On the first Sunday after Easter, Eastern Rite Christians celebrate Antipascha or St. Thomas Sunday.. Certain traditions and prohibitions are associated with this holiday, which our ancestors followed from ancient times, writes "

Traditions of celebrating Antipascha.

On this day, it is customary to set tables and benches at the graves of relatives and gather there for food with the whole family.. On the eve, they definitely come and decorate the graves, clean up. Wreaths for memorial days are bought in advance, but they are installed on the graves on Sunday.

It is also customary to leave a slice of bread, which is first sprinkled with salt.. It is believed that this is how the souls of the dead are fed..

Communion on Antipascha is allowed without fasting. On the eve of communion, believers usually observe a six-hour liturgical fast (believers do not eat anything from midnight until communion). On Antipascha, the church allows not to keep this liturgical fast, but warns that weakening is possible only for those who observed Great Lent.

From Antipascha, the performance of the sacrament of baptism and the sacrament of wedding is resumed.

It is not allowed to insult others on this day, it is not advisable to start new business, because Antipascha is the Sunday of God, for rest from business.

What not to do on Antipascha.

Priests note that the main thing at this time is not to eat or drink in the cemetery and not to leave food on the graves, as this can lead to animals or birds stretching it..

The most important thing that the church forbids doing on this day and in the memorial week is to drink alcoholic beverages in the cemetery.

Recall what is the history of the Antipascha holiday and why it is called that.