History will take about 40 days
In Orthodox Christianity, it is generally accepted that for another 40 days after a person’s death, his soul continues to visit the living. All this time, some people can feel the presence of the deceased: they hear rustling sounds, steps, sighs. At the end of the forty-day period, the spirit of the deceased goes to heaven to appear before the Lord. A funeral for 40 days is a farewell to the immortal soul to another world. Relatives and friends of the deceased gathered together with their prayers to help him cleanse himself of the sins committed during his life and find peace.
Important! The number 40 was chosen for a reason to say goodbye to the soul of the deceased - this time is necessary to prepare it for the afterlife. It is also often found in the Bible: after 40 years the Jews found the promised land, on the fortieth day the ascension of Christ took place.
Is it possible to make repairs
Repairs can be made after a funeral, but only after 40 days have passed after death
. The soul of the deceased visits from time to time to see how loved ones live. She would like to see a familiar environment; changes can anger the spirit.
After 40 days, at a minimum, you will have to replace the bed on which the deceased slept, as well as the bed (sofa, floor or staircase covering, chair, etc.) that became the deathbed. The bed of a dead person cannot be used by his bloodline. It can be given away or sold. There is no need to install a new bed; use the freed up space as you see fit.
The place of death will continue to exude necrotic energy for several years. Therefore, it is necessary to replace everything that came into contact with the dying person, be it the floor covering where he fell, or furniture and bedding. As a rule, such things are thrown away or burned. In the villages they do it a little differently - they take it to the chicken coop for three so that the rooster “sinks away all the negativity.”
The personal belongings of the deceased are usually distributed to the poor or sold. This doesn't just apply to clothes. Your favorite cup or plate, ashtray, anti-stress toy - you shouldn’t keep it all. Although many leave it in memory of the deceased.
What you should not do according to signs for 40 days after the funeral
There are many folk signs and customs about funerals and wakes that are observed for 40 days after the death of loved ones. The most important ones relate to various prohibitions, the violation of which promises trouble.
One of the most famous superstitions regarding funerals is that immediately after the death of a person it is necessary to cover all the mirrors in the house with a cloth. It is recommended to do the same with all large reflective surfaces, such as a TV screen.
It is believed that the mirror can reflect the ghost of the deceased lingering on earth. This is a bad omen, since the dead should not appear to the living. One of the popular beliefs says that if a person sees the spirit of the deceased in a mirror, he will soon leave this world.
Important! There is still debate about when the shelter can be removed. Some argue that this can be done immediately after the funeral, others believe that you should wait nine days. It is best to wait 40 days and open the mirrors on the 41st.
Another ban concerns entertainment. It is recommended to avoid entertainment activities for the entire 40 days. It is also better to postpone watching entertainment programs, but watching TV in general is not prohibited. Weddings are postponed to a later date if possible.
Photos of the deceased should not be looked at too often. Signs and customs do not prohibit storing them and even placing them in a visible place, but the latter requires measures. You cannot display several photographs of a deceased person in one house at a time. A couple of images are enough, and it’s better to put them in a photo album. This way, the energy of death will not accumulate in the home.
It is strictly prohibited to take photographs during the funeral. Those that have already been made must be burned - such images are the focus of strong negative energy.
During all the days that the deceased is at home, it is not advisable to clean. Signs say that during this time it is not customary to take out the trash, wash the floors or wipe the dust. Washing is also prohibited. It is believed that violating this ban could lead to the imminent death of another person. According to signs, during cleaning you can sweep or wash someone's soul from the house in which the deceased is located.
The funeral table should not contain meat dishes.
After the funeral, omens advise going straight to the wake, then home. You cannot go to visit, so as not to bring death and misfortune to the owners. It is also prohibited to go from one funeral to another. According to popular superstitions and signs, it is necessary to choose only one, so as not to bring trouble upon yourself.
Another ban concerns visiting other graves after the funeral. This is regarded as disrespect for the deceased, so it is better to postpone the visit to another day.
Important! Sometimes confusion arises - not everyone knows from what date the period of 40 days is counted, and they choose the day of the funeral of the deceased for this. This is incorrect, since the starting point is the date of death of the person.
