Funeral: Orthodox traditions, customs. How do Orthodox people bury a person after death?

Funerals in many people cause feelings of fear and anxiety. And this is not surprising. Indeed, in this rite of farewell to the dead there is not only sad, but also something mysterious, and even mystical. Knowledgeable people argue that one awkward movement during the ritual can doom the soul of the deceased to eternal suffering, as well as bring trouble to the living. Whether this is actually the case is unknown. But in any case, everyone should know what to do at the funeral. And, most importantly, how to do it right, so that in the future you don’t write off your problems and failures as mistakes made at that moment.

Why are funerals held?

The rite of farewell to the dead has long been held all over the world. It is intended to express tribute and reverence to the people who were comprehended by death. Despite the significant differences between the funeral rituals of different cultures and religions, they are all considered sacred and retain the main principle: relatives, friends and acquaintances of the deceased gather all together to say goodbye to him forever and take him on his last journey.

Funerals also carry a powerful informational message. They remind those present that their existence on earth is short-lived, and sooner or later death will come for everyone. This makes many seriously think about their lives and reconsider their views.

Thus, this rite is an important part of our culture and a real parting word to the right life.

Orthodox funeral

The Orthodox Church looks at death as a transition from earthly life to eternal life. And to get to heaven, a person must undergo special training. This preparation consists of several stages:

Unction. Before death, the priest must conduct the sacrament of unction.
Absolution. A dying person must confess his sins to a clergyman and ask for forgiveness from God and loved ones.
Participle. The priest must commune the dying before death.
Canon reading. The clergyman must read a prayer parting word to the dying before death. It can also be done by relatives or friends.
Washing and dressing. After the dying person has given up his spirit, he must be washed with clean water and wiped dry so that he appears clean before God. Also, the deceased is dressed in elegant clothes and covered with a shroud.
Deadly lithium. 1-1.5 hours before the removal of the coffin from the house, the clergyman sprinkles the coffin and body with holy water and conducts a funeral service with censing.
Funeral. Before burial, the priest reads a series of prayers and hymns. Only after completing all these stages, it is believed that the deceased will be able to gain eternal life in another world.

Funeral rules

During the preparation of the body, burial, and in a certain period after the funeral, a number of rules apply, the violation of which, according to the Orthodox Church, is fraught with serious consequences. Here are some of them:

