Parents' Saturday in October 2025: how to remember what is strictly forbidden to do

In the Orthodox tradition, there are special dates when the memory of the dead is honored — parental Saturdays. One of these Saturdays falls on October and is called Pokrovskaya. It is celebrated on the nearest weekend to the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is celebrated in the middle of autumn. In 2025, the date falls on October 11th. Izvestia tells about the main traditions of memorial day.

Parents' Saturday in October 2025: the essence of the date of October 11

Pokrovskaya Parental Saturday is one of the days of special commemoration of the deceased in the Orthodox tradition. Historically, the tradition of the day is associated with the capture of Kazan, then the capital of the Kazan Khanate, under Tsar Ivan the Terrible. This event took place in October 1552. Later, the church established a special day to commemorate the soldiers who fell in that battle. It fell just on the Saturday before the Intercession (celebrated on October 14th).

However, unlike other parental Saturdays, Pokrovskaya is not a church-wide one. Every year, services are held on the territory of Kazan, Vyatka, Udmurt, Yekaterinburg and some other dioceses. However, believers from other regions also try not to miss the memorial day in order to honor the memory of their deceased loved ones.

Who is commemorated on Intercession Parents' Saturday

Initially, the fallen soldiers were commemorated on Pokrovskaya Parental Saturday. Over time, parents and other relatives who left our world began to be remembered on this day. Funeral services are held in churches on Parents' Saturday. Many people visit cemeteries to clean up the graves and remember the dead.

Parents' Saturdays in 2025: how to properly memorialize the deceased on Parents' Day

A total of nine special memorial days are expected during the year

How to commemorate the dead at home and in the cemetery today, on Pokrovskaya Saturday

On Intercession Saturday, you can pray for the deceased in the temple or by reading the prayer book at home, saying a special prayer for repose. You can say it in your own words, the main thing is that the prayer comes from the heart and is an expression of love and memory.

When visiting cemeteries, the food brought with them must be distributed to those in need or taken home. It is not recommended to take alcohol with you. Traditional drinks during the memorial meal are jelly, kvass or mors.

You should also avoid noisy celebrations and empty conversations. Remembering the deceased, they should not be scolded or spoken ill of. Only the best that was associated with a deceased loved one is brought back to memory.

How to spend the day: what should an Orthodox person do on Parents' Day?

The clergy note that on Pokrovskaya, as on any other parental Saturday, it is much more important to visit the temple and pray for the deceased. On memorial Day, it is recommended to attend the liturgy, submit notes for the repose with the names of the deceased, and place candles. If possible, it is worth confessing and receiving communion.

On such days, good deeds and assistance to those in need are welcomed, for example, in the form of donations or alms. It is considered a godly deed to clean up abandoned graves and remember the deceased with a kind word.

After visiting the church and cemetery, some arrange a memorial meal. Special dishes are usually served on the table: kutia, jelly, pies and pancakes (their number should be odd), as well as dishes that the deceased loved.

The greatest church holiday of autumn is approaching: the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos

The celebration is one of the most important in Orthodoxy, although it is not one of the twelve

Folk signs of October 11th

The October 11 holiday also falls on Kharitonov Day, on which, according to popular beliefs, evil spirits roam the earth. Therefore, our ancestors tried to observe certain prohibitions.

In particular, it was forbidden to clean the house, so that luck and happiness would not be swept away along with the garbage. It was not recommended to share their plans and pick up the found objects from the ground. Engagements and weddings were not scheduled for this day, believing that the marriage would be unhappy.

The signs of the day have long been used to determine the weather for the coming months. So, if the grass is covered with frost in the morning, it means that snow will fall soon. If the wind blows, it will rain. The huddled chickens promise an early cold snap. And low-flying birds portend an early and cold winter.

Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos in 2025: the essence of the holiday on October 14th

Three days after the Intercession of Parents' Saturday, a great church holiday is celebrated — the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. And although he is not one of the twelve, since he is not connected with the earthly life of the Virgin, he is especially revered by the people. In folk tradition, the Veil was considered the boundary between autumn and winter, and the same period was the season of weddings and folk festivals.

The holiday itself was established in the 10th century in Byzantium, and then entered the calendar of the Russian Orthodox Church. According to legend, during the siege of Constantinople by the eastern neighbors, the Mother of God appeared in the temple where the townspeople were praying and spread her veil over the faithful. Soon after the miracle happened, the enemy retreated.

In Christianity, this event represents God's mercy, protection and consolation even in a desperate situation. Just as a mother covers a crying child with a handkerchief, so the Mother of God protects all those who turn to her with prayers from the storms of life and adversity. It is also believed that the Mother of God covers with her omophorion not only all worshippers, but also the souls of the deceased, giving them peace.

Earlier, Izvestia told when the last parent's Saturday of the year would be.