When to clean the apartment
While the deceased is in the house, you cannot clean or take out the trash. Otherwise, another person in this house may die. According to legend, the person who cleans will sweep or wash it out of the home.
You need to clean it up immediately after removing the coffin.
The floors are swept and washed after the deceased at a time when those mourning their last journey have already left for the cemetery. They do this to immediately sweep death, illness, and grief out of the house.
Moreover, such light cleaning cannot be done by the blood relatives of the deceased. It is better for them to have less contact with the emanations of death, so that the deceased does not take his loved ones with him. Pregnant women also don’t clean up after the deceased; they don’t even want to be at the funeral. Usually one of the family friends is asked to sweep and mop the floor. Only he must remain in the apartment after the coffin is removed. After this, the person joins the mourners at the wake, but is not present at the cemetery.
Some things are especially strongly imbued with the energy of death. So, the stools or table on which the coffin stood are taken outside for several days and left there with their legs up. This is done in order to get rid of this energy. The apartment has a balcony.
Be sure to take away from the house everything connected with the mournful ceremony. These are the remains of fabric for upholstering the coffin, wood chips from it, as well as other ritual paraphernalia, except for a portrait with a black ribbon, a glass of water and a piece of bread. All flowers brought by mourners are supposed to be left at the grave - they are intended for the deceased.
The instrument used to take measurements for the coffin is also not left in the house; it brings death to another resident within a year. Nothing is taken from the coffin. The ropes that tied the hands of the deceased, the pennies that lay in front of the eyes - all this should remain in the coffin. The candles are taken to the cemetery, as is the grain in which they stood. It is also impossible to keep an icon that stood in front of the coffin. They float it down the river or take it to church.
Signs about 40 days after death
There are many folk superstitions associated with this day. The most common signs include the following:
- All this time, a candle, lamp or small night light should be burning.
- It is necessary to close all mirrors in the house for 40 or at least 9 days. It is also common to cover various reflective surfaces, such as a TV.
- On the day of the funeral, an empty place is allocated at the table for the deceased, a glass covered with a piece of bread and a plate with Lenten treats are placed.
- According to folk superstitions, after the death of her husband, a widow must cover her head with a black scarf for 40 days. It is believed that if this is not done, she may incur damage to herself.
- For 40 days, a small glass of water is placed on the windowsill or in front of a photograph of the deceased, and a towel is placed next to it. This is done so that the soul of the deceased can wash itself.
40 days after death, according to signs, the spirit of the deceased returns to earth for the last time to say goodbye to family and friends. In the old days, people believed that if the soul of the deceased did not see a wake for itself, it would be forced to wander forever between the world of the living and the dead. This date cannot be ignored - it is necessary to gather all the relatives and friends of the person who has passed away and remember all the best about him. In the morning, they traditionally visit the cemetery, leaving flowers, a modest treat and a small candle at the grave of the deceased. You cannot talk or laugh loudly in a cemetery.
After this, the table is set at home, but there is no lavish dinner. All dishes must be prepared in advance. According to popular belief, kutia and pancakes without filling should be served on the table; all other treats should also be meatless.
Visiting the temple after 40 days is another mandatory tradition for believers. According to folk customs and superstitions, after the funeral it is necessary to order Sorokoust, which will be read in the church from the day of death until 40 days. After this period, it is customary to organize a second Sorokoust.
Important! At a wake for 40 days after the death of a relative, it is recommended not to drink alcoholic beverages, sing songs or generally have fun. This time is dedicated to good memories of the person and prayers for the repose of his soul.
Should I keep photos of the dead?
The answer is yes. Photos are memories of a dear person, a memory for his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. By destroying photographs of the deceased, you allow his descendants to never know about him.
But still, the image of a dead person is connected with the world of the dead. Psychics can determine from a photo whether a person is alive or not. Therefore, you should not look at photographs of the deceased too often. You also can’t overdo it with their quantity on the walls, shelves and tables. Do not hang near portraits of living people; separate living and dead energies. The best place to store it is a photo album.
Photographs taken during the funeral carry much more negativity.
It's best not to do them. But, if there are already photos, it is better to destroy them. It doesn’t matter what is depicted there - a coffin, a cemetery, the funeral process, they are a strong source of necrotic energy.
