take not only the person who violated the ban, but also the family of the deceased.

Children and pregnant women were forbidden to attend the funeral. Babies do not have natural energy protection, so a negative attack from evil forces is possible. Demolition women could get severe damage, which will be inherited by the baby. The first comer relied on food "for the mention."

Already at the cemetery they enter through the gate, and the deceased is transported through the main gate. On the way back, you can choose any path. Remember that they don’t go ahead of the dead either. First they carry the coffin, and then the living ones come up.

When nails are driven into the lid, care must be taken that the shadow of a person does not fall on the sarcophagus or grave. Old people paid attention to the fact that there were no rings on the dead man, and the buttons were unbuttoned. Before lowering into the pit, be sure to untie the knot that fastens the fetters. If you forget to do this, then someone close to you will die.

If a inner strength pushes a person away from the deceased, then you should not rape yourself and kiss the departed in the whisk. The living are often afraid of the dead, so they cannot overcome their fears. By the way, in ancient times it was possible to get rid of fear by simply touching the leg of the deceased.

commemoration

According to the rites, after the burial, a modest table is organized for the diggers of the pit. Obligatory dishes are kutia, pancakes, and the rest is at the request of relatives. Alcohol was not a necessary product, so its availability was discussed in advance. On the mound they left bread or cookies for the birds, which were considered the souls of the dead.

A commemoration was held on the day of the funeral, 9 and 40 days after death. Our ancestors believed that angels brought the soul of the deceased to the house where they were waiting for it. During this period, one had to go to the cemetery to taste food with the deceased. A little was left on the grave, and also distributed to people.

The funeral rite gathered relatives, friends and the poor at the same table. It was believed that while the spirit travels the earth, he experiences the same needs as the living. For him, a special place was allocated under the images and a separate device was placed. A spoonful of kutya was placed on a plate, and a glass of drink was covered with a piece of bread.

Christian traditions forbade people from drinking alcohol. Intoxicated drink is a relic of pagan feasts. An excess of alcohol leads a person to sinful thoughts, preventing the soul of the deceased from moving to another world.

The ceremony cannot be held weekdays Great post. The event has been rescheduled to next Saturday or Sunday. After the wake, it was customary to distribute alms. Now this procedure has been transformed into a ceremony of giving cookies and sweets.

Signs after the funeral

The rules say that after the cemetery it was impossible to visit. It was believed that a person carries a particle of death in himself, so a tragedy is possible in this house. Leaving the churchyard, the ancestors did not recommend looking back.

During the commemoration, they put the image of the departed, and next to it - a glass of drink and bread. Anyone who drinks or eats the food of the dead will soon die. The same applies to animals. To grant misfortune, the liquid was poured outside the home and the product buried or burned.

After they arrived from the cemetery, people always warmed their hands with live (open) fire or washed them in hot water. It was customary to light candles and hold limbs over them. The flame burns all negative energy, which is located in the places of death.

At the wake, it is forbidden to grieve and cry a lot. Ancestors believed that a person goes to a better world, and in the tears of loved ones he can drown. You can't get drunk at a funeral dinner. Such a thoughtless act puts the curse of alcoholism on the family. The first pancake, a spoonful of kutya and jelly are given to the deceased.

Already at home, a glass of water is poured, which is covered with bread on top and sprinkled with salt. The object stands for forty days, after which everything is poured out and buried outside the house. Care must be taken to ensure that no one accidentally spills liquid or takes away food.

Meal on the ninth day

Orthodox traditions require relatives to gather at the same table 9 days after death. The ritual passed from pagan ancestors and was firmly entrenched in Orthodoxy. Why is this rite necessary?

It is believed that from the ninth to the fortieth day the soul wanders through ordeals - barriers in the form of sins. Helpers with evil are good angels. Only after passing the “examination” can a person appear before God for a final judgment.

Relatives of the deceased create an appropriate atmosphere in the room where the commemoration will take place. Allocate a separate place where you can put a glass of water, bread and light a candle. In the morning, a prayer service is ordered in the temple and alms are distributed for the repose.

Not only blood relatives, friends, but also colleagues gather at the table. The more people there are, the easier it is for the soul. According to tradition, no one is invited to the wake. Only those who consider it important to remember the deceased come. But if they are afraid that someone will forget about the date, then it is allowed to remind them a few days before the event.

Compulsory dishes are compote, kutya or any porridge. It is they who become the link that connects the lost loved one and those around them. Remember that you are not just going to eat. On this day, the best moments in the life of the deceased are remembered.

Features of forty days

An important ritual completes the funeral rites. According to beliefs, the soul is still on earth for 40 days after death. During this time, she goes through ordeals and prepares for the transition to another world. The last line after which a person goes to heaven or hell.

Christian customs recommend that loved ones come together at the same table on this day. The commemoration ritual is the farewell to the deceased, so it is important to properly prepare for action. A prayer service for the repose is ordered in advance and alms are given to the poor. In the morning they go to the cemetery with flowers: they light a consecrated candle on the grave and leave sweets on the mound.

Remember that an event is not a way to meet relatives or acquaintances. Songs, fun and the use of alcoholic beverages are prohibited at the meal. Kutya and pancakes are an obligatory dish on the table, vegetable salads and fish dishes are allowed. In the house, a place is allocated for the deceased, having a glass of water and a piece of bread.

The feast begins with a moment of silence. Each of those gathered utters a kind word about the deceased. It is important to restrain emotions and not cry: a loved one is on his last day on earth, so there is no need to overshadow his stay.

Important things for relatives

Death is grief for loved ones, which knocks them out of their usual lives. This is often used by sorcerers to perform magical rituals. To avoid such mistakes, we will analyze the most likely actions.

Nothing can be put in the coffin, especially other people's things, photographs, money. An object buried in the ground will “call” the owner behind him. This is a very terrible sorcery that hits both the owner and the final performer.

A towel is often spread around the sarcophagus. Remember that it is forbidden to step on it: everything related to the funeral ritual must be lowered into the grave or burned. The exception is consecrated icons. Orthodox traditions forbid the destruction of shrines, but they cannot be kept at home either. We recommend taking the images to the temple.

Fetters, washing water and hygiene items are the most powerful magical artifacts. Every sorcerer hunts for such things and tries to get it by any means. The ropes are buried along with the coffin, and the liquid is poured far from home. The comb and soap used to cleanse the body are left in the grave.

Features of life after the funeral

Orthodox rules required loved ones to adhere to mourning. During this period, any entertainment activities are undesirable, including TV and social networks. Most often, a nine-day period is observed, and only then you can move on to your usual life.

Black clothing is optional. The church does not recommend puzzling over outfits. It is better to devote time to prayer and remembrance of the deceased. Our ancestors donated money to the bell, each sound of which repented of the sins of the deceased.

Is it possible to get married after a funeral? Often the preparations for the event take several months. If a emotional condition couples allow the ceremony, the event is not canceled. In Orthodoxy, weddings are allowed until the fortieth day after death.

There is a superstition that after the funeral you can not wash and cut your hair during the period of mourning. The sign is an echo of pagan beliefs, and the church does not consider it necessary to follow such a requirement. During this period, they put candles for the repose in the temple and distribute alms to the poor.

