Parastas

Parastas is a memorial service in the Eastern Orthodox and some Eastern Catholic traditions, focused on praying for the repose of the souls of the departed. It is distinct from the funeral service and is commonly held at a church or graveside. The term is used especially in Romanian and other Slavic contexts, while in Russian and Greek usage the related term panikhida is more common.

The service typically includes specific prayers, scriptural readings, and the recitation of the diptychs, which list the names of the living and the dead to be commemorated. Hymns such as Memory Eternal are sung, and petitions are offered for mercy and rest. In many practices, koliva (boiled wheat) or other offerings may be presented as part of the memorial at the grave or church.

Parastas is usually observed on particular days after death, most commonly the 3rd day, the 9th day, and the 40th day. Additional memorials may be kept on the 6th month, the first anniversary, and annually thereafter. It may also be held on the anniversary of the death or on specific feast days, depending on regional custom.

Regional variations exist in how parastas is conducted and how widely it is observed within a community. Across traditions, the service reflects the Orthodox emphasis on continual remembrance of the dead through prayer, communal worship, and the offering of intercessions for eternal rest.