The work is called "Superstitions, signs, beliefs: origin and meaning."
How to treat it? What is the difference between them? Where and why did these beliefs come into our lives? Do they need to be followed? The author tried to answer these questions in her work.
The purpose of the work: the study of world culture and the richest heritage of various peoples.
Find out what beliefs are, their origin;
Identify differences and similarities between beliefs, superstitions and signs;
Determine the meaning of various beliefs in the modern world.
Are you superstitious? If yes, then you are not alone. One researcher found over 400,000 different superstitions in all parts of the world.
Surely, leaving the house today, you paid attention to the one who met you? Man or woman. If you had the same dream several times, didn't you think about it?
For most people, none of this means much. But many people believe in this and believe that if you correctly interpret these beliefs, you can find out what the future will bring - trouble or good luck. 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 letting a black cat cross the road in front of them, proves the existence of a superstition in the Western world.
In Japan, tunnel builders believe that the presence of a woman in a tunnel before construction is completed is a bad omen. Superstitions, beliefs and signs are common not only among the elderly, but also among professional athletes. One volleyball player explained his series of victories by the fact that he wore not white, but black socks. Similar cases can be cited endlessly. For this reason, a seventeenth-century physician once called superstition a "common delusion" of ignorant people. Therefore, in the early twentieth century, when science was making great strides, the 1910 edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica optimistically predicted that in the future "civilization would be freed from the last specter of superstition." But it turned out that such optimism was unfounded, since some people keep them as part of their cultural heritage. And others perceive them simply as something curious, giving variety to life. In Western countries, superstitions are treated 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 superstition as "beliefs, beliefs, or practices that have no rational explanation." One American dictionary of superstitions and signs says this: “These are ideas or customs that have arisen due to ignorance, fear of the unknown, belief in magic and a misunderstanding of cause and effect.” 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. AT last years coming out a large number of all kinds of books, in which both signs and beliefs are called superstitions, but it was not in vain that the people had a few words for all these phenomena of oral folk art. The word superstition is now read as empty faith. "Suya", "in vain" also denotes the concept of holiness. Signs are something that is noticed and fixed for a long time. The word signs includes the root met, thanks to which we can easily form single-root words: mark, mark or pick up words and phrases that are similar in meaning: mark the border, that is, create the boundaries of our world, do the world recognizable on the basis of signs. There are many signs, for example, signs for death, for food, for the human body, and even for sneezing.
You will be surprised and say: “well, sneezed; what is the sign here? ”, but it is so. 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: "Quiet Mauri Ora".
Considering that these are just common words of politeness or a rule of etiquette, you probably have not thought about where this expression comes from. The fact is that it has its roots in superstition. Moira Smith of the Folk Studies Library at Indiana University Bloomington (Indiana, USA) says: "It is based on the belief that a person 'sneezes' out his soul." The words "Be healthy" supposedly serve as a 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.
At the heart of any belief is a deep faith, which should not require any explanation, except that our forefathers did this. Meanwhile, there are people who belong to the developed people, even the circle of the educated, but adhere to beliefs without understanding their origins.
Let's take a closer look at superstitions.
Why do superstitions affect 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 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 had a desire for everything wonderful, mysterious and tried to discover and explore what was mysterious and inexplicable for it. Seeing his powers as weak and conscious of his feelings as 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 connected with healing and quackery. For most people in developing countries modern methods treatments are too expensive and often simply not available. Therefore, many seek healing or try to protect themselves from diseases by following tribal customs, superstitions, or resorting to spiritualism.
In addition, they feel more comfortable going to a medicine man who is familiar with their traditions and speaks their dialect than consulting a doctor who practices Western medicine. Therefore, superstitions are still alive. According to superstitious ideas, diseases and accidents are not accidental, they are caused by some forces from the world of spirits. The healer can explain what happened, for example, by the fact that the spirit of the ancestor is dissatisfied with something. Or a spirit medium may claim that someone, with the help of another medicine man, has tainted the victim and that this is the cause of the illness or incident.
AT different countries superstitious beliefs are very different from each other, and their prevalence depends on local conditions, local folklore and legends. But most of the superstitions are related by 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 danger 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 superstition, because a lot of money is spent on psychics, fortune-tellers, all kinds of fortune-tellers and rituals.” But if we allow superstition to rule our lives, the consequences can be even more deplorable. For example: for most families, the birth of twins is an outstanding and exciting event. However, superstitious people may interpret it as a sign. And some consider it as the birth of deities, so the 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, one day they will kill the parents themselves.