For 40 days you can not do anything with the things of the deceased. The exception is the bed on which the person died - it is thrown away or burned. At the end of mourning, clothes are distributed as a keepsake to loved ones or the poor. It is undesirable to sell or change to something else.

We figured out how Russian funerals go. Ancient pagan traditions are so closely intertwined with Orthodoxy that it is difficult to determine what is right and what is superstition. Our recommendations will help to observe the subtleties of the last ritual.

Find out why they are buried on the 3rd day after death and what traditions and superstitions are associated with this date. The third day is one of the memorial days, like the ninth, fortieth, year and sometimes six months.

In the article:

Why they bury on the 3rd day after death - funeral traditions

Due to the spiritual relationship between Christ and the human soul, the third day is considered suitable for burial. It is on the third day after death that all connections between the soul and the body are finally cut off. The intangible component of a person goes into Heavenly Kingdom accompanied . The day before and on the day of death, the soul is still in the world of the living. She should not see her funeral - this is a lot of stress for a recently deceased person.

In addition, the third day after death is identified with the Trinity. The third day is always a memorial day. Wake, as a rule, is held after the burial of the human body. Tretiny thus aligned with the day of the funeral. It is impossible to calculate their offensive mathematically by adding three. So, for example, for a person who died on January 18, thirds will not come on January 21, but on January 20.

Priests say that it is impossible to bury before 3 days. The soul is still attached to the body, and it will have nowhere to go if it is buried earlier. Only on the third day will she go to watch the heavens with her angel. The connection between the soul and the dead body cannot be broken; for this, there is a natural process provided by God. In addition, it is far from immediately that she can get used to the absence of a physical body so quickly. Usually three days are enough for this.

Burying later, for example, on the 4th or 5th day after death is allowed. The Church does not object to such delays - situations are different. It can be difficult for relatives living far away to get there in a short period of time, it is not always possible to make full preparations for the funeral ceremony - there can be many reasons to postpone the funeral for several days. Wake in this case is also transferred - they are held after the funeral. But prayers and orders for services in the church cannot be cancelled.

The third day after death and its meaning in Christianity

The location of the soul of the deceased and its path in the afterlife is known to Orthodox Christians thanks to revelations Saint Macarius of Alexandria. According to him, the state of souls was recorded from the first to the fortieth day after death. Way forward the deceased depends on the verdict that will be delivered at the Heavenly Court. In addition, many believe in reincarnation, but it has nothing to do with the Orthodox tradition.

So, after death, the soul separates from the body. The day of death is considered the first day after death. Even if a person died a few minutes before midnight, you need to count the days after death from the date that is on the calendar. On the first and second days, his spirit roams the world of the living, accompanied by a guardian angel. He visits his favorite places, looks at dear and close people. According to the Saint, the soul of the deceased also visits the place of death and the coffin with his body.

On the third day after death, the soul ascends to heaven along with the guardian angel. There she sees God for the first time. A visit to his throne for bowing will be made three times - on the third, ninth and fortieth days. After the third day, the soul goes to see Paradise. But this is not forever, the Judgment will take place only on the fortieth day. And before him, each soul will see Hell, and will also pass tests that will indicate its level of spirituality and the degree of sinfulness. They are called ordeals of the soul.

Therefore, three days after death is an important period for both the deceased and his living relatives. At this time, his spirit is preparing for trials, and also looks at Paradise, so that on the ninth day it will again appear to bow to the Lord. What can relatives do to alleviate his plight? Observance of traditions and customs such as commemoration, prayers and church services will help the deceased to obtain blessings and go to Paradise.

Why exactly the third day? It is known that Jesus Christ resurrected on the third day after the crucifixion. Similarly, the resurrection of each person takes place, but not in the world of people, but in heaven. The third day after death is called tretiny.

According to the book of Enoch, the entrance to Paradise was closed after the fall of Adam and Eve. The Garden of Eden is guarded by a cherub angel, who was instructed from above not to let anyone through. Everyone, both sinners and the righteous, can only go to hell. The only exception to this rule was Enoch. However, the church does not recognize this source, and in the Orthodox tradition it is generally accepted that at least from the third to the ninth day all the dead are in Paradise.

It is generally accepted that any soul can be prayed for. That is why, even if you are sure that your loved one was an avid sinner, you need to continue to pray for his soul, indulgence at the Heavenly Court and admission to Paradise.

Three days after death - how to remember on this day

On the third, as well as on the ninth and fortieth days, be sure to order memorial service. Let there be a service in the church for the repose of the soul of the deceased. This will help her pass all the tests of the afterlife, as well as receive an acquittal at the Heavenly Court. In addition, one should read prayers in the temple and at home, as well as light candles for the repose of the soul. It is advisable to give alms to the poor in the cemetery and near the church.

Wake on the third day usually occurs after the funeral - it is on this day that the bodies of the dead are supposed to be buried. Everyone who attended the funeral is invited to attend. Traditionally, all guests go to commemorate the deceased immediately from the cemetery. If a trip to the church is planned after the funeral, then those invited go to the wake from there.

Before the start of the feast, the prayer "Our Father" is read. Then kutya is served - a traditional ritual dish of wheat or rice with the addition of honey, sugar or jam. On the third day, it is allowed to add raisins to kutya. It is served first, and it should also be the first dish for everyone present. If you do not like kutya, you need to eat at least three spoons.

A memorial meal should not be luxurious, gluttony is a great sin. If the relatives of the deceased indulge in sin, commemorating him, this will reflect in a bad way on his afterlife. Fish dishes, as well as compote or jelly, must be present on the table. There should be no alcoholic beverages, both at the wake and at the cemetery as an offering to the deceased.

It is supposed to distribute sweets and pastries to guests, neighbors and strangers after a funeral or commemoration, so that they commemorate the deceased. If food and dishes remain after the funeral meal, they must be distributed to the poor as alms. In any case, it is impossible to throw them away, it is a sin.

In general, sooner or later every person has to face the need to bury relatives and friends. Therefore, anyone will need information on how to properly observe Orthodox traditions regarding memorial days. After the death of a person, his relatives are able to help only in this way. Follow the traditions, pray, order prayers - and, most likely, the soul of your relative will go to Paradise.

The funeral of a person is a rite of burial of the deceased, symbolizing farewell and the end of earthly life and the beginning of a new, eternal one. The entire funeral ritual among the Slavs has both Christian and pagan roots, closely intertwined and no longer separable due to centuries-old foundations.

Orthodox funerals in Russia, perhaps most fully combined pre-Christian traditions burial and religious rules and burial order, traditions after the funeral.

This is due to the relative tolerance of Orthodoxy towards pagan survivals, the presence of many social and historical features in various parts of the country.

Tradition, burial of the deceased in every culture and religion is accompanied by a certain ceremony and rituals. The mysterious and mystical transition from the realm of the living to the realm of the dead is beyond the scope of human understanding, so people, depending on the religious worldview, historical and cultural features, have developed a whole system of rules and traditions for funerals. They should help the deceased to get used to the new world - after all, the vast majority of religions and beliefs proceed from the fact that death means only the end of the earthly period of existence.

The ritual ceremony is performed primarily to help the deceased, although at present many mistakenly consider the observed customs of burial and commemoration as a desire to support loved ones and relatives, share the bitterness of loss with them, and show a sense of respect for the deceased.

