Christmas time - two weeks of winter holidays, starting with Christmas Eve on January 6 and ending with Epiphany on January 19. This is the time when life turns upside down, when you can do everything that is forbidden at any other time.
Orthodox Christmas time did not arise from scratch. According to many researchers, our ancestors had their own beliefs about these two weeks. These beliefs, combined with the Christian tradition, created that explosive mixture of holiness and magic that we can still see somewhere today.
In the old days, Christmas time was divided in a very peculiar way: the first week was called “holy”, the second - “terrible”. People believed that this is the time of transition - when old year has already ended, and the new one has not yet begun (recall that until the arrival of the Bolsheviks at the beginning of the 20th century New Year in Rus' began on January 13). It was believed that the spirits of the dead come to earth, and not only them - in some places of Rus' there was a belief that God opened the gates of hell so that demons with features could enjoy Christmas. Young people and elders were actively guessing about the future - it was believed that at this time it was easiest to guess.
During Christmas time, it was forbidden to work in the evenings. Girls and boys gathered for games, the most striking of which was caroling. As usual, they sang carols on the night of Christmas, St. Basil's Day and Epiphany. The carolers were allowed a lot of things that the rest of the time would have ended in failure: for example, if the owner did not give gifts, the carolers could take the cattle out of the barn or break something.
An interesting tradition of Epiphany Christmas Eve, which is now almost never found anywhere, is to drive out evil spirits. This included the consecration of water, and in many places, for this purpose, the house and outbuildings were smoked with incense, and livestock were bypassed with an ax. In some places it was the task of the guys, which they performed by hitting the fences with whips, brandishing brooms and shouting loudly.
Christmas fortune-telling
The girls at Christmas time wondered about the betrothed, and the family - about the future harvest, prosperity. Christmas divination was carried out on dark evenings or nights. At twenty-four hours they gathered for midnight fortune-telling, after midnight - for night ones.
Objects in which, according to legends, magical power was concentrated, served as a means for divination. It could be a shoe, a skirt, a belt, a stocking, a thimble, a needle, a ring, a comb, a mirror. When fortune-telling, the girl had to comply with certain conditions, choosing the right place and time. But first of all, the girl had to get out from under the protection of her religion and amulets. Christian women, for example, took off the cross, and all, without exception, regardless of religion, untied all sorts of knots on themselves, including belts, loosened their hair, and sometimes took off all their clothes, including shoes.
To protect herself from otherworldly forces, the girl outlined a magic circle around herself - with a candle or a torch, a knife, a poker. If they guessed in a group, the girls stood in a circle, holding each other by the little fingers.
One had to go to the place of divination silently, in the dark, trying to remain unnoticed. A special place for fortune-telling was also chosen - “unclean”. It could be either an abandoned house, as well as a barn or canopy, a basement or attic, sometimes even a cemetery, or “border” places - those where two worlds form a border: a threshold or corner of a house, a gate, an intersection, places near water (wells, hole). Fortune-telling in houses, fortune-telling at churches.
Since ancient times, the crossroads was considered an unclean place that belongs to demons, they said that an unclean spirit has power over a person at the crossroads. This place is a “borderline” between the two worlds, both dangerous and, conversely, healing actions were performed here. The gate, which also served as a place for divination, is a symbol of the border between one's own world and another's. The girls threw shoes over the gate, standing at the gate, guessing who would pass by (the appearance of a man foreshadowed an imminent marriage), they climbed onto the gate and “called their share”, guessing their future by the sounds and voices they heard.
Divination at the crossroads
At exactly midnight, come to the intersection to "listen to the neighborhood." Cheerful laughter or singing nearby means an early marriage, fun. If crying or lamentations are heard, there will be no wedding this year. It is believed that it is at the crossroads that you can hear the voice of fate, because here is the border between the two worlds, and standing at the crossroads, you seem to be in two worlds at the same time.
Fortune telling on the mirror and the moon
On one of the holy nights, when a month is visible in the sky, take a small mirror, go to the window and direct the mirror so that the month is reflected in it. Look closely - after a while, instead of one month, you will see several. Count how many months you have imagined: in this way the girls wondered about the future family - whether it will be big or not.