Examples like these show that while some superstitions may look 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 it is impossible to eradicate such cruel customs? The fact is that such attempts were, but failed. For example, in 1995, by decree of the Shanghai People's Congress, superstition, as a relic of the past, was banned. The goal was "to eradicate the prejudices of feudalism, to make changes in funeral rites and to make the capital a more civilized city." But what came of it?
Why do they still thrive?
Some argue that superstition is 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 views, like many other things, are acquired during one's 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 in the mind of an adult person remains a predisposition to superstition. But where do people get many superstitious ideas from?
A particularly striking example of the connection between superstition and religion are beliefs related to Christmas celebrations held by the churches of Christendom. For example, there is a sign that a kiss under the tree is for the wedding. The book Let No Trouble Befall You notes that superstitions arose as a result of man's attempts to "look into the future". Therefore, today, as well as throughout history, and simple people, and the mighty of this world seek the advice of soothsayers and those who supposedly have miraculous powers. Here is the explanation given in the book Don't Sing Before Breakfast, Don't Sleep by Moonlight: "People need to believe that there are spells and magical powers that protect against fear of the known and the unknown." Superstition gives a person the feeling that he is protected from misfortune. The book Fingers Crossed, Spit in Your Hat states: “People rely on superstition for an age-old reason: when danger cannot be prevented. It remains to hope for chance or luck - and then superstitions allow a person to feel more confident.
Although living conditions have improved in many respects with the development of science, nevertheless, a person does not leave the feeling that he is defenseless. In fact, this feeling in people has become even more aggravated, as the achievements of science have turned against them. Professor Weiss says: "Prejudices and belief in the supernatural are deeply ingrained in our culture because today's world has become too unpredictable." The World Book Encyclopedia notes: "Superstition will not disappear until people are sure of their future."
In answer to the question posed above, we can say that superstitions flourish because they are rooted in the fear of the future inherent in all people and are supported by various religious beliefs.
Examples of superstitions, signs and beliefs.
Signs Superstition Beliefs
The spoon fell off the table - 1. Northern lights for war. 1. Horseshoe over the door - fortunately.
the guest will come. 2. Black cat - unfortunately. 2. You need to spit over your left shoulder and
2. Black cat ran across 3. Knock on wood. a little back, then you will get on the road - unfortunately. devil.
3. A light cloud before sunrise is a good day. 3. Walk around the chapel - fortunately.
4. Sparrows bathe in dust or chirp - to rain.
A black cat that crosses the road is both a superstition and an omen. But it all depends on our attitude to what is happening. If, seeing that a black cat has crossed the road, a person simply remembers: this is to trouble, then in this case it is a sign. And if a person starts to take some action, then for this person this is superstition.
There is a small chapel on Arshan, and there is a belief that if you go around it several times, you will be happy and rich. Where and why it arose and when it first appeared, now no one remembers. This gives us the assumption that we have a belief.
Every belief has its root and foundation. In my work, I analyzed what signs, beliefs and superstitions are.
Today, on TV screens, newspapers and other sources of information, we hear about the reasons for believing in omens. The question is raised: because of what a person believes, and how he believes. In my opinion, a person is free to choose to believe or not.
Life is changing, and a person is less likely to think about the difference between the concepts - superstition, belief and sign. These words have long existed in our language, in our culture and people. If our ancestors gave each of them their own name, I think this is not for nothing, therefore, I think that it will be useful for us to analyze the meanings of these words. Of course, signs and superstitions depend on our reaction to what is happening, so it will be right to find out what our actions say.
No person would want to look uncultured in society, and therefore many people read books about the rules of conduct in various public places. I think that learning about your culture is equivalent to reading such books.
Lev Uspensky
Have you read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn? Once Huck Finn, sitting in the evening at the mezzanine of the Widow Douglas, sadly reflected alone on the sad fate of well-bred boys.
“Suddenly it seemed to me,” he recalls, “as if I heard the groan of a dead man ... My heart sank with fear ... As if on purpose, a spider crawled over my shoulder. I brushed it off, and - right on the candle, it immediately flared up and cringed.
I knew perfectly well - this is a very bad omen: it foreshadowed trouble! I was completely scared, instantly pulled off my dress, twisted three times on one heel, each time crossing myself, and then tightly tied a strand of my hair with a thread to drive away evil spirit. But he couldn't calm down.
All these tricks are useful if you have found and lost a horseshoe again. But how could I know what to do to drive away trouble if you were so unfortunate that you killed the spider? .. "
It's funny to you? And I'm rather sad. The brave, intelligent little boy suddenly became completely stupefied: he spins naked in an empty room on one leg, crosses himself, ties a crest on his head, and all out of absurd fear. How! Something terrible happened: he accidentally crushed the spider! What happens to Gek?
