A clergyman on the eve of Easter explained when is the best time to go clean the cemetery

There are special days for this in the Orthodox religion.

Before Easter, believers and non-believers are wondering when to go to the cemetery to clean the graves after a long winter. The Church says that this can be done on any Mother’s Saturday, which occurs almost every weekend during Lent. But this year, most likely, most people will carry willows to the cemetery and tidy up the graves on Lazarus Saturday (this year it falls on April 27) and Palm Sunday (April 28).

“It is not forbidden to visit the last monastery of the dead on almost any day of Lent, but after such a snowy winter, many people still have not gathered to visit the graves of relatives,” Hieromonk Sergius told MK. “Somewhere there is still snow, and somewhere it’s so damp that you don’t want to stir up the mud.” Therefore, most will go there for Holy Week. It will last from Holy Monday, April 29, until Holy Saturday, May 4. Or after it to Radonitsa. This is a special church-wide commemoration of the departed. The ninth day after Easter.

Is it worth going to the cemetery on Easter itself? No, this does not correspond to the tradition of the church. There is also no need to bring Easter eggs and Easter cakes to the cemetery on Easter or during the festive Bright Week.

“Filling a grave with food is wrong and not very nice,” says Father Sergius. — If you really want to share the Passover meal, you better give it to those who need it.

By the way, it is better to come to clean the grave and visit the deceased in the morning. On the way, Orthodox Christians, as a rule, enter the church, order a funeral service or magpie for the repose, light candles and bring food to the funeral table.

At the grave, it is necessary not only to remove dry vegetation and debris, but also to wash the monument and fence, paint, if necessary, plant flowers or put bouquets in a vase, safe candles, for example, powered by solar energy.

At cemeteries, the administration can always take with you the necessary equipment (rakes, shovels, buckets) and special garbage bags. Water is also always available for free.