The funeral is best done on the third day after the death of a person.
You can not bury the dead on Sunday and New Year.
Immediately after death, all the mirrors in the house must be curtained, and the clock must be stopped. In this state, they must be 40 days.
Never leave the deceased alone in the room for a minute.
It is forbidden to take the deceased out of the house before noon and after sunset.
Pregnant women and children are not advised to participate in the ceremony.
From the moment of death until the burial, the relatives of the deceased must continuously read the Psalter.
You can wash the body of the deceased only during daylight hours.
Pregnant women and those who are menstruating may not bathe the deceased.
Funeral clothes should be elegant and light, shroud - white. If an unmarried girl dies, she is dressed in a wedding dress.
In the house where the person died, a candle or lamp should be lit until the end of the funeral. It is better to use a glass of wheat as a candlestick.
You can not wash, sweep and sweep dust if there is a dead person in the house.
It is not recommended to keep animals in the same room as the coffin.
In the presence of the deceased, they greet not with a voice, but with a nod of the head.
The eyes and mouth of the deceased must be closed. For this purpose, the lower jaw is tied with a handkerchief, and coins are placed on the eyes.
A chaplet, a long paper or fabric strip with prayers and images of saints, is placed on the forehead of the deceased.
Be sure to wear a pectoral cross on the deceased.
Together with the body, all his personal belongings are placed in the coffin: prostheses, glasses, watches, etc.
The hands of the deceased must be folded on the chest with a cross. And put the right one on top of the left.
The feet and hands of the deceased must be bound. Before burial, the strings are removed and placed in the coffin.
Cotton pads should be placed under the head, shoulders and legs of the deceased in the coffin.
The heads of dead women should be covered with a scarf. Also, all women present at the funeral must have a headdress.
It is forbidden to put fresh flowers in the coffin, only artificial or dried ones.
The coffin with the dead is taken out of the house feet first and accompanied by church hymns.
When taking the coffin out of the house, it is necessary to say: “The deceased is one of the houses out” and close the people in the house or apartment for a few minutes.
After the removal of the coffin, all floors must be washed.
Blood relatives cannot carry the coffin and lid.
From the beginning of the ritual until the moment of burial, the left hand of the deceased should have a cross, and on the chest - an icon laid face to face with the body. For women, the image of the Mother of God is placed on the chest, for men - the image of Christ the Savior.
You can go around the coffin with the deceased only at the head, bowing to him at the same time.
During the funeral, 4 lighted candles should stand around the coffin: at the head, at the feet and on the hands.
The funeral procession should go in strict sequence: a cross, an icon of Christ the Savior, a priest with a candle and a censer, a coffin with the deceased, relatives, other participants with flowers and wreaths.
Everyone who meets the funeral procession must cross himself. Men are additionally required to remove their headgear.
Saying goodbye to the deceased, it is necessary to kiss the halo on his forehead and the icon on his chest. If the coffin is closed, they are applied to the cross on the lid.
All those participating in the funeral procession must throw a handful of earth into the grave.
On the day of burial, one should not visit the graves of other relatives or acquaintances.
It is not recommended to look at the coffin with the deceased from the windows of a house or apartment.
After the funeral, the relatives of the deceased should present cakes, sweets and handkerchiefs to those present.
The chairs on which the coffin stood should be placed upside down during the day.
At the commemoration, only vodka is served from alcohol. You need to drink it without clinking glasses.
During the commemoration, a glass of vodka is poured for the deceased and covered with a slice of bread. After the commemoration, a glass of bread costs another 40 days.
Kutya must be present on the memorial table. This is where the memorial service begins.
Before entering your home after a funeral, you must clean your shoes and hold your hands over the flame of a candle.
After the funeral, guests cannot be visited during the day.
The next morning after the burial, relatives and friends should take breakfast to the grave.
Within a week from the date of death, nothing should be taken out of the house of the deceased. Things of the deceased can be distributed no earlier than 40 days after burial.
6 weeks after the funeral in the house where the deceased lived, there should be a glass of water and a plate of food on the windowsill.
On the graves of young men and women near the head, it is recommended to plant viburnum.
One can only speak well of a dead person.
For the dead, you can’t cry and kill yourself a lot.

Signs and superstitions

There are many signs and superstitions associated with funerals. All of them are designed to protect relatives, friends and acquaintances who came to say goodbye to the deceased, and to explain to them how to behave correctly during the ceremony, so as not to damage themselves. The most common of these are the following beliefs:

If during the funeral the eyes of the deceased open, then the one on whom his gaze falls will follow him into the next world.
If you hold on to the legs of the deceased, the fear of him will go away.
If you put a willow, consecrated in the church on Palm Sunday, under the deceased, it will drive away evil spirits.
If wheat, which was used with a glass as a candlestick at a funeral, is fed to a bird, it will die.
If you cross the road to the funeral procession, you can get seriously ill.
If you move over the tumor with all the fingers of the right hand of the deceased, while reading “Our Father” 3 times and spitting over the left shoulder after each time, you can completely recover from it.
If, having seen the deceased in the coffin, touch yourself, then a tumor may develop at the place of contact.
If other people's things get into the coffin and are buried with the body, then trouble will happen to the owners of these things.
If you bury a photograph of a living person along with the deceased, this person may get sick and die.
If a pregnant woman attends a funeral, she will give birth to a sick child.
If you step on a towel that priests place near the coffin during the ritual, you can get sick.
If you drink water from a glass for the deceased or eat his food, a significant deterioration in health will follow.
If someone dies along the street and a vegetable garden is planted before his funeral, there will be no harvest.
If the funeral is postponed for a week or more, the deceased will take one of his relatives with him.
If someone died in the neighborhood, you need to replace the drinking water that was in dishes or bottles so as not to get sick.
If the water used to wash the deceased is spilled in the house, the inhabitants of this house may die.
If, during the removal of the coffin with the deceased from the house, the threshold or jamb is touched, his soul can return to the house and bring trouble.
If on the 40th day after death a commemoration is not arranged, the soul of the deceased will suffer.
If you sleep when a coffin is being carried along the street, you can go to the next world for the deceased.
If the legs of the deceased are warm, he calls someone to follow him.

