What moși and 'memorial Saturdays' are
Moși are the days when the Orthodox Church commemorates all the departed at once — not one person, but everyone's dead. The two major dates are Winter Moși (the Saturday before the Sunday of the Last Judgment) and Summer Moși (the Saturday before Pentecost).
Saturday is the liturgical day of the departed — which is why almost every general commemoration falls on a Saturday. Families bring koliva (boiled sweetened wheat), ceremonial bread, and wine to church, give alms, and have the names of their departed read at the Liturgy.
Summer Moși — the general commemoration of the departed (crestinortodox.ro)The 2026 dates
The year at a glance: Winter Moși — February 14. The memorial Saturdays of Great Lent — March 7, 14, and 21, the only days during Lent when memorial services are held. Orthodox Easter — April 12. Paștele Blajinilor — April 20, the Monday after Thomas Sunday (a strong folk custom, especially in Moldova — not an official liturgical feast). Summer Moși — May 30, the Saturday before Pentecost (May 31). Autumn Moși — traditionally the first Saturday of November, November 7, 2026.
The full table, with what to prepare for each date, is further down the page.
What to prepare
The essentials are the same for every memorial:
- Koliva — boiled wheat, sweetened, decorated with a cross. The symbol of resurrection.
- Ceremonial bread (colaci) and wine — taken to church for the memorial service.
- Candles — lit at church and at the grave.
- Alms (pomană) — dishes, towels, or food packages given in memory of the departed.
- The list of names — handed to the priest to be read at the Liturgy.
How individual memorials are counted
Individual memorials are counted from the day of death: 3 days (usually the funeral itself), 9 days, 40 days — the most important one — then 3, 6, and 9 months, one year, and yearly until the seventh year.
If a memorial falls on a Sunday or a major feast, it moves a day or two earlier, to the Saturday. During Great Lent, memorial services are held only on the designated Saturdays. The practical rule that never fails: confirm the exact date with the parish priest.
If you live abroad and can't travel for every memorial, the service can be held in Romania with the family that's here — we organize the koliva, the church service, and the alms packages, and you join by video call if you wish. No pressure either way; each family finds its own rhythm.
When memorials are NOT held
Memorial services are not held on Sundays, on ordinary weekdays during Great Lent (Saturdays only), between Easter and Thomas Sunday, or on the great feasts. If your calculated date lands on one of these, the priest moves it to the nearest Saturday.
That's exactly why this calendar matters: it saves you a trip made in vain and a memorial meal planned for a day when no service can be held.
Winter Moși — commemoration of the departed (crestinortodox.ro)