Divination with three mirrors
For this divination, you will need three mirrors of approximately the same size and two tall candles. They begin such fortune-telling at midnight, having previously outlined themselves with a magic circle - a sign of protection (they drew with chalk, and a burning torch, and a candle).
Place two mirrors one opposite the other on either side of you, light candles in front of them, and set the third behind. You should see a reflection from the third mirror in the side mirrors, from where the betrothed should appear from behind the looking glass behind you.
In no case should you turn around, and also look at the figure in the mirror for too long. If the vision is frightening, say three times: "Stay away from me!" - and stop fortune telling by extinguishing the candles.
kitchen divination
You need to rotate a regular kitchen knife on a regular cutting board. The knife is placed in the center of the board. Papers are laid out along the edges of the board, on which possible answers are written: “yes” and “no”.
you have to be patient;
be afraid of false friends;
good news ahead;
long awaited letter
success in business;
unexpected guest;
tears will be replaced by joy;
lead from afar;
new fan;
unexpected meeting;
important letter.
You need to focus on the question, and then spin the knife. This is done three times, getting three responses. Among them (not necessarily the first) will be the answer to the question posed, and the other two will be additional messages, related or not related to the original question.
Divination with matches
Insert two matches on the sides of the matchbox and set it on fire. If the burnt heads turned towards each other, then the “conceived” guy and girl will be together.
Fortune telling on threads
Cut the threads of the same length and set them on fire. Whoever burns out the thread faster, that one will be the first to be married. If less than half of the thread burned out or the thread immediately went out, then this year you will not get married.
Wealth or poverty
Quickly immerse the lit torch in water. If it immediately goes out, then a poor life is expected, and if the fire goes higher, a rich one.
Divination by the cat's paw
Make a wish and call the cat. If she crosses the threshold of the room with her left paw, then the wish will come true. If right - alas! - No.
Royal dream
Put four kings from a deck of cards under the pillow and say a request-spell: “Who is my betrothed, who is my mummer, dream me in a dream!” The betrothed-mummers must definitely dream - in the form of a king - with a crown on his head and in a royal mantle.
Christmas divination with wish cards
Shuffle the deck of cards, draw six cards from the pack, open them and make a wish on any card that is not in these six. Shuffle the remaining thirty cards and place them in piles of two, three, four, five, and six cards. If the hidden card is in any of the piles, this means:
2 - the wish will not come true;
3 - hardly;
4 - will encounter serious obstacles;
5 - maybe it will come true;
6 - it will come true for sure!
If the cherished card has not yet fallen out, then these piles (two, three, four, five and six cards each) must be removed, and first the open six cards are mixed with the remaining ten cards and laid out one card at a time, saying: “Wait, be patient” , “Rejoice”, “Be strong, angry”, “Wave your hand”. On what words the hidden card will fall out, they will be the answer, whether your wish will come true.
Christmas divination with cards for fate
Take a deck of thirty-six cards, shuffle and remove the "cap". Choose a king or a lady (depending on the gender of the one you are guessing at) of any suit and, without removing the cards from the deck, arrange them in four rows of nine cards. Those cards that will be near the intended king or queen will tell about your fate.
The meaning of the suits:
Red suit: loyalty, friendship, love, honor, truth, virtue.
Diamond suit: wealth; prosperous, prosperous and cheerful life.
Club suit: trouble, scandalous incident, boredom, loss, dishonor, illness, infidelity.
Peak suit: good luck in any undertaking and success in society.
Meaning of each card:
Worms
Ace is a love letter.
The king is a passionate man.
The lady is the bride.
Valet is a pleasant guest.
Ten - news of love.
Nine is a love explanation.
Eight - pleasure.
Seven is fun.
Six is a fun road.
Diamonds
Ace is a letter.
The king is a young man, a fiancé, an unhappy lover.
The lady is a young girl, a windy woman.
Jack - money chores.
Ten is a gift.
Nine is an obstacle.
Eight - hate.
Seven - infidelity.
Six is a fun road.
Clubs
Ace is a false rumor.
The king is a married man, a true friend.
The lady is a married woman.
Jack - good luck in business.
