Beyond common sense, or how superstition differs from faith. Folk signs and superstitions
One of distinctive features people, in comparison with other biological species, is belief in omens. Psychologists explain this by saying that the human brain prefers to attribute any unexplained relationships to the influence of other world and supernatural powers. However, in 2010, a group of German specialists proved that talismans and superstitions can really help in exceptional situations.
The portal YUGA.ru publishes a special top 13 of the most common signs and superstitions.
13. Beginners are lucky
The phrase “beginners get lucky” is a common grumbling of an experienced master who has just lost to a newbie. The idea behind the superstition is that people have an unusually high chance of winning when they try a sport or game of chance for the first time in their lives.
Experts believe that this pattern (if it exists) may be explained by the fact that beginners are usually less concerned about the possibility of winning or losing. Excessive anxiety, as a rule, only prevents you from achieving the desired result.
Additionally, newbie luck may simply be a statistical trick, especially in games of chance where randomness is everything.
12. Don't spill salt
Salt is one of the most ancient foods associated with superstitions. Table salt is the only product that does not spoil over time. In Rus', salt was considered a symbol of eternity and was quite expensive for a long time. In this regard, the traditions of many peoples prescribed to greet guests with bread and salt, and spilled salt was automatically considered a reason for a quarrel.
This led to the emergence of another sign: it was believed that if a careless person spilled salt, he should immediately throw three pinches over his left shoulder and laugh. This act solved two problems at once: it made it possible to neutralize the evil spirits hidden behind the left shoulder, and to demonstrate to the guests that no one would spare salt for them. In addition, laughter itself improved mood and reduced the likelihood of a possible quarrel.
11. Don't walk under the stairs!
One of the most practical superstitions is to never walk under a ladder leaning against a wall. There are several possible explanations behind this sign.
The first theory, Christian, comes from the belief in the Holy Trinity. A ladder leaning against a wall forms a triangle, and “breaking” such a triangle was considered blasphemous.
The second theory dates back to the Middle Ages. Portable ladders made people think of the gallows, and it was believed that by passing under the ladder, a person thereby hastened his own death.
In addition, there is an extremely logical everyday explanation for superstition. What could be more reasonable than not wanting to get injured at work by someone working on a ladder?
10. Beware of black cats
Cats have been used as pets for thousands of years, and Ancient Egypt were considered sacred symbols of the goddess Bast.
Superstitions associated with these animals vary in different countries. Thus, in Great Britain, a black cat is a symbol of good luck, while a white cat, on the contrary, is a source of trouble.
Slavic tradition connects black cats with evil spirits, witches and sorcerers. Accordingly, it is believed that an animal crossing the road brings misfortune and illness. Even a dream about a black cat, according to Slavic myths, may mean the approach of imminent trouble.
In order to avoid problems, it is recommended to turn around your axis, breaking a tree branch into two parts and throwing them in different directions. It is believed that in this way a person “opens” the circle created around him by a cat.
9. Luck on rabbit's feet
The story of the lucky rabbit's foot has its roots in totemism.
The ancient Celts believed that rabbits dug holes in order to communicate underground with the divine world. In addition, hares are the only animals that are born with their eyes open, which also aroused respect and amazement among the pagans. It was believed that thanks to this, animals possessed secret knowledge and wisdom even before birth.
According to another superstition, a rabbit's foot or ear could bring health and fertility to the house. The Celts hoped that thanks to this talisman, livestock and their own wives would give birth quickly, easily, and most importantly, often.
8. Trouble doesn’t come alone
The number three has long been endowed magical properties. As a rule, spitting over the shoulder, knocking on wood, making the sign of the cross and repeating other ritual actions three times.
In addition, superstitious people tend to believe that troubles, like joys, tend to happen in threes. This superstition is based on a person’s psychological tendency to single out from the mass of events only those that correspond to his expectations. At the same time, faith in a sign can make you ignore many minor troubles or, on the contrary, invent a problem out of the blue.
7. Broken mirrors
According to ancient legend, breaking a mirror is a sure way to doom yourself to seven years of bad luck. This superstition arose from the belief that mirrors do not simply reflect objects, but contain part of the human soul. The same superstition led to the emergence of the ritual of covering mirrors in the house after the death of relatives.
Like the number three, seven is often associated with good or bad luck. In order to avoid seven years of bad luck, it is recommended to take precautions: take one of the mirror fragments to the cemetery or grind all the fragments into powder.
Three sixes in a row cause horror in many people, fueled by numerous mystical horror films. This superstition is closely related to Christianity and the Bible. In the Book of Revelation, the number 666 is referred to as the number of the "beast" and is often interpreted as the numerological embodiment of Satan and a symbol of the end times. Along with the inverted cross and pentagram, the number is a popular symbol of Satanists.