Stages of the funeral, Orthodox funeral traditions in Russia include the following main events and rituals, which together represent a sequential burial procedure;

• preparation;
• wires;
• funeral service;
• burial;
• remembrance.

Everyone has to bury loved ones. It is important to observe the funeral ritual. Russian Orthodox traditions have long been established (including those not currently used or used in remote areas by the Orthodox). There is a mandatory minimum that a person involved in the burial procedure needs to know.

An Orthodox person should know the minimum necessary for the proper construction of a funeral.

Such information is especially important for believers. Many people come to God in adulthood and do not know some customs, attaching importance to superstitions that are not related to religion and, thereby, not helping the soul of the deceased to enter into afterlife. For non-believers, the observance of traditions is important out of a sense of respect for the deceased and those who gathered to see him off.

Preparation for burial

Preparation is the pre-burial stage of the funeral, which includes several component ritual events. When preparing the body for burial, some pagan customs are also observed. Death in Christianity is considered as the beginning of the road to a new life, so the deceased must be prepared and collected for the road. The preparation of the body of the deceased for the unearthly path has both a religious and mystical content, and a sanitary and hygienic component.

body washing

The deceased must appear before the Creator clean both spiritually and bodily.

The mystical component of the rite is that the body was to be washed by certain people - the washers.

They could not be closely related to the deceased, so that tears would not fall on the body. Mourning for the deceased is not compatible with the Christian understanding of death as a transition to eternal life and a meeting with God. There is a belief that a mother's tear burns a dead child. The washers were chosen from among the old virgins and widows who are clean and do not commit bodily sins. For work, linen and clothes of the deceased relied as a reward.

The body was washed on the floor at the threshold of the house, the deceased was located with his feet to the stove. used warm water, comb and soap. It was believed that otherworldly dead forces pass to the things used when washing, so it was necessary to get rid of them as soon as possible. Pots containing water for washing, combs, soap residues were thrown into the ravine, carried out to the crossroads, beyond the field. The used water was considered dead and poured out in the far corner of the yard, where people did not go and nothing landed.

All these traditions are a reflection of the mystical component of the pagan understanding of death and fear of the other world.

Compliance with such rituals was necessary so that the dead would not come from the other world and take their loved ones with them. The Christian meaning lies in the need to purify before God not only spiritual, but also bodily. Modern washing in the morgue has a purely sanitary and hygienic content.

Deceased's vestments

Now it is traditional to dress the deceased man in a dark suit and white shirt, women in light colors. However, in the era Ancient Russia and in the Middle Ages everyone was buried in white. This tradition combined both Christian ideas about the purity of the soul and the traditional white robes adopted in Russia.

Traditionally, the deceased is dressed in white.

Chosen for burial best clothes of the deceased, special funeral sets or new suits and dresses are often purchased, which also symbolizes the purity of a person before God. Feet are shod in white slippers without hard soles - a familiar symbol of funeral accessories. It is forbidden to use clothes of relatives or other people. The head of women is covered with a scarf, which is combined with Christian and cultural traditions, a wreath is put on a man with a prayer.

Separate traditions are observed in relation to deceased young girls and boys who did not have time to marry.

Death young man is always an exceptional event. Premature death at the most active age causes particular regret and sadness. Unmarried girls, both in the old days and now, are buried in white, and often in wedding dresses, put a veil in the coffin. The funeral of the bride may be accompanied by some wedding customs - drinking champagne, singing wedding songs.

For dead young people who did not have time to marry, wedding rings are put on the ring finger of the right hand. The dressing of young people takes place in the same way as in preparation for the wedding ceremony. Similar traditions exist not only in the Orthodox world.

Position in the coffin

After washing and dressing, the deceased is placed on a bench facing the icons, spreading straw or something soft. Silence must be observed in the house, telephones, audio-video equipment must be turned off. Mirrors, glass surfaces other than windows (cabinet and sideboard doors, interior doors, etc.) must be covered with white paper or cloth, photographs and paintings removed or hung.

The coffin (the obsolete name domina - from the word "house") is considered as the last earthly refuge of a person. This element is given much attention in the funeral procedure.

In ancient times, coffins could be made whole from a tree trunk. In its usual form, this ritual object is made of boards, modern materials(chipboard, plastic, etc.), metals can only be used for decoration and decoration (the exception is zinc coffins in certain cases). For the manufacture of any type of wood except aspen can be used. Inside the coffin is lined with soft material. Expensive coffins can be polished, trimmed with valuable materials and upholstered in a soft finish. The body is placed on a white cover - a sheet or cloth. A small pillow is placed under the head. A prepared coffin can be regarded as an imitation of a bed, the deceased is laid down in such a way that it is “comfortable”. Sometimes women during their lifetime prepare a pillow for themselves in the coffin, stuffed with their own hair.

The coffin in the Christian tradition is an imitation of a bed

The baptized are buried with a pectoral cross. An icon is placed in the coffin, a chaplet on the forehead and “manuscript” - a written or printed prayer that absolves sins. It is invested in right hand deceased, A candle is placed on the chest in crossed arms. The deceased can put things that he constantly used or especially valued during his lifetime. It has become common to be buried with cell phones.

Previously, mittens were worn to transfer the body to the coffin, the house was constantly fumigated with incense. Until the removal of the coffin, you can not throw garbage out of the house - this custom is observed in our time.

Seeing the deceased

Seeing off the deceased is also a symbiosis of Orthodox rites, mystical beliefs and traditions and takes place in several stages. Currently, modern traditions are closely intertwined with established old customs, which include:

• the establishment of a portrait and awards of the deceased at the coffin, their demonstration in the funeral procession;
• farewell speeches;
• placement of photographs on grave monuments and crosses;
• funeral music, singing, fireworks;
• condolences through the media, etc.

Farewell to the deceased

The coffin is placed in the room on a table covered with cloth, or on stools with their feet towards the door. The cover is located vertically with a narrow part to the floor in the corridor, often on the landing. For 3 days, the coffin with the body of the deceased must remain in the house.

Relatives, friends, acquaintances and neighbors come to visit the deceased. The doors don't close. At night, relatives and friends should gather around the coffin - to say goodbye to the deceased, to remember his worldly life, the events in which the deceased was a participant.

Previously, relatives or specially invited persons (not necessarily priests) read the psalter over the coffin without fail. Now the observance of this tradition is at the discretion of the next of kin. Above the deceased one should read the canon “Following the Exodus of the Soul from the Body”.

If there are images in the house, it is necessary to put a glass of water in front of them, covered with a piece of bread. Water and bread can be placed on the windowsill. It is believed that the soul of the deceased does not immediately leave the earth. The food and drink on display can reflect both pagan sacrifice to the spirit of the deceased, and Christian ideas about the stay of the soul on earth after death for 40 days - a prime example interweaving of pagan and Christian rites. At the head of the coffin, on a table or other elevation, a candle is lit, and a lamp should be lit in front of the images. Candles can be installed in the corners of the domino.

A portrait with a black ribbon is set at the head of the coffin, awards are placed on a pillow at the feet. Wreaths are lined up along the walls of the room, a wreath from relatives is placed at the feet between the coffin and the pillow with awards. People who come to say goodbye usually do not take off their shoes. It is required to stand or sit near the coffin for a while, for a long time or during the night only relatives gather at the deceased. Chairs or benches should be placed along the coffin in the room with the deceased. Farewell is carried out until the removal of the body.

