All Souls’ Day, which falls on November 2 in the liturgical calendar, i.e. after , once had great importance. It was believed that this was when the living could communicate with the dead. Dziady was an inseparable element of the Slavic celebration of the dead. They were used to “communicate with the dead”, and the aim was primarily to gain their favor. Depending on the region, Dziady was celebrated even several times a year. The most important were spring Dziady, celebrated around May 1-2, and autumn Dziady, usually falling on the night from October 31 to November 1 or before All Souls’ Day, i.e. All Souls’ Day.
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Where did the custom of burning candles come from? What not to do on All Souls’ Day?
Bonfires were lit and their flame was supposed to illuminate the path of souls, but also to warm them after their arrival. A remnant of this custom are candles lit on the graves of loved ones. Bonfires were also burned to protect souls from demons, i.e. the souls of people who died suddenly. Such pyres were burned in the places where they died.
On this night, the household members also entertained the souls of the deceased, feeding them with traditional dishes, including kutia, honey, groats and vodka. Feasts were also organized on . While eating, some of the meals and drinks landed on the counter, floor or on the grave, intended to reach the souls of the deceased. For this reason, food was also left on the tombstones. Each dish eaten on All Souls’ Day had its own meaning, as did appropriate table behavior. You couldn’t get up suddenly and abruptly, talk loudly, clean up immediately after supper or throw slop out the window. All this could scare away the souls of the dead. On All Souls’ Day it was also impossible to sew or weave, so as not to bind the soul to our world.
All Souls’ Day in Cieszyn Silesia Photo National Digital Archives
Lavishly laid tables and feasting in cemeteries. What was eaten and drank on All Souls’ Day?
During the All Souls’ Day feast, the tables included, among others: kutia (kutia). Boiled wheat (or groats or rice) with poppy seeds, honey and dried fruits is associated primarily with Christmas Eve, but it once had a different meaning.
In the Vilnius Dictionary we read that KUCJA ‘is a monument (customary souvenir) of the ancient pre-Christian Slavs sacrificial dish, brought to household spirits, or rather to the shadows of deceased relatives’
– we read on the website. Honey symbolized wealth, wheat symbolized life after death and rebirth. The All Souls’ Day tables also included groats, often served with broad beans. Both components were associated with death. Groats symbolized eternal life, and broad bean seeds were believed to facilitate contact with the afterlife, including the souls wandering on Soul Day. Traditionally, alcohol was also consumed on this day. It was poured on floors, tables or tombstones, on which bottles or glasses were also placed. It was believed that he acted as an intermediary between the worlds of the living and the dead, and also symbolized community. This is why the dead were offered alcohol.
Source: Gazeta
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