Is it possible to eat in a cemetery? On Easter holidays, children collect sweets from graves. We explain whether this is normal. Is it possible to eat sweets from graves?

Today we will have one of the most confusing, but at the same time the most interesting topics, we will talk about what the majority of both believers and non-believers have never thought about, about the real reasons why they carry food to the cemetery, why in general food for the dead if they died long ago? In general, why they eat at funerals, why they commemorate with food, is not clear to everyone.

And many people are openly afraid of such rituals and ask whether it is possible to take food, alms and treats to the cemetery, and even more so, to take them to their home.

And in order to solve all these issues at once, I have prepared for you this review of traditions associated with food in the cemetery, and where they came from. Moreover, we will look at it both from a traditional religious and energetic point of view, which explains the origin and logic of many traditions, which, most likely, you are not even aware of.

Why do they bring food to the cemetery?

Well, we’ll start with the main question, why do they bring so much food to the cemetery, because sometimes on public memorial days almost the entire city gathers at the graves of their long-dead relatives and they bring there simply tons of food in the form of Easter cakes, sweets, eggs and even sometimes alcoholic drinks. They can’t do this by chance and “by inspiration,” because every action and tradition must have its own logic and explanation.”

The first and most important reason why food is brought to the cemetery, of course, is so that the people who will ultimately eat this food pray when receiving this “sacrificial meal” for the souls of relatives or the specific person for whom this food was brought.

Why are the poor and homeless given alms at funerals?

Moreover, ideally, it is to feed poor people with this meal (alms or alms) and tell them the names of your relatives, since naturally alms are brought mainly not to dogs and birds, and especially not to the spirits of dead people wandering the earth “who, naturally, the opinion of the church does not exist,” namely to living people.

Moreover, in the old days, when people understood a little more about the traditions and energy component of this whole action, funerals with numerous dishes were generally held mainly for the poor, the suffering and the mentally ill, since they, according to legend, “are closer to God” and therefore their prayers for the soul of the deceased carry much more weight.

Especially if the guests who came to the funeral are non-believers and do not know how to pray. Some priests compare this to taking an unbeliever as godparents to your child, who clearly will not teach his godson what he needs to know; on the contrary, he will harm his soul even more, thereby causing the opposite effect of baptism.

Therefore, most priests advise, on the contrary, for the wake and funeral mass to gather as many believers and those who “know how to pray” as possible, and not just people they know.

What food should you take to the cemetery?

In general, it follows from this that it is, in principle, logical and even necessary to carry food to the cemetery and to the graves of relatives. But then which one?

There are quite a lot of products that can be brought to wakes and funerals in the form of alms and alms.

Among the foods intended for traditional commemoration, we can especially highlight kutya, a symbol of eternal life and rebirth, and its analogues, pancakes and eggs, Easter or ordinary; in principle, I have already written separately about the meaning of this food.

You can also bring cookies and sweets, since they are sweet and supposedly symbolize a sweet afterlife after death in paradise, traditional pies, just bread, rice, Easter cakes, the meaning of which I also wrote about and other similar flour and other highly high-calorie foods.

Very many, according to a tradition unknown to them, take vodka, and even leave it poured into the graves plastic cups, or even more often they simply use it themselves in honor of the dead, so to speak, in the form of “anesthesia for their soul.”

What food should not be taken to the grave?

Meat food and other perishable foods should definitely not be taken to the grave, otherwise it can quickly go rotten and the people who eat it can get poisoned and go into another world following your ancestors, one might say, partly through your fault. The graves and near the ground are unsanitary, so no need to joke.

Is it possible to give funeral food to animals, dogs, birds?

In fact, you can even feed it to animals, this also makes sense, at least because good deeds done in honor of the soul of the deceased are also said to count, and feeding animals is a good deed.

Therefore, ideally, you can take with you some millet for the birds (sometimes it is also believed that the soul of the dead can take the form of birds or other animals and fly to their graves on special days of remembrance), perhaps even crows, and some food for dogs, and of course, the main thing is for the poor and simply believers, and poor people, of whom there are many fortunately in our time.

Food is needed for them to remember, so it is better to make sure that they get it, and in principle they will still eat it at home or in the cemetery. The very fact that they took her already means a lot; later it will become clear why. But in any case, they know why they brought this food and take it consciously. And if they also pray or at least say the name of your deceased, then even better.

What is the true meaning of leaving Easter cakes and food in the cemetery?

So, it seems clear why leave food in the cemetery and bring it there, but there are people who want to get to the bottom of everything and understand what the true meaning of this strange ritual is.

Indeed, behind all the hidden gloss, “correctness” and logic of this wonderful Christian rite, it is still clearly based on pagan rituals that existed long before our time, and even long before the emergence of Christianity as such.

Since similar traditions existed among the Slavs, in ancient Egypt and in ancient Judea, where all Christianity came from, and among many other peoples, including found in all rituals of black magic and similar religions.

So, why do they actually leave food at funerals and distribute it to the poor, if today everyone already understands that 95% will not pray for the dead, and half will not even eat it, but simply

will take you home obeying the destructive instinct of greed and gluttony, several of the deadly sins. And someone will even go to sell these Easter candies and other treats to other people.

Why do they take food to the cemetery?

Why provoke people to such actions? Indeed, often even children and well-dressed people walk around the cemetery and collect all the food from all the graves, not even paying attention to the signs with the names of the deceased for whom it was left. Of course, there is no question that they will pray for everyone.

They simply drag these bags of food home, and then give them to animals, or even throw them away when they realize that they cannot eat so much.

Only greed often runs rampant in these people, they take everything in sight, even very old food, and naturally drink the left vodka, so that it would not be so boring to walk around such a place. And as we know, drunkards “will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

But this tradition still continues even in such strange conditions, what’s the matter?

Of course, it is believed that it is possible and even necessary to eat Easter cakes from graves, since this is honoring and respecting the memory of the deceased, and who among us has not at least once participated in a small “funeral meal near the grave of relatives”? Seems like a great tradition.

Why do we have a lot of energy when we are young, but little when we are old?