How to avoid what is predicted in omens
One of the most unfavorable signs says that if you look into a mirror opened after a funeral, then death can enter the house a second time and take another life. In order to avoid what is promised in popular superstition, you need to bring a cat or cat to the mirror. This sign does not apply to them, and the curse will be lifted.
If a person swore at a wake on the fortieth day or behaved inappropriately at a funeral, he should visit the church and ask for forgiveness of this sin. It's even better to confess to a priest. Otherwise, the sinner may face troubles that will haunt him all year, namely: health problems, difficulties at work, discord in the family, quarrels with close friends, betrayal, betrayal by lovers. Additionally, it is worth asking for forgiveness of the deceased himself through prayer. You can do this in your own words. The main thing here is that they be sincere.
You can learn more about how to remember a loved one after death from the video below:
Is it possible to watch TV
For obvious reasons, there are no old signs on this matter, but as mentioned above, televisions are supposed to be covered, just like mirrors. You can open them at the same time as the mirrors. That is, either after the funeral, or after the third, ninth or fortieth day.
The Church does not prohibit watching TV, but recommends abstaining from entertainment for at least nine days. You can watch news and educational programs, but it’s better to postpone watching movies and talk shows. You cannot turn on the TV in a house where a dead person is lying. Wait until the funeral is over. If the deceased was not close to you, the restriction does not apply to you.
These rules also apply to listening to music.
The exception is church hymns. If you wish, you can listen to classical music. By the way, the funeral orchestra is a Soviet innovation. In the old days, prayers and religious chants accompanied the funeral procession.
One of the most mysterious and incomprehensible events for humanity is death. We can only speculate about what happens to a person beyond this line. Fear of the unknown is a natural reaction that forces even the most notorious atheist, albeit to a minimal extent, to adhere to certain rules of conduct during the process, before and after the funeral. The traditions that are observed during this ritual are among the most revered in the world. Not everyone knows how to behave correctly if such grief occurs in a family. Our editors often receive requests to clarify certain issues. We will try to answer the most popular of them from ethical and religious points of view.
To begin with, here are the most common superstitions associated with funerals :
- close windows and doors in the house;
- put food, money and things in the coffin (lately mobile phones);
- placing a pancake on the face of the deceased, and then eating it, believing that this eliminates the sins of the deceased;
- consider that the closest relatives of the deceased cannot participate in moving the coffin, so as not to think that they are happy about the death of the deceased;
- to believe that a person who returns to the house after removing the body and before returning from the cemetery will certainly die soon;
- consider that you cannot look out the window at the funeral procession, otherwise you will soon die;
- at the wake, place a glass of vodka and bread “for the deceased”;
- save this “funeral glass” until the fortieth day;
- pour vodka on the grave mound;
- before lowering the coffin, throw metal money into the grave to “buy back the land”;
- attach metal glasses to the monument for commemoration with vodka;
- kiss your fingers and touch them to the edge of the grave;
- say: “May you rest in peace”;
- scatter bread crumbs over the grave;
- scatter fir branches along the road to the cemetery;
- believe that the soul of the deceased can take the form of a bird or a bee;
- believe that if the deceased is not inveterate, then his soul remains on earth as a ghost;
- to believe that a person who accidentally stands between the coffin and the altar during the funeral service will certainly die soon;
- believe that burial soil, which is given at an absentee funeral service, cannot be kept at home for more than one day;
- believe that cremation can cause illness in the children or grandchildren of the person being cremated;
- commemorate only with light (white) alcoholic drinks: vodka, if wine, then only white;
- in honor of the soul, be sure to cook only those dishes that the deceased loved;
- at funerals, eat only with spoons (it’s a sin to eat with forks).
The custom of not serving knives and forks at the table at funerals, apparently one of the modern superstitious customs, was born in Soviet canteens, where these cutlery were not accepted and where funerals were held. And only then, from the absence, a “theory” was born: so as not to inject the deceased. It is believed that this “tradition” appeared in the mid-19th century among merchants. People, inflamed by “funeral” alcohol, moved at the table to the issue of dividing up the inheritance, and cutting and stabbing objects, i.e. forks and knives led to serious injuries, so they were removed from funeral service.
- believe that if the deceased has a long coffin, it means a new deceased.
- believe that the deceased hears until the priest says over him: “Eternal memory...”.
