How is the date of the six-month parastas calculated?

Count six calendar months from the date of death. If the day does not fall on a Saturday, move the parastas to the nearest Saturday, following the parish priest's advice.

How large is the six-month commemoration?

It is a smaller commemoration, less significant in scale than the 40-day and one-year services. Usually only immediate family and a few friends attend.

What is brought to church for the six-month parastas?

Koliva, colaci, wine, candles for those present, and the pomelnic with the name of the departed. Some families also bring flowers for the grave.

Is the grave visited at the six-month commemoration?

Yes, usually. After the church service, the family visits the grave for a brief prayer, lighting candles, and changing the flowers.

What goes into koliva?

Boiled wheat, ground walnuts, and sugar, sometimes with cocoa or vanilla flavouring, decorated with powdered sugar and a cross. Wheat is the symbol of resurrection.

How much does organising a six-month parastas cost?

It depends on the number of guests and the type of meal — koliva and colaci, a meal, or food parcels. We give you a clear estimate in advance, with no hidden costs.

Can the parastas be held on a day other than Saturday?

Saturday is the traditional day for commemorations. In special cases, the parish priest may set another day — for instance when the family travels from another town.

Must the priest come to the home, or is the service held at church?

The service is normally held at church, after the Liturgy. At the family's request, the priest may come home for prayers — the decision belongs to the parish priest.

What flowers are brought to the six-month commemoration?

Sober flowers for the grave — chrysanthemums, carnations, or lilies. The old flowers are replaced and the oil lamp is relit at the grave.

Is the six-month commemoration held for those who were cremated?

Yes. The tradition of commemorations is the same for burial and for cremation. The six-month parastas is held identically, regardless of the form chosen.

What comes after the six-month commemoration?

In some traditions, the nine-month parastas follows, and then the one-year service, which closes the series of first-year commemorations.

Who prepares the koliva and colaci?

The family can prepare them, or we prepare them according to tradition and deliver them to the church or the location of the meal. It is a practical solution during the period of mourning.

How long does the parastas service last?

The parastas itself generally lasts 20–40 minutes, after the morning Liturgy. With the memorial meal, the day extends to several hours.

Is a parastas held at 9 months as well?

In some traditions, yes. The full series includes 3, 6, and 9 months, but many families observe only the more significant commemorations. Local custom and the priest's counsel decide.

Can I skip the six-month commemoration?

Yes, it is not required by Church canon. Some families go directly from 40 days to the one-year commemoration. What matters is that the departed is not forgotten.

Is the koliva at six months smaller?

Usually, yes. Being a smaller commemoration, the koliva is made smaller, suited to the number of participants. The recipe and decoration remain the same.

Is the six-month commemoration held at the grave as well?

Yes, many families visit the grave after the service. Candles are lit, flowers are changed, and a brief prayer is said for the departed.

MEMORIAL SERVICES · COMMEMORATIONS · 6 MONTHS

Six-month parastas: date, service, and what to prepare

The six-month parastas is held at the completion of half a year from the date of death, usually on the nearest Saturday. It is one of the first-year commemorations — smaller in scale than the 40-day service — with a church service, koliva, and a meal or food parcels for close family.

Updated: 22 June 2026

Call us anytime

When is the six-month parastas held?

The date is counted from the day of death, at the completion of six calendar months. If it does not fall on a Saturday, the parastas is moved to the nearest Saturday — the day appointed for commemorating the departed.

If the six months fall during Great Lent or another special liturgical period, the priest sets a suitable nearby Saturday. Book the service in good time, especially if relatives are travelling from other towns.

The six-month parastas falls between the major commemorations of the first year — the 40-day and the one-year services. The calendar of 2026 Saturdays for commemoration is in the commemorations guide.

Where the six-month commemoration stands in the first-year series

The first-year commemorations follow a sequence: 3 days, 9 days, 40 days, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, and one year. Of these, the 40-day and one-year services are the most significant; the rest are smaller.

The six-month parastas marks the midpoint of the first year of mourning. In some regions it is held regularly; in others, families go directly from 40 days to one year. Local custom and the priest's counsel decide.

Orthodox church interior with a small memorial table holding koliva and lit candles before the altar — Illustrative image: parastas service at an Orthodox church.

What to prepare

Preparations are similar to those for other commemorations, but on a smaller scale, because the circle of guests is usually intimate:

Koliva — boiled wheat with walnuts and sugar, decorated with a cross and a candle
Colaci — ritual breads for blessing and distribution
Wine — for blessing and commemoration
Candles — for those present at the service
The pomelnic with the name of the departed
A meal or food parcels for those present

Traditional koliva close-up: boiled wheat with a walnut cross and powdered sugar, coloured sweets around the edge — Illustrative image: koliva decorated with a cross, prepared for a parastas.