But from the energy side, and from a purely logical point of view, everything here is not as smooth as we would like. After all, how can our ancestor be helped by the fact that we simply ate at his grave or in his honor?

Observations of ordinary people say that a person is born with a maximum supply of free energy and tries with all his might to “throw it out into the world.”

And when we grow old, we no longer lack this energy very specifically. Therefore, old people begin to oppress middle-aged people, who, in turn, begin to feel subconscious irritation when communicating with “annoying old people” and try to avoid being often around them.

In this case, the most ingenious solution people have is to transfer this strange responsibility of “feeding old people with attention and energy” to their children.

That is, grandchildren, who just need to confuse someone with something, simply and painlessly exchange energy with their grandparents, for whom this communication not only does not bother them, but sometimes even greatly prolongs their lives and gives them a second youth , especially if they are replaced in time by great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren, then everything is super and life goes on as usual.

What do ghosts and souls of the dead (ancestors) feed on?

But when life ends, people, or rather their souls, pass into an even more unenviable state; in order to exist, they simply need free energy, “which they are simply physically unable to obtain from ordinary food.

Then there is only one means left to nourish them, this is, of course, the energy of attention and simply the physical energy emitted by other people and other living beings.

Surely you yourself have noticed that cemeteries and all burial places are always quite gloomy, and even scary, which does not cause any increased appetite, but rather a desire to get away from there as quickly as possible. By the way, fear is often a subconscious fear that someone may harm you physically and deprive you of part of your energy.

By the way, eyewitnesses of the appearance of real ghosts and other otherworldly images always note that during their appearance, or immediately before it, it becomes much colder or a cold, piercing breeze blows, even if this happens indoors.

This happens because the soul, for at least some materialization and manifestation of itself in the real physical world, simply needs free energy, and it takes it from the surrounding space and from the person himself observing this strange and unusual phenomenon. From which we can make an unambiguous conclusion that the souls of inanimate people still need the energy of living beings for something, and they can use it for some purpose.

Modern people have many questions related to ancient customs - why you can’t eat with forks at a funeral, whether to drink alcohol at a mournful meal, whether pregnant women should attend it, and many others. Below you will find explanations of all existing funeral beliefs.

Table signs

Before the reign of Peter the Great, the Russian people generally ate only with spoons. The appearance of forks on the tables did not cause delight. They were compared to the devil's tails and pitchforks, which are used to torture sinners. People who were especially attached to the old ways of life believed that the appearance of this cutlery- another tool "king-antichrist" against Christian souls.

Over time, the fork still took root in Russia. But they still didn’t use it at wakes because of its “satanic” appearance. This tradition has survived to this day. In Old Believers communities, to this day they only eat with spoons.

Another reason for the absence of forks on the funeral table is the fear of disturbing the peace of the deceased. The fact is that kutia, one of the obligatory treats, symbolizes the Kingdom of Heaven. If you poke ritual food with a knife or fork, you can disturb the dead. However, most funeral dishes are not very convenient to eat. Traditionally these are kutia, pancakes and jelly.

Popular beliefs, as we know, are often rational. Thus, the use of sharp cutlery can be explained as an attempt to prevent fights with stabbings. Even the most distant relatives come to the wake, who may not miss the chance to remember old grievances to each other. In addition, in the old days, the division of inheritance began almost immediately.

From a bioenergetics perspective, energy drains from the sharp ends of forks and knives. Therefore, the ban on their use is caused by the need to protect those who remember from energy attacks. The astral body of the deceased may be close to loved ones, and such an attack can cause pain to him too. It is known that the energy at funerals and wakes is not very positive.

By the way, despite the superstitions that circulate among the people, the church allows the use of a knife and fork during the funeral meal.

Alcohol superstitions - remembering alcohol

A glass of vodka near the portrait of the deceased and the statement that You need to drink at least one glass for the peace of your soul- everyone knows all this. However, is it possible to drink alcohol at a wake? Where did this tradition come from?

The Church has a negative attitude towards drinking at funerals. This applies to vodka, wine, and other alcoholic drinks. Thus, wine is a symbol of earthly joy, which is inappropriate at a funeral meal. Eyewitnesses who have been in the next world said that the suffering of a person who was killed by alcohol increases many times over.

It is not difficult to understand why it is impossible to commemorate with vodka from a Christian point of view. Alcoholism is a sin, but relatives gathered at the table in order to promote their kind words and prayer for forgiveness of the sins of the deceased. It is not permissible to ask God for forgiveness and sin at the same time. People say that God punishes the children of those who drank wine or vodka at the funeral table with alcoholism.

The tradition of drinking alcohol at cemeteries, funerals and wakes is not a tribute to ancient traditions, but a relatively modern stereotype. He had already acquired various beliefs, for example, that one should not clink glasses at a mournful feast. So is it possible to drink at a wake when almost everyone does it? We advise you not to do this. There are not even ancient signs on this topic, because it never occurred to our ancestors to drink alcohol at a funeral meal.

Is it possible to take food home?

It is known that food from the cemetery is not eaten. This is to some extent allowed only to those who have no other way to obtain food other than to take a memorial from the grave. But is it possible to take food home from the funeral?

The food from the funeral table is intended to feed as many people as possible. It is customary to distribute the leftovers to those in need. This food does not carry any negativity. It was prepared so that people could treat themselves and during the meal remember the bright deeds of the deceased during his lifetime.

You can also give food to those who came to honor the deceased with them. Did they give you something from a wake where your loved one was present? Help yourself, remember the deceased person, wish him peace. True, there is one “but” here. Witchcraft is often performed on funeral dishes for various purposes. Therefore, do not take them from the hands of those who may wish you harm.

If there is anything left after the feast, you can take the treats with you. But you can’t throw them away; it’s better to give the leftovers to the animals.

During the mournful meal, a portrait of the deceased is displayed, and next to him - a glass of water and a piece of bread. Anyone who drinks or eats his treat will get sick and die soon. It should not even be given to animals.

Funeral menu - about sweets and more

Distributing sweets on memorial days - old tradition. This is often done in cemeteries; do not be afraid of such gifts.

