Day of Prayer for the Dead: when is the Intercession Parents' Saturday in 2025
In the Orthodox tradition, there are special days of remembrance of the deceased, called parental Saturdays. At this time, believers gather in the temple to offer prayers for the souls of their relatives, who are no longer around, and then go to the cemetery to clean up the graves and honor the memory of the deceased. One of these dates falls in the middle of October — this is Pokrovskaya Parental Saturday. For more information about what date it is celebrated, what customs are associated with this day and why it is absent from the official church calendar, see the Izvestia article.
When is Pokrovskaya Parental Saturday in 2025
The Intercession of Parents' Saturday always precedes the great Orthodox holiday — the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, which is celebrated on October 14. Since the holiday has a fixed date, Memorial Day falls on a different date each time. So, in 2025, Pokrovskaya Parental Saturday falls on October 11.
Sometimes a special situation arises. If this day coincides with the celebration of the memory of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian, which takes place on October 9, then memorial services are not held on Saturday itself. In such cases, the Church reschedules them for Sunday, so that believers can honor both the great saint and their deceased relatives with dignity.
This practice emphasizes respect for traditions and helps to maintain the prayerful spirit of these days.
Pokrovskaya Parental Saturday
The Intercession of Parents Saturday is not one of the church-wide days of commemoration and is not celebrated throughout the Russian Orthodox Church. Initially, funeral services on this day were held only within the Kazan diocese, and this is due to a special page in history.
It is based on the memory of the events of 1552, when, on the feast of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, the troops of Tsar Ivan IV the Terrible took the capital of the Kazan Khanate. On Victory Day, a procession passed through the streets and walls of the city, and an Orthodox church, the future Annunciation Cathedral, was built on the site of the Khan's headquarters.
Annunciation Cathedral on the territory of the Kazan Kremlin
Several decades later, Metropolitan Hermogenes of Kazan, later Patriarch of Moscow, raised the issue of the need for prayerful remembrance of the soldiers who gave their lives during the storming of the city. On January 9, 1592, he sent a letter to Patriarch Job asking him to establish a special day for their commemoration. Considering that the capture of Kazan took place precisely on the feast of the Intercession, the metropolitan suggested that funeral services be held on the Saturday closest to this holiday — the traditional day of special prayers for the deceased.
Patriarch Job supported the metropolitan's intention and on February 25, 1592, issued a decree ordering funeral services to be held "for all Orthodox soldiers killed near Kazan and within Kazan. To hold a memorial service in Kazan and throughout the Kazan Metropolitan Area on Saturday afternoon after the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos." Over time, this custom took root and spread beyond the borders of one region. Today, the memory of the deceased on Intercession Parents' Saturday is celebrated not only in the Tatarstan Metropolia, but also in Yekaterinburg, Vyatka, Udmurtia and some other dioceses, remaining a living testimony to the grateful prayer of descendants for the defenders of the Fatherland.
Traditions and customs of the Intercession Parents' Sabbath
On Intercession Parents' Saturday, believers follow the traditions of commemoration of the dead established for this day. The first services begin the day before, on Friday evening, and everyone can attend them. At the service, parishioners not only offer prayers, but also give notes for the repose, so that the priest remembers the names of their deceased relatives.
Even if the Intercession of Parents' Saturday is not celebrated in the nearest churches, nothing prevents every Christian from praying for the dead on this day. You can ask the priest to hold a service or to pray at home, according to the prayer book or in your own words. The main thing is that the petition comes from the heart and is an expression of love and memory of loved ones.
The rector of the church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in the village of Lamishino, Archpriest Nikolai Yelchev, said that in the old days there was a custom of commemoration among neighbors and fellow villagers. People went into each other's houses, brought pies, bread and other treats with them, and after the service they distributed food to people they met with a request to remember the dead.
Depending on the region, the traditions of commemoration could differ. For example, in Udmurtia, it was customary to bring pastries made from flour from a fresh harvest to the cemetery to say goodbye to the deceased before spring. And in Zaonezhye, part of the livestock was slaughtered and meat dishes were prepared for the holiday, and on the territory of modern Belarus, treats were prepared for a common meal the day before. There, the holiday was called "Pokrovsky grandfathers" ("dziady"), which means "souls of the deceased ancestors" in Belarusian.
Therefore, modern Orthodox Christians can also arrange memorial meals on this day. Traditional dishes for them are pancakes and kutia. Nikolai Yelchev also added that during the commemoration it is obligatory to read the Psalter, one of the books of the Old Testament, which includes 150 psalms. After the service in the church, it was customary to visit the cemetery, where you can once again pray for the repose of your loved ones — alone or together with a priest, who often serves a memorial service right on the graves.
What can and cannot be done
It is important to spend Parental Saturday in reverence and memory of the deceased, observing certain rules. On this day, it is customary to do good: give alms and help those in need, clean up the graves of loved ones, remember them with warmth and share good memories. You can also dedicate a date to good deeds in memory of those who left. For example, if during his lifetime a person loved to receive guests, it is worth showing hospitality, continuing his traditions.
At the same time, there are certain prohibitions. You can't say bad things about the dead, indulge in excessive grief and tears, quarrel and swear. You should also not work on this day, including household chores. Alcohol consumption is not allowed during the memorial meal, so as not to turn it into a regular feast, instead they usually drink kvass or jelly.
In addition, it is not worth wasting time on empty conversations and idle fun, as well as leaving food in the cemetery — it is customary to either eat the food brought, or distribute it to those in need, or take it home.
Weather signs for Pokrovskaya Saturday
The Orthodox Church does not approve of various superstitions and omens. Nevertheless, there is a special tradition in Russia on Orthodox holidays to notice the weather, the behavior of animals and birds, as well as other signs that led to conclusions about the future.
In this regard, low-flying birds were perceived as a harbinger of an early and frosty winter, and a large number of acorns on the oaks promised a rich harvest next year. If thunder thundered in the morning, it was considered a sign of a mild winter, and a plentiful harvest of mountain ash, on the contrary, warned of severe frosts.
The appearance of snow on the night of Pokrovskaya Saturday meant that the heat was no longer worth waiting for, and a sunny day foreshadowed three more clear days in a row. Fallen birch leaves were associated with the approach of early snow. There were also more everyday signs — for example, a mirror broken by carelessness was considered a sign of an imminent wedding.
Special attention was paid to the Feast of the Intercession itself. According to legend, weddings performed on this day promised young people a rich and harmonious life, and the girl who first lit a candle at the morning service was considered the fastest bride.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