In Asian countries, unlike European countries, six is considered lucky number. According to estimates, on June 6, 2006, China had three times as many marriages as usual.
One possible explanation for the hype around the number 666 may be its unusual arithmetic properties. So, 666 is a palindrome and is the sum of the squares of the first seven prime numbers(2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17), as well as the sum of its digits and the cubes of its digits. In addition, the cube of 666 is the sum of the cubes of the three previous similar numbers: 333, 444 and 555.
Additionally, 666 is the sum of all the numbers on the roulette wheel.
5. Knock on wood
This phrase is almost a verbal talisman intended to ward off any bad luck. No matter what prohibitions a person violates, few people will resist the temptation to knock on the first wooden object they come across.
Such a sign may stem from old myths about good spirits living in trees, or from an association with the Christian cross.
4. Pregnant women should not sew
The sign is based on the following metaphor: pregnant women should not sew, because then the child’s way into this world will be “sewn up.”
For the same reason, there is a widespread belief that the expectant mother should not knit, embroider or do any other handicraft.
This sign also has a practical justification. Modern doctors recommend paying attention to the fact that prolonged static load and staying in one position can really harm the child. Therefore, pregnant ladies are advised not to get carried away with embroidery, but from time to time to go for a walk or just relax in bed.
3. Cross your fingers for luck
This tradition also has its roots in Christianity. According to the prevailing belief, all Christian symbols, especially the cross, can bring happiness to a person. Previously, it was believed that to attract good luck, close friends or relatives had to cross their fingers for each other. Gradually, the tradition changed, and now it is enough for a superstitious person to simply say that he is crossing his fingers.
2. Umbrellas cannot be opened indoors
An umbrella opened indoors is believed to bring bad luck. There are many legends associated with this item. One of them tells of an ancient Roman woman whose house collapsed after she accidentally opened an umbrella in her room. Another says that a certain British prince accepted an umbrella as a gift from an eastern king and died two months later.
Scientists say that the reason for the emergence of this superstition, like the signs of a standing ladder, was the natural desire of people to stay away from potentially dangerous objects. In addition, an umbrella opened indoors can easily injure others.
1. Friday the 13th
The fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskavedecatriaphobia (from the Greek word paraskevi, meaning Friday, and dekathreis, meaning thirteen). In addition, another name is used: friggatriskaidekaphobia - on behalf of the supreme goddess Frigg in German-Scandinavian mythology.
In many cultures, the number 13 has long been considered unlucky. Friday is also associated with trouble, because... According to Christian tradition, Jesus died on this day.
There are many other versions of the origin of this superstition. So, in Lately there was an assumption that the fear of Friday the 13th is associated with an unexpected arrest large number Knights Templar in 1307. In addition, the number 13 was considered dangerous by Homer and Cicero, and in the Hebrew Kabbalah there were 13 spirits of evil.
In addition, according to scientists' calculations expressed in the Doomsday Theory model, the human population will reach infinity or mathematical singularity on Friday, November 13, 2026.
A black cat ran across the road or they put the keys on the table, and on the street they saw a swallow flying low above the ground. Are they just events or do they mean something?
In this article we will try to examine with you such a topic as Russian signs and superstitions. Let's get acquainted with the meaning of these terms, and also learn several proven facts regarding different types of human activity.
What is the difference between a sign and a superstition?
It is believed that a sign is something that was “noticed,” that is, a repeating event with equal components. Most of them are related to the weather, but there are also those related to other areas of human life and activity.
Superstition comes from the phrase “what is believed in vain (that is, in vain).” Thus, it turns out that random coincidences fall into this category. It is impossible to influence them in any way, but people believe that you just need to create the necessary surroundings, and it will work out.
The only catch is that the line between these two concepts is ephemeral. In fact, one eventually flows into the other. When climate conditions change, Russian folk beliefs become superstitious. And with technological progress, many things become more understandable and move into the category of rules or signs.
Signs by day of the week
Monday, Wednesday and Friday in Russian folk tradition are considered days when you should not start a new business. This does not mean that nothing needs to be done, and our ancestors were lazy. Not at all! They were very inventive and hardworking, as exemplified by the amazing architectural monuments, some of which are built from wood without a single nail.
It was simply believed that Monday began the whole week. And if something doesn’t work out on this day, it means you’ll suffer for the other six as well.
These two days were called difficult, in contrast, Tuesday and Saturday were easy. It is at this time that it is best to take on any work from scratch. It was also recommended to go on a long journey on these days, as it would be easy and pleasant.
There was a superstition regarding money that whoever returned or spent money on Monday would have the entire week spent. And borrowing on Tuesday will lead to a lot of personal debt.
The signs of the Russian people are often intertwined with fiction and superstitions, which, however, does not prevent many people from being guided by such instructions.
