The remembrance calendar: when each service is held

After the funeral, the family has several days of remembrance to keep in mind. They are not obligations but customs — yet many wish to observe them and fear forgetting, precisely when keeping track of days is hardest. Below is the full calendar, as it is customarily kept in Romania.

The days of remembrance

• At 3 days — usually the day of the funeral itself.
• At 9 days — the first remembrance after the burial.
• At 40 days — the most significant one of the first year. It is prepared in advance: relatives are told, the priest is consulted, alms are given.
• At 3, 6 and 9 months — smaller services, usually within the family.
• At one year — close ones gather again, as at 40 days.
• Every year, up to seven — the annual remembrance. The seventh is the last of this series and is usually kept more fully.

When they are held

Memorial services are usually held on Saturday, the day appointed for remembering the departed. If the exact day falls on another weekday, the service is held on the nearest Saturday. There are also periods of the year when memorial services are not held — your parish priest will tell you exactly how the dates fall.

The headstone, after the first year

The stone cross or monument is usually placed after the first year, once the ground has settled. Until then, the wooden cross from the funeral remains. If you wish, we take care of this part as well, whenever you feel the time is right.

What belongs to the church and what to the family

The priest arranges the service: speak with him in advance, with the name of the one remembered. The family is left with the koliva, the loaves, the candles and the memorial meal — as much as you are able, without burdening yourselves.

Customs differ from one region to another, sometimes from one village to the next. If you are unsure how it is done where you live, ask your parish priest or call us — we will tell you what we have seen in Ploiești and across Prahova county.