Greek funerals – Death and Mourning
The beliefs of Greeks when it comes to death and mourning revolves around their beliefs, rituals and traditions that are founded in the Greek Orthodox religion. For most Greeks, following their traiditons in their homeland is very essential. Loved ones consult their local priest to make sure that they are following the traditions in the proper way.
There are Greek migrants in Australia as children, their knowledge of these traditions usually come from their early memories of funerals in their village. There is also a big chance that they remember the vigils in family homes where for a whoel 24 hours, women wail funeral dirges over the deceased. Whilst this ritual is not followed by Greek Australians today, there are still a lot of traditional beliefs that are still important.
What are the beliefs of the Greek Orthodox?
Greek Orthodox religion belives in eternal life and because of this, their Church puts too much emphasis on the positive outcome of death which they emphasize that the dead is alive with God. The death means the separation of the sould from the body, the physical body will be reunited with the soul at the Last Judgement.
This whole idea regarding the eternal life of the soul and the integrity of the body depends on the may traditions that surround death and mourning. One example is the cremation which is forbidden becayse this represents the destruction of the eternal physical body. Another example is that they do not allow organ donation. However, the Church supports the use of transplants and church leaders have shown a more supportive attitude towards organ donation.
If you know a person who is considering organ donation for a transplant, they should discuss this with a priest. The Church does not object to autopsy.
Other Greek Orthodox beliefs
Aside from those beliefs, they also have other beliefs regarding death and the afterlife date back to antiquity. If you’re familiar with classic mythology, you should know “Charos” who’s a ferryman of the dead. When a person has a life-threatening illness, Greeks usually described this as “fight with Charos”. Now, you must know Hades and they consider Hades as the afterlife. That is why they place personal items that belonged to the dead in the coffin. While in antiquity, the dead was provided with items for the journey to and life in the underworld.
Approaching death
If an elderly is in intoxicating care, or very unwell that imminent death took place, the family of the dying usually calls a priest to conduct communion and confession. It is always best that the dying can still communicate in order for the dying to take his or her last communion and confession.
What is Trisagion
Trisagion is the prayer service held by a priest after death and in the presence of the dead. Before the funeral, trisagion is held again either at the church or in the chapel of a funeral home. Also, this an occasion to view the deceased. This prayer service is then repeated either in church or at the grave and takes place on the third day, ninth day, fortieth day, six months and a year after death.
Mourning customs
The Greek Church designated a period for mourning which is forty days. The loved ones of the deceased visit the home of the family both before and after the funeral. They bring drinks and food. Wine, coffee, brandy and dry biscuits are usually the food and drinks brought by friends during the mourning period.
The immediate family members of the deceased wears black clothing for forty days. This is their tradition and during this time, they are not allowed to participate in social occasions such as parties and other celebrations. They are also not allowed to listen to music. There are some people who extends this period to a year or even longer and in some cases, widows or widowers continue to wear black all their lives.
Greek Funerals and Burial
When it comes Greek funerals, Greeks don’t have a suggested time. Not all Greek are Australians and most of them want their funeral to be in a Greek Orthodox Church that is why it is very important that you must be aware of the person’s wishes and requests.
Some Greek Australians prefer funeral arrangements made by Greek funerals directors. Usually, funerals are held on weekdays and rarely on Saturdays and never on Sundays. The notices for these funerals are placed in their local newspapers mostly in Neos Kosmos by the family members or their funeral directors.
How long does the Greek Orthodox ceremony takes? It usually takes thirty to sixty minutes and it isn’t a part of a larger service. Once the ceremony is done, everyone should move to the front of the church where they will bow in front of the open casket and kiss an icon or cross laid on the chest of the dead. Immediate family members are to sit neat the casket while the guests express their sympathy to them.
Once at the graveside, a brief prayer ceremony is held. People who are present during this ceremony can bring and place a flower on the casket before it is lowered or while it is being lowered into the ground.
Wake
Greek Orthodox families traditionally host a wake after the funeral whether in their home, at the church or at a community venue. Usually, meals are shared and wine. The dishes depend according to the family’s traditions of a family’s particular homeland regions. On arrival at the wake. Guests offer brandy and before or after the meal, Greek coffee and dry biscuits are served.
Memorial services
For the memorial services, these are very important in Greek culture. This importance can be seen in the number of notices for memorial services found in Greek newspapers. During memorial services, the family members and loved ones offer prayers of forgiveness and mercy for the soul of the dead. At the Last Judgement, this is held at the time of Christ’s second coming, the dead’s soul is cast into either a state of blessedness or damnation. Memorial services achives the belief that prayer has the ability to grant forgiveness.
Mnimosyno is the most observed memorial service that is held on the Sunday closest to the fortieth day after death. According to Orthodox belief, Christ remained on eart for forty days after His resurrection.
This particular memorial service, which the priest prays for forgiveness for the deceased is part of the regular Sunday church service. The friends and relatives of the deceased are encouraged to attend this service. Family members are to sit in the front row. The family is to provide a tray of kollyva – a boiled wheat with sugar, walnuts, cinnamon and other spices. It decorated with a cross and the name of the deceased and placed on a table with candles at the front of the church.
Kollyva represents the soul of the dead ad symbolizes everlasting life. This is because the wheat represents the life cycle of death and regenaration. Once the service is done, the kollyva are given to the congregation and people who attended the memorial service. They also invited to share a meal with the family which is similar to the meal that is served at the time of the funeral.
Dates of memorial services
Here, we discuss memorial service dates. These services may be held three months and six months after the death, on the death anniversary, on the third anniversary and on the Saturdays dedicated to the souls which is calles Psychosavata. This occus four times a year and are dependent on Lent and Easter.