You cannot eat only those treats that you have previously lay on the graves. Such sweets are intended for the deceased. Traditionally, only people living in need can take them.

Concerns may be caused by the fact that any funeral dishes, including sweets, can be cast with a love spell or damage. Therefore, you should not eat what was received from the hands of a person who may wish you harm. Strangers with sweets often do not need to be frightened - they are simply observing an ancient funeral tradition.

Should pregnant women go to funerals?

It is known that they are not recommended to go to the cemetery and attend funerals. They should not go to the wake, which, in fact, is a logical continuation of the funeral. The energy there is still the same - grief, death, grief. If it is possible to refuse remembering, it is better to do so. If farewell to the deceased can be considered a necessary event, then a wake is no longer there.

The biofield of a pregnant woman is poorly protected. But she is responsible not only for herself, but also for the child. Feeding on its energy will not be at all against entities that are attracted to strong negative emotions large quantity people.

The Church does not prohibit pregnant women from going to memorial dinners, funerals and cemeteries. However, it does not oblige you to do this. If your health does not allow you to attend, you can visit a church instead of a cemetery, light a candle for the repose of your soul, and order a prayer service.

Other superstitions at funerals

Observe folk signs at a wake it is extremely important. The quality of the afterlife of a person who has passed into another world depends on this. So, at a memorial dinner, one is supposed to remember only his good deeds and character traits. Leave the discussion of the shortcomings. About the dead - either good or nothing. This proverb was not invented for nothing.

Signs after a funeral advise, upon returning from the cemetery, to warm your hands over the flame of a candle, preferably a church one. But after the cemetery they usually go straight to the funeral. Before eating, you are supposed to wash your hands, and this rule replaces the candle omen. Don't worry about eating a piece of dead energy. When washing your hands, water will wash it away.

A wake is not a time for tears. You cannot cry a lot for the deceased, otherwise he will choke in the afterlife. Laughing is also not recommended. Anyone who laughs at a wake will soon shed many tears.

In general, there are many funeral signs. Some of them are relatively recent, but most superstitions are hundreds, if not thousands of years old. They are intended to teach correct behavior those who remember, because it determines where the soul of the deceased will go after death.

The catechist of the Resurrection Cathedral in Semey, Vitaly Aleksandrovich Yavkin, talks about this and much more.

On Easter, many people visit the cemetery where the graves of their loved ones are located. Unfortunately, in some families there is a blasphemous custom of drinking alcohol on this day. But even those who do not do this often do not know how exactly one can and should correctly remember the dead. And even more so, not many people know why parent’s day is called Radonitsa and is celebrated precisely on the 9th day after Easter.

On Tuesday of the second week of Easter, which is called St. Thomas week, Orthodox Church celebrates Radonitsa - the day of special remembrance of the dead, the first after Easter. This is an ancient Christian holiday, which John Chrysostom mentioned at the beginning of the fourth century.

On Radonitsa it was customary, and this continues to this day, for families to go to cemeteries, to the graves of their loved ones and relatives, to mourn them, experiencing their loss once again, to remember them, listing their good deeds that the deceased performed during their earthly life, remember the good distinctive features of their character, as if talking to the deceased, believing that they hear us on this day. Etymologically, the word “Radonitsa” goes back to the words “genus” and “joy”, and Radonitsa has a special place in the annual circle church holidays- immediately after Easter Week.

Radonitsa, as it were, obliges Christians not to delve into worries about the death of loved ones, but, on the contrary, to rejoice at their birth into another life - eternal life. The victory over death won by the life and resurrection of Christ displaces the sadness of temporary separation from relatives.

As for the 9th day after Easter, this is simply a matter of the Church Charter. Usually, after the Easter holidays, on the first weekday day during which we can serve a memorial service, Radonitsa falls. Throughout Bright Week (week) we rejoice at the Resurrection of the Savior, and only on Tuesday of the second week should we remember our dear departed. First of all, come to Church, order memorial services, pray for the salvation of their souls, and only then go decorate the graves of loved ones.

Is it possible to often mourn the dead and often visit their graves? Or is it better to believe that they are already in the Kingdom of God, which means they are better off than we are, and there is no need to bother them and torment ourselves?

And again I will answer that we need not to kill ourselves and cry, but to pray for our dead. You can remember them both in the temple and good deeds in memory of them. But keep in mind, we do not know where the person dear to us ended up after death: in the Kingdom of God or in hell. This is why we do good deeds, so that the Lord will take him to himself.

As for tears, there is a sin called “self-eating,” when a person grieves more than necessary, thinks how much he did not give to the deceased, how much he could have done for him, but did not have time or did not consider it necessary. A person must be valued, respected and protected during his lifetime, so that after death he does not have to ask for forgiveness at his grave. After death, it is no longer possible to make up for lost time.

What is better and more correct on Parents' Day: to light a candle in the church for the repose of the departed, to remember them in the soul with kind words, or to gather relatives and friends at home and remember those who have passed on to another world with a dinner with alcohol? And in general, how does the Orthodox Church feel about the presence of alcoholic beverages on the table, both on parent’s day and on the day of the funeral itself?

Alcoholic drinks at funeral dinners are strictly prohibited by the Church. By commemorating deceased loved ones with alcohol, we desecrate their memory and do not honor it. They only expect prayers from us, not sumptuous dinners. We must pray for those who are no longer around. This is done because death very often comes suddenly, and a person simply does not have time to prepare for it, reconcile with God, or repent of all his sins. If at the wake we limit ourselves to just arranging the table (as often happens), spend all our energy on this, and forget about the church commemoration, then we will not bring any benefit to the soul of the deceased.

How does the Orthodox Church relate to the custom of eating in a cemetery after people have cleaned up the graveyard? Is it necessary to leave a glass of vodka and a piece of bread at the grave “for the deceased”?

We can remember deceased loved ones in the cemetery, but this must be done according to the rules. Having repaired the grave after winter, we have the right to arrange a memorial dinner in the cemetery. But it must begin with a prayer for the deceased. After the meal, you need to read the prayer again.

