Many people who have recently lost a loved one are wondering what to do with his things? In this article, we will try to tell you in as much detail as possible when you can distribute the things of the deceased and whether it can be done at all.
The way people usually do
People in such situations act differently: someone takes them to a church or an orphanage immediately after death, someone consults with a priest before taking any action, and someone keeps them and does not distributes until things decay. The latter seems not entirely reasonable, although very natural - relatives want to keep at least something in memory of the departed person, and his things become a symbol, an illusion that nothing happened to him, he just left the house for a short time. However, it is still not recommended to keep what belonged to a person, but to find out when after death you can distribute the things of the deceased. There is a belief that these things preserve the energy of a person, which he possessed during his lifetime. Therefore, most religions (Orthodoxy inincluding) advises against saving such items.
Why you shouldn't keep things of the deceased
Now let's clarify whether it is possible to distribute the things of the deceased. As we have already said, it is not recommended to store them. The fact is that with the death of a loved one, of course, the pain and suffering of both him and his relatives who are left alone with themselves are associated. These experiences mix and create a powerful negative energy around the things of the deceased, which accumulates more and more in the room where they are stored over time. This is especially true of everything that came into direct contact with the body, such as jewelry or jewelry, clothes, and even more so bed linen. However, you can always take the jewelry to the church and check with the priest whether it is possible to wear them. It is likely that he will advise to consecrate them, and after this, the jewelry can be safely put on, while remembering the deceased and praying for his soul.
By the way, the priests say that you can wear a cross that belonged to the deceased, despite the fact that there are completely opposite opinions on this matter. There is a superstition that by putting on the cross of the deceased, a person thereby takes on his lifetime sins, but this is really just a superstition.
Letters and manuscripts
As for letters, manuscripts, diaries, it all depends on the relatives themselves, whether they want to leave the papers of the deceased as a keepsake or not. Someone may consider it unethical - to keep and, perhaps, to read the texts, even if the deceasedperson, for someone it will be the only object that he will keep, and the best memory of the deceased. But if relatives decide to get rid of his papers, in no case should they be thrown into the trash, it would be much better to burn them so that prying eyes could not read them.
However, in general, priests are of the opinion that the memory of a person should be preserved not in things, but in minds. Therefore, the best answer to the question of when it is possible to distribute things after a deceased person is: as soon as possible, and at the same time you should not leave a lot of things. A much better solution would be to get rid of them, which we will discuss later.
When can I distribute the things of a deceased person
In the Orthodox tradition, it is believed that the things of the deceased must be distributed before the fortieth day after his death. Therefore, the answer to the question of whether it is possible to distribute the things of a deceased person will be in the affirmative. Relatives have quite a long time for this good deed. Therefore, in principle, it does not matter on which day you can distribute the things of the deceased. Within forty days after the soul leaves the body, according to the Orthodox, it goes through ordeals in order to end up in heaven or hell. Therefore, any good deed done on earth on her behalf will benefit her. The more the relatives are merciful to the needy, the more merciful God will be to the soul of the departed person. It is assumed that the people who received the things will commemorate the deceased and thereby influence where his soul will end up (so you can ask them directly so that they do not forget to commemorate him).
However, according to another opinion, it is better not to touch things until that very fortieth day, since the energy of the deceased is too negative to spread it to outsiders. Things can be safely distributed only after this period. In addition, supporters of this position believe that all these forty days the soul is at home, next to loved ones, and it will be banal for her to watch how quickly her former things are handed out. However, the opinion is rather dubious.
But the Bible does not say a word about after how many days you can distribute the things of the deceased, so if you do not listen to what the priests say, you can believe anything you want on this account.
What to do with the room of the deceased
After forty days have elapsed after the death of a person, it is worth doing a large-scale cleaning in his room. Throw away all objectively unnecessary things, including old furniture, which is completely useless to store, because it was saturated with human suffering. If there is no reason to throw it away, you can sprinkle it with holy water, thereby purifying it. It is better to put personal belongings that relatives have decided to keep away in a closet for some time, so as not to stumble upon them constantly, each time experiencing the pain of loss. We have already talked about what day you can give out the things of the deceased. If the deceased was seriously ill before death, then it is better to make repairs in the room just in case to clear the space of negative energy, if possible.
