Funerals in Orthodoxy: customs and traditions

According to Biblical teachings, Orthodox Christians have three main stages in life: Baptism, Marriage and Funeral. Much is known about the traditions of Baptism and Marriage. Not everyone knows how to organize a funeral for a loved one. 

Traditions of Orthodox Christians during a funeral

Preparing for a funeral has certain stages. They are associated with the traditions and superstitions of the ancestors. Among them can be distinguished:

• Washing the deceased.
• Hanging mirrors in the house so that the soul is not entangled in the looking-glass. The soul itself will not be able to get out of there, you will have to resort to the help of an experienced necromancer.
• The hourglass in the house is stopped for 40 days to prevent death from coming for someone close to them.
• Near the deceased they put black bread and water as a ransom from death.
• Only round-shaped jewelry such as rings, chains, and crosses are left.
• Often money, favorite things of the deceased, and jewelry are placed in the coffin.
• A cross is placed at the feet.
• During the wake, only vodka is consumed, and the memorial is remembered without the ringing of glasses.
• Opposite the photo of the deceased, there must be candles to light the way of the soul to the other world.

The deceased is carried out of the room ahead of his feet. According to some beliefs, this should be done by relatives, but not by loved ones. However, there is no clear information from the church on this matter.

When the coffin is buried, the relatives throw a handful of earth as a sign of farewell to the deceased.

How the deceased are dressed

Seeing a person off to his last journey, special attention should be paid to clothing. Christian ancestors wrapped the body in a white shroud so that the soul would appear clean before God.

For the modern world, shrouds are a thing of the past, so one should choose a light-colored suit or dress. Preferably new, or pre-prepared (if the deceased is an old man who has prepared his clothes in advance).

Unmarried girls are buried in wedding dress, guys - in suits. A white wreath is put on the head, so that in the afterlife the soul will find a mate.

Married women wear a headscarf. They do it so that the two ends of the scarf form a cross between them. Hair must be covered. The kerchief is chosen of light color, without flowers and ornaments. The makeup is made up discreet, close to natural. 

If for some reason the body cannot be dressed in clothes, it is still placed in the casket, for example, in a bag.

Burial

One of the customs for seeing the deceased off to the next world is a funeral service. This is a service for the repose of the soul, which is conducted by the priest before she goes to the other world. Moreover, the funeral is a kind of forgiveness of sins. If this rite is not performed, the soul will not find peace and will not give peace to loved ones.

As for the funeral, during this process, the prayer is read not by text, but by song. In addition, the priest during the rite, reads the canon and the Gospel.

Despite the fact that most of the deceased are buried, it can not be done in three cases:

• If the deceased is a non-believer. They are buried according to the traditions of the faith in which the deceased lived.
• An unbaptized person. They are buried according to the rules of the church, outside the fence of the cemetery.
• Suicide. From the point of view of Christianity, suicide is one of the gravest sins. Neither Heaven nor Hell accepts such people. And according to the canons, they are buried at the edge of the cemetery, behind the gate. A prayer may be read over a suicide if the person committed the sin while mentally ill. For this, a doctor's note confirming the illness is provided to the priest.