Intercession Memorial Father’s Saturday is traditionally celebrated on the eve of Intercession, but its date has been shifted this year.
When is Pokrovsky Father’s Saturday 2023 / depositphotos.com
Father’s Saturday before the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos is a day when the Orthodox remember deceased loved ones, relatives, and acquaintances. When Pokrovsky Father’s Saturday will be in 2023, what should be done on the memorial day, and what is prohibited – we tell in the material.
What is Pokrovsky Father’s Saturday
Intercession Saturday is one of the commemorative days of the year, which are also called Father’s Saturdays. It is celebrated in the Orthodox Church and the folk tradition of the Eastern Slavs. The tradition of commemorating the dead existed even in the pre-Christian period. Intercession Saturday, as a memorial day, appeared in the 16th century – in memory of Orthodox soldiers who died for the Motherland. On this day, they pray for their deceased loved ones, primarily for their deceased parents, as well as for Ukrainian military personnel who have not returned home from the front.
Every year, Intercession Saturday falls on different dates – it depends on the day of the celebration of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos.
When will this year’s Intercession Father’s Saturday be?
Patron Saint’s Saturday took place annually in October – on the Saturday before the Patron Saint’s Day. But with the transition of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine to the New Julian calendar, the dates of non-transitional holidays were moved 13 days earlier. Due to the fact that Pokrov 2023 is now celebrated on October 1 (it is Sunday), then Patron Saint Saturday in 2023 will be September 30 – on the last Saturday before the holiday.
What should be done on Pokrovsky Father’s Saturday
Traditionally, on Intercession Saturday, people go to the church in the morning for a memorial service – they put candles for repose, give memorial notes. Bread, pastries, vegetables, fruits are brought to the temple and memorial service, it is customary to give alms to the needy. But the main thing is prayer, it is believed that this is how Christians ask the Almighty for intercession for the dead. If it is not possible to go to the temple, then you can pray at home.
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In addition, on the Saturday before the Intercession, it is traditional to visit the graves of the dead and put them in order. It is considered a good deed to clean the graves not only of relatives and acquaintances, but also neglected ones.
In the evening, on Holy Saturday, it is customary for families to gather at a common table – according to custom, kutya is served as a symbol of eternal life, and, according to an ancient belief, they put a large number of dishes – for the souls of the dead.
Pokrovsky Father’s Saturday – what not to do
There are also prohibitions on this memorial day. The church forbids ordering a memorial service for suicides. In addition, it is also not possible to:
- commemorate the dead with alcohol;
- leave alcohol and food on graves; make noise in cemeteries, laugh;
- it is bad to remember and talk about those who are no longer there;
- cursing, slandering, quarreling with loved ones;
- do hard physical work.
It is also not possible to refuse alms and help on this day – even if it is small, the act itself is important.
Earlier, we told when Father’s Saturdays will be in 2023 – the new dates of memorial days this year.
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Fuente: espreso.tv