How to cleanthings and the room of the deceased
Together with the question of when it is possible to distribute the things of the deceased, relatives also think about how to clean those things that they nevertheless decided to leave. One of the most successful options is sprinkling with holy water. They also say that s alt absorbs negativity well, so you can wash things in s alt water. In addition, you can alter the things of the deceased, make something new out of them, in a word, give them a new life, and therefore charge them with new energy.
Where can I put things of the deceased
There are actually a lot of options. Some memorabilia can be left in the family, something can be distributed to loved ones. If we are not talking about the family, then first of all it is better to give things to those who really need them. If there are no such people in the environment, you can give things to the nearest branch of the Red Cross, the nearest church or any collection point for the poor. Now funeral services are doing this, taking the things of the deceased and distributing them to those in need in the same way. Completely unusable clothes can be left at the trash cans or simply burned, the latter is even better. In any case, it is important not to try to take advantage of the things of the deceased, but to do a good deed for others with their help. Otherwise, according to some superstitious personalities, all kinds of punishments and illnesses can await you. However, it's not even about punishment: it's just not very ethical - to cash in on death. It is also worth adding that there is an unspoken rule - it is better not to give the things of the deceased into one hand, but to distribute them at least amongseveral people.
Can I keep the things of the deceased
Together with the question of how many days you can distribute the things of the deceased, many are interested in whether they can be kept for yourself - there are different opinions on this matter. Some believe that there is nothing wrong with this, at a time when clothing, especially outerwear, was in short supply, many during the life of the deceased could begin to distribute his things among themselves. Now this situation is rare, but nevertheless, relatives often tend to keep some things for themselves, especially completely new ones. Another opinion says that doing this with the things of the deceased is a great sin, and absolutely all items must be given away, up to the furniture from the room where the person lived shortly before his death.
As for the money of the deceased, this is a separate issue, but almost the same rules apply to it as to other things. It is necessary to separate some amount for alms. And of course, to thank the deceased for such an involuntary gift, before becoming a full-fledged owner or mistress of funds, regardless of the amount.
When can I distribute the things of a deceased child
All of the above tips do not apply to children's things. They are strongly discouraged from giving away. Honestly, there are hardly any parents who would agree to take the things of a deceased child and put them on their own.
In the event of the death of a child, it is best to burn or throw away clothes, with toys it is worth doing exactly the same, not inin any case without giving them away to other children, so as not to transfer negative energy. And just do not put other parents in an awkward position in which they will not know how to tactfully refuse. In the same way, it is not necessary to put things on the younger child in case the irreparable happened to the older one. However, you can leave a couple of the most significant and favorite toys, but get them only in a moment of great grief for the baby.
If you yourself find yourself in such a situation that someone gave you things that previously belonged to a now deceased child, pray for his soul, but do not use things and do not even leave them at home. It is not worth keeping such things, it can lead to a variety of consequences.
Batiushka's advice
In Orthodoxy, the answer to the question of when it is possible to distribute the things of the deceased is direct and unequivocal - within forty days after death. In contrast to the pagans, who burned things belonging to a deceased person, along with him on a funeral pyre, in Orthodoxy, as already mentioned, these things are treated in a completely different way. They are distributed as alms for forty days after a person's death. However, as Orthodox priests say, nothing terrible will happen if, for some reason, relatives did not have time to distribute the things of the deceased during this period. You can calmly do this later, although it is better to keep within forty days, which, according to Christian tradition, are especially important for the soul of the deceased, whose posthumous fate is being decided at this time. Surely clarify when you can distribute things after the deceased, perhaps also with the priestat the nearest church.
Other religions
In Judaism, for example, it is believed that a person's things can be distributed quite calmly, but this rule does not apply to his shoes. It is believed that the one who walks in the shoes of the deceased tramples him under the ground, so the shoes are traditionally disposed of.
