Can we remember the dead on their birthday? The priest dispelled the myth

There is still a strange misconception among believers: it is absolutely impossible to remember relatives who died on the day of their birth, and it should be done only on the anniversary of their death. The rector of the temple, Priest Vladislav Beregovoi, denied this myth.

From the theological point of view, physical death for a Christian is not a tragic end, but a “dormition”, a kind of sleep and at the same time a birth into a new, eternal life, where there will be neither sorrow nor suffering. The Church teaches that after the Second Coming of Christ, all the dead will be resurrected for eternal triumph. That is why the anniversary of death is often perceived as the birthday of eternity.

However, this does not negate the meaning of the earthly birthday of a person and does not impose any taboos on him.

“There has never been any prohibition to commemorate the deceased on the day of his birth in the church,” says Priest Vladislav. This myth lives only in the heads of superstitious people who are far from true church teaching.

The priest notes that many Orthodox Christians lovingly commemorate their relatives on both landmark dates. If you come to the temple and order a memorial service or submit a note on the repose of the soul of a loved one on the day when he was born, no one will condemn you. On the contrary, such a prayer will only be a manifestation of sincere love and bright memory, which do not have strict calendar restrictions.