Signs for the seasons
Once upon a time, such observations were the basis of meteorological knowledge, and even today grandmothers in villages, guided by signs, often give weather forecasts a head start.
Let's see what events aroused special interest among our ancestors.
Let's start with spring. At this time, many return from wintering grounds to their usual habitats. It was believed that if finches fly, the cold will continue, and larks, on the contrary, bring warmth.
The raininess of spring was judged by the flight of geese. If they fly high, it means that the months will bring a lot of moisture.
A lot of birch sap - there will be a rainy summer, and bathing sparrows predict wet weather in the next 24 hours.
Summer Russian omens usually relate exclusively to precipitation.
If during the day frogs croak in chorus in a pond, birds get excited and fly low, ants hide, and flowers close, it means there will be a strong thunderstorm.
Autumn signs told our ancestors about the weather in the next six months.
For example, if the leaves began to fall late, it means that a harsh and protracted winter was expected. And the mosquitoes that appeared in November, on the contrary, spoke of a soft and warm snowy season.
In winter, Russian omens were mainly guided by signs of the onset of a thaw.
So, if the trees are covered with frost, or a crow hides its head under its wing, or the evening dawn quickly burns out, it was believed that warmer days would soon come.
However, bathing crows, fussing and screaming sparrows promised a blizzard and bad weather with frosts.
Here is a brief summary of the environmental features that our grandfathers paid attention to to predict future events.
Signs involving birds
As you may have noticed above, many things that Russian omens notice are based on the behavior of birds. Yes, this is true, because only these representatives of the local fauna are always visible. Fish, wild animals, and insects are less noticeable or much less common in everyday life.
Today, some ethnographers defend certain superstitions, linking them with the outcome of the harvest and the weather. For example, the behavior of birds, which foreshadows favorable conditions for filling bins, can similarly indicate good luck in financial matters and prosperity (as a result of a large harvest).
So, of the superstitions regarding the behavior of birds, only a crap pigeon, a stork making a nest on your roof, and a flock of birds flying towards you were considered auspicious.
All the rest promised misfortune. We are not talking about weather-related signs now; we will talk about them a little later.
How to call wealth
In addition to weather and bad, there are also good Russian omens. Now we will talk about incidents that, in folk tradition, promise improved financial well-being.
By the way, most of these signs have something in common with the Feng Shui system that is popular today. If this knowledge was used by ancient peoples who could not borrow it from each other, then perhaps there is some rational meaning in it.
So, you shouldn’t keep several brooms in the house, but you should only store it with the handle down and the broom up. Also among the Slavs, the dining table was considered a symbol of prosperity, so placing empty containers and packaging on it shows disrespect. Try to avoid such behavior.
Also echoing the eastern yin-yang tradition is the sign of taking money with your left hand and giving it with your right. Careful attitude towards banknotes, rather, has deeper roots than simple superstitions.
If you begin to behave in a disciplined manner, appreciate finances, do not crumple banknotes, and keep them in a clean and beautiful wallet, then a positive shift in your entire personality, and in the financial sphere in particular, is obvious.
Thus, it turns out that most signs are a logical consequence of a person’s self-development and spiritual growth.
Wedding signs
10 Russian signs that all those getting married should know will be given below.
So, when a couple goes to the registry office, you should not turn around, because mentally returning to home problems will break the mood and can lead to subsequent quarrels.
During the ceremony you need to be close at all times, and even better, hold hands. It is believed that this creates a single energy space for the family.
A wedding ring is considered a symbol of the well-being of the family hearth, so in the old days they did not take it off, much less let anyone try it on.
Bells, ribbons, bows and the noise of the wedding procession are required to ward off the evil eye from the newlyweds and attract positive energies.
A loaf of salt is a symbol of Mother Earth and prosperity. If during the ceremony one of the spouses does not take a bite from it, the family will face a quick divorce.
The groom carries the bride into the house in his arms as a sign of the ease of future life.
When they cross the threshold, the first step the young one should take is to stand on a towel and walk over it, crushing several old plates. It is believed that in this way newlyweds say goodbye to their old life. But the towel was kept all his life as a talisman.
By the way, in the old days, a glass broken at a wedding did not at all promise good luck. They simply tried to neutralize him with the phrase “for luck.” Whole wine glasses are kept in the family as a talisman of prosperity.
When newlyweds go to get married, they should choose one path and return home another.
None of the wedding accessories are ever given to other people to try on, either before or after the ceremony. Even relatives and friends.
Bad omens
Having talked about the good, it is worth mentioning the bad Russian omens. Next, the most common superstitions associated with misfortune will be announced.
In the 18th century, salt was worth its weight in gold, so spilling it promised a quarrel. As an antidote to negativity, it was recommended to turn everything into a joke, for example, sprinkle it on your head.