It was his belief in omens that made him so.
Re-read once again the magnificent book of Mark Twain, and you yourself will be horrified. Huck Finn felt sorry for the "educated boys" because they were bound hand and foot by all sorts of propriety. But in reality, he himself and his best friends were entangled in an even more annoying web of the most senseless prejudices, and, moreover, terribly gloomy and ominous.
When you see a thin sickle of a new moon in the sky, you either admire it or don’t pay any attention to it at all. And bold Huckleberry would immediately feel a shiver of horror.
“I always knew,” he says, “that there is nothing crazier than looking at the new moon over the left shoulder. Old Gank Becker did it somehow and even boasted of his courage. But what? In less than a couple of years, how once, having drunk drunk on a railcar, he fell off the tower and hurt himself into a cake! And all because he was looking at the moon over his left shoulder ... "
You are dying of laughter: well, this Huck is an eccentric! A drunk climbs onto the roof and hurts himself, and the month he looked at "a couple of years ago" is to blame! What nonsense! But Huck is by no means stupid; he is superstitious. It's true, it's worth it.
It is difficult for such a person to live in the world. Everything around threatens with trouble, some terrible, secret meaning is hidden in everything.
An owl screamed - someone in the house would surely die. A nightjar flew by - even worse. A stray dog howled - and this is a big disaster. It is necessary to quickly find out to whom she stood with her tail, and to whom her muzzle: that is what is in danger of misfortune! 
Overturning the salt shaker is a bad sign. Shake off the tablecloth after sunset - yes, it's better to hang yourself! Starting a business on Friday is crazy: Friday is a "hard day"; you are bound to fail. So remember all this and spin around here so that nothing bad happens!
A sane person is not only funny, he is just annoyed to read about it. You understand the great mocker Twain, who mocked such nonsense all his life.
But the heroes of Mark Twain have at least some excuse that they were ignorant American boys of the 19th century.
But tell me frankly: in your class or in your house, among the children and adults, are there no Gecks and Jims who, in signs, "ate the dog"? 
I know a young man who is finishing high school. The guy seems to be not stupid, but he is firmly convinced that any exam can be passed with an A without learning anything, unless you wash your face. It is disgusting to look at him in the spring: there is a black collar around his neck, his hands are as if in gloves ... But the exams are still not going well: the teachers must not know this sign. However, he himself explains the failures by the fact that he is not, no, and they will force him to wash up.
I also know one girl. She won't go anywhere if a cat crosses her path. And if you really need to go, say, to the cinema, then before crossing the “fatal trail of the beast”, she spins like Huck Finn three times on the heel.
But the younger sister of this girl is not afraid of cats, but on the other hand, if she goes to school and is afraid that she will be asked in mathematics, she sits down on the textbook three times in a big way. But according to her, after such an exercise, in fact, it doesn’t matter how to answer: the top five is provided. Such a handy omen! 
I have a familiar family where it is not so pleasant to come. Everyone's nervous system is out of order. And it's understandable why. Mom will hear that her son was whistling in the room, she is worried: clearly, now there will be no money in the house! The daughter is in despair: she cut off the petals of a chamomile, I turned out to have an even number of petals on the flower, which means they don’t like her. Grandmother walks angry: she was presented with a silver knife for fruit, and the donated knives are unfortunately.
Fu you, the abyss! How can you live if you believe in all this! And, one asks, what are these unfortunate signs? Where did they come from? Do they have any power or meaning?
I'll try to answer these tricky questions.
First of all, the sign will accept discord. More precisely, there are two kinds of omens: reasonable and absurd. And they must be able to distinguish.
Pushkin has a magnificent poem, and entitled -
Signs
Try to observe various signs:
Shepherd and farmer in infancy,
Looking up at the sky, at the western shadow,
They already know how to predict both the wind and the clear day,
And May rains, young fields of joy,
And mrazov early cold, dangerous grapes.
So, if the swans, in the bosom of still waters
Splashing in the evening, they will call your arrival,
Or the bright sun sets into sad clouds,
Know that tomorrow the roaring rain will wake the sleepy maidens
Or the hail beating through the windows ...
In these wonderful verses, the poet speaks of wise and useful signs. The phenomena of the world are interconnected: often one of them inevitably entails another. By noticing the first, you can predict the second in advance, when it has not yet happened. Sometimes this connection is very simple, anyone can notice it. The sky is overcast; it will probably rain soon. Lightning flashed - true omen that now you will hear a thunderclap. It is so easy to "predict" such things that no one sees anything special here, no "signs".