- distribute soap at funerals so that the deceased can wash themselves in the next world.
- distribute handkerchiefs to all those present at the wake (it is believed that by wiping ourselves with a handkerchief, we remember the deceased).
- cut all the “loops” on the deceased, including the trouser belt, the collar of the tie and the lace of the body cross.
— to believe that if something falls from the table during a funeral dinner, then picking up what has fallen is a sin.
- bury children with belts, “so that they can gather the fruits of paradise in their bosoms.”
- after the funeral, do not clean the house for 40 days.
- after the funeral, do not turn off the lights in the house for 40 days;
- after the funeral, do not sleep on the bed of the deceased for 40 days;
- hang mirrors in a house where there is a deceased person;
Is it possible to watch TV after the funeral?
Many people adhere to this rule: as long as the deceased is in the house, it is necessary to cover surfaces that can reflect something, for example, mirrors, a TV. This superstition has nothing to do with Orthodox beliefs, but relates to paganism. It is believed that after death, a person’s soul can be drawn into a mirror and unable to get out of there, it will wander forever, never finding peace for itself. After the deceased is taken out of the room, the cloths can be removed, but some keep them closed for 9 or even 40 days.
Other sources claim that hanging mirrors is generally a fairly understandable custom. When someone died in the house, the coffin with his body was placed in the largest room. The psalter was constantly read at the coffin of the deceased, and worshipers could enter at any time and pray near the coffin. Accordingly, everything in the room was arranged so that everything around was conducive to prayer. Mirrors, book spines, figurines or dishes in the sideboard, vases and other small things distract the eye, and therefore do not contribute to the mood. So in the room where the psalter is read, they began to hide everything extraneous from view with draperies. The Psalter has not been read for a long time, but mirrors are hung in all rooms, even for up to 40 days. A normal custom that has turned into superstition.
By the way, watching TV after the funeral of the deceased is a separate issue. What matters is not just the fact that you watch TV, but what exactly you watch. Watching entertainment programs and entertaining films is prohibited. Most often, an interval of 9 days is maintained. In addition, out of respect for the deceased, you should not play it at high volume. Watching the news, for example, is not prohibited.
Is it possible to celebrate a birthday after a funeral?
This issue is resolved only by how important the memory and repose of the deceased person is for those celebrating. The Church does not set an exact time frame for mourning days, but in the first days after the incident it still recommends paying more attention to prayers and commemorations of the deceased.
Norms of ethics also do not give contrary recommendations on this issue. There is no need to have a noisy celebration. If you still want to somehow celebrate the holiday (especially if the birthday boy is a child), you can arrange it quietly and in a family way, without loud music and a noisy party. Honoring the memory of a departed loved one is one of the hallmarks of a civilized society.
Is it possible to have sex after a funeral?
The Orthodox Church answers this question in the following way: mourning for a deceased relative is a time when all the attention of relatives should be directed to prayers.
Ethical considerations also recommend showing respect for memory and abandoning this idea. It is quite possible that a person grieving a loss will simply not have the time for such pleasures. Along with this, again, there are no clear time limits for the ban on sex, therefore, as soon as the heart comes to terms with the loss and the feeling of grief has dulled, you can distract yourself in a similar way. Each person sets the boundaries of what is permitted for himself independently.
Is it possible to drink after a funeral?
According to church ministers, drinking alcoholic beverages, even for the purpose of commemorating the deceased, is unacceptable and even harmful to the soul of the person commemorated.
In pre-Soviet times, it was not customary to drink at funerals. The main and most beneficial memorial is prayer. There is no point in alcoholic commemoration. The only thing that needs to be consumed after the funeral during the wake is kutia. Everything else is not necessary.
As you know, alcohol is an enemy not only of spiritual and physical health, but also of common sense. Often, during a memorial ceremony, due to the fault of extra degrees, disputes begin, and sometimes even fights between guests, which, for ethical reasons, is completely inappropriate at such an event.
Is it possible to listen to music after a funeral?
This question is often asked by people who are experiencing the loss of a loved one. Here, as with watching TV, everything depends not on the fact of listening to music, but on the nature of listening and the semantic content.
It is better to exclude everything that can be called entertainment music during mourning. Listening to peaceful, calm (preferably classical) music is allowed. You shouldn't turn it on loud either.