At present, the tradition of a three-day farewell is not observed in megacities and major cities but in small towns and countryside preserved everywhere.

Compliance with the three-day farewell is at the discretion of the relatives and depends on the actual circumstances in which the burial takes place.

Often the body for burial is taken from the mortuary already prepared, the procession immediately goes to the church or to the cemetery. The clergy do not insist on the exact observance of all this does not affect.

Removal of the body and funeral procession

The removal of the body is appointed no earlier than 12 - 13 hours and with the expectation that the burial occurs before sunset. Usually they try to carry out the removal before 14 - 00. They take out the deceased with their feet forward, without touching the threshold and door jambs, which should protect against the return of the dead. There is another special protective rite - replacing the place of the deceased. It is necessary to sit for some time on the table or stools on which the coffin was located, and then turn them upside down for a day.

Removal of the body begins at 12 - 13 hours

Before the removal, those who came to say goodbye and see off on their last journey line up along the route of the procession. Initially, wreaths, a portrait of the deceased, a pillow with orders and medals, and a coffin lid are taken out of the house. After 10-15 minutes, they take out the coffin and carry it to the hearse, relatives go out behind the coffin. In front of the hearse, the coffin is placed on stools for several minutes and left open to give the opportunity to say goodbye to those people who have not been at home and are not going to the funeral service and the cemetery.

In a hearse, the coffin is placed on a special pedestal with the head forward, wreaths are laid.

A specific custom during the removal is the mourning of the deceased, and more often non-relatives or close people mourn. Lamentations over the coffin and tears, according to tradition, should characterize the personality of the deceased. The better the relationship with others and respect from society, the more crying. In the old days, there were special mourners who were specially invited to the ceremony. Folklore has also preserved funeral lamentations - songs-lamentations that were sung in a hoarse howling voice.

The funeral procession from the door of the house to the hearse is built in the following order:

• orchestra;
• master of ceremonies;
• a man carrying a portrait;
• people carrying pillows with awards of the deceased;
• people with wreaths;
• people carrying a coffin lid;
• carrying the coffin;
• close relatives;
• others who say goodbye.

There was an interesting ritual of the first meeting, personifying the unity of earthly and unearthly life. The rite consisted in the fact that the first person met by the procession was given bread, which he wrapped in a towel. The gifted had to pray for the repose of the soul of the deceased. It was assumed that the deceased should be the first to meet in the other world the person who was presented with bread. Along the way, the procession with the coffin scattered grain for the birds. The presence of birds was considered good sign, sometimes they were identified with the souls of the dead.

According to church canons, the funeral procession could only stop in the church and near the cemetery. Often, the movement slowed down or stopped when passing any memorable for the deceased or iconic places and objects: near the house of a recently deceased neighbor or relative, at crossroads, near crosses, etc. As they passed through such places, some of the mourners could be weeded out.

This custom is to some extent combined with the traditions associated with the 40-day stay of the soul of the deceased on earth. During this period, the soul visits the most significant places for a person in earthly life.

The coffin is not allowed to be carried by the next of kin. Most often, porters are either specially invited people, or friends, colleagues and distant relatives. The ceremony of carrying the coffin is very different from the one that existed before. What remains in common is that the farther the coffin is carried on the hands, the more respected position the deceased occupied. On the way to the coffin, fresh flowers are scattered - carnations for the deceased man and roses for women and girls.

funeral service

The deceased is buried on the 3rd day after death, except for the days of Holy Pascha and the Nativity of Christ. The ceremony is performed only once, in contrast to memorial services, which can be served both before burial and repeatedly after. Only baptized people are allowed to perform the funeral service. Those who have renounced the faith or excommunicated from the church, suicides, cannot be reprimanded. In absolutely exceptional cases, the latter can be buried with the blessing of the bishop.

Suicides are not buried in church

To perform the ceremony, the coffin with the deceased is brought into the church and placed with his head to the altar. Those gathered are nearby, holding burning church candles in their hands. The priest proclaims the Eternal Memory and reads a prayer of permissiveness, with which the unfulfilled oaths lying on the deceased and the sins committed by him during his lifetime are released. Permissive prayer does not forgive sins that the deceased did not consciously want to repent of, only those recognized at confession or about which the deceased did not report due to ignorance or forgetfulness can be forgiven.

A sheet with the words of a prayer is put into the hands of the deceased.

At the end of the prayer, those gathered put out the candles and walk around the coffin, kiss the chaplet on the forehead and the icon on the chest, and ask for forgiveness from the deceased. After the farewell is over, the body is covered with a shroud. The coffin is closed with a lid, after the funeral it can no longer be opened. With the singing of the Trisagion, the deceased is carried out of the temple, the procession moves to the burial place. There is a procedure if it is not possible to deliver the deceased to the temple or invite the clergyman home.

burial

The burial must be completed before sunset. By the time the body is delivered to the burial site, the grave must be ready. If the burial is carried out without a funeral service, the coffin is closed at the dug grave, after giving the audience the opportunity to finally say goodbye to the deceased. They say over an open coffin last speeches, remember the virtues and good deeds of the deceased. The coffin is lowered into the grave on long towels. Those gathered take turns throwing a handful of earth on the lid of the coffin, the relatives are the first to pass. You can briefly pray to yourself with the words: God rest the soul of your newly-departed servant (name), and forgive him all his sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant him the Kingdom of Heaven. This prayer is also performed at a memorial dinner before a new dish.

May be accompanied by a number of customs and ritual actions:

1. Together with the coffin, church candles that burned in the temple during the funeral ceremony are lowered into the grave.
2. Small coins are thrown into the grave. This custom is interpreted as the purchase by the dead of a place in the cemetery from the "owner" of the underworld or a place in the next world, payment for passage to another world.
3. After instillation, a tear handkerchief is left on the grave.

These customs have pagan roots, but do not contradict Orthodox canons.

On the grave mound a temporary Orthodox cross or an obelisk, another sign with a photograph of the deceased, the name and dates of life. A permanent monument can be installed no earlier than the next year after the burial. The grave is usually buried by working cemeteries - diggers. After the burial, the custom prescribes to treat the workers with traditional funeral dishes and vodka for the repose of the soul. Leftover food is scattered on the grave to attract birds.

The funeral of military personnel, participants in the war and hostilities, employees of law enforcement agencies is accompanied by a salute from small arms.

In the old days, there was an interesting ritual - hidden alms. For 40 days after the burial, relatives secretly laid out alms for poor neighbors on the windows and on the porch - bread, eggs, pancakes, pieces of canvas, etc. The gifted had to pray for the deceased, while it was believed that they took part of the sins to themselves. The distribution of alms is also associated with the customs of distributing tearful handkerchiefs, pies, and sweets. in some places, new wooden spoons were distributed so that the deceased was remembered every time they ate. Wealthy relatives could make large donations for a new bell (it was believed that the bell could rescue a sinful soul from hell). There was a custom to give a neighbor a rooster so that he would sing for the sins of the deceased.

Remembrance

The funeral ends with a memorial dinner, to which everyone is invited. The commemoration serves not only to remind the deceased, but also personifies the continuation of life. The memorial meal has certain features in the choice and sequence of dishes. The basis, the head of nutrition in Russian traditions was bread, flour products. Wake begins and ends with pancakes or pancakes with honey, kutya. Kutya, depending on local characteristics, is prepared from wheat grains boiled in honey, rice with sugar and raisins.