But there are phenomena that are not so simply and closely related to each other. Before the rain, swallows begin to circle over the ground and water. Before good sunny weather, on the contrary, they cheerfully write out their turns high in the sky. The flight of swallows has long been a sign of the weather. Our ancestors in ancient times noticed the connection between these phenomena, but they did not know how to explain it.
And now we know: swallows do not just "dance" in the air, they chase insects, and insects are designed so that their delicate bodies are excellent "hygrometers". They feel the change in air humidity long before our rough skin notices it. The approaching dampness presses insects to the ground - swallows descend here for them.
Our observant and intelligent ancestors, not yet knowing any science, saw such connections. They began to predict what had not yet happened, but should happen. And such predictions were often almost infallible. Even now it is easy to meet experienced connoisseurs of such real signs among people close to nature - collective farmers, hunters, fishermen, sailors.
But often something else happened.
Once upon a time in ancient times, people believed that everything in nature is spiritualized, everything has a mysterious life hidden from us. They thought that things, plants, animals talk to each other, make friends, and quarrel. Man is born and dies, but they live forever. Probably ancient stones or fast-flowing rivers wiser than man. So, maybe they can know better than us the secrets of the future? And the one who learns to unravel their slurred speech will be able to predict the future.
And our ancestors really wanted to master this art. Isn't it convenient to know everything in advance? Seeing that experienced and wise people would be able to foresee the course of natural phenomena, they attributed this ability to magic. And since this is magic, then why, predicting such a trifle as tomorrow's rain, the magician cannot say anything about what is most important to me in the world: I or my enemy will die in battle, will my daughter marry soon, will it be possible Can I get wealth? The sorcerer judges the rain by some "signs". Well, so I will judge by "signs" what should happen to me. And what can serve as such a "sign"? Yes, apparently, absolutely everything unusual, unfamiliar, rare, and especially everything mysterious and creepy.
This reasoning helped and here's what. If you do not know the real causes of the phenomenon, it is not easy to establish which of them depend on each other and which do not.
A storm broke out. A few days later, the flood began. It happened after a thunderstorm and, obviously, as a result of a thunderstorm: a downpour caused the rivers to overflow. Here the conclusion is correct.
But two days later the war began. She, too, burst out after a thunderstorm! Why not assume that the thunderstorm and war foreshadowed?
Many signs, absurd and harmful, have developed just like that. Our distant ancestors were not yet able to distinguish between phenomena that randomly follow each other, from those that are connected with each other, as a cause and effect. Much later, people noticed this important difference and came up with a wise saying: “After this, it doesn’t always mean“ because of this ”! mountains, endless distances, centuries-old trees, terrible animals, unarmed people were so weak and helpless!And a particularly overwhelming fear seized them in the impenetrable darkness of the night, when they could not see anything.
It is very curious, therefore, that in all kinds of "bad omens" it is the black color, the color of darkness, the color of darkness, as well as all kinds of creatures and phenomena associated with the night, that play an important role. 
Black cats and bats fluttering only at night faithfully serve witches and sorceresses in fairy tales. Black dogs, especially when they howl at the dead of midnight, supposedly portend misfortune. In many nations, black is considered the color of sadness and mourning. Even in human fiction - cards - even the black suit is considered a bad, unsuccessful suit. Silent owls, fast nightjars, and the cutest harmless mice - they all appear in gloomy signs, because their life is connected with the darkness of the night.
Ignorance and timidity before the forces of nature have given rise to most of these superstitious signs.
So is it worth believing in these signs?
Everyone knows a funny and even poetic fortune-telling: the cuckoo cuckoos in the bright May forest, and the girls think: how many times she shouts out her sonorously sad “cuckoo!”, so many years they will have to live in the world.
It would seem, how to know: what if it's true ?! But consider this: the voice of a cuckoo on a fine, quiet day is heard in a circle with a diameter of about a kilometer. In such a circle in a populated place, dozens, sometimes even hundreds of people hear it at the same time, different people: children and gray-bearded elders, young strong men and dying patients, desperate bullies and quiet girls. And what, now all of you will have to die together just because it was one cuckoo that blew them? 
As a child, I learned this sign: if a red cow goes to the village in the evening in front of the herd, it will be clear if it is black, it means rain. I really wished the sun would shine more often. Every evening I ran out to meet the herd and without fail drove some "beauty" forward, leaving behind all its black-colored companions. My grandmother noted with pleasure that the red heifer arrived first, and the next day she said: “You see ... The sun, of course, is frying at full speed!” If it was raining (which also happened often), she immediately forgot about this sign and put forward another: "Well, it's understandable: it was not for nothing that my bones ached yesterday!" Grandmother did not even suspect that I was in charge of the changes in the weather.
