Memorial service (Orthodox)

A memorial service (Greek: μνημόσυνον, mnemósynon, "memorial";Slavonic: панvхида, panikhída, from Greek παννυχίς, pannychis, "vigil";Romanian: parastas, from Greek παραστάς, parastas) is a liturgical solemn service for the repose of the departed in the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic churches which follow the Byzantine Rite.

Service

In the Eastern Church, the various prayers for the departed have as their purpose praying for the repose of the departed, comforting the living, and reminding the living of their own mortality and the brevity of this earthly life. For this reason, memorial services have an air of penitence about them, and tend to be served more frequently during the four fasting seasons.

If the service is for an individual, it is often held at the deceased's graveside. If it is a general commemoration of all the departed, or if the individual's grave is not close by, the service is held in a church, in front of a special small, free-standing "memorial table", to which is attached an upright crucifix and with a candelabra for the faithful to put lighted candles.