Winter Santas 2025. Important Saturday of the Dead customs. What foods to share on February 22
Priest Gabriel Cazacu, from Cașin Monastery in Bucharest and coordinator of the Department for Inter-Christian and Interreligious Relations at AIDRom, discussed with a Digi24 reporter the important customs of Moșii de iarnă. We invite you to read the material signed by Camelia Sinca, sourced from the Digi24 website.
Moșii de iarnă, or the Saturday of the Dead, is a Christian church custom in which the departed are commemorated. According to the ritual, on this day the Holy Liturgy and the Parastas service are celebrated in church. In 2025, Moșii de iarnă is observed on February 22 in the Orthodox calendar. The date of commemoration varies each year because it is determined by the celebration of the Lord’s Resurrection. The Saturday of the Dead falls just before the Sunday of the Terrible Judgment, also known as the End of the Meat Period, marking the beginning of the Easter Fast.
Moșii de iarnă 2025
On the Saturday preceding the Sunday that marks the End of the Meat Period, the commemoration of the dead takes place—a celebration also known as Moșii de iarnă or the Saturday of the Dead. The following Sunday, on March 3, 2025, the commemoration of the Terrible Judgment and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is held.
The Orthodox Church, on February 22, 2025, commemorates those who have passed into eternal life. It is the day of “Moșii de iarnă,” as it is also popularly known. On this day, in all Orthodox churches, the Holy Liturgy is celebrated and special memorial services are held for those who have passed on. The service in which the departed in the Lord are commemorated is called the Parastas. Parastas services are special liturgical rites of the Church during which the faithful bring colivă—a dish made of wheat kernels symbolizing the body of the dead. Let us not forget that the wheat grain, as our Savior Jesus Christ teaches, is a symbol of the Resurrection – if it is not buried in the earth and allowed to decay, it does not bear fruit, “it does not rise into a multiple fruiting” (cf. John 12:24). The Parastas is the service through which the priest and the faithful pray for those who have passed into eternal life, bringing petitions before God so that He may forgive their sins and grant the souls of the departed salvation.
The Church’s Consecration of Saturday for Commemoration
“Saturday is the day on which the Savior lay in the tomb in body, and with His soul He descended into hell to liberate all the righteous who were asleep,” declared Father Gabriel Cazacu, priest at Cașin Monastery in Bucharest, to Digi24.
From February 23: The End of the Meat Period
One week before the onset of the Easter Fast, during White Week the End of the Meat Period begins; more precisely, on February 23, 2025, meat-based foods are eaten for the last time until the Easter celebration. In contrast, during this week it is permitted to consume sweet foods made from milk, eggs, and cheese.
Customs and Traditions of Moșii de iarnă
According to Orthodox Christian tradition, the day of the Saturday of the Dead is celebrated with the Holy Liturgy and subsequently the Parastas service. During these services, foods are blessed and later distributed as alms to both acquaintances and the needy.
According to ancient writings, on Moșii de iarnă the souls of the dead descend to earth and are nourished by the steam from the freshly cooked food; therefore, among the offerings, a hot dish must be included. Piftie is distributed during Moșii de iarnă, which is why the day is also popularly known as the Saturday of Piftie. The next day, on February 23, the End of the Meat Period is observed, and from that point on, Christians who observe the Easter Fast may no longer consume meat-based dishes. According to Christian tradition, once the End of the Meat Period begins, weddings should not be held. This prohibition is traditionally maintained until Thomas Sunday (Saint Apostle Thomas), the second Sunday after Easter, on April 27, 2025.
What to Share on the Saturday of the Dead in February
It is said that the alms offered on Moșii de iarnă serve as a gift for the souls of those who have departed from among us, received through the living. This gesture is seen as an expression of love and gratitude toward loved ones, as well as a means to ensure one’s spiritual peace.
According to tradition, each offering package should ideally contain colivă, braided bread, cooked food, piftie, meat, apples or other fruits, wine, and candles. In some parts of the country, packages do not include dishes such as cheese pie, rice pudding, or stuffed cabbage rolls. In the Muntenia region, along with the food, people also give a coin to children as part of the offering. It is believed that both the giver and the receiver will enjoy luck and prosperity in all their endeavors. According to tradition, the foods distributed on Moșii de iarnă symbolize: resurrection and eternal life (colivă), the symbol of Christ’s blood (red wine), the continuity of life (braided bread), and the light and guidance of souls toward God (lit candles). It is customary for all the alms foods to be offered in new vessels—plates or pots—and with new cutlery, so that those who receive them may continue to use them.
What Not to Do on the Saturday of the Dead
This day is dedicated to rest and tranquility; therefore, on Moșii de iarnă, heavy household or field work is avoided. It is not recommended to wash clothes or clean the house. One should not quarrel with anyone nor downplay the importance of the celebration. According to tradition, you should never refuse to give alms to anyone who comes your way. Additionally, on the Saturday of the Dead, old or damaged items should not be given as alms.
When Else Are the Moși Commemorated in the Church Calendar
The word “moși” derives from “ancestors” and refers to those who are no longer with us, for whom services are organized in church and commemorations are held. Among the days on which the moși are commemorated we recall:
• Spring Moși – during Măcinici;
• Summer Moși – on the Saturday before Pentecost;
• Autumn Moși – at the end of October or the first week of November;
• Winter Moși – on the Saturday before the Sunday of the End of the Meat Period.
From February 24: The Beginning of the Triodion (Pre-Easter Period)
Starting on February 24, the church calendar enters the period of the Triodion, also known as the pre-Easter period. The Triodion precedes the Pentecostarion—the eight weeks from Easter to Pentecost—and follows the longest period, the Octoechos. It is a time of preparation and repentance for welcoming the greatest Christian feast, the Resurrection of the Lord, according to Orthodox Christianity. On February 24, the calendar marks, with a black cross, the First and Second Finding of the Head of Saint John the Baptist.