Once again I emphasize that alcohol is unacceptable. You should also not leave alcohol or food at the grave. This is a pagan echo, when it was customary to organize not only feasts and dances in cemeteries, but also entire gladiator fights. Food also attracts crowds of drunkards to the graves, who rummage through every wreath in search of alcohol and cigarettes, followed by flocks of stray animals. Both of them trample the graves of people dear to us, and dogs even lie on the tombstones. After all, during our lifetime, none of us would allow a dirty stray dog ​​to lie next to his mother, father or brother. Food also attracts flies and worms to the grave. You cannot stick cigarettes into a grave and light them just because the deceased liked to smoke. I repeat, he only needs our prayers.

But not only people who have drunk themselves go to cemeteries on Parents' Day in search of vodka and food, but also children - in the hope of finding candy, cookies or gingerbread on the grave that their drunken parents will never buy for them. Can't we leave food for them?

These children are sent to the cemetery by degenerate parents. And each such child is looking not only for candy for himself, but also for a scale for mom or dad. They all know that our church has a free refectory where people of any religion can come any day of the week and eat. But neither these children nor their parents come to us, because there is only one rule: you must come to the refectory sober and clean. For the most part, such people are drunk, dirty, and foul-mouthed. They behave unworthily, just like those people who stand collecting alms near the temple gates. Many parishioners, out of ignorance, give them this alms, which is strictly prohibited. After all, they take this money exclusively for alcohol.

Yes, we must give alms, do good deeds, feed and clothe the needy, but we must do this wisely. If we see that a person is really in need, or even better, if we know this person, we are obliged to help him. But if we see a hungry tramp sitting, then we don’t need to give him money, it’s better to buy him food. For he, having drunk the money you gave him, will turn your good deed into evil.

Where did the custom of decorating the graves of loved ones with flowers and wreaths and marking the burial place by erecting a hill and a cross above it come from?

The Church has a negative attitude towards decorating graves with flowers and wreaths. This custom came to us at the end of the 19th century from Europe, where they began to decorate graves with flowers and wreaths. At that time, merchants bought out entire botanical gardens, and also set up parks on the graves of their ancestors. Even the great Saint John of Kronstadt said that if you have extra money that you want to spend, it is better to distribute it to those in need. Take it to orphanage, a nursing home, where it hurts, is hungry and difficult.

You cannot decorate graves with artificial flowers, this is a deception before God. Even the Church is decorated only with fresh flowers during major holidays. Fake flowers are not a real sacrifice. If you want to decorate the grave, do it with fresh flowers. But provided that these are flowers from your garden. If they are purchased, then you don’t need them either. Better give this money to truly needy people. Your deceased loved one needs good deeds in memory of him, and not a pointless waste of money or a bouquet. We carry these flowers to calm our own souls; the dead only need our prayers. The number of colors (even or odd) does not matter. It's just superstition.

Wreaths are also not needed. This is not our custom. He was condemned by the holy fathers. According to all the rules, an Orthodox grave should be arranged like this: you need simple easy a fence so that the grave will not be trampled by animals or people if the mound is erased from the face of the earth. The hill signifies the position of the deceased's body. The cross means that an Orthodox Christian is buried here. During our lifetime, we designate ourselves as Orthodox with a cross on our body. After death - a cross on the grave. Planted in the ground and rising towards the sky, it signifies the faith of Christians that the body of the deceased is here in the earth, and the soul is in heaven, that under the cross is hidden a seed that grows for eternal life in the Kingdom of God. The cross must be wooden.

But it is not durable. The marble slabs look much more beautiful and richer... Let those around you see that a person from a wealthy family is buried here, for whom they spared no expense even after death, that is, they installed an expensive stone monument, and not a cheap wooden cross.

A cross that has rotted and fallen in due time is buried on the grave, then a new one is placed. Stone slabs and steles are absolutely not needed. From a moral point of view, the Church condemns such “eternal” monuments. Because they outlive the relatives of the deceased. The cemetery may remain abandoned. It is destroyed by looters, and then the sidewalks are paved with these gravestones. They walk on them, spit, and put out cigarette butts. As a living example, I can cite the cemetery that used to be located where the Spartak stadium is now located. Before the revolution, it was a burial place for Christians. In the early 60s it was destroyed, and the gravestones were stolen throughout the city. It got to the point that sidewalks were paved with them. Many of these slabs are coated with paint and covered with cement. They were sidewalks, they were trampled underfoot. If you want people to walk around in the name of your mother, father, brother and spit on their names, put up a slab like this. The Church does not prohibit it. But this is wrong and not good...People still dig up these slabs and bring them to us at the Resurrection Cathedral, where we keep them.

People often put dentures, glasses, coins in the coffin of the deceased to buy a place in Heaven, even mobile phones. In other words, they bury with the person everything that he often used during his lifetime. Is this correct?

When burying our loved ones, we should not put anything in the coffin other than what is required. And this is a veil, a pectoral cross, a halo on the forehead. If you don't know what to put, you need to ask the church. There should be no foreign objects in the coffin. All of them are an echo of paganism, when they buried in boats, dumping entire herds of slaughtered cattle there... Regarding glasses, then, if the deceased had eight pairs of glasses throughout his life, what, do you order all eight to be put in? Of course not. This is unnecessary. To meet God you do not need glasses or dentures.

Not long ago, one of our priests was invited to the funeral service for a deceased person who passed away young. And what was the priest’s surprise when he saw that a cigarette had been inserted into the deceased’s teeth, and it was smoking! When the priest asked what was going on, the relatives of the deceased replied that during his lifetime he was very fond of smoking. And this is his last cigarette, because after the funeral service he will be buried. The priest refused the funeral service and explained to the relatives of the deceased that their actions were blasphemy and a mockery of the corpse, which he did not want to join.

What should we do when the deceased come to us in a dream and ask for something (a belt, socks, cigarettes, glasses)? What is more correct in this case: go to the cemetery and leave this thing on the grave, or light a candle for the repose in the church loved one and pray for him?