Ten is big money.
Nine - small money.
Eight is a lie.
Seven - news from the state house.
Six is a useless road.
Peaks
Ace - a sad letter, news of death.
The king is the enemy.
The lady is an evil woman, a gossip.
Jack - gossip, unpleasant chores.
Ten is a disease.
Nine - the loss of a friend.
Eight - treason, sadness.
Seven is a quarrel.
Six - unlucky road, late road.
In Rus', divination and rituals have always been treated with respect. Christmas divination among the people is considered the most truthful, this period of time is really special and mystical. The most fateful are the predictions received in the time frame from Christmas to Baptism itself. Young girls are guessing at the groom, and other people are interested in what surprises and surprises the coming year has in store for them. There are many ways to see the clues of fate, the interpretation of which depends on the intuition of fortunetellers.
Eavesdropping
This method of divination is interesting for its unpredictability. At night, fortunetellers go secretly into the street, go silently, without entering into a dialogue with anyone, and stop under the window of a residential building where the light is on, then listen to the conversations and sounds coming from inside. If it is calm outside the window, or there is a quiet pleasant conversation, this indicates a calm and measured life next year. If there is a scandal in the house, accordingly, the fortuneteller's life will not be quiet. The cry of a baby portends motherhood or caring for babies, in connection with the field of activity.
There is only one attempt, even if the signs of fate are not completely clear to you, as your life changes, you will realize their meaning.
Divination for the groom on holy night
On the night of Christmas, before going to bed, the girls put on one stocking or sock on their right leg, and say: “Betrothed-mummer, come to me in a dream, take off the stocking from me!”
If you have a dream, with a clear image of a guy, this is the appearance of your future groom. If you do not remember your dream, or you dreamed about something else, most likely you will not become a bride this year.
Divination on the ring, bread and hook
Three unmarried girls participate in this fortune-telling, and the fourth (married or older relative) helps them. The girls sit in a circle at the table and close their eyes. At this time, the assistant puts a slice of bread, a hook made of straw or wire and a ring in random order on the table, then covers the objects with a thick scarf through which they are not visible.
At the same time, the girls are looking for objects under the scarf by touch, you can’t choose. The first thing that comes to hand and will be the answer to the question.
The girl who gets the ring will marry a dandy, the one who has bread in her hand will meet a rich man, and the hook portends the girl life with a poor man.
Divination for the groom with a rooster
This method of divination is most common in the villages, because it will require the participation of a live rooster.
Place objects on the floor: a bowl of grain, a container of water and a mirror. Launch a rooster into the room and see what object it fits. If to the mirror, the groom will be handsome and aesthetic, if to the water, he will have a penchant for drunkenness, and if the rooster chooses grain, this portends a rich groom.
Video: Christmas divination
Stand before me like a leaf before grass
Christmas tradition - to believe in the best
- Gild your hand, I'll tell you the whole truth, - for a long time I have not met gypsies with such a proposal. They probably understand that now is not the season for them. After all, two winter weeks for Catholics from December 25 to January 6, and for Orthodox from January 6 to 19, called Christmas time, is the best time for magic rituals.
Fortune telling at Christmas and Christmas time has been a tradition since ancient times - since pagan times. The holidays were around the winter solstice. The turn of winter to spring was interpreted as the boundary between the old and new economic years: the cycle of winter work was ending, preparations for sowing and spring chores began. In addition, it was believed that on the first day of Christmas time, the souls of the dead come to earth from the other world and revelry begins. evil spirits. Remember at least Gogol's "The Night Before Christmas" - you will immediately understand everything. That is why the ritual associated with communication with otherworldly forces, that is, fortune-telling, was timed to coincide with Christmas time, when it was easier to get to otherworldly forces.
Like any ritual, Christmas divination was furnished with a mass of conventions.. The fortune-tellers had to take off their pectoral crosses (evil spirits, as you know, are afraid of the cross), belts, untie all the knots on their clothes, girls - to dissolve the braid. They went secretly for fortune-telling: they left the house without crossing themselves, they walked in silence, closing their eyes and covering their faces with a handkerchief so that no one would recognize anyone. And in order to protect themselves from the machinations of evil spirits, they drew a circle around themselves and put a clay pot on their heads. With clay pots and blooming braids, now, of course, I strained - who has these pots left, and there are a lot of girls with short haircuts. But one condition must be observed without fail: during Christmas and Christmas fortune-telling, you can only look for a good meaning in everything. To believe in bad omens means to set yourself up for failure in the new year.