The service and memorial meal

The service takes place at church, after the Saturday Liturgy. The family brings the koliva and colaci, hands the pomelnic to the priest, and lights the candles; the priest conducts the parastas for the departed.

The memorial meal follows the service, usually in an intimate setting — immediate family and a few friends. At parastase și pomeni we prepare the koliva, colaci, memorial meal, and church coordination.

How it differs from the major commemorations

The six-month parastas is an intermediate commemoration. The koliva and the service remain the same as at the major commemorations, but the number of guests and the scale of the meal are smaller.

Where the 40-day service includes extended family, the six-month gathering is limited to immediate family. Preparations are adapted to the number of people present.

Customs at the six-month commemoration

Beyond the service, many families visit the grave for a brief prayer, lighting candles, and changing the flowers. The grave is tended and the oil lamp is relit.

A few gestures recur at every commemoration:

Lighting candles at the grave and at church
Changing the flowers and tidying the grave
Pomelnice given at church for commemoration
Food parcels or a meal for those in need and for participants

Who organises the parastas?

We help with everything related to the commemoration: koliva and colaci according to tradition, the meal or food parcels for the number of guests, and coordination with the priest.

The family only chooses the location of the meal and the number of people; we handle the rest. For a no-obligation conversation, call us or see the free consultation page.

FREQUENT QUESTIONS

Answers to frequent questions

How is the date of the six-month parastas calculated?
Count six calendar months from the date of death. If the day does not fall on a Saturday, move the parastas to the nearest Saturday, following the parish priest's advice.
Is the six-month parastas obligatory?
It is not prescribed by Church canon. In some regions it is held regularly; in others, families go directly from 40 days to one year. Local custom decides.
How large is the six-month commemoration?
It is a smaller commemoration, less significant in scale than the 40-day and one-year services. Usually only immediate family and a few friends attend.
What is brought to church for the six-month parastas?
Koliva, colaci, wine, candles for those present, and the pomelnic with the name of the departed. Some families also bring flowers for the grave.
Is the grave visited at the six-month commemoration?
Yes, usually. After the church service, the family visits the grave for a brief prayer, lighting candles, and changing the flowers.
What goes into koliva?
Boiled wheat, ground walnuts, and sugar, sometimes with cocoa or vanilla flavouring, decorated with powdered sugar and a cross. Wheat is the symbol of resurrection.
How much does organising a six-month parastas cost?
It depends on the number of guests and the type of meal — koliva and colaci, a meal, or food parcels. We give you a clear estimate in advance, with no hidden costs.
Can the parastas be held on a day other than Saturday?
Saturday is the traditional day for commemorations. In special cases, the parish priest may set another day — for instance when the family travels from another town.
Must the priest come to the home, or is the service held at church?
The service is normally held at church, after the Liturgy. At the family's request, the priest may come home for prayers — the decision belongs to the parish priest.
What flowers are brought to the six-month commemoration?
Sober flowers for the grave — chrysanthemums, carnations, or lilies. The old flowers are replaced and the oil lamp is relit at the grave.
Is the six-month commemoration held for those who were cremated?
Yes. The tradition of commemorations is the same for burial and for cremation. The six-month parastas is held identically, regardless of the form chosen.
What comes after the six-month commemoration?
In some traditions, the nine-month parastas follows, and then the one-year service, which closes the series of first-year commemorations.
Who prepares the koliva and colaci?
The family can prepare them, or we prepare them according to tradition and deliver them to the church or the location of the meal. It is a practical solution during the period of mourning.
How long does the parastas service last?
The parastas itself generally lasts 20–40 minutes, after the morning Liturgy. With the memorial meal, the day extends to several hours.
Is a parastas held at 9 months as well?
In some traditions, yes. The full series includes 3, 6, and 9 months, but many families observe only the more significant commemorations. Local custom and the priest's counsel decide.
Can I skip the six-month commemoration?
Yes, it is not required by Church canon. Some families go directly from 40 days to the one-year commemoration. What matters is that the departed is not forgotten.
Is the koliva at six months smaller?
Usually, yes. Being a smaller commemoration, the koliva is made smaller, suited to the number of participants. The recipe and decoration remain the same.
Is the six-month commemoration held at the grave as well?
Yes, many families visit the grave after the service. Candles are lit, flowers are changed, and a brief prayer is said for the departed.

Related services or pages

Memorial services and commemorations
Full organisation: koliva, colaci, memorial meal, church coordination.
View details
40-day parastas
The most important commemoration of the first year.
View details
One-year parastas
The close of the year of mourning.
View details
2026 commemorations calendar
Exact dates of the Saturdays for commemoration in 2026.
View details

QUESTIONS?

We answer day and night

Consultation is free. We answer any question specific to your family's situation.