Orthodox memorial traditions relate not only to days and dates, but to certain conventions of the rite . One of them is that only spoons are placed on the memorial table. To answer the question, why it is impossible to eat at forks with forks, it is necessary to look into the history.
One of the historical prerequisites, why do not eat at the funeral feast, can be considered only a household fact - in Russia did not use forks at all until the time of Peter the Great. It was the first Russian emperor who introduced forks, and before that even in boyar houses they used only spoons. Like any innovation, the forks caused hostility, they were even called a demonic implement by analogy with the devil's trident or the devil's tail. This rejection was especially acute among the Old Believers, they still eat only spoons in their communities.
Another version of why you can not use forks at wake-ups is the usual human greed and impulsiveness. At the memorial dinner, close relatives of the deceased person come, often right in the same place began the division of the inheritance, which in the heat can end with stabbing.
Is it possible to eat forks at church memorials by church canons?
Representatives of the Orthodox Church have already said more than once that the use of forks does not contradict the church canons. It is much more important for clergymen to perform a funeral service and observe a funeral ceremony. The question of why the forks are not put on forks, to the church and its rites has nothing to do.
The most probable of all the reasons for not using forks at funeral dinners is the tradition to use kutya at the commemoration. Also at the funeral were prepared pancakes, put dishes with bread and jelly. For all these dishes, the fork is simply not needed, so it was not placed on the table.