Whistling in the house was also not welcome. It was believed that evil spirits could be introduced to them.
Clothes worn inside out were characterized unambiguously: “you’ll be drunk or beaten.” And often - both the first and second.
All signs associated with the threshold are based on the tradition of placing part of the ashes of ancestors under it for protection. Therefore, it was forbidden to greet, step on, or pass anything through it.
It was also believed that it was not worth following the unfamiliar footsteps of others. It was possible to “pick up” different misfortunes.
Russian signs about nature
Probably the most common and generally accepted are Russian folk signs about the weather. They are the only ones that do not have the slightest hint of mystical overtones and are based on observations of animals and the elements.
For example, low-flying birds, worried birds, loudly croaking frogs, and flowers that closed during the day showed that it would soon rain.
A cat curled up in a ball showed imminent frost, lying on its back showed heat.
Birds “bathing” in dust also spoke of warm weather.
Thus, most signs that relate to natural phenomena and environmental temperature are worth believing. They are based on the instinctive behavior of animals and plants, which are more sensitive than humans.
Meteorologists' attitude
There are people who believe more in omens, and there are also those who trust only the forecast on TV.
Meteorologists themselves say that many Russian signs have scientific value. Over the centuries, our ancestors have learned to correlate the flowering of trees and the time of planting different cultures, the state of plants and the behavior of fish and animals.
For example, when the sunflower seeds were ripe, it was believed that it was time to catch catfish. And the blossoming catkins on the maples signaled the need to sow beets.
Signs about everything
In this article, we briefly got acquainted with most of the signs relating to certain areas of life.
Finally, here are a few more interesting folk notes.
For example, in order to drive cockroaches out of the house, it was necessary to catch them according to the number of household members, put them in a bast shoe and drag them over the threshold to the other side of the road.
If a son resembles his mother and a daughter resembles his father, it was believed to be fortunate. If the children are more like a neighbor, then there will be trouble.
Good luck, dear readers!
ex-boyfriend
Faith is a significant revolution in a person's life. And why? Yes, because true faith leads to correct coexistence with the whole world. What is correct faith? This is when a person, who has not been subjected to religious allegories, leads himself to faith and the acquisition of good outside of matter.
In simple words - “Matter” (everything that you firstly feel, secondly, everything that you smell, thirdly, everything that you taste, fourthly, everything that you hear) is the web of your own EGO . Only you cannot feel it. You will hang around (take actions that, in your opinion, can change something), but you will not be able to change anything.
Where is Vera?
Faith helps a person understand what his purpose is. (And it may even be that a person who has lived to be 30 years old leaves life at the behest of God). It happens. Sorry. It should be. Everything is connected.
And superstitions are just a blank on which certain information is recorded. What?…
How is superstition different from faith?
– Well, we can advise you not to touch cacti before giving birth, so that the fur does not turn out to be prickly, and also avoid touching curved objects, so that the legs do not become crooked... But seriously, in the case of your friend, we see a characteristic manifestation of magical consciousness. Faith, according to Saint Diadochos of Photicus, is the thought of God, devoid of idolatry. These women advisors...
Hope is not classified.
— see (C) in Rom 15:13
- confidence in the present and strong anticipation of the future
A. Commented Topics
1.(T)HOPE as a theme:
— Isaiah: Isaiah 9:7
— Jeremiah: Jer 23:5
— Amos: Amos 9:11
— Micah: Micah 4:1
— Zephaniah: Zeph 3:15
— Haggai: Hag 2:7
— 1 Thessalonians: 1 Thessalonians 1:10
— 2 Thessalonians: 2 Thessalonians 2:3
— 1 Peter: 1 Pet 1:3
— Revelations: Rev 21:3
2. (T)RESTORATION as a theme:
— Ezekiel: Eze 36:24
— Joel: Joel 2:32
B. The Nature of Hope
1. Concept of hope
- associated with faith: 1 Cor 13:13; Hebrews 11:1
- connected with our trust in the Lord: Ps 33:20,21; Rom 15:13 (C)
- connected with our joyful expectation: Rom 4:18,19; Titus 1:2
2. Who/what do we rely on?
- on God: Ps 41:6,12; Ps 129:7; 1 Tim 6:17
- on Jesus Christ: Rom 15:12; 1 Cor 15:19; Eph 1:12; Phil 2:19
- in the name of God:...
Why adults are afraid of black cats, how superstition differs from pious tradition and what awaits those who do not believe in bad omens, NS correspondent Ekaterina Stepanova found out from the priest-ethnographer Archpriest Alexander Shantaev and the linguist-ethnographer Elena Levkievskaya.