It is also often practiced to listen to the deceased person’s favorite compositions. For ethical reasons, this is also a kind of tribute to memory. A funeral orchestra often plays at funerals. These are rather echoes of Soviet times. From the point of view of religion, the most correct thing to do is to sing and listen to prayer chants.
Is it possible to have a wedding immediately after a funeral?
There are also cases when a loved one leaves his family forever at the moment when she is preparing to marry off or marry one of her representatives. Most often, pre-wedding efforts entail spending a lot of money and, for purely rational reasons, the wedding is not cancelled, but at the celebration itself they mention the death of a loved one and pay tribute to his memory. There is nothing reprehensible in this; it all depends on the emotional state of the couple.
Orthodox tradition allows weddings even before 40 days. If we touch on the topic of a secular wedding, this is a worldly event, and like all others, it can be equated to entertainment events. You can celebrate a wedding, but without any frills. Or reschedule it at least within 9 days.
Is it possible to go on vacation after the funeral?
There is no ban on travel after a funeral. On the contrary, if a person who has lost a loved one suffers greatly about this, a trip may well be able to distract him from mourning thoughts and direct him in the right direction. Besides, everyone's vacation is different.
It is better to cancel everything that has to do with entertainment events (going to discos, bars, entertainment concerts).
From the point of view of Orthodoxy, vacation is also not a form of disrespectful behavior towards the deceased. It is important to remember to behave appropriately and remember the departed person with prayer and kind words.
Is it possible to make repairs after a funeral?
Signs that do not relate to Orthodoxy say that repairs in the house where the deceased lived cannot be done within 40 days. No changes can be made to the interior. In addition, all belongings of the deceased must be thrown away after 40 days.
There are also superstitions that say that blood relatives should not sleep on the bed on which a person died.
From an ethical point of view, repairs will only refresh the state of those grieving. It will help you get rid of things that remind you of the person. Although many, in memory of a departed loved one, strive to keep something that belonged to him. According to signs, this is again not worth doing. Therefore, repair will be a good solution in all cases.
Is it possible to wash immediately or the day after the funeral?
There is such a sign that says that as long as the deceased is in the house, until he is buried, you cannot wash, so you throw mud at him. Some people follow the rule even longer. This superstition has nothing in common with Orthodox teaching. But walking dirty for 9 or even 40 days is very difficult and completely unhygienic and unaesthetic, so you should think twice before blindly following all the rules and signs you overheard somewhere. Beliefs are beliefs, but common sense should not be neglected.
Is it possible to get a haircut after a funeral?
The Orthodox Church does not know this superstition in its history, but people believe and actively believe the sign that you cannot cut your hair after a funeral.
From an aesthetic point of view, there are no reasons to ban this procedure. So, if necessary or desired, you can safely go to the hairdresser and get a haircut.
In general, with regard to signs and all kinds of superstitions regarding death, they often even contradict the canons of Orthodoxy. The Church considers superstitions to be sinful echoes of the pagan past.
Is it possible to clean up after a funeral?
While the deceased is in the house, you cannot clean or take out the trash. According to legends, it is believed that the rest of the family members will die. When the deceased is removed from the house, the floor must be thoroughly washed. Blood relatives are prohibited from doing this. The Orthodox Church also denies this point and considers it superstition. From an ethical standpoint, there is nothing reprehensible in cleaning up after a funeral.
Should the children of the deceased participate in the coffin carrying?
Some believe that the children of the deceased, as the closest relatives after the spouse, do not participate in carrying the coffin, so as not to lose the prayerful mood and concentration at such an important moment of their life. It's a delusion. It all depends on the specific situation. When leaving, relatives take soil from the grave with them so as not to be afraid of the deceased. Returning home, they put the earth in a washstand and wash themselves with water from this earth. The custom of washing oneself after returning from a funeral is certainly observed today in the urban environment.
Can pregnant women visit cemeteries?
There is also a belief that pregnant women should not go to the cemetery. In fact, some women are very emotional, and a visit to a cemetery, and often the accompanying hysteria, has a harmful effect on the child.
Distribution of clothes and belongings of the deceased after the funeral: is it possible?