Magic rituals with the dead

Despite the fact that the time of witches and sorcerers is far behind, some still practice black rituals. And funerals are still a favorite event for them. They will certainly take the opportunity to perform a magical rite or get the necessary props for it.

During the rite of farewell and burial, these people can do the following actions:

lie down on the place where the person died;
ask for the sheet on which the deceased lay;
steal the strings from the arms and legs of the deceased;
prick the lips of the deceased with needles and then quietly pick them up;
change the personal belongings of the deceased;
pour yourself grain from a candlestick;
take away the water or soap with which the deceased was washed;
go out behind the coffin with your back forward;
standing near the coffin with the deceased, tying knots on rags;
take the earth from the grave and put it in your bosom;
sprinkle some of those present with salt;
put other people's things in the coffin;
to bury things or objects in the grave;
pick up a glass of vodka of the deceased or water from the windowsill, etc.

All these actions are aimed at connecting living people with the dead and dooming them to illness and death. Therefore, you need to be attentive to strangers at the funeral, not allow strangers to the coffin and root out suspicious manipulations and theft.

It is also necessary to know that if buried objects were found during the care of the grave, they must be burned. At the same time, it is forbidden to touch them with bare hands!

How to behave at a funeral

Today funeral agents are in charge. They know exactly all the rules of the ceremony and always tell those present in time how to behave and what to do.

As for the rest: signs and magical rites, everything here depends on you. You decide whether or not to follow the advice, avoid suspicious people at the funeral, or pay no attention to anyone. But in any case, during the funeral, it is necessary to behave with restraint and caution, and to have only positive feelings for the deceased.

Let such events bypass you and do not give rise to fears and doubts. Be healthy!

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 non-material component of a person goes to the Kingdom of Heaven, accompanied by. 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. The further path of 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 gain 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.

was present at all times. Belief in the existence of an immortal soul and its migration to another world was characteristic of all peoples, including the Slavs.

Roots of Orthodox funeral traditions

Funerals, Orthodox traditions and rituals are among the most stable types of rituals. They are considered preparations for the transition of the soul of a dying person to another world, so actions from century to century are performed according to strictly established rules. According to Orthodox traditions, believers divide Orthodox funerals into three stages:

preparation of the dying (carried out even before his death);
the funeral process itself;
remembrance.

The fact that Orthodox people adhere to traditions since the time of the baptism of Kievan Rus suggests that burial is a tribute to the very fact of death and to the deceased. For hundreds of years, burial rituals have been influenced by the deep pagan roots of Slavic culture, but gradually Orthodox funerals have become what we know them today.

Preparing for death

Since ancient times, in believing families, people have been preparing for death: they bought or sewed shirts and a funeral dress by hand. In many settlements, it was customary to make coffins for the elderly ahead of time. With the advent of Orthodoxy, people began to be buried in them, since according to pagan rites, it was customary to burn the deceased, and put the ashes in a pot or simply in the ground and bury them. If the relatives of the deceased want to know how to hold a funeral, Orthodox traditions, the priest's answer is unequivocal - the coffin with the body must be buried.

If a person was ill for a long time, then he was unction, during which the clergyman absolved him of his sins. Thus, the soul was cleansed and prepared for the transition. The dying person had to say goodbye to his relatives, bless them on a holy image, forgive debts and insults, and give the last orders.

Preparing the body for burial

Funerals (Orthodox traditions) required the preparation of the body of the deceased for burial. For this, the deceased was washed by special people, most often by old women. According to Orthodox beliefs, the cleansing of the body is just as important as the forgiveness of sins for the soul. During the ablution, the prayers "Trisagion" or "Lord have mercy" were read. According to church orders, a person must appear before the Lord with a pure soul and body.