After reading a long list of fortune-telling, I made an unexpected conclusion: you can guess on anything. Felt boots, shoes, candles, mirrors, walnut shells, wax, milk, pets (cat, dog, rooster) - in general, we take the first thing that comes to hand and start. True, depending on the subject, the method of divination changes slightly. But the main thing is not on what, but on what to guess. There are no questions here: we are guessing for the future, the girls - for the groom and a successful marriage, having started a family - for the sex of the unborn child or for how life will turn out in the future.
The scariest Christmas divination - with mirrors. It is described by Russian classics a hundred times, if not more. After listening to various stories, impressionable persons during this ritual even fainted. According to ancient beliefs, the mirror is generally a mystical object. It represents the boundary between the real world and the world of spirits. Therefore, a broken mirror certainly bodes trouble. By the way, most of the "thin" signs are connected precisely with the reflection in the mirror. It was strictly forbidden for a woman to look into it at those moments of her life when she could most easily break the invisible border between the world of the living and the world of the dead: during pregnancy, after the birth of a child and all postpartum period when she was considered "unclean". But we are modern people, we have nothing to fear. Moreover, the mirror can also become a talisman. The impure force reflected in it loses its magical power and forever loses the ability to harm people.
So let's get started. Guessing is best at midnight (the most rampant evil spirits), in an unclean place - in the bath. In a city apartment, an ordinary bathroom will do. The fortuneteller remains in the room completely alone, loosens her hair, takes off her belt, puts two cutlery, a mirror and a candle on the table, sits down in front of the mirror and says: "Betrothed, mummers, come to dinner with me." At midnight, she will see a man looking over her shoulder. Seeing the ditso of this betrothed-mummer, immediately quickly say: "Stay away from this place!" The male image will disappear, you will be out of danger.
You can guess with two mirrors. Mirrors are placed opposite each other so that one mirror is reflected in the other. In this case, one mirror is placed on the table with candles on the sides. At midnight, the candles are lit, the girl undresses, sits on a chair between the mirrors and carefully peers into her reflection. If the mirrors are placed correctly, then the reflections form a long gallery in which the image of the betrothed should appear.
Another very popular divination, also described in Russian classical literature, on felt boots or shoes. We leave the outskirts of the village (you can just go out into the street), take off the shoe from the left foot and throw it over the shoulder with the toe forward. Where the sock looks, from there you have to wait for the matchmakers. If the sock is turned towards the hostess, alas, there will be no wedding this year.
You can know the future by barking dogs. At midnight, taking a knife with us, we go out into the street and begin to cut the snowdrift, saying: "Damn, damn it, don't be silent, damn it, tell me, what kind of husband will I get, will I have to laugh or cry?" Having uttered the words of the spell, we fall silent and listen to the dog barking. Vicious, jerky barking promises a strict and gloomy husband, cheerful and boisterous - the husband will come across cheerful and kind.
If a howl is heard, we do not pay attention and transfer the process to the next midnight. Because he promises a short marriage and a quick widowhood.
Want to tell fortunes by candlelight? We'll have to get ready. This is not for you to throw a shoe over your shoulder. We take the cinders of white wax or paraffin candles (colored ones are not suitable), put them in a metal bowl, melt it on fire and immediately pour it into a container with cold water. And now we strain our imagination and try to see what kind of figure we have. The house promises the acquisition of a new household, the ruins - misfortune, a pit or cave predicts a serious illness or imminent death. A ring or a candle predict a quick wedding, damn it - a long girlhood. In general, what you want, then you should try to see.
Approximately the same looks divination on wax and milk. Milk, poured into a saucer, put on the threshold. We put the cinders of wax candles in a metal bowl, melt them on fire, saying: "Brownie, my master, come under the threshold to drink milk, eat wax." Then pour the wax into the milk and consider which figure came out. The cross promises illness or minor troubles, a blooming flower - a wedding, an animal - an ill-wisher, a scattering of small stars - good luck in business, a human figure - the appearance of a new friend.
