Radonitsa: the disturbing prohibitions of parents' day, which even believers forget about

On Tuesday of St. Thomas Week, the ninth day after Easter, Christians celebrate Radonitsa. This is the day of church-wide commemoration of the dead, which in 2026 falls on April 21. The tradition of celebrating it has come since pre-Christian times, gradually becoming an integral part of the church calendar. How to spend parents' day correctly, what absolutely should not be done in the cemetery and how Radonitsa correlates with the Christian vision of death — in the material of Izvestia.

The history of the holiday

Radonitsa, or Radunitsa, was celebrated in Russia long before the adoption of Christianity. This is an ancient East Slavic holiday that has its roots in the pagan cult of ancestors. Then, on Radonitsa, they visited burial sites and commemorated the deceased.

"The Slavs believed that their deceased ancestors were closely connected with the earth and its fertility," Natalia Fominykh, a religious scholar, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, professor at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, told Izvestia.

In order for the land to yield a good harvest, it was believed that the dead should be appeased. To do this, they had a "joint meal" with them — some of the food was left at the burial site or buried.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Eduard Kornienko

The holiday was celebrated in spring, when the earth was freed from snow, as if opening the gates to the world of the dead. It was believed that the souls of the dead visited their homes on Radonitsa, so at that time it was necessary to clean their homes and commemorate their ancestors. With the adoption of Christianity, the holiday was included in the church calendar as a parental memorial day, celebrated on Tuesday of St. Thomas Week (the ninth day after Easter).

— In the Christian tradition, there has been a rethinking of this day. It began to be considered the time when the living shared with the dead the joy of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. To hold Radonitsa correctly now means to visit the temple and pray for the deceased. It is possible to visit the cemetery, but it is not considered mandatory," Natalia Fominykh noted.

How to mark Radonitsa correctly

On the eve of the evening or on the day of Radonitsa itself, believers should come to the temple: take part in the divine service, submit notes with the names of the deceased, order a memorial service and place candles. After that, you can go to the cemetery, but do not turn the visit into a picnic. You should not arrange lavish feasts, drink alcohol, make noise or interfere with other people who have come to remember their loved ones. On this day, you can put things in order at the grave, remove debris, weeds, and put the fence in proper shape.

"It's good if you brought a candle and a lamp with you,— Natalia Fominykh added.

Photo: Global Look Press/Dmitry Chasovitin

At the cemetery, you can read the prayers yourself — the Litiya for the laity, the Gospel or the Easter Canon. At the same time, cakes, eggs and sweets should not be laid out on the grave — it is better to distribute food to those in need with a request to pray with you for the deceased relatives.

"If the temptation to leave food on the grave is very great, leave a small amount with the expectation that those in need will take it away from there,— concluded the Izvestia interlocutor.

What is forbidden to do on Radonitsa

There are certain restrictions on this day. The very name of the holiday, Radonitsa— is associated with the joy of the Resurrection of Christ and victory over death, so on this day you should not indulge in excessive sorrow and despair.

Remembering the deceased, one should not arrange lavish feasts, as well as drink alcohol. A memorial meal is appropriate in the evening with the family.

If it is not possible to visit the cemetery, the church allows and even approves commemoration in the temple or home prayer, because prayer is the main way to honor the memory of the deceased.

Photo: Global Look Press/Elena Mayorova

At the same time, the Church strongly opposes believers leaving food on graves, reminding that the tradition of "feeding" the deceased is a manifestation of paganism and has nothing to do with Christianity, moreover, contradicts it.

"Leaving food on graves is a form of charity for those who can take away some delicious, not expired, not spoiled food and pray for the repose of the person on whose grave he found these wonderful products," Vladislav Beregovoy, head of the missionary department of the Pesochenskaya diocese, told Izvestia.

If a person knows that no one but dogs will take the food, it is "simply blasphemous" to leave the food, he stressed.

There is another prohibition on this day — however, this is not a ban at all — it is well known that they do not marry in churches on Radonitsa. But this is not due to the holiday itself, but to the fact that it always falls on a Tuesday, when, according to church regulations, weddings are not held.

Radonitsa and the attitude of Christians towards death

Unlike other commemoration days, Radonitsa does not imply a mourning mood. It is also called "Easter for the Departed," as Christians come to the graves not with sorrow, but with an Easter greeting and faith in eternal life. This holiday calls not to grieve over the passing of loved ones, but to rejoice that they have passed into eternal life, hence the special attitude of Christians towards death.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Eduard Kornienko

Natalia Fominykh recalls that in the church tradition, the dead are not called the dead, but the departed — that is, "sleeping", waiting for the resurrection following the example of Jesus Christ. Christianity teaches that death is a temporary human condition until the Last Judgment, when the soul and body will be reunited in a renewed, transformed form.

Priest Beregovoy, in turn, notes that a Christian does not seek death, but is not afraid of it either, perceiving it as a transition to a new life. At the same time, he is naturally afraid of a painful death and worries about those who will find it difficult without him.

— Therefore, a Christian is obliged to take care of his health and not to hasten the meeting with God beyond the grave. But I remind you that it is necessary to meet with God during your lifetime," he added.