Meat soup or soup is served on the first course. For the second, porridge (barley, millet) or potatoes with meat are prepared. Separate appetizers can be served with fish, jelly. On fasting days, meat is replaced with fish and mushrooms. A sweet third is required. According to old traditions, the third should be oatmeal jelly, but nowadays it is replaced with compote. Can serve as separate snacks Fried fish, jelly. At the wake, they are treated to vodka, women can be offered wine.

Mandatory attribute are pies with meat, cabbage, sweets. Pies are distributed to those present so that they treat them to their household.

Wakes are held on the 9th and 40th day. Day 9 means an appeal to 9 angelic ranks, which act as those asking God for condescension and pardon for a sinful soul. From the 9th day after the funeral to the 40th, the soul is doomed to wander through the ordeals, representing visits to various places where sins were committed. Angels must help the soul overcome sinful obstacles on the way to another world. The Creator does not initially assign the soul to either hell or heaven. Within 40 days, the deceased atones for his sins, an assessment of the deed good and evil is carried out. The wake is held in the form of a memorial meal. At the time of the commemoration, the house is cleaned in the same way as during the farewell to the deceased within 3 days after death.

Day 40 is the last day of the soul's stay in this world. On this day, the Supreme Court is held, the soul returns for a while to its former dwelling and remains there until the farewell - commemoration. If the farewell is not arranged, the deceased will suffer. On the 40th day, the further extraterrestrial life of a person is determined. There is a custom for 40 days to hang a towel in the corner of the house. The soul, returning home after ordeals, wipes itself with a towel and rests.

Sweet pies are an obligatory dish of the funeral table

Prayer is able to alleviate the fate of a sinful soul in extraterrestrial life, so the relatives of the deceased order a funeral service (mass) in the church with the remembrance of the deceased for 6 weeks after death - magpie. Instead of Mass, you can order a reading of Magpie to a reader who reads the canon for 40 days in the house of the deceased. The names of the dead are recorded in the annual commemoration - synodic.

Mourning for the head of the family is observed for a longer time than for the elderly. Externally, mourning is expressed in wearing dark clothes.

Women wear a black headscarf for 40 days after the funeral. During the period of mourning, they often visit the deceased at the cemetery, go to church, refuse entertainment and celebrations. Longer periods of mourning characterize the severity of the loss. Mothers of dead children and young widows observe mourning for up to a year or more. With regard to deceased elderly parents, spouse in old age, mourning can be reduced to 6 weeks. Men adhere to the mourning form of clothing to participate in funeral rites; on other days, mourning is not outwardly expressed.

We are so accustomed to the fact that funerals are performed on the third day that the slightest change in this custom raises many questions. But the study of this question leads us to unexpected conclusions.

Of course, we do not have church or state regulations that would regulate the procedure and timing of the funeral. There is no such regulation in the general Christian institutions. Therefore, we can use the available indications of death in chronicles and other sources. We can draw some information from the memoirs of Western travelers who described the customs of the Muscovites. But, even if the day of death is indicated, only in a few cases do we have information about the time of the funeral itself. For the period of the XI-XVII centuries. there are just over forty of them. The appearance of this date was associated with some delay in the funeral, associated with the movement of the body, confusion, or other circumstances. Sometimes the date of the funeral was highlighted to add more detail to the narrative. But even from a very limited material, certain conclusions can be drawn. In most cases, the funeral took place shortly after the time of death, during the day, or the day after death.

In other cases, the lengthening of time before burial is associated with the movement of the deceased to the place of their burial. Although there are other reasons for the postponement of the funeral. In 1473, the funeral of Prince Yuri Vasilyevich was postponed due to the absence of the grand ducal family in Moscow. Yuri Vasilyevich died on September 12, on Saturday. The Grand Duke returned to Moscow on September 16, Wednesday. On the same day, immediately upon the arrival of the Grand Duke, the burial took place. In 1175, the body of Andrei Bogolyubsky was placed in the church the day after the murder, where it lay for two days and two nights, since the unrest in the city did not allow burial.

And so he laid him in the porch, covering him with a cloak, and the body lay there for two days and two nights. On the third day, the Kozmodemyansky abbot Arseny came and said: “Although we have been waiting for the senior abbots for a long time, but how long will this prince lie like this? Unlock the church for me, I will give him a drink and put him in a coffin. And when this turmoil subsides, then, having come from Vladimir, they will transfer the prince there. And the choirs of Bogolyubsky came, took his body, brought it into the church and put it in a stone coffin, singing funeral songs over it with Abbot Arseny together. (The story of the murder of Andrei Bogolyubsky).

In the tradition of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery, the quick burial of the deceased was considered important. So Theodosius of the Caves early in the morning of May 3, 1074, just before his death, found it necessary to tell the brethren of the monastery: “In the night, bury my body,” which was done by the monks. And in the Patericon of this monastery there are several stories of miracles related to the time of the funeral. The first story speaks of Athanasius the Recluse. Athanasius himself was a monk of a strict life, but he fell ill and died. His body was washed and prepared for burial, but since he was very poor, the monks neglected to bury him, leaving him to lie in his cell. So the deceased lay for two days without burial. At night, the abbot of the monastery had a phenomenon - he heard a voice that said: "The man of God Athanasius lies unburied for two days, but you do not care about it." As soon as morning came, the abbot and the brethren hurried to the deceased in order to correct their oversight and perform his burial, but suddenly they saw him resurrected.

In another story, about the Monk Mark the Caveman, two cases are told when this holy ascetic did not have time to make a place for the burial of the deceased brethren of the monastery on the day of their death. In the first case, the grave was so narrow and unexpanded that it did not allow either to straighten the clothes on the deceased, or to pour oil. Then Mark said to the dead man: "Since this grave is narrow, brother, sprinkle it yourself: take the oil and pour it on yourself." The dead man, having risen a little, stretched out his hand, took the oil and poured it crosswise on his chest and face, then gave the vessel and straightened his clothes in front of everyone, lay down and died again. The next time, the same monk Mark, not having time to finish his work, asked the dead to rise and live another day.

Then another brother, after a long illness, died. One of his friends wiped the body with a sponge and went into the cave to look at the grave where the body of his friend would lie, and he asked the blessed one about it. The Monk Mark answered him: “Brother, go, tell your brother: “Wait until tomorrow, I will dig a grave for you, then you will retire from life.” The brother who came to him said to him: “Father Marko, I have already wiped his dead body with a sponge, to whom do you order me to speak?” Mark again said: “You see, the grave is not finished. And as I command you, go and tell the deceased: “The sinful Marco says to you: brother, live this day longer, and tomorrow you will go to our beloved Lord. When I have prepared a place to put you, I will send for you.”

The monk's brother, who had come, obeyed, and when he arrived at the monastery, he found the brethren performing the usual singing over the deceased. He, standing before the dead man, said: “Marco tells you that the grave has not yet been prepared for you, brother, wait until tomorrow.” Everyone was surprised by these words. But the brother who had just pronounced them before everyone, immediately the dead opened his eyes and his soul returned to him, all that day and all night he stayed with his eyes open, but did not say anything to anyone.

