Autumn Grandfathers (Memory Day) in the Republic of Belarus

Grandfathers (Dziady) is a Slavic day of remembrance of the dead He enjoys special respect in Polesie and the territories bordering it Autumn Grandfathers fall on the second day of November In the 90s of the 20th century in Belarus, the holiday was briefly elevated to the status of an official non-working holiday The difference between this day and ordinary memorials is that people do not go to the cemetery to remember the dead Autumn Grandfathers is a family holiday, a reason for all relatives to gather around the table According to legends, in the evening of this day, deceased relatives (grandfathers) themselves come to the house and have a meal with living people The living treat the spirits and thank them for their protection An obligatory dish on the festive table is kutia - porridge sprinkled with honey or honey syrup You also need to make pancakes All funeral foods must be hot The steam that comes from them is inhaled by the visiting spirits The number of dishes must be odd, at least five The table is covered with a white tablecloth and served with a large number of cutlery for perfume Sometimes the deceased are called by name During the meal, candles lit in advance are extinguished, and food is not started immediately Be sure to try every dish After each dish you try, you should put the spoon down with the notch up and remember your relatives who have passed on to another world Before the holiday, people clean their homes and go to the bathhouse to cleanse their bodies and thoughts In the steam room they leave a fresh broom and a tub of clean water After the bath, everyone dresses in festive attire Also in the red corner, icons are wiped and decorated with fresh towels On Memorial Day itself, it is prohibited to do housework, except for caring for livestock and cooking In the evening, the head of the family lights candles and reads prayers All family members behave with restraint and remember the good deeds of deceased relatives You cannot cry on this day: this can harm the deceased Before dinner, the doors throughout the house are opened so that the spirits can freely come and visit After dinner, the table is not cleared, leaving the treat for the night to belated spirits If there have been drowned people in the family, then family members go to the river and throw food into the water Also, in front of the Grandfathers, you need to give gifts to the poor, asking them to remember their relatives Failure to comply with all traditions and rituals on this day could cause revenge on the part of the dead in the form of illnesses and failures