Archpriest Alexander Shantaev was born in 1964 in the West Kazakhstan region. In 1991 he graduated from the Kiev State Art Institute. Ordained to the priesthood in 1994. From 1994 to 2004 he served in the parishes of the villages of Vvedenskoye, Berendeevo, and Lviv of the Yaroslavl diocese. In 2004 - rector of the Transfiguration Cathedral of the Uglich Kremlin. Director of the youth social center in the name of St. Tsarevich Dimitry of Uglich. Author of the books “Crippled Blessed Saints in Modern Hagiographic Literature”, “Priest. Witches. Death. Ethnographic sketches of a rural parish”, “Asya’s memory”, “Between the sky and the Lions. Notes on the margins of the church year."
Craving for the mysterious
What is superstition? This, as can already be seen from the word itself, is vain faith, that is, empty, inauthentic, vain faith. Genuine faith differs from superstition in that a true believer does not mindlessly swallow any “spiritual” product. True faith is accompanied by sobriety and prudence, only with which one can perceive true spirituality. Superstition is an omnivorous, short-sighted and naive faith, addressed to everything indiscriminately.
Superstitions are a kind of alternative to life in true faith, when genuine spiritual values have not yet prevailed in the human soul, and the need to rely on something supernatural remains. People intuitively seek spiritual protection. Having no living faith in God, they use various amulets and rely on superstitions that supposedly influence our lives.
Superstitions are based on unconscious fear and belief in some hidden force that manifests itself in visible actions or situations. And in this sense, superstition is close to magic, the occult perception of our...
Superstitions in the light of the Orthodox faith
“Without faith it is impossible to please God,” Holy Scripture tells us (Heb. 11:6). Faith in God is the first and fundamental condition for the salvation of the human soul.
Our soul, created in the image and likeness of God, constantly seeks God, strives for Him, and only in Him finds peace and contentment. Interest in religion and Orthodoxy is growing in ever wider circles of the public. Before our eyes there is a revival of spiritual life: in great Orthodox holidays Yekaterinburg churches are overcrowded, and new parishes are opening in cities and regions of the Diocese. All this indicates that a religious thirst for knowledge of God is reviving in the souls of people, but there is another side to this gratifying desire of our contemporaries for spiritual life...
Sometimes without having a solid knowledge of the basics Orthodox faith, modern neophytes are easily inclined to...
You touched on a very sore and at the same time broad topic. As you understand, it is practically impossible to answer this question within the framework of an online forum. Personally, I see ways to overcome the superstitious concepts that exist among many of our compatriots in the tireless preaching of the Gospel, to which all superstition is alien. After all, superstition is the fruit of a lack of faith, a lack of knowledge about faith in God. And the means of such preaching can be different. This includes preaching from the church pulpit, preaching through the media, print media, and the Internet. Anything you want. The apostles even preached in the bazaars.
We now have the opportunity to preach to a wider audience. And not only the priest, whose duties include teaching, can preach, but also lay people prepared for such preaching. It will never be possible to eradicate superstitions completely. But it is necessary to explain to people baptized in Orthodoxy how superstition differs from faith in the Living God. After all, many, even entering the temple with their “external” superstitions,...
Faith and knowledge
Gospel of John - The Spirit breathes where it wants. God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.
Today, they talk about the confrontation between the Russian church and scientific knowledge. And indeed, while repeating biblical sayings, these people forget that many of them are symbolic, generalizing in nature, and a literal understanding of them leads to logical contradictions, and often to opposition to common sense. For example, a specific date for the creation of the earth is stated and from it the countdown is made to the present, to today. And the age of the Earth is estimated at just over five thousand years.
To prove the correctness of the literal reading of the Bible, many begin to assert absurd things and suspect science of deliberate falsification. They say that not only human evolution does not correspond to the dogmas of the church, but also the theory of evolution, as such, is the speculation of scientists. They also claim that the world...
About superstition and true faith
Once, having arrived in my native Orenburg, I, walking with my son across the bridge over the Ural River, noticed a lot of padlocks hung on the openwork posts of the railings and on the railings themselves. The castles were different - from small and elegant to large barn ones, some were painted, some had a heart or inscriptions like “Sasha + Masha”. I had somehow never noticed this before, but now there was practically no free space on the railing. They soon explained to me that this custom is connected with marriage: the newlyweds come to the bridge on their wedding day, hang a lock on it, and throw the key into the waves of the Urals. In Ufa, they say, a similar bridge is called the Bridge of Love. This custom, now spreading in various places of our vast Motherland, is associated with the belief in the indissolubility of the family being created, just as it is impossible to dissolve a castle whose key is thrown into the river.
Of course, it’s good that the newlyweds are tuning in to uniqueness and uniqueness...