The next day, the brother who went to Mark went to the cave to see if the place was ready. The blessed one said to him: “Go and tell the deceased: “Marko tells you - leave this temporal life and move on to eternal life, now the place is ready for receiving your body, surrender your spirit to God, and your body will be laid here, in a cave, with holy fathers." A brother came, said all this to the revived one, and he, in front of all who came to visit him, immediately closed his eyes and breathed his last. And they put him honestly, in the place intended for him in the cave. And everyone marveled at such a miracle: how, at one word of the blessed one, the dead man came to life and, at his command, died again.

We find a similar plot in the "Word of the Princes" - a work of the second half of the XII century. According to this text, after the death of Prince Davyd Svyatoslavich, he was transferred to the Church of Boris and Gleb built by him. The bishop of the prince sang the burial service, but the coffin was not yet ready for him. Then the bishop said: “The sun is already setting, tomorrow we will bury him.” Hearing these words, those sitting at the prince left and, returning back to the church, told the bishop: "The sun does not set, but it stands in one place." The bishop marveled and praised God. When the stone was leveled and the prince was placed in the coffin, then the sun went down.

As we can see, these miracles are performed in order to keep the daily time between death and burial. At the same time, the term itself is perceived as a certain norm, and cases of a long gap between death and burial are perceived as deviations from this norm. It remains to ask the question on what this norm could be based. I must say that a quick funeral is inherent in various religious traditions. This was reflected as an archaic fear of death and dead man, and elementary precautions, especially in hot countries, where the body of the deceased quickly began to decompose. But for a Christian, there is a model that sets a benchmark in the life of a believer - this is the earthly life of Jesus Christ. The Lord's death on the Cross is a key event in world history and orientation towards it can be traced in many works of both general Christian and ancient Russian literature. The burial of the body of Christ took place in accordance with the requirements of the Jewish religion, on the day of his death, that is, less than a day later. It is possible that it is precisely the orientation towards this significant sample that caused the perception of a short, within a day, burial period as the norm.
The creator of the new tradition of the three-day period between death and burial is Peter the Great. On January 28, 1704, the emperor issued a decree on the procedure for burying the dead. It said:

“The dead of all ranks, male and female, who will be buried at the holy churches, and those up to three days are not buried, but taken out of the houses in the church, and on the third day they are buried as usual.”

This decree prescribes not to bury the dead before the third day. This requires finding the body of the deceased during the interval before the funeral in the temple. As you can see, Peter I legislatively introduces a new norm, departing from the previous custom, to bury the body within a day after death. The decree itself does not explain the reasons for its appearance. But we can say that the tsar did not strive to observe the traditions of Russian Orthodoxy. The purpose of this decree was different. It is possible that later stages of lawmaking will help to find out the reasons for this innovation of Peter I. In the "Code of Punishment of Criminal and Correctional" - the first criminal code Russian Empire, signed by Emperor Nicholas I in 1845 in article 1081, the three-day period between death and burial is also introduced as mandatory. The text of the article explains the reason for such a strict regulation of the term of the funeral. If a person is buried earlier than three days and: "... subsequently it turns out that the person buried in this way was in a lethargic sleep or in a fit of stupor, mistaken for death, and died from premature burial, then the guilty person is sentenced ..." and further cited list of punishments.

The explanation for the norm of burial on the third day is the fear of burying a person still alive. It seems that it would be fruitful to compare this fact with the observations of the French researcher Philippe Aries. He notes that already from the second half of the 17th century, and especially in the 18th - the first half of the 19th century, in the west of Europe, the minds were seized, by his definition, "general panic", "fear of being buried alive, waking up from a long sleep at the bottom of the grave." In society, many stories about the revived dead begin to spread. These fears also penetrated into Russia. It is known that the fear of being buried alive haunted N.V. Gogol. “Imaginary death” as a literary motif is used in such well-known and seemingly far from our topic works as the fairy tale “The Sleeping Princess” by V.A. Zhukovsky, "The Tale of the Dead Princess and the Seven Bogatyrs" by A.S. Pushkin and others. Lethargy has become commonplace» culture.

The text of the Code of Punishments cited above suggests that it was precisely this phobia, which swept across Europe, that became the reason for the strict regulation of the term of burial in Russian legislation in the mid-19th century. The term of three days, of course, went back to the above Decree of Peter I of January 28, 1704. But it is possible that this decree itself was caused by the same reasons. And the three-day period before the funeral was intended to clearly see that the person had died. By the third day, irreversible changes in the body of the deceased will already be clearly visible. And it is this fact that irrefutably points to actual death. And here, the decree of Peter I was almost a century ahead of the appearance of morgues, special storage facilities where the bodies of the dead remained until the beginning of decomposition. So the church performed not only the functions of modern registry offices, but also mortuaries.

However, by the end of the 19th century, the fears of imaginary death had subsided, but the process of sacralizing the three-day funeral period had gone so far that it had become the generally accepted norm.

Sooner or later everyone comes to the end of life. The souls of people go to the court of God, go through ordeals and then, by the definition of the omniscient God, they get what they deserve.
Bodily death, which became the law for all people after the fall of the forefathers of Adam and Eve, frightens with its uncertainty. People die in different ways - some in carelessness and carelessness, not thinking about what awaits them beyond the grave, others - consciously, with a sense of the greatness of the approaching moment, use the means that the Orthodox Church offers the dying: she guides her children to the afterlife The sacraments of Repentance, Communion and Unction, and in moments of separation of the soul from the body, he performs a canon for the exodus of the soul (departure prayer).

At the moment of death, a person experiences a feeling of languor. When leaving the body, the soul meets the Guardian Angel, given to it in Baptism, and evil spirits - demons. The appearance of demons is so terrible that at their sight the soul is restless and trembling.

According to the Church, the human body is the temple of the soul, sanctified by the grace of the Sacraments. The image of the burial of the dead, given in the Gospel, has been preserved from Old Testament times in Orthodox rite and is expressed in washing the body, dressing it, placing it in a tomb.

Washing the body with water represents the future resurrection and standing before God in purity and purity.

The body of a Christian is dressed in new clean clothes of light shades. The deceased must certainly have a pectoral cross. The washed and clothed body is placed on the prepared table, face up, towards the east. The mouth of the deceased must be closed, hands folded crosswise (right hand over left) as a sign of faith in the Crucified Christ. The icon of the Savior or the Crucifixion is placed in the hands.

The forehead of the deceased is decorated with a chaplet, which symbolizes the crown of the Kingdom of Heaven. The body is covered with a sheet or a special burial shroud depicting the Crucifixion - as evidence of the faith of the Church that the deceased is under the protection of Christ.

The coffin is usually placed in the middle of the room in front of the icons. Candles are lit around him. If possible, they put four candlesticks: one at the head, the other at the feet, and two on both sides of the coffin.

It is impossible to put any objects, money, food in the coffin, since such customs are remnants of paganism.

You can follow the listed rules only if the body was not given to the morgue. According to existing Russian standards, without giving the deceased for an autopsy, it is impossible to obtain death certificates. With this Orthodox people you have to put up with it, but every effort should be made to have time to prepare the body properly after issuing it from the morgue.

It is very good to order all the days preceding the burial for the deceased funeral services in one or more temples. At a time when the body lies lifeless and dead, the soul goes through terrible trials - ordeals, and therefore has a great need for the help of the Church. Memorial services facilitate the transition to another life.