Memorial services cannot be held on the following days:
ñ Christmas Day
ñ The Feast of theParish Church
ñ From the Saturday of Lazarus until the Sunday of St. Thomas
ñ January 1 – Circumcision of our Lord
ñ On the Dormition of the Virgin Mary – August 15
ñ January 5 – Epiphany
ñ February 2 – the Presentation
ñ March 25 – the Annunciation
ñ 40 days after Easter – the Ascension
ñ 50 days after Easter – Pentecost
ñ August 6 – transfiguration
Expressing your sympathy in Greek
Expressing your sympathy in Greek will be very much appreciated. Here are some phrases that can help you:
ñ Syllpitiria – My condolences
ñ Zoi se sas – May life be granted to you
ñ O Theos na ton/tun synghoresi – May God forgive him/her
ñ O Theos na ton/tin anapafsi – May God rest his/her soul
ñ Zoi se mas – May life be granted to us
The Funeral Service
Greek Orthodox funerals are considered as a special liturgical rite. The Greek Church has special prayers for those who have “fallen asleep in the Lord”. When a person dies, the Church serves as a special vigil over the deceased called Parastasis or Panikhida, both means “watch” or “all-night vigil”.
In Greek Orthodox funerals, the funeral vigil is in the basic form of Matins. Normal Trisagion Prayers signals the beginning and the Psalm 91 chanting which is followed by the special Great Litany for the deceased. God is the Lord is replaced with Alleluia, as in Great Lent and this will lead to the singing of the funeral Troparion.
What is the troparion and the kontakion of the deceased? This contemplates on the tragedy of death and God’s mercy as well as the petition eternal life for the deceased.
Troparion
Our only Creator Who with wisdom profound mercifully orders all things
And gives all that which is useful
give rest, O Lord,
To the soul of Your servant who has fallen asleep
for he has placed his trust in Thee
our Maker and Fashioner and our God.
Kontakion
With the saints give rest, O Christ,
to the soul of Your servant where sickness and sorrow are no more,
neither sighing,
but life everlasting
Psalm 119 is known to ve the verbal icon of the righteous man who trusts God totally and has total devotion and love for the Divine Law of our Creator, the verbal icon of Jesus Christ is chanted over the departed with praises and supplications for life in God. This is the same psalm chanted over Christ’s tomb on Great Friday.
It is the psalm which sings of the victory of the righteousness and life over wickedness and death:
(Ps 119:25) “My soul clings to the dust; revive me according to Your word”
(Ps 119:144) “Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way”
(Ps 119:40) “Behold, I long for Your precepts; in revive me in Your righteousness”
(Ps 119:144) “The righteousness of Your testimonies is everlasting; give me understanding, and I shall live”
(Ps 119:154) “Plead my cause, and redeem me; give me life according to Thy promise”
This psalm and verses and prayers that go with it, the canon hyms of the sevice and the special St John’s funeral songs are all a contemplation on life and death. In the context of the new life of the Risen Christ who reigns in the Church, this is a lesson of serious instruction to people who are immune to the full tragedy of sin and wages which are death.
There are times when men castigate the funeral vigil for its gloom and melancholy. They say that there should be more words that speaks of resurrection and life. The vigil is not the “final word” of the Church about death. It is a solemn meditation upon the tragic character of death, its terrible reality and its power that makes us sin and alienates men from God. Realization of these facts in our days today are absent. Appreciation and celebration of the resurrection of Christ and His gracious gift of eternal life to mankind is the absolute condition. Without this contemplation on death, it is doubtful whether the Christian Gospel of Life can be understood at all.
Hence, it isn’t ironic at all the the St. John of Damascus who wrote the joyful canon sung by the Church on the night of Easter is also the author of the Church’s songs of death which are steadfast in their gravity and stubborn bluntnessand realism regarding the inevitable fact of the final fate of fallen human existence.
What earthly sweetness remains unmixed with grief? What glory stands immutable on the earth? All things are but feeble shadows, all things are most deluding dreams, yet one moment only, and death shall supplant them all. But in the light of Your countenance, O Christ, and in the sweetness of Your beauty, give rest to him whom You have chosen, for as much as You love mankind.
I weep and lament when I think upon death, and behold our beauty created in the likeness of God lying in the tomb disfigured, bereft of glory and form. O the marvel of it! What is this mystery concerning us? Why have we been delivered to corruption? Why have we been wedded unto death? Truly, as it is written, by the command of God Who gives the departed rest (Funeral Hymns).
The funeral service is normall served and the Beatitudes are chanted after the canon and St John’s hymns with the inclusion of prayer verses inserted between them on behalf of the dead. The first reading is from the First Thessalonians (4:13-17). Gospel reading is from St. John (5:24-30). There is a sermon preached and the people are free to go after they give their “final kiss” with the singing of the final funeral song which is Eternal Memory.
This song, the Eternal Memory, it is the invocation of God that will remember the dead. The Bible says: it is God’s “eternal memory” which keeps man alive. Abaddon, the biblical realm of the deal also called as, Sheol, Hades or the Pit is the condition of being forsaken and forgotten by God. This is a non-life situation in a condition that no one can praise the Lord and the praise of the Lord is the only content and purpose of man’s life; it is the very reason for his existence. Hence, this is the most famous and final of the Orthodox funeral hymns that the departed may be eternally alive in the “eternal rest” of the “eternal memory” of God.
The dead’s vigil should normally be achieved in the Eucharistic Liturgy is which the faithful meet the Risen Lord, and all those who are alive in the Him, in the glory of His Kingdom of Life. In recent years, the funeral vigil has lost its character and has been transformed into the funeral service itself and separated from the Eucharistic Liturgy is a depressing fact which allows neither the proper appreciation of the vigil itself nor the full Christian vision of the meaning of life, death and resurrection in Christ, the Church and the Kingdom of God.