Let me give you a third example, from a completely different area. 
Three middle-aged women happened to be sitting at the dinner table: a Russian, a German and an Armenian. A spoon fell to the floor.
– Aha! - the Russian was delighted. - Another woman will appear: the spoon has fallen, - Why a woman? the German was surprised. - There is such a sign, but what fell? The spoon! "Der loeffel" is masculine. A guest should come - a man ...
- Well, what are you! - the Russian was indignant. - For a man to come, the knife must fall.
The German did not agree.
- Knife? Not true! Knife in German neuter: "Das Messer"! The Armenian woman did not understand anything in this conversation at all. The fact is that in the Armenian language there are no genders: neither masculine, nor feminine, nor neuter, just like in English, just like in Turkish. For these peoples, such a sign simply could not have developed.
So it seems to me that these examples show quite well all the groundlessness and frivolity of such signs. Of course, there is no connection between the fall of a knife or fork and the arrival of a guest, and there cannot be.
Any such sign is, as it were, a small fortune-telling. Many signs have grown out of various fortune-telling, are closely connected with them. But divination is a special and very complex kind of the most harmful superstition. It is worth talking about them separately: they have their own past, their own long history. We'll do it some other time.
Drawings by E. Vedernikov.
Faith is a significant upheaval in a person's life. And why? Yes, because true faith leads to right coexistence with the whole world. What is right faith? This is when a person who has not been subjected to religious allegories leads himself to faith and gaining goodness 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 a web of your own EGO . Only you can't feel it. You will hobnob (perform 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 destiny is. (And it may even be that a person who has lived to 30 years old leaves life at the behest of God). It happens. Sorry. It should be. Everything is interconnected.
And superstition is just a blank on which certain information is recorded. What?…
How is superstition different from faith?
– To one of my pregnant friends, believing women in the temple recommended not to touch cats before giving birth, otherwise, they say, the baby’s hair will grow on the back ... How can I explain to them that this is nonsense?
- Well, you can advise not to touch cacti at the same time before childbirth, so that the fur does not turn out prickly, and also to 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 St. Diadochus of Photiki, is the thought of God, devoid of idolatry. These female advisors...
Hope is not classified.
- see (C) Rom 15:13
- Confidence in the present and persistent expectation 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: Hagg 2:7
— 1 Thessalonians: 1 Thess 1:10
— 2 Thessalonians: 2 Thess 2:3
- 1 Peter: 1 Peter 1:3
- Revelation: Rev 21:3
2. (T) RECOVERY as a theme:
- Ezekiel: Eze 36:24
- Joel: Joel 2:32
B. The Nature of Hope
1. Concept of hope
- connected with faith: 1 Corinthians 13:13; Heb 11:1
- connected with our trust in the Lord: Ps 32:20,21; 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 Corinthians 15:19; Eph 1:12; Php 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, NA correspondent Ekaterina Stepanova found out from the priest-ethnographer Archpriest Alexander Shantaev and from the linguist-ethnographer Elena Levkievskaya.
Archpriest Alexander Shantaev was born in 1964 in the West Kazakhstan region. In 1991 he graduated from the Kyiv State Art Institute. Ordained a priest in 1994. From 1994 to 2004, he served in the parishes of the villages of Vvedenskoye, Berendeyevo, and Lvy in 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 “Holy Blessed Cripples in Modern Hagiographic Literature”, “Priest. Witches. Death. Ethnographic essays of a rural parish”, “Asina 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 a vain faith, that is, an empty, inauthentic, vain faith. Genuine faith differs from superstition in that the true believer does not mindlessly swallow any "spiritual" product. Genuine faith is accompanied by sobriety and prudence, only under which it is possible to perceive true spirituality. Superstition, on the other hand, is an omnivorous, short-sighted and naive faith, directed to everything indiscriminately.
Superstition is a kind of alternative to life in true faith when genuine spiritual values have not yet prevailed in the human soul, but the need to rely on something supernatural remained. People intuitively seek spiritual protection. Having no living faith in God, they use various amulets and rely on superstitions that seem to influence our lives.
Superstitions are based on unconscious fear and belief in some hidden power that manifests itself in visible actions or situations. And in this sense, superstition is close to magicism, the occult perception of our ...
