Signs on Radonitsa and what not to do

Video: Signs on Radonitsa and what not to do

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

There are a lot of customs and signs among the people, conditioned by Radonitsa, and the church tradition determines what cannot be done on this day.

Brief information

Pagans visited the graves of their deceased ancestors, leaving sacrifices there. Some nationalities had a tradition to kindle bonfires on the churchyard. The ancients believed that in this way they help the dead to warm up in the world of shadows.

The Slavs, both then and now, call Easter of the dead "Parent's Day." The inhabitants of ancient Russia arranged lush, rich feasts, and folk festivals, which began before sunset, continued until morning.

Radonitsa is always celebrated on Tuesday, on the 9th day after the Resurrection of Christ. On the eve, the church celebrates another significant event - Krasnaya Gorka. It takes place on the first Sunday after Easter.

According to church tradition, on Krasnaya Gorka, as well as the next day after, it is impossible to commemorate the dead, and accordingly, memorial services are not held.

The Slavs had a saying that explains the meaning of Radonitsa: in the morning you should work actively, cry and pray at lunchtime, and celebrate and rejoice in the evening. Remembering the relatives who left this mortal world, one could not be very sad.

It was believed that in this way people aggravate the already bleak existence of a soul that has lost its physical shell. Only good words were spoken about the dead, telling about the joyful moments of their earthly life.

The authorities of some regions of Russia at the local level secured the right of citizens to commemorate the dead and made Parent's Day a day off.

What not to do

Church tradition does not recommend indulging in sorrow and grieving about deceased relatives on this day, because today they have a holiday - Easter of the dead. Therefore, coming to the churchyard, one should greet the dead with the words "Christ is Risen!" And if the Son of God is resurrected, all the dead will also be resurrected, which means a quick meeting with loved ones in eternity.

You can't get carried away with alcohol and make a noisy festivities out of the day of commemoration of the dead - this is a bad omen. Of course, a small amount of wine at the memorial meal is allowed, but you should not get drunk.

Such a commemoration will not calm the souls of the dead, but will grieve them, as, indeed, will swearing. After all, the dead, who are on this day next to the living, hearing swear words, are very upset.

The Orthodox have an ineradicable custom to leave food and various sweets in the cemetery. This does not need to be done, because the soul of the deceased is immaterial, which means that it will not be able to use the food left behind, and the food will simply be lost or stray dogs will get it. It is better to give it to those who really need it - the homeless and the poor, who come to the churchyard on Radonitsa.

Traditions and customs

On the eve of Radonitsa, Orthodox Christians are putting the graves in order, removing garbage, and planting flowers. Memorial services are held in churches, so many believers go there in the morning to submit memorial notes and defend the divine service.

Then they go to the graves of loved ones, where they read prayers for the repose of their souls and light candles. If you wish, you can also invite a priest.

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On this day, it is customary to give alms to the poor, asking them to also remember the relatives of the giver. Serving a treat, you need to say: "Remember the servant of God (the name of the deceased)," while the person, having tasted the treat, must answer: "The Kingdom of Heaven …" and name the deceased being remembered.

The tradition of visiting cemeteries and commemorating the dead is rooted in paganism. Even then, people left treats on the burial mounds. It was believed that the dead thus receive energy that helps souls ascend to the Kingdom of God.

Pancakes and eggs were also brought to the churchyard, some of them were eaten there, the rest was left at the tombstones. In some villages, there was a tradition of beating eggs on a cross, and then crushing them on a grave mound.

The Orthodox believe that on this day the souls of the dead appear in their native places, so it is necessary to put a vase with cookies and sweets, pastries and painted eggs on the windowsill. And so that the soul can freely enter the dwelling, the window should be left open.

When laying the table for the memorial meal, it is necessary to increase the number of cutlery in accordance with the number of relatives to be remembered.

In some villages, the custom has been preserved to flood the bathhouse, thus inviting the deceased to take a steam bath. Clean clothes were left in the dressing room and the doors were locked until morning.

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Signs

Many signs are also associated with Parents' Day, based on long-term observations. For example, the waning Moon on Radonitsa foreshadowed a lean year, and the growing one, on the contrary, promised a rich harvest.

On the eve of the holiday of the dead, it was impossible to disturb Mother Earth, that is, to carry out agricultural work on the local area (make beds, build flower beds, etc.). Violation of this rule will cause drought, loss of crops and even the death of someone from the family.

To keep the harvest longer, the peasants threw an egg three times across the threshing floor. At the same time, it was very important not to break it.

Rainfall on Parent's Day was considered a good sign. The ancestors went out into the rain and washed them "for luck."

But if it rained before lunchtime, and after it the wind blew out, this meant the discontent of the dead, which loved ones forgot about, not visiting their graves.

To receive the gratitude and protection of the dead, it was necessary to be the first to come to the churchyard.

It was also believed that the family who first visited the churchyard would be the happiest in the current year and, perhaps, will acquire special wisdom that will help solve vital issues.

The hostess, who was the first to prepare the memorial dinner, will be the first to harvest the harvest, and it will be much richer than that of the neighbors.

And the one who did not go to the cemetery at all, after the transition to another world, remained lonely - no one remembered him. The ancient Slavs thought so.

Rites and conspiracies

On Radonitsa, the Orthodox, in addition to commemorating and reading prayers for the repose of the souls of the dead, ask them for help. On Parent's Day, the signs associated with it are remembered and rituals are performed with the reading of special conspiracies:

for marriage;
to health;
good luck in financial affairs.

If life is filled with problems and setbacks, and the state of health is nowhere worse, the dead can help with this. On the eve of parental day, you need to take a sheet (A4) and write a conspiracy in red ink, put a note on the table next to the photo of the deceased to whom you are asking for help.

In the morning on Radonitsa, a sheet with a recorded conspiracy is burned, and the photograph is removed to its place.

Conspiracy Words:

“Servant (a) of God (s) (name of the deceased), I remember you, I do not forget about you, I wish you peace and a bright life in paradise, your soul parted with worldly affairs, trouble remained on earth, so this trouble fell on me, she grabbed me with claws and teeth, does not let me go, my soul is dying, help me, (name of the deceased) say goodbye to misfortune, so as not to meet her on earth. Amen."

To get support from the deceased, you can use another conspiracy. On parent's day, you should go to the churchyard, kneel in front of the grave of a loved one and say: “My dear (name of the deceased), wake up, rise. Look how I knock around in this world, I suffer. Caress me with a kind word."

Now you should close your eyes and sit in silence for five minutes. During this time, the deceased will tell you through your thoughts how to overcome the problem.

To health

The dead can help improve the health of the living. To do this, you need to take any item that once belonged to the deceased (preferably something from clothing, jewelry or a watch). Now the table is covered with a white tablecloth, on which they put the deceased's thing, and they read three times:

“(The name of the deceased) come, what you left behind (the name of the deceased), find, put on the power of healing and go back. Let the ailment go away with your help, let the illness recede, disappear. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

As it gets dark, you should touch the forehead, navel and knees with this object, whispering a conspiracy.

Outcomes

Radonitsa is a holiday of the dead, so you should not be sad and sad, because by doing so you can only aggravate the situation of the souls of the dead.
The Orthodox read prayers and wish the deceased the Kingdom of Heaven.
The dead can help you find wealth and health, get rid of problems and speed up your wedding. To do this, you should conduct a certain ritual with reading the conspiracy.
According to the weather on Parent's Day, the state of the bins in the next year is determined.