Today, the dead are washed in the mortuary or during the service of funeral services. If this is not possible, then this traditional custom is performed by people who are not related to the deceased.

After the deceased has been washed, he is placed on a table covered with a clean cloth and dressed in new clothes. If this is not possible, then things must be at least clean.

Funeral preparation

After washing, the deceased is placed in a coffin and covered with a shroud with embroidered crosses. Before that, it is prepared by sprinkling with sacred water. The deceased is laid face up with a pillow under his head. The dead man's eyes should be closed, hands folded on his chest, right over left. It is obligatory to wear a pectoral cross on the deceased, which should accompany the funeral.

Orthodox traditions and rituals in the old days required prayers to be read over the deceased until the very funeral, which was held on the third day. For this, readers were invited. While the deceased was lying in the house under the icons, and prayers were read over him, relatives and acquaintances came to the deceased to say goodbye.

Nowadays, after the deceased has been washed and placed in a coffin, it is necessary to read the canon "Following after the exit of the soul from the body." If it is not possible to invite a priest for this, then one of the relatives can take over this part of the funeral ritual.

In the event that it is not possible to bring the deceased into the house, then one should read while facing the icon or near the place where the funeral will begin, for example, near the doors of the morgue.

Even before starting in the church, you need to order a magpie on it.

funeral service

For the funeral, the coffin with the deceased is brought into the church and placed in front of the altar. The deceased should have a crown with the “Trisagion” printed on his forehead, and a small icon with the image of Jesus in his hands. A cross is placed at the head of the deceased, which relatives and friends can kiss when they say goodbye.

In our time, the funeral service can take place in the house of the deceased or in a funeral home on the third day after death. At the same time, the deceased lies in a coffin with an open face, turned to the east, and an icon and lighted candles are placed at his feet. Regardless of where the funeral is held, the deceased should lie facing the icon, and not to people. So he, as it were, turns to the holy image of pardon and forgiveness of sins.

During the funeral, they sing "Eternal Memory" and "Let Go", after which the coffin is closed and taken out of the temple. Relatives who came to the church during the ceremony stand with lit candles and pray for the deceased, and then the funeral begins. Orthodox traditions do not allow anything to be placed in the coffin, but they allow those who came to say goodbye to kiss the icon in the hands of the deceased and a strip of paper on the forehead. It is forbidden to put money, food, jewelry or other things in the coffin, as this is considered a relic of paganism.

The funeral

Traditions include following the funeral procession behind the coffin after the funeral of the deceased. She must go, and a stop can only be made at the church and already at the churchyard. Nowadays, taking into account the fact that the cemetery can be located at a distance of several kilometers, the procession goes for some time after the funeral service in the church, and then the mourners get into transport and go to the burial place.

A farewell to the deceased is held at the cemetery, after which the coffin is closed with a lid and lowered into the grave with the help of ropes or towels. Relatives and members of the funeral procession throw handfuls of earth on the coffin, after which they depart, and the gravediggers are engaged in work.

This is a difficult emotional moment for relatives, so it is advisable that they do not watch the coffin being lowered into the pit. After it is poured, relatives say goodbye to the deceased, lay flowers and wreaths, and the procession goes to the memorial meal.

Funeral after funeral

Orthodox traditions after the funeral require the obligatory commemoration of the soul of the deceased with a joint meal. This happens in the house of the deceased or in the ordered room.

A joint meal unites the memories of the living about the deceased. Words and thoughts should be kind, bright, because death is the natural end of life.

Of no small importance is the food for Orthodox funerals and traditions. on the day of the funeral? Usually several dishes are served. Their list is relatively constant, but differences may arise due to the dissimilarity of the traditions of different regions.

Often, kutya is served first, and then some kind of stew - borscht, cabbage soup, soup or noodles. For the second, they offer porridge or potatoes. Dishes may be with meat, or they may turn out to be non-meat if the commemoration is held on fasting days. Fish or jelly can also be served. The memorial dinner ends with kutya or pancakes, in some cases - pancakes.