Superstition in the Light of the Orthodox Faith
“Without faith it is impossible to please God,” the Holy Bible(Heb. 11:6). Faith in God is the first and basic 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, in Orthodoxy, is growing in ever wider circles of the public. Spiritual life is being revived before our very eyes: Orthodox holidays churches in Yekaterinburg are overcrowded, and more and more parishes are opening in the cities and districts of the Diocese. All this testifies to the fact that a religious thirst for the knowledge of God revives in the souls of people, but this gratifying desire of our contemporaries for spiritual life has another side...
Lacking a solid knowledge of the basics Orthodox faith, modern neophytes easily lean towards ...
You touched on a very painful and at the same time extensive topic. As you know, it is practically impossible to answer this question within the framework of an Internet forum. Personally, I see ways to overcome the superstitious notions that exist among many of our compatriots, in the tireless preaching of the Gospel, which is alien to any superstition. After all, superstition is the fruit of a lack of faith, a lack of knowledge about faith in God. And the means of such a sermon may be different. This is a sermon from the church pulpit, a sermon through the media, print media, the Internet. Anything you want. The apostles even preached in the markets.
We now have the opportunity to preach to a wider audience. And not only the priest, whose duties include teaching, but also the laity prepared for such a sermon, can preach. It will never be possible to eradicate superstition completely. But it is necessary to explain to people baptized in Orthodoxy how superstition differs from faith in the Living God. Indeed, 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 that the world might be saved through Him. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
Today, they talk about the opposition of the Russian church and scientific knowledge. And indeed, repeating biblical statements, 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 approved, and from it a countdown is made to the present, to the present day. And the age of the Earth is calculated a little more than five thousand years.
In order to prove the correctness of a literal reading of the Bible, many begin to assert absurd things and suspect science of deliberate falsifications. They say that not only the evolution of man does not meet 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
Somehow, having arrived in my native Orenburg, I, walking with my son along the bridge across the Ural River, drew attention to the many padlocks hung on the openwork racks of the railing and on the railing itself. The locks were different - from small and elegant to large barn ones, some were painted with paint, some had a heart or inscriptions like “Sasha + Masha”. Previously, I somehow did not notice this, but now there was practically no free space on the railing. Soon they explained to me that this custom is connected with marriage: the newlyweds come on the wedding day to the bridge, 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, which is now spreading in various places of our vast Motherland, is associated with the belief in the indissolubility of the created family, just as it is impossible to break a lock, the key to which is thrown into the river.
Of course, it’s good that the newlyweds tune in to the uniqueness and uniqueness ...
The same thing - only superstition - these are signs that are not logically connected with natural phenomena in any way, And faith in religion - This is a substitution of everyday life - for a non-existent reality (unproven imitation)
Faith is always tested. Let's say in the 1st grade I believed that I would become a graduate, and it happened.
faith in God is the truth, and faith in omens and fortune tellers is empty and leads to sin
The bible says (Hebrews 11:1) - "Faith is the reasonable expectation of what is hoped for, the evident proof of things that are, though not seen. According to Wikipedia Superstition (derived from "sue" - in vain (without awareness of the reasons) and "faith", lit. "vain belief")
Basically, nothing. But superstition is different 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: signs, divination, amulets ....
doubt.
Wow)))
Shyness,…
In everyday life, people are used 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 the World portal.
Signs and superstitions
Are we to believe the omens that accompany our everyday life? To what extent do Russians tend to believe in them (statistics)? What are the church superstitions? We offer you selected articles on the topic “Signs and Superstitions”, which 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 brain is not able to explain something, we shift the responsibility to supernatural forces. In fact, last year's research showed that superstitions can sometimes work, because believing in something can make a task "done" better.
There is an opinion that non-believers, unlike religious people, are more prone to superstition and the observance of incomprehensible and strange rituals and ceremonies, which cannot be called anything other than pagan. Of course, most understand the simple truth about the incompatibility of faith with superstition. However, sadly, the followers of superstitions are not only people "far" from faith and the church, but also believing, devout Christians. And this, despite the fact that our people adopted Orthodoxy more than a thousand years ago. However, we continue to cherish these soulful practices. And even more than that, we pass on all these meaningless traditions from generation to generation, trying to teach them to our children and grandchildren, with even more zeal than church rites and the Sacraments, without even thinking about what danger to the soul is fraught with wrong faith. .
Let's observe ourselves, our relatives 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 consists in the manifestation of the supernatural during some events or phenomena, this is called superstition. This word means an empty belief in something. How do superstitions appear, and what threat do they carry? The human soul needs faith. And here manifestations of some superstition are an attempt to satisfy this need. Superstition is very different from faith, since faith requires great effort on oneself. Such false faith acts as a compensation for real faith.