This happens quite often, if people do not remember the deceased, do not light candles in the church, do not order magpie, if they do not even have time to pray for him. It is not the dead person who comes into our dreams. Our deceased relative is either in heaven or hell. And they don’t come from there. A guardian angel sent by the Lord comes into our dreams. And this angel takes the image of our departed mothers, fathers, in a word, those who had authoritative significance for us. If we do not listen to them, we will not listen to anyone, even if the Lord himself comes to us.

Asking for things should not be taken literally. The deceased does not ask for a belt, watch or glasses, but for prayer or good deeds in memory of him. After such dreams, you need to order a magpie in the church and light a funeral candle. After visiting the temple, you can light a candle in front of the icon at home and pray for those who are no longer with us.

If possible, buy the item that the deceased asks for and give it to those in need. You cannot bury anything on the grave. The burial site is not a garbage dump. This place is holy. It's like a temple. You won’t bury anything on the territory of the Church, will you? You cannot do this at the grave of a once dearly loved or respected person.

The deceased's belongings should be distributed to those in need after his funeral. I would also like to remind you that older people who already feel the arrival of their own death need to have time to divide all their property among their heirs while they are still alive, and they need to be given instructions on how to live on. The idea that if a person gives everything away, it means he will soon die is a superstition. It cannot be allowed that after the death of a person, when his body has not yet cooled down, a war arises between the heirs over who will get more and who will get less valuable property of the deceased, the soul of the deceased, looking at this, will grieve. All your material issues need to be resolved here and now, that is, during your lifetime.

- Is it possible to light a funeral candle in a church if you don’t know for sure whether the deceased person was baptized or not?

You can light candles. However, you cannot order memorial services and magpies. You also cannot pray for him with church prayer. You can only pray in your own words: Lord forgive all his sins, voluntary and involuntary, if this is possible.

- How often should the deceased be remembered?

It is very important to remember the deceased on the day of his death, on the 9th and 40th day, at six months and on the anniversary after death, as well as on the day of his earthly birth, on the day of remembrance of the saint whose name he bore, and on parenting days. According to church tradition, for forty days after death the soul of the deceased prepares for God's judgment. From the first to the third day she stays in the places of the earthly life of the deceased, from the third to the ninth she is shown the heavenly abodes, from the ninth to the fortieth - the torment of sinners in hell. On the fortieth day, God's decision is made where the soul of the deceased will be until the Last Judgment - when souls will again unite with transformed bodies, and the endless life of all humanity will begin in a new, transformed world, where everyone will take their place according to the passage of earthly life and largely depending from the Church’s prayers for him after his death. Therefore, the Church established special commemoration of the departed on the third, ninth and fortieth days. And, of course, we need to remember the deceased every time we visit church. You need to go here as often as possible. This is important both for us, the living, and for those who have already died and for whom we pray.

- How does the Orthodox Church relate to cremation?

The method of burial through cremation of the body, quite popular now in big cities, is completely non-Orthodox. It cannot be acceptable to a believer.

Thanks for the informative conversation. Everything you said can only be learned in the Church, which, alas, there is not always time to visit. What are your wishes to the family members?

Remember, the goal of every Christian’s life is the salvation of the soul. That is, inheritance after bodily death and the Second Coming of Christ of eternal blissful sojourn with God. And the more good deeds we do, the more sincere prayers we address to God, the more grace we will receive from him. Love your loved ones during life, here and now. Then, after death, it will be too late. And it is better to speak words of love to living parents today than to cry at their grave tomorrow.

The conversation was conducted by Elena FOMENKO

Today we will have one of the most confusing, but at the same time the most interesting topics, we will talk about what the majority of both believers and non-believers have never thought about, about the real reasons why they carry food to the cemetery, why in general food for the dead if they died long ago? In general, why they eat at funerals, why they commemorate with food, is not clear to everyone.

And many people are openly afraid of such rituals and ask whether it is possible to take food, alms and treats to the cemetery, and even more so, to take them to their home.

Or, is it possible to eat in a cemetery, especially when they offer to remember, and it seems rude to refuse, but at the same time this custom seems rather strange, and even to some extent immoral, especially if you have to drink vodka at the funeral of a non-drinking grandmother or a believer.

And in order to solve all these questions at once, I have prepared for you this review of the traditions associated with food in the cemetery, and where they came from. Moreover, we will look both from a traditional religious and from an energetic point of view, which explains the origin and logic of many traditions, which, most likely, you are not even aware of.

Why do they bring food to the cemetery?

Well, we’ll start with the main question, why do they bring so much food to the cemetery, because sometimes on public memorial days almost the entire city gathers at the graves of their long-dead relatives and they bring there just tons of food in the form of Easter cakes, sweets, eggs and even sometimes alcoholic drinks drinks. They can’t do this by chance and “by inspiration,” because every action and tradition must have its own logic and explanation.”

The first and most important reason why food is brought to the cemetery, of course, is so that the people who will ultimately eat this food pray when receiving this “sacrificial meal” for the souls of relatives or the specific person for whom this food was brought.

Why are the poor and homeless given alms at funerals?

Moreover, ideally, it is to feed poor people with this meal (alms or alms) and tell them the names of your relatives, since naturally alms are brought mainly not to dogs and birds, and especially not to the spirits of dead people wandering the earth “who, naturally, the opinion of the church does not exist,” namely to living people.

Moreover, in the old days, when people understood a little more about the traditions and energy component of this whole action, funerals with numerous dishes were generally held mainly for the poor, the suffering and the mentally ill, since they, according to legend, “are closer to God” and therefore their prayers for the soul of the deceased carry much more weight.

The majority of even modern priests believe that if guests simply gathered and ate at a funeral, then there is no point in it at all, and it does not help the souls of the deceased in any way.

Especially if the guests who came to the funeral are non-believers and do not know how to pray. Some priests compare this to taking an unbeliever as godparents to your child, who clearly will not teach his godson what he needs to know; on the contrary, he will harm his soul even more, thereby causing the opposite effect of baptism.

Therefore, most priests advise, on the contrary, for the wake and funeral mass to gather as many believers and those who “know how to pray” as possible, and not just people they know.

What food should you take to the cemetery?