Wine or vodka is served from alcohol, but this is not always done, and the number of such drinks must necessarily be small.

Commemoration on the ninth and fortieth day

According to Orthodox traditions, the ninth and fortieth days after death are considered very important for the soul, since at this time its ordeals begin. This means that the soul goes through the stage of repentance and cleansing from sins. During this period, it is imperative to order memorial liturgies in several churches. The more prayers are read for the deceased, the easier it is for his soul to go through this stage.

At the funeral (Orthodox traditions, 9 days) consists of the same dishes as at the wake. They are served in the same strict sequence on all funeral days.

The fortieth day is considered significant, as the soul leaves this world forever. Ordering a liturgy or magpie is obligatory in several churches, and a memorial meal should also be held.

The timing of mourning for the deceased depends on his age and gender. For the elderly, mourning is carried up to forty days. If the breadwinners - father or mother - have died, they are mourned for a year. For a widow or widower, the rule of wearing mourning flowers in clothes for up to one year is also determined.

The funeral. Usually, before the end, a person is not able to take care of himself, therefore the duty of every believer is to do everything so that the transition to another world is formed for the dying person in a Christian way. Relatives of the dying person should show him all their love and warm participation, forgiving and forgetting mutual insults and quarrels. Not hiding an imminent death, but helping to prepare for the great transition to the afterlife - this is the main duty of relatives.

Earthly affairs, worries and addictions of the dying remain here. With all thoughts rushing towards the future eternal life, with repentance, contrition for the sins committed, but also with firm hope in the mercy of God, the intercession of the Mother of God, the Guardian Angel and all the saints, the dying person must prepare to appear before the Judge and our Savior. In this most important matter, a conversation with a priest is indispensable, which should end with the Sacraments of Penance, (Unction) and Holy Communion, for which it is necessary to invite a priest to the dying.

In moments of separation of the soul from the body, one reads Canon of Prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos on behalf of a man with a soul separated and unable to speak(). It is read from the face of a man who is separated from his soul and unable to speak. The lips of the dying are silent, but the Church on his behalf depicts all the weakness of the sinner, ready to leave the world, and entrusts him to the Most Pure Virgin, whose help is called upon in the verses of the departing canon. This canon ends with the priest's prayer for the release of the soul of the dying from all bonds, for liberation from any oath, for the forgiveness of sins and repose in the abodes of the saints.

If a person suffers long and hard and cannot die, then another canon is read over him on the exodus of the soul, called The canon that was washed to separate the soul from the body, when a person suffers for a long time. The great suffering of the dying awakens to intensify the prayer for his peaceful death. The soul of a priest long suffering through the mouth prayerfully seeks help from the earthly and heavenly Church. The canon ends with two priestly prayers.
Both canons on the outcome of the soul in the absence of a priest can and should be read at the bedside of a dying layman, with the omission of prayers meant to be read only by a priest.

After the departure of the soul from the body

After the soul of a Christian, admonished and comforted by the prayers of the Church, has left the mortal body, the love of the brethren and the care of the Church does not end.
Immediately after washing the body of the deceased and dressing him in funeral clothes, the deceased is read Following on the outcome of the soul from the body *, and then, as continuously as possible, the Psalter is read according to a special order.

The follow-up to the exodus of the soul from the body is much shorter than the usual memorial service. The Holy Church, considering it necessary to lift up the first prayer for the deceased almost immediately after the departure of the soul from the body, at the same time enters into the position of those around the deathbed, who in the last hours, and sometimes days, have experienced much mental suffering and physical labor. And the Church, as a loving, caring mother, reduces the first necessary, urgent prayer at the tomb as much as possible.