The same thing - only superstition is signs that are in no way logically connected with natural phenomena, And faith in religion is a substitution of everyday life for a non-existent reality (unproven imitation)
Faith is always tested. Let’s say in 1st grade I believed that I would become a graduate, and it happened.
faith in God is the truth, but faith in omens and fortune tellers is empty and leads to sin
The bible says (Hebrews 11:1) - “Faith is a reasonable expectation of that which is hoped for, a clear evidence of things that exist, although they are not seen. According to Wikipedia Superstition (derived from “sue” - in vain (without awareness of the reasons) and “faith”, lit. “vain belief”)
In principle, nothing. But superstition differs from the faith of God.
Faith is objective, superstition is subjective, that’s all...
Faith is in God, superstition is in all sorts of nonsense: omens, fortune telling, amulets...
doubt.
Wow)))
Shyness...
In everyday life, people are accustomed to believing in omens and superstitions. But is this pleasing to God? Find out the answer to this question on the pages of the Orthodoxy and World portal.
Signs and superstitions
Should we believe the signs that accompany our daily life? How inclined are Russians to believe in them (statistics)? What kind of church superstitions exist? We offer you selected articles on the topic “Signs and superstitions” that will give answers to these questions.
13 most common and stupid signs and superstitions
We are superstitious people, so we believe that Friday the 13th is bad, but finding a coin is good.
Many superstitions are related to the same thing that makes us believe in monsters and ghosts: when our brains are unable to explain something, we shift responsibility to supernatural forces. In fact, research last year showed that superstitions can sometimes work because believing in something can make a task more “performable.”
There is an opinion that non-believers, unlike religious people, are more susceptible to superstitions and observance of incomprehensible and strange rituals and rituals, which cannot be called anything other than pagan. Of course, most people understand the simple truth about the incompatibility of faith and superstition. However, sad as it may be, followers of superstitions are not only people “far” from the faith and the church, but also believers, devout Christians. And this despite the fact that our people accepted Orthodoxy more than a thousand years ago. However, we continue to carefully preserve these harmful customs. And even more than that, we pass on all these senseless traditions from generation to generation, trying to teach them to our children and grandchildren, with even greater zeal than church rituals and Sacraments, without even thinking about the danger to the soul that the wrong faith poses. .
Let's observe ourselves, our family and just the people who surround us. What will we see? And we will see that superstitions are present in...
A person believes in many things. When his faith lies in the manifestation of the supernatural during some events or phenomena, this is called superstition. This word means empty faith in something. How do superstitions appear, and what threat do they pose? The human soul needs faith. And the manifestations of some kind of superstition are an attempt to satisfy this need. Superstition is very different from faith, since faith requires enormous effort on oneself. Such inauthentic faith acts as a compensation for real faith.
Superstitions cannot appear just like that, supposedly out of nowhere. Inauthentic faith begins with paganism; today it is used as a weapon of Satan. It is with such strange “weapons” that the destinies of many people are crippled and serious harm is done to the soul. Superstition creates fear, and people who arrive in a state of fear are more vulnerable to harm. There are cases when superstitious people, without suspecting it themselves, believe not in God, but in...
Pavel G., you wrote:
> Briefly: In my childhood, a distant relative often came to visit our home, after she left, as my parents later told me, I cried and for a long time they could not calm me down, I had some kind of fear of her, and after her visits, I couldn’t fall asleep for a long time and tossed around in my sleep.....
> When I had children, she also came to us, and the same thing happened to them, only in a milder form.
Children most likely can better see which people are more mired in certain sins, because... they are still pure in their soul. It is not for nothing that the Lord called us to be like children, “for to such is the kingdom of God.” (Luke 18:16)
In the interpretation of the Gospel of Luke, Blessed Theophylact arch. Bulgarian wrote: “The child is not arrogant, does not humiliate anyone, is gentle, ingenuous, neither puffed up in happiness, nor humbled in sorrow, but is always completely simple.” and right there in his interpretation of the Gospel of Matthew one can read the following phrase “...Lord...
Message from Lev Nikolaevich Tolstoy
Church teaching (...) - a collection of the grossest superstitions
Lev Nikolaevich was not original. I apologize for the copy-paste, but it’s really
The work is called “Superstitions, signs, beliefs: origin and meaning.”
How should we feel about this? What is the difference between them? Where and why did these beliefs appear in our lives? Do you need to adhere to them? The author tried to answer these questions in her work.
Purpose of the work: studying world culture and the rich heritage of various peoples.
Find out what beliefs are and their origin;
Identify the differences and similarities between beliefs, superstitions and signs;
Determine the meanings of various beliefs in the modern world.
Are you superstitious? If yes, then you are not alone. One researcher found more than 400,000 different superstitious beliefs in all parts of the world.
Surely, when you left the house today, you paid attention to the person you met? Man or woman. If you had the same dream several times, wouldn't you think about it?
For most people, none of this means much. But many people believe in this and believe that if these beliefs are interpreted correctly, then you can find out what the future will bring - trouble or good fortune. Superstitious ideas are held, of course, not only in Russia, but also in Africa, China and other countries of the world.