In general, it follows from this that it is, in principle, logical and even necessary to carry food to the cemetery and to the graves of relatives. But then which one?

There are quite a lot of products that can be brought to wakes and funerals in the form of alms and alms.

Among the foods intended for traditional commemoration, we can especially highlight kutya, a symbol of eternal life and rebirth, and its analogues, pancakes and eggs, Easter or ordinary.

You can also bring cookies and sweets, since they are sweet and supposedly symbolize a sweet afterlife after death in paradise, traditional pies, just bread, rice, Easter cakes, and other similar flour and other high-calorie foods

Very many, according to a tradition unknown to them, take vodka and even leave it on the graves poured into plastic cups, or even more often they simply drink it themselves in honor of the dead, so to speak, in the form of “anesthesia for their soul.”

What food should not be taken to the grave?

Naturally, the official church very much does not approve of any alcohol, because they know that it is rather a pagan, or even a magical rite, the meaning of which we will talk about a little later. But basically, by intuition, many people do this, seeing some sense in it, or they simply like to drink for any reason.

Meat food and other perishable foods should definitely not be taken to the grave, otherwise it can quickly go rotten and the people who eat it can get poisoned and go into another world following your ancestors, one might say, partly through your fault. The graves and near the ground are unsanitary, so no need to joke.

Is it possible to give funeral food to animals, dogs, birds?

In fact, you can even feed it to animals, this also makes sense, at least because good deeds done in honor of the soul of the deceased are also said to count, and feeding animals is a good deed.

Therefore, ideally, you can take with you some millet for the birds (sometimes it is also believed that the soul of the dead can take the form of birds or other animals and fly to their graves on special days of remembrance), perhaps even crows, and some food for dogs, and of course, the main thing is for the poor and simply believers, and poor people, of whom there are many fortunately in our time.

Food is needed for them to remember, so it is better to make sure that they get it, and in principle they will still eat it at home or in the cemetery. The very fact that they took her already means a lot; later it will become clear why. But in any case, they know why they brought this food and take it consciously. And if they also pray or at least say the name of your deceased, then even better.

What is the true meaning of leaving Easter cakes and food in the cemetery?

So, it seems clear why leave food in the cemetery and bring it there, but there are people who want to get to the bottom of everything and understand what the true meaning of this strange ritual is.

Indeed, behind all the hidden gloss, “correctness” and logic of this wonderful Christian rite, it is still clearly based on pagan rituals that existed long before our time, and even long before the emergence of Christianity as such.

Since similar traditions existed among the Slavs, in ancient Egypt and in ancient Judea, where all Christianity came from, and among many other peoples, including found in all rituals of black magic and similar religions.

So, why do they actually leave food at funerals and distribute it to the poor, if today everyone already understands that 95% will not pray for the dead, and half will not even eat it, but will simply take it home, obeying the destructive instinct of greed and gluttony , several of the deadly sins. And someone will even go to sell these Easter candies and other treats to other people.

Why do they take food to the cemetery?

Why provoke people to such actions? Indeed, often even children and well-dressed people walk around the cemetery and collect all the food from all the graves, not even paying attention to the signs with the names of the deceased for whom it was left. Of course, there is no question that they will pray for everyone.

They simply drag these bags of food home, and then give them to animals, or even throw them away when they realize that they cannot eat so much.

Only greed often runs rampant in these people, they take everything in sight, even very old food, and naturally drink the left vodka, so that it would not be so boring to walk around such a place. And as we know, drunkards “will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

But this tradition still continues even in such strange conditions, what’s the matter?

Of course, it is believed that it is possible and even necessary to eat Easter cakes from graves, since this is honoring and respecting the memory of the deceased, and who among us has not at least once participated in a small “funeral meal near the grave of relatives”? Seems like a great tradition.

Why do we have a lot of energy when we are young, but little when we are old?

But from the energy side, and from a purely logical point of view, everything here is not as smooth as we would like. After all, how can our ancestor be helped by the fact that we simply ate at his grave or in his honor?

Observations of ordinary people say that a person is born with a maximum supply of free energy and tries with all his might to “throw it out into the world.”

Young children are the most active, but as we age, we gradually become more passive, and we (or rather, those who do not engage in special energy practices, meditation, healthy eating, etc.) gradually begin to lack this free energy.

And when we grow old, we no longer lack this energy very specifically. Therefore, old people begin to oppress middle-aged people, who, in turn, begin to feel subconscious irritation when communicating “with annoying old people” and try to avoid being around them often.

In this case, the most ingenious solution people have is to transfer this strange responsibility of “feeding old people with attention and energy” to their children.

That is, grandchildren, who just need to confuse someone with something, simply and painlessly exchange energy with their grandparents, for whom this communication not only does not bother them, but sometimes even greatly prolongs their lives and gives them a second youth , especially if they are replaced in time by great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren, then everything is super and life goes on as usual.

What do ghosts and souls of the dead (ancestors) eat?

But when life ends, people, or rather their souls, pass into an even more unenviable state; in order to exist, they simply need free energy, “which they are simply physically unable to obtain from ordinary food.

Then there is only one means left to nourish them, this is, of course, the energy of attention and simply the physical energy emitted by other people and other living beings.

Surely you yourself have noticed that cemeteries and all burial places are always quite gloomy, and even scary, which does not at all cause an increased appetite, but rather a desire to get away from there as quickly as possible. By the way, fear is often a subconscious fear that someone may harm you physically and deprive you of part of your energy.

And even if flowers grow in these places and animals roam, then they are all somehow different, usually either sick, or somehow strange, but definitely not normal or healthy. Also in these places, it is as if time is suspended, birds practically do not sing, and every now and then it becomes chilly, sometimes to the point of shuddering.

By the way, eyewitnesses of the appearance of real ghosts and other otherworldly images always note that during their appearance, or immediately before it, it becomes much colder or a cold, piercing breeze blows, even if this happens indoors.

This happens because the soul, for at least some materialization and manifestation of itself in the real physical world, simply needs free energy, and it takes it from the surrounding space and from the person himself observing this strange and unusual phenomenon. From which we can draw an unambiguous conclusion that the souls of inanimate people still need the energy of living beings for something, and they can use it for some purpose.