You can guess by the shadow. To do this, properly crush the newspaper, put it on a plate and set it on fire. When the paper is completely burnt out, we put a candle next to the plate and look at the shadow that the burnt newspaper casts on the wall. The meaning of the figures is the same as in divination on wax.
To know the future hair, will have to get hold of the hair of a loved one. At midnight, add a pinch of ash, a pinch of sugar and a pinch of salt to a bowl of water, mix. When the mess "settled down", we throw two hairs into it - ours and our beloved. We leave the bowl until the morning. If the hair is intertwined in the morning, the wedding is just around the corner. If they are at a distance from each other, separation is near. If the hair is drowned, the one to whom it belongs will become seriously ill.
You can see the betrothed if you pour water into 3/4 of the volume into an ordinary glass with smooth walls (without a pattern and polishing) and carefully lower it to the middle of the bottom wedding ring pre-cleaned. Looking closely at the very center of the ring, you can see the betrothed. You won't see anything in five minutes, so look long and hard. Perhaps, something will come to mind.
In the old days, trying to find out what the future husband would be, they took at random in a dark woodshed log. An even log with a smooth thin bark promised a handsome and young husband, with a thick rough bark - ugly, with peeled bark or no bark at all - poor, cracked - old with a physical defect, large - a strong and strong husband, a knotty log indicated that the family will be big: every bitch is a child. In the city, of course, there are no woodsheds. Therefore, instead of a log, we will choose a tree at random. Blindfold, unwind and go in search. The principle of guessing is the same as for the log.
The next method of divination is suitable only for rural conditions or, in extreme cases, a breeding exhibition of bird livestock. Several girls should gather in one room, be counted. Large grains are sprinkled on the floor and brought into the room at exactly midnight. black rooster. He will peck all the grains - the one whose number will coincide with the number of pecked grains will marry (therefore, there should be exactly as many grains as there are girls gathered), the rooster did not peck anything - there will be no weddings, there will be only minor troubles.
The betrothed-mummer can be seen and in a dream. There are several ways to view it. You can pull out a few twigs from a broom, build a bridge out of them and put it under the pillow until the morning with the words: "Who is my betrothed, who is my mummer, he will take me across the bridge." You can take matches instead of twigs and build a well out of them. In this case, it is necessary to say: "Narrowed, mummers, come get some water."
You can do it easier. Write the name of a loved one on a piece of paper, kiss him with painted lips so that a trace remains, put it on a small mirror and send it under the pillow.
On the night from Monday to Tuesday, you can put a spruce branch at the head of the head. Having said, “I lie down on Monday, I put a spruce tree at the head, dream of the one who thinks of me,” we calmly fall asleep. Whoever dreams, he loves.
On the night from Thursday to Friday, the saying becomes more complicated: “Thursday with Wednesday, Tuesday with Monday, Sunday with Saturday. Friday is alone and I am young, alone. I am lying on the Zion Mountains, three angels in my head: one sees. indicate." Whoever dreams is the groom.
In a new place, you can get off with a simple saying: "In a new place, dream of a bridegroom."
Fortune telling on relatives good in Holland. For some reason, the windows are not closed with curtains. Therefore, you walk along the sidewalk and perfectly see what is happening inside the room. We have this, in my opinion, is impossible. Nevertheless, those wishing to find out what awaits their relatives in the coming year are advised by tradition to look out the windows of their neighbors during dinner. If you can see the heads of those sitting at the table, then everything will be fine with the relatives, if the heads are not visible, expect misfortune.
And to find out what awaits you, your beloved, you need to eavesdrop on your neighbors. However, the audibility in our homes is such that even without special eavesdropping, everything is audible. But personally, I was not lucky with my neighbors. At the top are constant scandals and showdowns. If you believe you will accept, then next year I will have another year. Now, if they had peace and quiet, then I would have everything tip-top. However, there is still time before Christmas. Maybe on Christmas night it will be quiet in the "jolly" family? As a last resort, I will listen to a neighbor in the apartment on the left. It's always quiet there.