Some peoples of the Far North consider the northern lights to be an omen of war and epidemics. The fact that many hotels do not have a thirteenth floor, that people try to avoid walking under a ladder or allowing a black cat to cross the road in front of them, proves the existence of superstition in the Western world.
In Japan, tunnel builders believe that the appearance of a woman in a tunnel before construction is completed is a bad sign. Superstitions, beliefs and signs are common not only among older people, but also among professional athletes. One volleyball player explained his winning streak by wearing black socks rather than white ones. Similar cases can be cited endlessly. Therefore, one 17th century doctor once called superstition a “common delusion” of ignorant people. Therefore, at the beginning of the 20th century, when science had made significant progress, the 1910 edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica optimistically predicted that in the future “civilization will be freed from the last specter of superstition.” But it turned out that such optimism was unfounded because some people keep them as part of their cultural heritage. And others perceive them simply as something curious, adding variety to life. In Western countries, superstitions are viewed with a fair amount of skepticism.
But let's take a closer look at what superstitions, beliefs and signs are!
What are superstitions, beliefs and signs?
Many encyclopedias define superstitions as “beliefs, superstitions, or customs that have no rational explanation.” One American dictionary says about superstitions and omens: “These are ideas or customs that arose due to ignorance, fear of the unknown, belief in magic and misunderstanding of cause and effect relationships.” As can be seen from these definitions of superstition, signs and beliefs are very similar, but it all depends on the person’s attitude towards them. In recent years it has been published a large number of all sorts of books in which both signs and beliefs are called superstitions, but it’s not for nothing that the people had several words for all these phenomena of oral folk art. The word superstition now reads like empty faith. “Suya”, “in vain” also denotes the concept of holiness. Signs are something that is noticed and recorded over time. The word signs includes the root met, thanks to which we can easily form words with the same root: mark, mark, or choose words and phrases that are similar in meaning: to designate a boundary, that is, to create the boundaries of our world, to make the world around us recognizable on the basis of signs. There are many signs, for example, signs of death, food, the human body, and even sneezing.
You will be surprised and say: “well, I sneezed; What sign is there?”, but it’s true. You hear it everywhere: at work, at school, on public transport and on the street. You sneezed, and passers-by answered you: “Be healthy!” Similar expressions are found in many languages. In German it is "Gesundheit", in Arabic it is "Erhamak Allah", and the Polynesians in the South Pacific will say "Tihei mauri ora".
Thinking that this is just a well-known word of politeness or a rule of etiquette, you probably have not thought about where this expression comes from. The fact is that it is rooted in superstition. Moira Smith, a library fellow at the folklore department at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, USA, says: "It's based on the belief that a person 'sneezes out' his soul." The words “Be healthy” supposedly serve as protection for a person so that his soul does not fly out. Of course, most people would probably find it ridiculous to believe that when you sneeze, the soul flies out of the body.
The basis of any belief is a deep faith, which should not require any explanation other than that our forefathers did it. Meanwhile, there are people who belong to developed people, even educated circles, but adhere to beliefs without understanding their origins.
Let's take a closer look at superstitions.
Why do superstitions influence people so much and where did they come from?
Many superstitions arose out of fear of the spirits of the dead or some other spirits. It is believed that the events taking place are an attempt by the spirits to intimidate the living, warn them or express their approval to them. But there is another hypothesis: at all times, among all peoples, the human mind has had a desire for everything wonderful, mysterious and tried to discover and explore what was mysterious and inexplicable to it. Seeing his powers as weak and realizing his feelings were limited against the powerful forces of nature, he involuntarily feared their influence and marveled, and attributed everything that was incomprehensible to him to a secret higher power.
Superstitions are also closely related to healing and witchcraft. For most people in developing countries, modern treatments are too expensive and often simply not available. Therefore, many seek healing or try to protect themselves from diseases by following ancestral customs, superstitions, or resorting to spiritualism.
In addition, when they consult a healer who is familiar with their traditions and speaks their dialect, they feel more confident than when consulting with a doctor who practices Western medicine. Therefore, superstitions are still alive. According to superstitious beliefs, illnesses and accidents are not accidental; they are caused by certain forces from the world of spirits. The healer can explain what happened, for example, by saying that the spirit of the ancestor is dissatisfied with something. Or a spiritualistic medium may claim that someone, with the help of another healer, has cast a spell on the victim and that this is the cause of the illness or incident.
Superstitious beliefs vary greatly from country to country, and their prevalence depends on local conditions, local folklore and legends. But most superstitions link religion to the fact that someone or something from the invisible spiritual world needs to be appeased.
Are superstitions harmless or dangerous?
