Parental Saturdays are days of special remembrance for the departed Orthodox Christians. According to the church calendar, every Saturday (except when a Polyeleos, All-Night Vigil, or Great Feast falls on a Saturday) is dedicated to the commemoration of the dead; however, there are Saturdays specifically designated for this reason, called Parental Saturdays. They are called so because parents are people closest to us, though prayers may be offered not exclusively for relatives.
On Parental Saturdays, the Church prays for the repose of the souls of the departed Orthodox Christians. As for the living, these days of remembrance are better be spent in prayer. The main purpose of all prayers for the departed is the absolution. The dead can no longer repent and ask for forgiveness, but we can exert all efforts and ask God for mercy on their behalf. And the Lord, seeing our effort, taking into account our prayers and almsgiving (as alms can be given on behalf of the departed), may forgive their sins.
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Ecumenical Parental Saturdays
Ecumenical Parental Saturdays—Meatfare Saturday and the Saturday before Pentecost—are the oldest and most important memorial services in the annual cycle. These two days have similar, almost identical, services.
In some traditions, both on the Meatfare Saturday (two Saturdays before the Great Lent) and the Saturday before Pentecost, families and friends offer memorial services for their loved ones during the preceding week, culminating in the general commemoration on Saturday.
On both these Saturdays, memorial services are celebrated in the memory of all the departed Christians that have ever lived upon earth. That's why these two Saturdays are called ecumenical (representing the entire [Christian] world). The main purpose of ecumenical memorial services is to pray for all departed Orthodox Christians, whether they are connected to us or not.
Parental Saturdays of Great Lent
During the weekdays of Great Lent, the regular liturgy is not celebrated, except on the Feast of the Annunciation. Consequently, the main liturgical commemoration of the dead is also less frequent. To ensure that the deceased are not deprived of prayerful representation, the Church has established special days of prayer for them.
The three Saturdays of Great Lent:
- The second Saturday of Great Lent
- The third Saturday of Great Lent
- The fourth Saturday of Great Lent
Memorial services on the second and fourth Saturdays of Great Lent also have another, "requisite" justification. Were a Christian to die on the eve or during Great Lent, the special commemorations on the third, ninth, and fortieth days should not have been performed in the middle of the week, when full liturgy is not celebrated. Instead, they should have been postponed till the nearest Saturday when commemoration, likewise liturgy, is served. So, since commemoration during the liturgy is of particular importance, prayer for the newly departed started to be combined with the nearest complete liturgy, that is, one celebrated on one of the Saturdays of the Great Lent. 
Gradually, commemorations of the newly departed began to be combined with prayers for their deceased relatives, and then for all departed Christians. Thus, the tradition of conducting memorial services on the second, third, and fourth Saturdays was formed.
Commemorating the departed on Parental Saturdays
On Parental Saturdays, Orthodox Christians attend memorial services where they pray not only for their close ones but also for all departed Orthodox Christians throughout the ages. Afterward, it is customary to visit cemeteries and perform private prayers. As for the meals in such days, this aspect of life is not regulated by the Church. The only rule here is moderation. And of course, we shouldn’t forget that the most important thing on this day is prayer.