Why is it possible or why not to eat food brought to the cemetery in the form of funeral alms to honor the memory of the deceased?

It has probably become more clear to you why the most calorie-rich and often even the most unhealthy food is traditionally brought to the cemetery, mainly white bread, rice, wheat, pancakes, cookies, sweets and of course vodka.

After all, when a person eats such a treat in honor of a given deceased, he radiates an incredible amount of energy from his body. You cannot deny this fact that when you have eaten heavily, you feel hot, and if you have drunk vodka, then at least walk barefoot in the snow.

This is a natural process in the body of all living beings, and it is used in all religions of the world where they worship the souls of ancestors or some spirits, especially shamans and peoples in Africa.

In the photo for the article, for example, you see “sacrificial food” left after real “Voodoo” or “macumba” rituals in Brazil in Rio De Janeiro. Here we see the same candies, eggs, rice, sweet water, and in this photo and even lower in the article, also alcohol, tobacco and even whole smoking pipes, flowers and sweet pudding, and even someone brought balloons with hearts , apparently for naive children.

In general, if you look with an “unbiased look” that denies obvious things, then everything coincides exactly with Christian offerings and leaving food in honor of the spirits of ancestors, for other people to eat. True, here only the bravest daredevils and the poorest people are ready to take these candies and, moreover, drink wine after the ritual, but we have many more hunters for these alms, and not least because people generally do not understand the true purpose of this ritual and this food.

Our Slavic ancestors did approximately the same thing, holding the famous “funeral funeral” for three days in honor of their departed relatives, with feasts and cheerful folk games. In the end, however, releasing the souls of their ancestors, directing them “to God” and additionally burning the bodies of the dead. So that nothing would keep them on this earth anymore.

In Christianity, it is customary to bury them in the ground on the third day so that their bodies smolder, decompose and are eaten by corpse worms, and the bones have a certain connection to the earth and a certain physical place, which further complicates care human soul. For what purpose this was done in Christianity is not clear to our editors. What is known is that this is characteristic of the same magical religious rites, such as eating someone’s flesh and blood.

Rejoice and be in a high state of spirit.

Unfortunately, the true purpose and purpose of such a tradition is very difficult to establish; most likely this happened as a result of various distortions over the two thousand-year history of this originally beautiful religion. Although the same Jesus ascended to heaven, and did not begin to rot in the ground, so, in principle, pagan cremations can be justified, which are more similar to the ascension than burying in the ground (can you imagine what he would look like after lying in the ground for 3 days?), and even the fun of our ancestors at the wake.

Since it is believed that good mood and love in the soul helps the souls of the dead rise to heaven faster, since “God is love and happiness.” And always for love and happiness, they say - “sublime or high emotions.”

And suffering, grief, despondency and lamentations of loved ones in honor of the departed soul (which are also mortal sins), on the contrary, according to the logic and assurances of esotericists, do not allow the soul to rise from the ground, hanging on it with a heavy load, dragging it to the very bottom.

After all, if good deeds, according to the assurances of the church, in honor of the soul, are counted towards the departed, then evil deeds and mortal sin in the form of despondency can also be counted, so I would still recommend being in an “elevated” mood and mood at the moments of remembrance.

Which is actually very wise and recommended by the church, but in practice it is very difficult, and not everyone does it. Falling into hell “while still alive” for the mortal sin of despondency, losing joy in life itself and additionally tormenting those who have passed on. Not letting their immortal souls go to God, because of their inflated Ego and worldly attachments.

Is it possible to take treats to the cemetery?

In general, it seems to me that initially this tradition, even before it was reinterpreted by Christianity or by those who did not fully understand it and distorted it, was not aimed at remembering the deceased through obligatory prayer services, which, even then the beggars did not do it very diligently, namely to energetically feed the souls or spirits of deceased parents and other “ancestors.”

Which, by the way, is also logical, because according to the beliefs of the Slavs, it is on the days of major holidays that the spirits of the dead can descend to earth to see their loved ones and relatives.

And it’s even more logical if you know that the “creators” of Christian “traditions” simply copied, one to one, 90% of the memorial days of the Slavs, literally day after day (they even left 9 and 40 days of memorials, although there are 7 days in the Christian week, and in the month there are 30, but in the Slavic it was just 9 and 40, respectively, where this tradition came from), and with perfect accuracy.

Do the spirits of the dead take food from the cemetery?

And knowing the wisdom of the Slavs, these memorial days, which our ancestors followed for hundreds of years, also correspond to certain natural and geological phenomena, and may well also have reasonable grounds.

And naturally, the spirits of our ancestors, descending to earth, need to eat something, and usually this is the energy that we emit from eating food, and especially if we think about a certain person. And also just the energy of our attention and prayers.

Although there is another version that souls can still take energy from leftover food, leaving it energetically empty, but even in this case, this food will not bring much benefit to the person eating in the cemetery.

But it still seems to me that the first version is more plausible, because even in other beliefs and among other peoples of the world, the offerings and “sacrifices” brought are burned or also eaten. After all, sitting and waiting for food to start decomposing on a grave is definitely not normal, and would be reminiscent of a horror movie. Therefore, funeral food is definitely intended specifically for living “memorial celebrants.”

Why can't children eat in the cemetery and take alms?

Actually, knowing all this, it’s already hard to say whether it’s even worth eating in a cemetery and accepting food from strangers. Most likely it’s not worth it, especially if you don’t know them, and even more so, you shouldn’t give such food to your children.

Children, as we know, are even more susceptible to mood swings, they still have unstable energy and even psyche, and they also have less awareness, so they are more susceptible to all kinds of “sharing” and other dangers when communicating with the spirits and souls of the dead.

And it is impossible or very undesirable to take children to the funeral, since funeral food at the cemetery is a kind of “treasure for the souls” of ancestors and the dead. This funeral food is given to other people so that the spirits can feed on the energy of the person who will eat it, and not just the one who brought the alms.

Why do they take alms and alms to the cemetery?

