Some customs and traditions are so firmly entrenched in the subconscious mind that people often do not even wonder why this happened. Rituals associated with fundamental events in life are rooted in antiquity. All ritual nuances associated with the death of loved ones have a certain meaning, but it is far from always obvious. For example, why can’t you eat with forks at the wake, where did such a clear prescription come from? Most often, the explanations are limited to the phrase "so accepted." But who exactly, when and why - is unclear. Let's try to figure it out together.
What are the memorial traditions made up of?
Ritual customs, especially those associated with death and burial, in fact have great psychological significance. Some clear instructions, a certain order of actions - all this allows you to somewhat distance yourself from what is happening, to concentrate not on the tragic event and feeling of loss, but on the task of doing everything as it should. It is unlikely that anyone is thinking about why you can’t eat with forks at the funeral service. In the process of organizing decent wires, it is easier to rely on established installations without checking them for expediency and logic.
In our society, traditional funeral rituals consist of three main points: farewell, burial and memorial dinner. It is believed that during a special ritual meal it is customary to recall the good things about the deceased, gradually focusing on the simple thought that you need to live on. As a treat, Kutia is traditionally offered - sweet porridge with raisins and poppy seeds, other dried fruits can be added. Funeral services bureaus offer organized dinners, the menu includes the first and second courses, as well as kutya and pancakes. On the amount of alcoholic beverages and other nuances, decisions are made depending on the requests of relatives and the budget of the event.
Why can’t you eat with forks at the wake?
Usually, three main points of view are considered as the reasons for such a categorical ban:
- Christian
- pagan;
- law enforcement.
Religion in the vast majority of cases is of primary and even fundamental importance in all funeral rituals. Christian tradition involves certain rites that are performed by priests. If we consider Orthodoxy as the most widespread belief of the majority of the population, then this is a rather flexible approach. There does not have to be a funeral service in the church, often priests eagerly go to the parishioners and conduct a ceremony on the spot, and then a service is simply ordered in the church.
Understanding why it is impossible to use forks and knives at the funeral services, many go with logical questions to their spiritual pastors.
Opinion of Orthodox priests
If you consider the issues of religion with an open mind, on the part of the researcher, you can easily notice how the remnants of paganism are visible through the official religion. For example, the same Christmas carols or Shrovetide have nothing to do with Orthodoxy. Rather, these are residual rites that have been preserved exclusively for the successful integration of religion into the life of the people. If you ask the Orthodox priest why you can’t eat with forks at the wake, then the answer may be discouraging. This is not forbidden; nowhere in the Bible is it written about cutlery to be used. Where did this prescription come from?
Traditions, rules, superstitions
If you delve into history, it turns out that the plug itself is a rather young invention. Despite the fact that archaeologists found forks dated the middle of the XIV century in the territory of Veliky Novgorod, the relatively wide distribution of this cutlery began only after the reforms of Peter I. Like other initiatives of the tsar, it was perceived with great resistance. Why can’t you use forks at funeral ceremonies? Yes, because who can eat the horn, if not the devil’s messenger!
According to the traditional funeral menu, there is not a single dish that would require forks and knives as cutlery. Kutia, as a ritual dish, should be scooped up exclusively with a spoon. There is even a strange opinion that if you hook this porridge onto a fork, it will “be offended”. For the soup, you also need a spoon, and take the pancakes with your hands, as they break the bread.
Memorial stabbing
The most interesting and in its own way logical version of the ban is presented by the police and ambulance services. A memorial dinner traditionally involves a certain amount of alcohol, and in some cases, vodka should be in excess. So why at the wake of the fork and knives can not be given into the hands of drunk people who can quarrel among themselves about the inheritance? Because doctors and police have to give up all vital matters in order to stop the violent showdown with grievous bodily harm, and save those who have already suffered.