Superstition cannot appear just like that, supposedly from scratch. Not genuine faith begins with paganism, today it is used as a weapon of Satan. With such a strange "weapon" the destinies of many people are crippled, severe harm is inflicted on the soul. With the help of superstition, fear is born, and people who arrive in a state of fear are more vulnerable to harm. There are times when superstitious people, without suspecting themselves, believe not in God, but in ...
Pavel G., you wrote:
> Briefly: In my childhood, one distant relative often came to visit us at home, after her departure, as my parents told me later, I sobbed and could not calm me down for a long time, I had some kind of fear of her, and after her visits could not fall asleep for a long time and tossed about in a dream ... ..
> When my children went, she also came to us, and the same thing happened to them, only in a milder form.
Most likely, children can better see which of the people is more mired in certain sins, because. they are still pure in their soul. Not without reason did the Lord call us to be like children, “for of such is the Kingdom of God.” (Luke 18:16)
In the interpretation of the Gospel of Luke by Blessed Theophylact, arch. Bulgarian it is written: “The child does not exalt, does not humiliate anyone, is gentle, unsophisticated, neither haughty in happiness, nor humiliated in sorrow, but always completely simple.” and right there, in his interpretation of the Gospel of Matthew, one can read from him such a phrase “... the Lord ...
Posted by Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy
the teaching of the church (...) is a collection of the grossest superstitions
Lev Nikolaevich was not original. Sorry for the copy-paste, but
For most people, superstitions and omens are incomprehensible phenomena. On the one hand, science cannot explain them. On the other hand, the relevance of these, at first glance, delusional prejudices, is confirmed by life itself. So what are signs and superstitions?
First of all, you need to understand the difference between signs and superstitions. At first glance, these words are synonyms, meaning the same thing. However, not all so simple. Here are the definitions of these words in the dictionary:
omen- a phenomenon, a case as a foreshadowing of something;
Superstition- prejudice, belief in something supernatural.
Now, starting from these definitions, you can see the difference between a sign and superstition.
What is an omen?
Every phenomenon has a cause and effect. And between the cause of a phenomenon and the phenomenon itself, a series of similar events always occurs. If you take one of these events and say that it will lead to a certain consequence, then this will be a sign. A sign is always the result of experience. Experience personal or collective. Examples can be given:
If the wind subsides in the evening, then the next day you should expect good sunny weather. If by evening the wind, on the contrary, intensifies, then this is bad weather.
Cold May is a grain-bearing year. Moss on rocks and trees is much thicker on the north side.
That is, a sign is a certain event that indicates that some phenomenon will occur after some time. The relationship of a sign and the phenomenon that follows it, if not explained scientifically, is confirmed by practice.
And what is superstition? First of all, it is a prejudice based on the fears or desires of a person. It is not a secret for anyone now that our thought is material. Thinking about something, imagining something, we somehow contribute to the realization of what we think about. That is why superstitions can come true. However, superstitions, unlike signs, do not depend on the general course of things, but on the thoughts of a person.
If a person sets himself up for the fact that as a result of one event another event will occur, then he involuntarily makes his behavior, his mood, his reactions dependent on this event. For example, if a woman believes that a black cat that crosses the road is bad luck, then she involuntarily begins to wait for this misfortune. Her mood drops, activity decreases. She begins to manage her life worse, and if she doesn’t look somewhere, then “misfortune” will immediately occur. But, this "misfortune" is not the result of the general course of things, which this woman is not able to influence, but only the result of her reaction to a black cat.
With those who do not believe in superstition, such "misfortunes" do not occur, since a "bad event" does not greatly change their emotional background, behavior and reactions. For such people, a black cat crossing the road is just a black cat crossing the road, and not an omen of something bad.
Summing up, we can say that a sign is a sign of a future event that will come regardless of the will of a single person. And superstition is a mental setting for a certain as a result of a certain event. This difference between omen and superstition is very important to understand.
One of distinctive features people, compared with other biological species, is a belief in omens. Psychologists explain this by saying that the human brain prefers to attribute any inexplicable relationships to the influence of the other world and supernatural forces. However, in 2010, a group of German experts proved that talismans and superstitions can really help in exceptional situations.
The YUGA.ru portal publishes a special top 13 of the most common signs and superstitions.
13. Beginners are lucky
The phrase "beginners are lucky" is the usual grumbling of an experienced master who has just lost to a beginner. The idea of superstition is that people have an unusually high chance of winning when they try out a sport or gambling for the first time in their lives.
Experts believe that this pattern (if it exists) may be due to the fact that beginners are usually less worried about possible victory or defeat. Excessive excitement, as a rule, only prevents you from achieving the desired result.