That is, in simple words, a person goes to the store and buys food with his own money, which are also energy substitutes, since we have to spend a lot of effort and energy to earn them. And then he distributes this food to the poor, so that the souls of his ancestors and the dead feed on the energy released by these beggars in the process of eating.

In principle, you can even give money to the poor. This is not as effective as fatty and high-calorie food, and even more so than vodka, cigarettes or cognac, but beggars take money much more willingly than any other offerings.

In general, such alms brought to the grave of the deceased are a payoff so as not to take the rap energetically yourself, or even not to take the rap at all, but simply pay for it with money earned in another way. And your vital energy let others give it.

Everything is fair, this is the law of conservation of energy and one of the laws of the universe - “if you accepted (received) something, then you will now give something back, even if you yourself don’t know about it,” because if something has disappeared somewhere, then in elsewhere it definitely arrived.

Is it necessary to bring food to the grave?

Although in fact there is nothing terrible or shameful in this, because we don’t consider it shameful to hire our grandmother a nurse so that our grandmother would get on the nerves of another aunt, and then we would pay this aunt money for it. After all, everyone is happy with the result, and the grandmother is happy that they pay attention to her, and the nurse is happy if you paid her generously.

Or hire a nanny for our child so that she doesn’t sleep at night and wakes up to feed him at 4 in the morning, instead of us, and as a result we would get a grown child without any extra hassle.

Yes, this certainly sounds strange and even a little wild, but in principle, wealthy people have always been able to afford a little more than everyone else, and at the same time doing much less “harmful and hard work”, for which they very wisely prefer to pay, rather than doing it yourself.

After all, the owner of a coal mine does not dig the coal himself, he simply delegates this difficult task to others, so that later he can immediately get gold, without carrying bags of dirty coal.

Thus, in world history, almost all rich people organized the most furry and large funerals, in return receiving great favor, and perhaps even some kind of help from their ancestors. Also, all the great leaders of the people gathered thousands of flowers and crowds of crying people for large state funerals, and they are talked about and regularly remembered to this day.

Is it possible to eat in a cemetery?

As a result, answering the question whether it is possible to eat and accept alms in the cemetery in the form of food or even money, we can answer specifically. If this offer comes from your family members and from people close to you whom you love and respect, then you can eat something at the cemetery and take part in the memorial ceremony and sit at the memorial table.

There will be nothing terrible in this, you will naturally lose a small part of your energy, but you will simply give it away sincerely and with love, as a tribute of respect, and as a “conscious” sacrifice and help to the departed. After all, it will be quickly spent on life activities; it would be better if it goes in favor of a good person.

Naturally, at the same time, everything is in moderation, and without taking any objects with you from the cemetery “as a souvenir”, because everything brought from there will still have persistent negative energy, and you should not use it for household purposes if you want to remain healthy and happy and young. Yes, and you must definitely let go of the person who has passed on, even if you loved him so much, otherwise his memory will follow you on your heels.

What to do with leftover food after a funeral?

The food that was left after the funeral table, and no one took it, even if you persistently offered it, must be given to dogs, birds, and ants. And if you yourself eat the funeral food, then really remember and remember the deceased good word, and nothing very bad will come from it. Just don’t fill whole bags with this food and drag it home.

And naturally, it is better to joke with the afterlife as little as possible, and try to go to such events only with people who are really important to you, since there is quite a bit of positive and useful things in the cemetery for you personally and your health.

Although in the villages, naturally, no one “bothers” much about this. And sometimes it’s even customary to bring “what’s yours” to the graves of your loved ones, and then go collect almost the same thing from strangers.

Is it possible to leave the deceased's belongings?

Also, you should not leave a bunch of things of a deceased person at home, especially without special need, his TV, set-top box, bed linen, or his room in general untouched, as if he were still alive, which sometimes also occurs in the homes of especially grieving people. All this will only make it worse, because it will tie the soul to your apartment and to you personally. The soul of the deceased should be released to God, where he will be much more comfortable.

It’s better to give all these things to poor people, and at the same time say in whose honor. Then poor people will wear these things with gratitude, and at the same time lose a little energy in honor of your deceased. You also need to distribute all the toys and other small things that belonged to this person.

Even if people know that these are the things of the deceased, greed and poverty will still take their toll. And if the deceased is released correctly and with a pure soul, then most likely nothing bad will happen to these people; on the contrary, they will simply use normal things, without any special problems.

After all, many people have been wearing things from their ancestors for entire generations, which sometimes even save their lives. And various negative incidents with such things usually arise either due to a very violent death, or when the soul of the deceased was not released due to someone’s tears, grief and lamentations.

Should you remember your ancestors in the cemetery with food?

Also, I can’t even advise you whether to believe in such patterns and the energetic (hidden) component of these rituals, and whether to continue to perform this strange pagan ritual when you already know its true meaning. Whether to bring “sacrifices” (grub) in honor of your deceased ancestors in the cemetery or not.

And whether to evoke various emotions in weak and poor people, such as greed and gluttony, to energetically feed their ancestors. And also, whether to give candy to children you know and vodka to drunks. On the one hand, this is not entirely ethical, but on the other hand, in fact, as I already said, there is nothing wrong with it.

On the contrary, in almost all countries and wise cultures of the world, it is considered incredibly important to please your ancestors and be with them. good relationship, then all future life will be rich and happy.

After all, as Eastern wisdom says, “without strong roots, there will be no thick branches.” Therefore, in the east they often hold huge feasts in honor of their ancestors, burn money and placate them in various other ways. Moreover, the east has the highest life expectancy.

And then, according to them, such people are blessed with good luck in all their endeavors, which I could wish for you with pleasure.

So think about this for yourself. And if you did this, and it did not bring you discomfort, then you can continue. This is done in almost every country in the world, with slight variations, but essentially in a very similar way.

This is where I end this story, I hope it opened your eyes to some previously incomprehensible things, and if something seemed strange, illogical or “far-fetched” to you, you can consider it a creative invention and continue to sleep peacefully.

All the same, now, having learned some laws of energy transfer and the real meaning of many religious rituals, you will make much fewer mistakes in your future life, which will already be quite enough.