Saturday of Souls
Encyclopedia
Saturday of Souls is a day set aside for commemoration of the dead within the liturgical year
of the Eastern Orthodox
and Greek-Catholic Churches. Saturday is a traditional day for prayer for the dead, because Christ lay dead in the Tomb on Saturday.
There are several Soul Saturdays throughout the year:
These days are devoted to prayer for departed relatives and others among the faithful who might not be commemorated specifically as Saint
s. The Divine Services on these days have special hymns added to them to commemorate the departed. There is normally a Panikhida (memorial service) served either after the Divine Liturgy
on Saturday morning, or after Vespers
on Friday evening, for which Koliva
(a dish made of boiled wheatberries and honey) is prepared and placed in front of the cross or icon
before which the Panikhida is served. After the service, the priest blesses the koliva and it is then eaten as a memorial by all present.
All Orthodox and Byzantine Catholics observe Soul Saturdays on Meatfare Saturday
(i.e., two Saturdays before the beginning of Great Lent
); the second, third, and fourth Saturdays of Great Lent; and the Saturday before Pentecost
.
Other Orthodox, such as the Serbian Orthodox
, observe commemorations of the dead on the Saturdays before August 8 and before October 24. The Russians
observe memorials on the Saturdays closest to September 26 (Saint Demetrius), and September 23 (Conception of St. John the Forerunner
).
Another memorial day, Radonitsa, does not fall on a Saturday, but on either Monday or Tuesday of the second week after Pascha
(Easter). Radonitsa does not have special hymns for the dead at the Divine Services, but instead, a Panikhida will follow the Divine Liturgy, and then all will bring paschal foods to the cemeteries to greet the departed with the joy of the Resurrection.
Liturgical year
The liturgical year, also known as the church year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches which determines when feast days, including celebrations of saints, are to be observed, and which portions of Scripture are to be read. Distinct liturgical colours may appear in...
of the Eastern Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
and Greek-Catholic Churches. Saturday is a traditional day for prayer for the dead, because Christ lay dead in the Tomb on Saturday.
There are several Soul Saturdays throughout the year:
- The Saturday of Meatfare Week (the second Saturday before Great LentGreat LentGreat Lent, or the Great Fast, is the most important fasting season in the church year in Eastern Christianity, which prepares Christians for the greatest feast of the church year, Pascha . In many ways Great Lent is similar to Lent in Western Christianity...
)—the day before the Sunday of the Last Judgement - The second Saturday of Great Lent
- The third Saturday of Great Lent
- The fourth Saturday of Great Lent
- Radonitsa (Monday or Tuesday after Thomas Sunday)
- The Saturday before PentecostPentecostPentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...
- Demetrius Saturday (the Saturday before the feast of Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki—26 October)
These days are devoted to prayer for departed relatives and others among the faithful who might not be commemorated specifically as Saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
s. The Divine Services on these days have special hymns added to them to commemorate the departed. There is normally a Panikhida (memorial service) served either after the Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy
Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. As such, it is used in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches. Armenian Christians, both of the Armenian Apostolic Church and of the Armenian Catholic Church, use the same term...
on Saturday morning, or after Vespers
Vespers
Vespers is the evening prayer service in the Western Catholic, Eastern Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran liturgies of the canonical hours...
on Friday evening, for which Koliva
Koliva
Koliva is boiled wheat which is used liturgically in the Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches.This ritual food is blessed after the memorial Divine Liturgy performed at various intervals after a death; after the...
(a dish made of boiled wheatberries and honey) is prepared and placed in front of the cross or icon
Icon
An icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
before which the Panikhida is served. After the service, the priest blesses the koliva and it is then eaten as a memorial by all present.
All Orthodox and Byzantine Catholics observe Soul Saturdays on Meatfare Saturday
Great Lent
Great Lent, or the Great Fast, is the most important fasting season in the church year in Eastern Christianity, which prepares Christians for the greatest feast of the church year, Pascha . In many ways Great Lent is similar to Lent in Western Christianity...
(i.e., two Saturdays before the beginning of Great Lent
Great Lent
Great Lent, or the Great Fast, is the most important fasting season in the church year in Eastern Christianity, which prepares Christians for the greatest feast of the church year, Pascha . In many ways Great Lent is similar to Lent in Western Christianity...
); the second, third, and fourth Saturdays of Great Lent; and the Saturday before Pentecost
Pentecost
Pentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...
.
Other Orthodox, such as the Serbian Orthodox
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
, observe commemorations of the dead on the Saturdays before August 8 and before October 24. The Russians
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
observe memorials on the Saturdays closest to September 26 (Saint Demetrius), and September 23 (Conception of St. John the Forerunner
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
).
Another memorial day, Radonitsa, does not fall on a Saturday, but on either Monday or Tuesday of the second week after Pascha
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
(Easter). Radonitsa does not have special hymns for the dead at the Divine Services, but instead, a Panikhida will follow the Divine Liturgy, and then all will bring paschal foods to the cemeteries to greet the departed with the joy of the Resurrection.
See also
- Prayer for the dead
- Panikhida
- KolivaKolivaKoliva is boiled wheat which is used liturgically in the Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches.This ritual food is blessed after the memorial Divine Liturgy performed at various intervals after a death; after the...
- All Souls DayAll Souls DayAll Souls' Day commemorates the faithful departed. In Western Christianity, this day is observed principally in the Catholic Church, although some churches of Anglican Communion and the Old Catholic Churches also celebrate it. The Eastern Orthodox Church observes several All Souls' Days during the...