Some do not realize all the dangers lurking in them, and some do not take them seriously at all. However, in his book “Belief in Magic: The Psychology of Superstition,” Professor Stuart Weiss warns: “Your material well-being can suffer from superstitions, because a lot of money is spent on psychics, fortune tellers, all kinds of fortune tellers and rituals.” But if we allow superstitions to rule our lives, the consequences can be even more dire. For example: For most families, the birth of twins is a remarkable and exciting event. However, superstitious people may interpret it as a sign. And some view it as the birth of deities, which is why twins are worshiped. If one or both twins die, small figurines of the twins are made and the family must place food in front of these idols.
And in other places, the birth of twins is seen as a misfortune, even to the point that some parents kill at least one of them. WHY? They believe that if both twins are left alive, they will one day kill their parents themselves.
Examples like these show that while some superstitions may seem strange but harmless, others can be dangerous, even deadly. If an ordinary event is interpreted as an ominous omen, the consequences can be dire.
You may ask, why can’t such cruel customs be eradicated? The fact is that there were such attempts, but they failed. For example, in 1995, by decree of the Shanghai People's Congress, superstitions, as a relic of the past, were prohibited. The goal was "to eradicate the prejudices of feudalism, to effect changes in funeral rites and to make the capital a more civilized city." But what came of it?
Why are they still thriving?
Some argue that superstitions are human. Some even claim that superstition is in our genes. However, research shows the opposite. It has been proven that people learn to be superstitious. Professor Stuart Weiss explains: “Superstitious beliefs, like many other things, are acquired over the course of life. People are not born with the habit of knocking on wood, they learn it.”
It is believed that belief in magic arises in childhood, and subsequently remains a predisposition to superstition in the mind of an adult. But where do people get many superstitious ideas?
A particularly striking example of the connection between superstition and religion are beliefs related to Christmas celebrations held by churches Christendom. For example, there is a sign that a kiss under the tree means a wedding. The book Let No Misfortune Befall You notes that superstitions arose as a result of man's attempts to “look into the future.” Therefore, today, as throughout history, and simple people, And the mighty of the world This is why they are looking for the advice of soothsayers and those who allegedly have miraculous powers. This is the explanation given in the book Don't Sing Before Breakfast, Don't Sleep in the Moonlight: “People need to believe that there are spells and magical powers, protecting against fear of the known and the unknown.” Superstition gives a person the feeling that he is protected from misfortune. The book Cross Your Fingers, Spit in Your Hat says: People rely on superstitions for an age-old reason: when danger cannot be prevented. One can only hope for chance or luck - and then superstitions allow a person to feel more confident.”
Although with the development of science living conditions have improved in many ways, people still feel that they are defenseless. In fact, this feeling among people has become even more acute, since the achievements of science have turned against them. Professor Weiss says: "Prejudice and belief in the supernatural are deeply ingrained in our culture because today's world has become so unpredictable." The World Book Encyclopedia notes: “Superstition will not disappear until people are confident about their future.”
In answer to the question posed above, we can say: superstitions flourish because they are rooted in the inherent fear of the future in all people and are supported by various religious beliefs.
Examples of superstitions, signs and beliefs.
Signs of Superstition Beliefs
The spoon fell from the table - 1. Northern lights for war. 1. A horseshoe over the door is good luck.
a guest will come. 2. Black cat - unfortunately. 2. You need to spit over your left shoulder and
2. The black cat ran across 3. Knock on wood. a few years ago, then you will end up on the road - unfortunately. the devil.
3. A light cloud before sunrise is a good day. 3. Walking around the chapel is good luck.
4. Sparrows bathe in dust or chirp - this means rain.
A black cat crossing the road is both a superstition and an omen. But everything depends on our attitude to what is happening. If, upon seeing a black cat crossing the road, a person simply remembers: this is bad luck, then in this case it is a sign. And if a person begins to take some action, then this person it's superstition.
There is a small chapel on Arshan, and there is a belief that if you walk around it several times, you will be happy and rich. Where and why it came from and when it first appeared, no one now remembers. This gives us the assumption that this is a belief.
Every belief has a root and foundation. In my work, I analyzed what signs, beliefs and superstitions are.
Today on television screens, newspapers and other sources of information we hear about the reasons for believing in omens. The question is raised: why does a person believe, and how does he believe? In my opinion, a person is free to choose to believe or not.
Life changes, and people less and less often think about the difference between the concepts - superstition, belief and omen. These words have long existed in our language, in our culture, people. If our ancestors gave each of them their own name, I believe it was not for nothing, therefore, I think that it will be useful for us to sort out the meanings of these words. Of course, signs and superstitions depend on our reaction to what is happening, so it would be right to find out what our actions say.
No person would like to look uncultured in society, and therefore many people read books about the rules of behavior in various public places. I think learning about your culture is equivalent to reading books like this.