The prayer that ends the Follow-up can also be read separately:
“Remember, Lord our God, in the faith and hope of the life of the eternally reposed Thy servant (the reposed Thy servant), our brother (our sister) (name), and like a Good and Humanitarian, forgive sins and consume iniquity, weaken, leave and forgive all his (her) sins and involuntary sins, deliver him (s) eternal torment and the fire of Gehenna, and grant him (her) communion and enjoyment of your eternal good things prepared for those who love You: even if you sin, but do not depart from You, and unquestionably in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Your God in the Trinity glorified, faith, and the Unity in the Trinity and the Trinity in Unity Orthodox even until the last breath of confession . The same, be merciful to that (then) be, and faith, even in Thee, instead of deeds, and with Your saints, like Generous, rest in peace: there is no man who will live and not sin, but You are One besides all sin and the truth is Your truth forever, and you are the only God of mercy and generosity, and love of mankind, and we send glory to you, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen."

If for some reason the Follow-up on the Exodus of the Soul cannot be performed by the priest, it must certainly be read by the reader of the Psalter before the reading of the Psalter itself (as indicated in the old manuals on reading the Psalter over the body of the deceased).
Canon for the deceased, which is part of the Follow-up on the exodus of the soul from the body, it is advisable to read daily until the burial of the deceased. (In some prayer books, the Canon for the reposed is called the “Canon of the One Departed.”) In addition, this canon is read each time after reading the entire Psalter over the deceased.

Following the departure of the soul from the body is only the beginning of a whole series of prayers and chants, which continues near the coffin of the deceased almost continuously until the burial itself. Immediately after the end of the Follow-up on the exodus of the soul from the body, reading begins at the tomb of the deceased Holy Scripture: at the tomb of a priest - the Holy Gospel, at the tomb of a layman - Psalms.

Reading the Psalter for the deceased

In the Orthodox Church, there is a good custom of uninterrupted reading of the Psalter over the body of the deceased (except for the time when memorial services or funeral litias are performed at the tomb) before his burial and in memory after his burial.

The reading of the Psalter for the dead has its origin in the most remote antiquity. Serving as a prayer to the Lord for the dead, it brings them great comfort both in itself, as a reading of the word of God, and as testifying to the love of their living brethren for them. It also brings them great benefit, for it is accepted by the Lord as a pleasant propitiatory sacrifice for the cleansing of the sins of those who are commemorated - just as any prayer, any good deed is accepted by Him in general.

The reading of the Psalter begins at the end of the "Following the Exodus of the Soul." Psalms should be read with tenderness and contrition of the heart, without haste, delving into what is being read with attention. The reading of the Psalter by the commemorators themselves brings the greatest benefit: it testifies to the great degree of love and zeal for the commemorated of their living brethren, who themselves personally they want to work in memory of them, and not replace themselves in work with others. The feat of reading will be accepted by the Lord not only as a sacrifice for those who are commemorated, but as a sacrifice for those who bring it themselves, those who labor in reading. Any pious believer who has the skills of error-free reading can read the Psalter.

The position of the reader of the Psalter is the position of the one who prays. Therefore, it is more fitting for the reader of the Psalter to stand as a person praying (at the feet of the coffin of the deceased), if a special extreme does not force him to sit down. Negligence in this matter, as in the observance of other pious customs, is offensive both to the sacred rite, blessed by the Holy Church, and to the word of God, which, in case of carelessness, is read as if inconsistent with the intention and feeling of the praying Christian.

When reading the word of God over the body of the deceased, relatives and friends of the deceased should be present. If it is impossible and not always convenient for households and relatives to continuously participate in prayer and the reading of the Psalter, then at least from time to time they need to join their prayers with the prayer of the reader; it is especially appropriate to do this during the reading of the prayer for the dead between the psalms.

In the Apostolic decrees, it is commanded to perform psalmody, readings and prayers for the dead on the third, ninth and fortieth days. But for the most part, the custom was established to read psalms for the dead for three days or all forty days. The three-day reading of the Psalter with prayers, which constitute a special burial rite, for the most part coincides with the time during which the body of the deceased remains in the house.

The following is an excerpt from the chapter "Reading the Psalter for the Dead" from the book of Bishop Athanasius (Sakharov) " On the commemoration of the dead according to the charter of the Orthodox Church".