Now let's find out what will be the name of the betrothed. There is nothing easier. Go outside at midnight and call out to the first person you meet. Learn the name. So your betrothed will be called.
Take a fresh egg, make a small hole in it and carefully pour the contents into a glass of water. When the squirrel curls up, according to the shape it has taken, you need to guess your future. The church means a wedding, the ring means betrothal, the cube means a coffin, the ship means a business trip (for a man) or the return of a husband from a business trip (for a woman). If the squirrel sank to the bottom - be in the house on fire.
Cat will also help in divination. Make a wish and call your cat. If the threshold of the room is crossed with the left paw, that's why. If it's right, nothing will happen. My advice: there is time before Christmas, you can train your pet. As soon as he learns to step over with the right paw, you can guess.
The next method of divination may well become entertainment. Water is poured into the basin, and strips of paper are fixed along the edges of the vessel, on which they write what a fortuneteller can expect in the coming year. Let's say a wedding, a new job, moving to a new apartment, etc. If several people are guessing at once, then the names of those present are written on paper, and one event is guessed, say, only new job.
Then in half the shell walnut fix the stub of a church candle, light it and push it to the middle of the pelvis. The shell itself should swim up to one of the notes. But the wish will come true only if the paper, upon contact with the "boat", ignites from the flame of a candle.
Divination by the book will also bring a lot of pleasant moments. Take a volume of your favorite writer. Mentally ask a question, guess the line number below or above, and randomly open the book. The answer will be not only the hidden line, but the entire semantic passage in which this line is included. If the answer found in the book does not lend itself to logical interpretation, fortune-telling is repeated.
Everyone always wants to look at least a little into the future, and Christmas time was considered an ideal time for fortune telling - and people wondered. For fortune-telling, "unclean" places were chosen, where, as it was believed, an unclean force lives, which became very active during the Christmas period - non-residential and non-standard places: abandoned houses, baths, barns, cellars, canopies, attics, cemeteries, etc.
The fortune-tellers had to take off their underwear crosses and belts, untie all the knots on their clothes, the girls loosened their braids. They went secretly to fortune-telling: they left the house without crossing themselves, they walked in silence, barefoot in one shirt, closing their eyes and covering their faces with a handkerchief so as not to be recognized. In order not to completely disappear, they took "protective" measures against evil spirits - they drew a circle around themselves with a poker and put a clay pot on their heads.
The topics of fortune-telling varied from questions of life, death and health to the offspring of livestock and honey bees, however, the main part of the fortune-telling was devoted to marriage issues - the girls tried to find out the most detailed information about their betrothed.
The technology of divination was based on the universal belief that if certain conditions are met, "signs" of fate will be received, which, if correctly interpreted, will open the veil of time and suggest the future. "Signs" could be anything - dreams, random sounds and words, forms of melted wax and protein poured into water, the degree of wilting of plants, the behavior of animals, the number and even-odd of objects, etc., etc. and so on.
The barking of a dog indicated from which side the groom would arrive, the sound of an ax promised misfortune and death, music for a quick wedding, the tramp of a horse - a good road; they guessed not only by random sounds and provoked them: they knocked on the gate of the barn, on the fence, etc. And they guessed about the temper of the future husband by the behavior of cockroaches, spiders and ants.
To dream prophetic dream, the girl had to wash herself with water brought from nine wells, weave blades of grass into a braid, sweep the floor before going to bed in the direction from the threshold to the corner and run around the house in the nude. It also helped to put under the bed and under the pillow men's pants, a pillow with grain, a comb or a cup of water.
But still, the central moment of the Christmas celebrations was a family meal. An odd number of dishes were prepared, the main of which was kutya - a kind of hard boiled porridge made from barley or wheat groats (and sometimes prepared from a mixture different kind grains), they also prepared pancakes and oatmeal jelly. Additional appliances were placed on the table according to the number of family members who died in the past year.
In the evenings and at night, mummers went home - carolers, especially in order to receive ritual food from the owners and express good wishes to them in the coming year, the prosperity of the family next year, it was believed, directly depended on the degree of gifting carolers.