November 8 (October 26, old style) is Saint Demetrius' day according to the popular calendar.
Memorial day for the great martyr Demetrius of Thessaloniki, patron of warriors and defender of his native land. People said: "Before Dmitri there is no winter, after Dmitri there is no autumn. It was believed that from this day the end of winter came to him.
In the village they said: "During grandfather's week, the parents will breathe a sigh of relief! ", while remembering well that life does not end here on earth, but in the mystery of death passes into infinity.
"If your parents are alive, honor them, but if they are dead, remember them! ", "It's not a century to live, but a century to remember! ", "Who remembers more often, sins less! ", "If you catch them, you drink beer, if you don't catch them, you remember them with beer! ", "How Melania was, this is how you will remember the land, "Remember the land, because this is how it is remembered! "Rubbish, but a person - who is it? "Prostitution!
With these words and many, many others, the common people testified how they remembered and how they commemorated those who left for another world.
And in general, in the old days, relatives were seen as a great hope and value: "A man is strong with his relatives! ", "He is an orphan who has no one to remember! ".
However, on this Day of the Dead one could observe the "joy" of life in People's Russia.
These circumstances resulted directly from the beliefs of the people, because there - beyond the grave - all those burdened, sick, suffering in this earthly life, all saddened by fate, all destitute in this mortal, fleeting world, are happy.
For such "joy", a funeral table was prepared for Dmitry with plenty of intoxicating beer.
Pancakes, jelly and kutia were always prepared for this occasion.
Kissel was made sour and, as a rule, from cranberries, lingonberries, currants, gooseberries or apples, but not from milk.
Kutia was a dish of steamed and boiled whole grains of wheat, seasoned with honey and fruit.
The grains here symbolized faith in the resurrection of the dead, and honey - the sweetness of the eternal life of the righteous.