Also, beginner luck can be just a statistical trick, especially in games of chance where everything is determined by chance.
12. Don't spill salt
Salt is one of the most ancient foods associated with superstitions. Table salt is the only food that does not spoil over time. In Russia, salt was considered a symbol of eternity and for a long time was quite expensive. In this regard, the traditions of many peoples prescribed to meet 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 sloppy person spilled salt, he should immediately throw three pinches over his left shoulder and laugh. This act solved two problems at once: it allowed to neutralize the evil spirit 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 stairs!
One of the most practical superstitions is to never walk under a ladder leaning against a wall. There are several possible explanations for this notion.
The first theory, the Christian one, comes from the belief in the Holy Trinity. The ladder, leaning against the wall, forms a triangle, and the "violation" of such a triangle was considered blasphemous.
The second theory originates in the Middle Ages. Portable ladders made people think of the gallows, and it was believed that by passing under the ladder, a person thereby brings his own death closer.
In addition, there is an extremely logical everyday explanation of superstition. What could be more reasonable than not wanting to get an industrial injury from a person 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.
The superstitions associated with these animals are of a different nature in different countries. So, in the UK, a black cat is a symbol of good luck, and a white one, on the contrary, is a source of trouble.
Slavic tradition associates black cats with evil spirits, witches and sorcerers. Accordingly, it is believed that an animal that crosses the road brings misfortune and illness. Even the dream of 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 its 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 feet
The history of the lucky rabbit's foot has its roots in totemism.
The ancient Celts believed that rabbits dig holes in order to communicate underground with the divine world. In addition, hares are the only animals that are born with open eyes, which also caused reverence and amazement among the pagans. It was believed that thanks to this, even before birth, animals possessed secret knowledge and wisdom.
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, being baptized and repeating other ritual actions are supposed to be three times.
In addition, superstitious people tend to believe that troubles, like joys, tend to happen in threes. This superstition is based on the psychological tendency of a person to single out from the mass of events only those that correspond to his expectations. At the same time, belief in omen can make you ignore a lot of minor troubles or, on the contrary, think up a problem out of the blue.
7 Broken Mirrors
According to an ancient legend, breaking a mirror the right way doom yourself to seven years of failure. This superstition arose from the belief that mirrors not only reflect objects, but contain a part of the human soul. The same superstition led to the emergence of the ritual of curtaining mirrors in the house after the death of relatives.
Like the number three, the seven is often associated with good or bad luck. In order to avoid seven years of bad luck, it is recommended to take precautionary measures: take one of the fragments of the mirror to the cemetery or grind all the fragments into powder.
Three sixes in a row evoke horror in many people, fueled by numerous mystical horrors. 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 a numerological representation of Satan and a symbol of the end times. Along with the inverted cross and pentagram, the number is a popular symbol for Satanists.
In Asian countries, unlike European ones, the six is considered lucky number. It is estimated that on June 6, 2006, there were three times as many marriages in China as usual.
One possible explanation for the hype surrounding the number 666 may be its unusual arithmetic properties. Thus, 666 is a palindrome and is the sum of the squares of the first seven primes (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 previous three similar numbers: 333, 444 and 555.
In addition, 666 is the sum of all the numbers on the roulette wheel.
5. Knock on wood
This phrase is almost a verbal talisman designed to ward off any bad luck. Whatever prohibitions a person breaks, few will resist the temptation to knock on the first wooden object that comes 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 will be "sewn up" the way to this world.
For the same reason, it is widely believed that the expectant mother should not knit, embroider, or engage in any other needlework.
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 involved in embroidery, but from time to time go for a walk or just relax in bed.
3. Fingers crossed for good 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 close friends or relatives had to cross their fingers for each other to attract good luck. Gradually, the tradition changed, and now it is enough for a superstitious person to simply say that he crosses his fingers.
2. Do not open umbrellas indoors
It is believed that an umbrella opened indoors brings bad luck. There are many legends associated with this subject. 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 13
The fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskavedekatriaphobia (from Greek word"paraskevi" meaning Friday, and "decatreis" thirteen). In addition, another name is used: friggatriskaidekaphobia - on behalf of the supreme goddess Frigga in Norse 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 very day.
There are many other versions of the origin of this superstition. So, recently there has been speculation that the fear of Friday the 13th is associated with an unexpected arrest. a 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 evil spirits.
In addition, according to the calculations of scientists, expressed in the Doomsday Theory model, the human population will reach infinity or a mathematical singularity exactly on Friday, November 13, 2026.