Visiting the graves of deceased relatives and friends is a religious duty of the love of living people to the dead. There are many traditions among the people regarding behavior in the cemetery. Some of them are mistakenly attributed to the Christian interpretation. The practice of leaving candy, cookies, or other food on the grave is no exception. This tradition has already firmly entered our life.
An Orthodox Christian must be aware that food should not be left on the graves of the deceased. This tradition originates and is most widely spread in the post-revolutionary years. During the times of godless power in our state, there were several substitutions of concepts. So, if earlier they went to cemeteries to commemorate the deceased with prayer, now commemorations are performed in the form of eating on the bones of the dead. This is prohibited. And after the meal, they put food on the grave itself, share it with the deceased.
It makes no sense to leave any food. The people believe that we give it to the deceased. But the deceased has already passed into another form of being and he does not need material food. In such our actions, ignorance of the teaching of the Orthodox Church about the human person and his soul is manifested. Accordingly, you cannot do what is contrary to the foundations of Christianity.
In addition, food should not be left in order to maintain cleanliness in cemeteries. A person can lay flowers, clean up the grave, but not litter it with food. It's not beautiful. Yes, and the food itself can then be eaten up by dogs, which, in this case, will walk on the graves of the dead. And each of us would not want this, because the resting place is sacred.