If the reading of the psalter is done only for the sake of commemoration, especially at the grave of the deceased, then there is no need to read the troparia and prayers assigned for the usual cell rule according to the kathisma. It would be more appropriate in all cases and after each glory and after the kathisma to read a special memorial prayer. Regarding the formula for commemoration when reading the psalter, there is no monotony. Various prayers are used in different places, sometimes arbitrarily composed. The practice of ancient Russia consecrated the use in this case of that funeral troparion, with which the cell reading of the funeral canons should end: Remember, O Lord, the soul of your departed servant, and during reading it is assumed five bows, and the troparion itself is read three times. According to the same old practice, the reading of the psalter for the repose is preceded by the reading of the canon for the dead many or for the one who died**, after which the reading of the psalter begins. After reading all the psalms, the funeral canon is read again, after which the reading of the first kathisma begins again. This order continues throughout the reading of the psalter for the dead.

memorial service

There is a misconception that it is impossible to perform memorial services for the deceased before his funeral. On the contrary, it is very good to order memorial services for the deceased in one or more churches on all the days preceding the burial.

According to the teachings of the Church, the soul of a person goes through terrible ordeals at a time when his body lies lifeless and dead, and, no doubt, at this time the soul of the deceased has a great need for the help of the Church. A memorial service helps to facilitate the soul's transition to another life.

The beginning of memorial services goes back to the very first times of Christianity. Translated from Greek, the word "requiem" means "all-night singing." Persecuted by Jews and pagans, Christians could pray and make a bloodless sacrifice without interference and anxiety only in the most secluded places and at night. And only at night could they clean up and escort the bodies of the holy martyrs to eternal rest. It was done like this: they secretly carried away the tormented, disfigured body of some sufferer for Christ somewhere to a distant cave or to the most secluded and safe house; here, throughout the night, they sang psalms over him, then gave him a reverent kiss, and by morning they buried him in the ground. Subsequently, in the same way, they saw off to eternal rest those who, although they did not suffer for Christ, devoted their whole lives to serving Him. Such an all-night psalmody over the deceased was called a memorial service, that is, an all-night vigil. Hence the prayers and psalmody over the deceased or in his memory and received the name panikhida.

The essence of the requiem lies in the prayerful commemoration of our deceased fathers and brothers, who, although they died faithful to Christ, did not completely renounce the weaknesses of fallen human nature and took their weaknesses and infirmities with them to the grave.

Performing a memorial service, the Holy Church focuses all our attention on how the souls of the departed ascend from the earth to the Judgment of God, how they stand at this Judgment with fear and trembling, confessing their deeds before the Lord, not daring to anticipate from the all-just Lord the mysteries of His judgment over our souls. deceased.

The hymns of the memorial service not only bring relief to the soul of the deceased, they are also comforting for those who pray.

Funeral service and burial

The burial of the deceased Christian takes place on the third day after his death (in this case, the day of death is always included in the count of days, even if death occurred a few minutes before midnight). Under emergency circumstances - wars, epidemics, natural disasters - burial is allowed even earlier than the third day.

The Gospel describes the rite of the burial of the Lord Jesus Christ, which consisted in washing His Most Pure Body, putting on special clothes and being placed in a tomb. The same actions are supposed to be performed on Christians at the present time.

The washing of the body represents the purity and innocence of the righteous in the Kingdom of Heaven. It is performed by one of the relatives of the deceased with the reading of the Trisagion prayer: "Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us". The deceased is freed from clothes, his jaw is tied up and placed on a bench or on the floor, spreading a cloth. For ablution, a sponge, warm water and soap are used, rubbing all parts of the body three times with cross-shaped movements, starting from the head. (The clothes in which a person died, and everything that was used in his ablution, it is customary to burn.)

The washed and clothed body, on which there must be a cross (if preserved, a baptismal one), is placed face up on the table. The mouth of the deceased must be closed, eyes closed, arms folded crosswise on the chest, right over left. The Christian woman's head is covered with a large scarf that completely covers her hair, and its ends can not be tied, but simply folded crosswise. The crucifixion is put into the hands (there is a special type of burial crucifixion) or an icon - Christ, the Mother of God or the heavenly patron. (You should not wear a tie on a deceased Orthodox Christian.) If the body is transferred to the morgue, then all the same, even before the funeral services arrive, the deceased must be washed and clothed, and when issuing the body from the morgue, put a whisk and Crucifixion in the coffin.

