The call of the ancestors is a national holiday, which is traditionally celebrated in early May, the third day. It was believed that on this day the souls of the dead come to stay with relatives until midnight. But this requires a special rite of passage.
Kyiv. Ukraine. Ukraine Gate – May 3, 2021 – Ukraine Society and Culture
History of the holiday
Priests on this day honor the memory of St. Fyodor Trichina. Theodore was a native of Constantinople, he was born into a wealthy family. The young man, who had bright prospects, expressed a desire to accept monasticism and became a novice of the Thracian monastery. Theodore strictly observed fasts and wore hair made of coarse cloth, in connection with which he was called Trichina, which means hair. While still alive, he gained popularity due to numerous healings. After his death, ointment began to stand out from his relics, which has miraculous properties – to expel evil spirits and get rid of diseases.
Traditions and rites
According to legend, on May 3, the souls of the dead can visit their relatives to see how they live. There is an obstacle between the world of the living and the dead that disappears once a year. Only souls who have received a special invitation can visit relatives. To pass, it requires a special rite.
In the morning you need to light funeral candles and put lamps in front of the icons. Then women who are the oldest in the family should visit the cemetery. The rite of invocation is performed at the grave – it is to invite the dead to visit. I must say that without them it is difficult to live and the family is very sad. If the cemetery is far from home, you can just go out on the porch and call the dead relatives. If the call was sincere, the soul will have the opportunity to stay with relatives until midnight.
The deceased arrives at the house after being called by a family member. He looks at how his relatives live and whether they have enough food. It is believed that food for the soul on the day of remembrance is steam. Therefore, it is customary to prepare a variety of hot dishes so that the afterlife guest does not stay hungry.
Kissel must be present on the table on the day of remembrance, it is from him that the festive meal begins. You need to drink three spoons in memory of the deceased. The table should be as rich and varied as possible. In this case, the soul sees that the children and grandchildren are all right, and calmly returns to the afterlife.
It is believed that several births respond to the call. For the older soul, a chair is specially placed at the head of the table. All others are located on the crossbars of the chairs and table. Therefore, it is forbidden to put your feet there during the meal. For dear guests, it is customary to go to the threshold at midnight. With the first wind, the soul will leave the world of the living.
Signs
On the day of remembrance, any quarrels are prohibited. It was believed that the soul sees quarrels in the family and suffers because of it.
Before each case, you need to pray that it ends successfully. The peasants were reverent to any work, which was especially noticeable on the day of remembrance. To encourage younger people to work, seniors used various sayings, such as “to have bread with honey, you need to work with a shovel.”
The child, born on May 3, is under the special protection of their ancestors.
It is not customary to divorce on the day of remembrance. Otherwise, it is then impossible to marry for three years.
On this day it was strictly forbidden to fish. It is possible that the appearance of the sign is due to the fact that most river fish at this time throw eggs. Observations of fry helped to predict the weather: if they diverged quickly, you can sow earlier, if kept together for a long time, you need to wait.
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Source: Ukrgate