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Many of these memorable dates originate in the “traditions of antiquity deep.” They were born in the folk calendar of the Eastern Slavs, they carried rituals, parts of the household way of life, elements of religious beliefs and folklore. We will tell you about one of these original ancient Slavic holidays – Meatless Saturday or, as it is also called.
When is Meatfare Saturday in 2023
Meatfare Saturday is the first of the category of parental Saturdays in the Orthodox liturgical charter, is a memorial day and is also called the Ecumenical Parental Saturday. 2023 will mark February 18.
The name of the holiday is associated with the so-called Great Myasopust, one of the preparatory days for Lent. Also, this date is also popularly called the last day of the winter meat-eater. In the East Slavic tradition, the Meat-Feast Saturday is firmly connected with the cheerful celebration of the noisy and bright Shrovetide, beloved by many of our geographical neighbors. The first parental Saturday according to the Orthodox calendar will be celebrated two days before the onset of Maslenitsa week. The close connection of the Ecumenical Parental Saturday with the popularly beloved date of eating pancakes with red caviar and other delicacies is reflected in its unofficial name. In a different way, Meat-Feast Saturday is called “Little Maslenitsa”, which is, as it were, a prologue to the main celebration. The fraternal Belarusians and the peoples inhabiting the territories bordering on them call the meatless Saturday “the holiday of winter dzyads”, that is, grandfathers.
The history of the date
The customs of ancient Christians to commemorate their ancestors on certain days can be found in the church charter of the XNUMXth century. The charter was written by the Christian saint Savva the Sanctified on the basis of an older tradition, written down a century earlier. Letters from the XNUMXth century conveyed to the Cappadocian saint evidence of the customs of Christians to gather on certain days in cemeteries to commemorate the dead.
Traditions associated with the veneration of the dead among Christians were spread throughout the Orthodox world. And the date of Meatfare Saturday can be found among various peoples of Eastern Europe. In the XNUMXth century, it was recorded in the Georgian translation of the Jerusalem liturgical book, called the Lectionary. The manuscript gives a detailed description of the entire preparatory period for Lent. Meatfare Saturday was also mentioned in the pages of the later Armenian Lectionary.
True, the traditions of commemorating the dead were first adhered to a week later – on Saturday of Cheese Week, when any meat food was forbidden to be eaten. However, the date was later pushed back by a week. This was done for the purpose of a calm, measured tribute to the memory of the venerable fasters, which is given on Cheese Sabbath. This order was established by the Typikon (Code of Rules for Christian Divine Services) of the Great Church, written down in the XNUMXth century.
Meatfare Saturday Traditions
No wonder the Meat-Feast Saturday is a kind of forerunner of Maslenitsa. According to folk beliefs, pancakes were baked on this day. The first pancakes were placed on the roof of the house, left on the graveyard slabs, distributed to children, the poor, the poor and the poor clergy. It was believed that the children, receiving a pancake, had to drive away the hated, evil winter and call for the fast Maslenitsa and the warmth that follows it. To commemorate the dead ancestors, a candle was placed in a jar of grain, and jelly, beer or vodka was poured into a separate glass for the deceased relatives. The treat was not removed during the whole night, because the souls of the deceased ancestors could look to their relatives.
The South Slavic Balkan peoples have their own traditions of Meatfare Saturday. Serbs and Bulgarians prepare a special kutya, go to the cemetery with spring primroses, clean the graves of relatives. These days, as a rule, they try to clean houses less, in particular, do not sweep the floor, so as not to sweep the souls of the dead and not clog their eyes.
At the same time, if in the Balkans there is a tradition to water the graves of their ancestors with water and wine, then the Eastern Slavs are inclined to prudence and show more restraint. Many believe that wakes are not for libations. Bringing alcohol to the cemetery and leaving it there these days is unacceptable.