Many people believe that the clothes of the deceased cannot be distributed within the first forty days. But this is superstition. It is better to distribute the clothes of the deceased (as alms for him), or personal belongings as souvenirs to loved ones, immediately after his death or immediately after his death. Moreover, it is in the first forty days that it is necessary to intensively do alms and distribute the things of the deceased in order to appease God - the Righteous Judge, who will carry out a preliminary judgment on the soul on the fortieth day. Friends, in memory of a friend, may be left with books or some souvenirs reminiscent of the deceased. Moreover, if there was a will or will of the newly deceased, this needs to be done as soon as possible. The deceased is considered newly deceased until the fortieth day. When a wife buries her husband, in order to remarry, she must unbutton the bottom button of the deceased’s shirt. When someone dies, a “travel” bundle is collected for him: an onion, an iron cup, millet or rice, a wooden spoon, thread and a needle. All this is given to those in need so that it will be useful to the deceased in the next world.
What should be placed in the coffin of the deceased? Established superstitions and church recommendations.
One of the most common superstitions is that a handkerchief must be placed in the hand of the deceased and a cross in his left hand: “In the next world God will scold him, but he will wipe away his tears with a handkerchief and cross himself with his right hand.” While reading the psalter, a sieve is placed under the book to “sift out” the sins of the deceased. Some, when reading the Psalter for a deceased person, place bread and water. This custom is folk, dating back to paganism, and has no basis in the canons and traditions of the Church. Therefore, you should not put water and bread when reading the Psalter for the deceased. Some people place a stick or twig in the coffin of the deceased. This custom, like most church beliefs, comes from ignorance. In past times, in order to make a coffin according to a person’s height, the deceased was measured with a “smerk”, that is, the length of the “smerk” corresponded to the height of the deceased. This “darkness” was placed in the coffin with the deceased. “Smerok” does not have any religious symbols, so there is no need to put any sticks in the coffin.
How should a funeral meal end?
There is a custom to end the funeral meal by eating jelly with milk. Some priests currently recommend replacing cow's milk with soy milk on fasting days. (However, this conflicts with the fact that soy products cannot be used because they are all genetically modified).
Another superstition: Superstitions watch which foot the priest will enter the house where the deceased is: if with the right, then it’s good, if with the left, it’s bad. While the deceased is lying in the house, they throw a knife into a tub of drinking water so that the deceased does not drink water from this tub at night. During the time that the deceased is in the house, they do not lend any food, and also do not give fire to anyone in the house.
If the owner or mistress of the house dies: If the owner or mistress dies, then all doors and exits are tied with red lace or thread so that the household does not follow the owner.
Superstitions about the coffin and stools: When the coffin is taken out for farewell, it is placed on stools. As soon as it is lifted, you need to quickly grab them and turn them upside down. - “so that another coffin does not lie on these stools.” The stools on which the coffin stood can only be corrected by touching the seat to the ground, this again makes the stools suitable for use, or, on the contrary, depending on the region, they rush to sit on this chair so that “all troubles die.”
Caring for a loved one even after his death: In some places, after a funeral, for three nights in a row, they light a wax candle in the house where the deceased lay, put two breads and two apples, put a mug of water or a glass of vodka on each fire for the soul of the deceased, so that the deceased could come to his home and eat for three days.
How not to scare away your guardian angel?
In some places it is believed that after the death of a person, his guardian angel remains in the house of the deceased for another forty days, and therefore, during this period, peasants in many places did not sit under the shrine (the angel resides there). And on the fortieth day, one or two women traditionally saw off the angel (according to other beliefs, the soul of the deceased) with bread, salt and beer. (It was not possible to find out the type of beer).
Superstitions about whether a deceased person should be left alone in a room at least for a moment: A dead person is never left alone: neither when he is lying down, nor when he is dying. This custom is explained by the fact that on the right side of the body those worthy of God stand invisibly, and on the left are devils “and pull the soul: this one for himself, and this one for himself.” The presence of living people helps the righteous to “draw” the soul of the deceased. Tears, if shed over the deceased, interfere with calm care and make it “difficult” to die. Those who succumb to uncontrollable grief in such circumstances are said to “cry back the dying.” They are predicted to pay for such selfishness in the future - they will lose speech, or hearing, or another gift, or some other misfortune will befall them. Therefore, sometimes the so-called mourners are invited for a fee, and they cry for all their relatives. Some mourners are real professional artists.