Commemoration at the Divine Liturgy (Church note)

Those who have Christian names are commemorated about health, and only those baptized in Orthodox Church.

Notes can be submitted to the liturgy:

At the proskomedia - the first part of the liturgy, when for each name indicated in the note, particles are taken out of special prosphora, which are subsequently lowered into the Blood of Christ with a prayer for the forgiveness of sins

The body of the deceased is carried by his relatives and friends, dressed in mourning clothes. Since ancient times, Christians who participated in the funeral procession carried lighted candles.
The body of the deceased is placed in the middle of the temple with his face open and turned to the east, and lamps are placed near the coffin.
After reading the Gospel, the priest reads aloud a permissive prayer, asking for permission for the sins that the deceased forgot to confess due to weakness of memory. However, this prayer does not absolve sins that are consciously hidden.

For a more visual confirmation of those close to the deceased in his forgiveness and reconciliation with the Church, the priest puts a scroll with a permissive prayer in his right hand. (Here it is necessary to refute the popular superstition that this prayer, called "roadway", serves the deceased as an indispensable pass to the Kingdom of Heaven. The fate of each person is in the hands of God, and nothing material has an impact on God).

Return from the burial of Christ (Nikolai Ge, 1859)

After the permissive prayer, the last kiss of the deceased begins as a sign of our unity in love for him, which does not cease beyond the grave. It is performed by singing touching songs:
“Seeing me lying mute and lifeless, weep for me, all brethren, and relatives, and acquaintances. Yesterday I talked with you, and suddenly the terrible hour of death overtook me; but come, all who love me, and kiss me with the last kiss. I no longer I will live with you or talk about something; I go to the Judge, where there is no partiality; there the slave and the lord stand together, the king and the warrior, the rich and the poor in equal dignity; each of his deeds will be glorified or ashamed. But I ask and implore everyone: unceasingly pray for me to Christ God, that I may not be raised up for my sins into a place of torment, but that I may dwell in the light of life.

When saying goodbye to the deceased, you need to kiss the icon lying in the coffin and the rim on the forehead. At the same time, one must mentally or aloud ask forgiveness from the person lying in the coffin for all the wrongs that were admitted to him during his lifetime, and forgive him for what he himself was guilty of.

Above the coffin is proclaimed "Eternal Memory". The priest cruciformly ground the body of the deceased with the words: "The Lord's land and its fulfillment, the universe and all who live on it."

The ceremony of committing the earth can be performed both in the temple and in the cemetery. After that, the coffin is closed with a lid and it is not allowed to open it again under any pretext.

Those who deliberately took their own lives are deprived of the church funeral service. From them it is necessary to distinguish people who have taken their own lives by negligence, who are not recognized as suicides.
In the Orthodox Church, it is customary to refer to suicides those who died during robbery and died from their wounds and injuries.
Cremation, that is, the burning of the bodies of the deceased Orthodox Christians, has never been a tradition. Now, however, the cremation of the Orthodox has become commonplace, but undesirable.

Some priests do this. All requiems and funerals are performed in the same way, except for burial and prayer with a halo. The latter are not invested in the coffin, but remain with relatives. The priest performs a symbolic commemoration by sprinkling earth on a clean sheet of paper. The earth is wrapped in the same paper and, together with a prayer and a whisk, is kept by relatives. During cremation, no shrines should be left in the coffin.

Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus Carrying the Body of Christ
(Ivanov A.A., 1850s)

When the ashes are buried in the grave, the earth wrapped in paper, the prayer and the whisk in one package are placed there, so that everything is put to decay along with the ashes. Leaving the ashes outside the earth is contrary to all the traditions of the Orthodox Church and the meaning of burial.

The funeral rite is a reflection not only of the everyday side of its bearers, but also of the archaic worldview. The funeral rite, once, probably, no less complex in structure than the wedding rite, now appears in a greatly reduced form. This is also evidenced by conversations with informants recorded at the end of the eighties (for example, with Fedorova M.N., a native of the village of Dorozhnovo, Okulovsky district, who at the time of recording lived in the village of Kulotino in the same district, or with Vlasova A. Ya., a native of the village Gary, Starorussky district, who lived at the time of recording in the village of Dubki of the named district).

A glass of water was placed in the head of the dying person so that the soul would wash and go.

Previously, relatives came to say goodbye as soon as a person dies, or even to a dying person.

As soon as a person dies, they open the doors, everyone goes out on the porch to see off the soul - the deceased lies in the house, and the soul leaves, they see her off on the street. When the soul is escorted, the eldest woman in the house laments (“howls in a voice”). They began to lament even before washing.

They lamented as soon as a person dies, even before they were washed, they went out into the street, stood facing in the direction where they would be taken to bury, and lamented: “Farewell, go with God.”

Burial of Christ (approaching guards visible in the background)
Lorenzo Lotto, 1516

The study of the hymn showed that the Russian village of the Soviet era retained the improvisational culture of performance, when the folklore text is, as it were, created anew every time on the basis of the established tradition. The genre of lamentations is central to the rite, despite the destructive changes that have occurred to it, it still performs its everyday function. Prichet continues to preserve cultural memory, but artistic merit fades significantly in it, a number of obligatory moments(for example, detailed commentary on what is happening at the funeral). The genre is getting more and more clichéd. This is due, first of all, to the loss of a direct relationship to the semantic side of pagan symbolism. It was not possible to identify the entire cycle of lamentations of the funeral rite, which (as, for example, in a wedding) would accompany the entire rite, thematically delimiting certain of its stages. Apparently, we are dealing with a clear fading of folklore memory. It is difficult to say at what stage of historical development such a reduction began. But there is no doubt that the cultural policy of the state, on the one hand, and the intensive transformation of Russia from an agrarian country into an industrial and, consequently, urban one, had a strong effect here. Nevertheless, the archaic aspects of the consciousness of the village man in the funeral rite have been preserved quite well. For example, it is known that death in the Russian folklore tradition has always been perceived as an enemy. This was preserved in the texts recorded at the turn of the 70s - mid-80s. In lamentations, death is called a "villain", a "murderer", who does not make concessions, does not heed prayers and requests. The archive materials contain records that talk about various kinds of signs associated with the arrival of death in a house or family. For example, a cuckoo, sitting on an outbuilding, foreshadowed death; a bird knocking on a window; a dog howling downwards ("a dog's howl - to eternal rest"); a horse walking towards people who are seeing off the deceased, and so on. To make sure of the death of a person, a mirror was brought to his lips, if it did not fog up, then the person died. In order not to be afraid of the deceased, who could in any way remind himself of himself (for example, often dream or even come to the house; appear in some other form, for example, in zoomorphic, most often - birds), one had to hold on to the stove, look into it or into the cellar, and on the fortieth day hang the horse's bridle on the wall.

The dead sleeps, remaining a man (the dead - calm person), however, if the deceased's eyes were open, they were closed and copper nickels were placed over the eyelids. It is quite possible that this was due to a kind of ransom from death, because it was believed that the deceased was looking for one of the living people or even animals left in the house, wanting to take them with him. In such cases, they usually said: "He looks - he will watch someone." Coins (pyataks) were then left in the coffin. It is interesting that the ransom in this rite also manifested itself in a different way, for example, if the body of a drowned person could not be found for a long time, then there was a custom to throw silver money into the water in order to redeem it from the water.