Shortly before the removal of the coffin from the house (or the issuance of the body in the morgue), over the body of the deceased, “Following the outcome of the soul from the body” is read again. The coffin is taken out of the house feet first with the singing of the Trisagion. The coffin is carried by relatives and friends, dressed in mourning clothes. Since ancient times, Christians who participated in the funeral procession carried lighted candles. The orchestra at the funeral of Orthodox Christians is inappropriate.

According to the charter, when the body is brought into the temple, the bell must ring with a special funeral ringing, which announces to the living that they have one less brother.
In the temple, the body of the deceased is placed on a special stand with their feet to the altar, and candlesticks with lighted candles are placed crosswise near the coffin. The lid of the coffin is left in the porch or in the yard. It is allowed to bring wreaths and fresh flowers into the church. All worshipers have burning candles in their hands. A memorial kutya is placed on a separately prepared table near the coffin, with a candle in the middle.

Don't forget to bring your death certificate to the temple. If, for some reason, the delivery of the coffin to the temple is delayed, be sure to notify the priest and ask for a postponement of the funeral.

funeral service

In common parlance, the funeral service, because of the abundance of chants, is called "The follow-up of the dead worldly bodies." It is in many ways reminiscent of a memorial service, since it includes many hymns and prayers that are common with the following of a memorial service, differing only in the reading of the Holy Scriptures, the singing of funeral stichera, farewell to the deceased and the burial of the body to the earth.
At the end of the funeral service, after reading the Apostle and the Gospel, the priest reads a prayer of permissiveness. With this prayer, the deceased is resolved (liberated) from the prohibitions and sins that burdened him, in which he repented or which he could not remember at confession, and the deceased is released into the afterlife reconciled with God and neighbors. In order for the forgiveness of sins given to the deceased to be more tangible and comforting for all those who mourn and cry, the text of this prayer immediately after it is read is put into the right hand of the deceased by his relatives or friends.

After a permissive prayer accompanied by the singing of the stichera “Come, let us give the last kiss, brethren, to the dead, giving thanks to God…” the farewell to the deceased takes place. Relatives and friends of the deceased go around the coffin with the body, with a bow ask for forgiveness for involuntary insults, kiss the icon on the chest of the deceased and the rim on the forehead. In the event that the funeral service takes place with the coffin closed, they kiss the cross on the lid of the coffin or the priest's hand. Then the face of the deceased is covered with a veil, and the priest sprinkles earth on the body of the deceased crosswise, saying: “The land of the Lord, and the fulfillment of it, the universe and all who live in it” (Ps. 23, 1). At the end of the funeral, the body of the deceased with the singing of the Trisagion is escorted to the cemetery.
The deceased is usually lowered into the grave facing the east. When the coffin is lowered into the grave, the “Trisagion” is sung - the singing of the angelic song “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us”; an eight-pointed cross is placed over the grave mound - a symbol of our salvation. The cross can be made of any material, but it must be of the correct shape. He is placed at the feet of the deceased, with a crucifix to the face of the deceased.

About the funeral in the morgue

Before performing the funeral of the deceased in the mortuary, make sure that the funeral will not be held by a false priest and that he has permission to perform the funeral.
The Orthodox Church recognizes the afterlife, therefore, it believes that a person does not die, but falls asleep. Only the body becomes dead, but the soul continues to live. In the first 40 days, its further path is determined. Prayers that are sung during the funeral help with this. The priest calls on relatives not with despair and despondency, but with good deeds and turning to God to save the soul of a person. For 40 days she rushes between earth and heaven, so the funeral service must be done as early as possible, on the third day after death. If the ceremony is performed by a false priest or a priest who does not have the blessing (permission of the metropolitan), the funeral service is considered invalid.