A guardian angel watches over a person from heaven, from the “window of God’s mansion,” which people see as a star, and writes down every earthly deed of the person entrusted to him in the heavenly book; when a person dies, the heavenly window slams shut and people can see a star falling “from the heights of heaven onto the chest of the earth” - this is an angel flying for the soul of the deceased. Hence the belief - if you see a falling star and, before it goes out, you make a wish, it will certainly come true, since the angel on this path does not refuse anyone anything and will fulfill the wish, or, according to another belief, will convey the request to the Lord . A nice superstition, if only you could replace making a wish to an angel star with a prayer.
Old beliefs about the death of sorcerers: Sorcerers are believed to die, always in terrible agony, so in the past in villages they used to dismantle the roof of the house to make it easier for his soul to part with his body. After death, the sorcerer “did not give rest” until he, like the drowned, was nailed to the ground with an aspen stake.
About the funeral service for suicides: It happens that a priest refuses to perform Church commemoration and burial according to the rites of the Orthodox Church due to the fact that the deceased was a suicide. Here we must remember that deliberate suicides, murdered robbers or those killed in a duel are deprived of Christian burial. One should distinguish from them people who took their own lives due to negligence (unintentional fall from a height, drowning in water, poisoning with stale food, violation of safety regulations at work, etc.). This also includes suicide committed as a result of a mental disorder, under the influence of large doses of alcohol, and so on. But the duty of love allows close relatives to ask God for the forgiveness of such a person in home prayer.
Priests comment on the funeral service for suicides in this way: “Suicide is the unauthorized taking of one’s life in a state of despair, extreme despondency, wounded pride, loss of all meaning in life. The common spiritual basis for all manifestations of this mortal sin is unbelief and lack of hope in God. A person commits suicide in a state of severe spiritual illness. Such a high manifestation of love for God and people, when a person sacrifices his life for faith, fatherland, people, has nothing to do with this. “This is My commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you” (John 15:12-14). The holy martyrs sacrificed their lives with great love and devotion to God. History knows many examples when Christians had a choice, but chose death. The Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-Bearer was taken in chains to Rome to be devoured to wild animals. On the way to the capital of the empire, he learned that Roman Christians intended to seek the abolition of the royal sentence on the death penalty. In the letter he asked not to do this. The words of his letter are known, which expressed his great desire to become a sacrifice for the sake of Jesus Christ: “I am His wheat and will be ground by the teeth of beasts, so that I may be His pure bread.” He gave up the chance to stay alive. Out of the fullness of faith, he wanted to leave this life and unite with Christ. During the persecution, chaste girls were in a very difficult situation, who, out of love for Christ, chose the path of a pure and virgin life. The persecutors, directed by the devil, sought to strike them at the very heart of their feat - to dishonor them. The persecutors wanted to plunge them into the very mud in which they themselves lived (the pagan world at that time was greatly corrupted). Nikephoros Callistus tells about two Antiochian virgins who, on the advice of their mother, threw themselves into the water to avoid shame. Other examples have come down to us. One cannot help but see in these actions manifestations of sacrifice for the sake of moral purity, and not despair and disbelief. Not all of them are canonized. In glorifying some of them, the Church took into account the holiness of their previous lives.”
Serving a memorial service for a deceased baby: Some people ask to serve a memorial service for a deceased baby. There is no need to serve a memorial service for the baby; it is enough to remember him at the liturgy. A memorial service is served for the forgiveness of the sins of the deceased, but the baby does not yet have sins. During the Divine Liturgy, at the proskomedia, a sacrifice is made for everyone, including the saints, therefore during the liturgy it is necessary to remember the dead babies.
Many pagan-Soviet superstitions exist in cemeteries: you can’t say “thank you,” you can say “thank you.” You can’t say “goodbye,” otherwise you’ll soon “see each other,” you have to say “goodbye,” although in this case, no matter how much you say goodbye, the date is still guaranteed.
There are still many superstitions associated with human funerals, but many of them were generated either from ancient traditions and distorted, or created based on ethical considerations, or taken from religious beliefs.
Whether you adhere to these standards or not depends only on you and your loved ones.
