Why Easter can not go to the cemetery

In Soviet times, there is a certain ritual of Easter in people who consider themselves believers, but not too understand the meaning of worship. In the morning, people visit the graves of loved ones in the cemetery, there is eating and drinking, talk to friends who visited the neighboring areas.

The rite is different depending on the region. In some places, it made to lay the cloth directly on the grave, and to use it as a table in the other just a snack, standing on the site. Almost everywhere drink.

The rite is so entrenched in the post-Soviet mentality that in some localities municipal authorities allocate buses to visit the cemetery. But, if you look, the custom of visiting the graves and remember the deceased loved ones is fundamentally not correspond to the subject and meaning of Easter. In Christianity this day - joyful, and it is inappropriate given to the mourning of deceased relatives. Therefore, believers attend church on this day.

Where did the tradition of going to the cemetery on Easter

From the point of view of the people, they are not doing anything wrong: on the contrary, commemorate relatives visit them, remember. Treat each other traditional food. Most likely, the custom dates back to the Soviet system - for a visit to the church in those years could have problems with the work, yet they are universally closed, and people were forced to spend the holiday at the cemetery, where there was still a lot of pre-revolutionary graves - with crosses instead monuments. It seems that apart from this place, "holiness" nowhere else left.

Some historians believe that this tradition is more ancient. In the old cemetery it was only about churches and village people, visiting a festive service, and went to the grave - so you do not break away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and is not cut out for this day. Sometimes the distance was so great that it was impossible to walk to get to the graveyard, only on horseback. It is clear that the option "single" visiting graves at Radunitsa not fit all farmers.

When to visit the graves of loved ones

In the Orthodox calendar, there is a special date - Radunica, or Parental Tuesday, on the ninth day after Easter. On this day, believers in the morning come to the cemetery to remember deceased loved ones. By the way, the custom of eating and drinking on the grave, and even sprinkle it with vodka - a pagan, and he should not follow.