Big Stew: Customs and Table

Golyama Zadushnitsa is celebrated on the Saturday opposite Nedelya Mesopustna (Mesni zagovezni, which is a week before the beginning of Great Lent). A memorial service is held in memory of the dead.

All Souls' Day is always on Saturday, because in the weekly holiday cycle, the church has designated Saturday as the day of the dead.

Customs

Memorials are made for the dead at the grave, at home or in church. Usually at the grave, the priests perform the parastas because it is shorter than the requiem, which is the more extensive prayer for the repose of the souls and includes more prayers, as well as readings from the Gospel and apostolic text.

During each All Souls' Day, communal sofras are set, the first morsel and the first sip of wine from which are placed on the ground, for the souls of the dead. This is accompanied by the words that are also said when handing out dowries - "God forgive".

It is believed that if a butterfly or a fly appears around people during a meal at the common table, it means that the soul of the dead has returned for a short time to visit his loved ones.

For this reason, it is customary in many places to leave an empty place on the table for the deceased to sit. In addition, flour and salt are distributed to Zadusnitsa, which symbolize the sins of the dead.

And it is called that they should be scattered, as salt and flour are scattered.

On Big Throat, it is forbidden to leave mats on the grave of the dead.

A meal

It is important to have a dish that the deceased loved at the table for Big Stew. In addition, however, wine, wheat and pita are served. Fruit, biscuits, waffles, small cakes, lamb or any foods of personal choice can be added.