The body of the deceased was placed on a bench, his hands and feet were tied, as it was believed that "evil spirits" could twist them, bringing pain to the deceased person. After two hours, the body was washed (for two hours the deceased "rested"). Any person could wash the deceased, but preference was given to an outsider. The idea, preserved in the memory of informants, that this ritual was supposed to be performed by old maids, dates back to the last century. In the Okulovsky district, a ditty was recorded:

Don't go, girlfriend, get married
For these robbers
Better buy by the tub,
We will wash the dead.
(Recorded from M. N. Fedorova in 1988)

The custom has been preserved to pay for washing with something from the things of the deceased. They washed the deceased from the pot with warm water and soap, then the pot was then thrown into the river along with water, a custom in which, undoubtedly, a pagan attitude is visible. There was another option, when the water remaining after the procedure was poured into a place where no one walks, and nothing is planted, since this water is "dead" - it could destroy, kill the earth. In the Starorussky district, it was believed that for washing the deceased, sins were forgiven: "If you wash forty people, you will remove forty sins." The deceased was dressed by the same person who washed. They dressed in everything new so that “there” he “looked good” (according to Vlasova A. Ya.), because the deceased went to live “eternally”. Mortal clothing was not only bequeathed, but also prepared in advance, thus fulfilling the last wish of a person. Sewing clothes is also a ritual: when it was sewn, the knots did not make and did not tear them off, like threads. They sewed in one seam, with a needle forward, the seams were not turned inside out, the buttons were not sewn on. N.V. Andreeva from the Okulovsky district noted that in the past they most often sewed a jacket and a skirt. With a high degree of certainty, we can say that this is a later custom, perhaps dating back to the Soviet era, since according to ethnographers, it is known that a shirt was a common "mortal" clothing for both men and women. Those items with which the deceased did not part during his lifetime were also placed in the coffin. The coffin was made of spruce or pine boards. It was impossible, for example, to make a "domovina" from aspen, since it was believed that the aspen was a cursed tree, because, according to legend, Judas hanged himself on it, and from this it trembles. The shavings left from the manufacture were placed at the bottom of the coffin or, in some cases, in a pillow on which the head of the deceased was located. It was impossible to burn wood chips and shavings, because, as they believed in the Okulovsky district, the deceased would be hot from this. The coffin - domina was always made in accordance with the growth of the deceased. It was believed that the deceased would take someone away if the coffin was larger (Okulovsky district, Fedorova M.N.). The house with the body was placed so that the deceased was facing the icon, that is, the red corner (Okulovsky district), but in the Starorussky district it is noted as the most common option when the deceased lies with his head in the red corner, and with his feet towards the door.

Sorokoust about repose

This type of commemoration of the dead can be ordered at any hour - there are no restrictions on this either. During Great Lent, when a full liturgy is performed much less often, in a number of churches commemoration is practiced this way - in the altar, during the entire fast, all the names in the notes are read and, if they serve the liturgy, then they take out the particles. It is only necessary to remember that those baptized in Orthodox faith people, as in the notes submitted to the proskomedia, are allowed to enter the names of only the baptized deceased.

Outside the window of the room in which the deceased was located, they hung a linen towel or a piece of white cloth. On the forehead of the deceased they put "wreaths" or "forgiveness letters", which contained a prayer for the remission of sins. A handkerchief was given in the right hand, and a handkerchief in the left. In the Starorussky district, it was believed that it was needed in order to wipe off sweat during the Last Judgment, as well as to wipe away tears if a person who had passed into the world of his ancestors would cry when meeting with loved ones in the “other world”. These meetings took place, according to the respondents, for forty days. The informants of the Okulovsky district interestingly interpreted the function of the pectoral cross, which was supplied to the deceased. So, M. N. Fedorova said that it serves as a "pass" and that before entering the gates of another world, it was necessary to show the cross, while the deceased had to buy a new cross. This custom differed from that adopted in the Starorussky district, where the deceased was buried with the same cross that a person wore during his lifetime. The funeral took place on the third day. Spruce branches were scattered from the house to the road, along which the procession moved, so that the other person leaving the world would "walk" along the "clean road", since the spruce was considered in these places pure wood. When they returned from the cemetery, the branches were removed and then burned, probably destroying the traces of the deceased in this way so that he would not return and take away any of the surviving relatives.

Transfer of the body of Christ to the tomb
(Antonio Chiseri, 1883) - historical realism of the 19th century.

Preserved quite a lot of various signs associated with the administration of the funeral rite. Often these signs were in the nature of a talisman. So, for example, they dug a grave on the day of the funeral early in the morning, and the place was chosen better, because they believed that if the deceased did not like the place, then he would take one more of his relatives within forty days. And if there is still a dead person, then "we must expect a third" (according to M. N. Fedorova from the Okulovsky district). The collapse of the grave walls also indicated that a new hole would soon have to be dug. In general, the custom has been preserved in everything to please the dead. The custom was also preserved in the surveyed areas not to sweep the floors while the deceased was in the house, because, according to a sign, it was possible to "sweep" one of the living relatives. In addition, mirrors were hung in the house with a dark cloth so that evil spirits would not spoil the deceased. The coffin with the body was carried to the cemetery on towels, it was considered "more respectful" to carry it than to carry it. They finally said goodbye to the deceased at the cemetery, while kissing on the forehead or on the icon that lay on his chest. The tears of the parting man should not fall on the deceased, as he would then lie wet and offended. In such cases, they usually said: "Step back, step back, don't shed tears there." And all those present wished that the earth was rest in peace. Before the coffin was lowered into the grave, relatives threw a penny there (probably silver), which meant that they bought themselves a place next to the deceased, and everyone else threw copper, while saying: "Here's your share - do not ask for more ". It was believed that the deceased needed the money in order to pay for transportation across a river or lake to the next world. It is known that the image of a river and a crossing is a traditional image not only for Russian, but also for world culture.

Funeral items and things of the deceased also had their own fate. After the fortieth day, relatives could distribute the personal belongings of the deceased to any people, not necessarily close relatives. And those objects and things that were involved in the funeral rite (for example, towels on which the coffin was carried) were either lowered into the grave and covered with earth, or burned to avoid the bad influence of the deceased on living people. Everything was done in such a way that nothing disturbed the soul of the deceased and somehow kept it in the world of living people. Much was done to ensure that the deceased would not return for someone, would not "see someone". As mentioned above, it was believed that the open eyes of the deceased are a sign that they are looking for a new victim.

According to tradition, while the ceremony was taking place at the cemetery, preparations were made for the wake in the house of the deceased. One of the relatives usually stayed at home and prepared a memorial meal, washed the floor. The commemoration took place not only immediately after the funeral, but also on the ninth and fortieth day, then a year later. Deceased relatives were commemorated in Saturdays- days established by Christian tradition. On memorial days, people always visited the graves of relatives, bringing food and wine with them to invite the deceased to a ritual meal. Thus, the custom was preserved, which remained from the ancient funeral rite, which provided for both appeasing the souls of the dead and demonstrating the power of life. In the modern funeral rite, the contours of the old, still pagan rite are visible, but it is also noticeable that the magical content of the ritual action has largely been erased.