A day of prayer for the souls of the dead
All Souls’ Day, known as Cherry All Souls’Day, after the fruit popular in this season, falls on the Saturday before Pentecost. On this day Orthodox Christians honour their dead, go to their graves to clean them and pour water and red wine over them and light a candle.
Believers go to church where they write down the names of their deceased loved ones, so the priests can pray for their souls during the memorial services held across the country.
It is also a day of charity, with the food left after the shared meal – wheat, bread, wine and fruit – given to the needy.