Ancient fortune-telling for Christmas: on a boot, spoon, straw. What are ancient fortune-telling for the Nativity of Christ?
Christmas is incredibly beautiful and ancientcelebration. Contrary to popular belief, many Christmas traditions have a far from Christian basis, and originated in pagan times. The fact is that Christianity, spreading in a pagan environment, was superimposed on the already existing culture and rituals, to which one can also include ancient fortune-telling for Christmas. It is for this reason that each country has its own traditions of celebrating such seemingly common Christian holidays.
The time of the winter solstice since ancient times was consideredspecial. He had the main cycle of rituals related to the attempts of our ancestors to ensure a good harvest, health, and also to know their future. It is with such interest and connected most of the ancient fortune-teller at Christmas.
All these traditions have not disappeared without a trace, but have joined the Christian celebration of Christmas, becoming its organic part.
I must say that the first Christians did not celebrate this holiday. It began to be celebrated already in later times, replacing the existing pagan festivals.
Traditions of ancient fortune-telling for Christmas
The first to celebrate the birth of Jesus became the Greeks. Unlike the Jewish tradition, where birth is considered the beginning of suffering, in the Greek tradition the beginning of life is a joyful event.
Only from the III century. this holiday was celebrated on a specific day - January 6. And it was connected with the desire to oust the pagan holiday - the celebration of the god Mitra (Saturn). In Russia, where a lot of pagan rituals also occurred at that time, the tradition took root and became universal. Initially, Christmas, Epiphany and Epiphany were celebrated as one holiday, and only in time they sprawled into so-called Christmas trees.
I must say that from ancient times our ancestorsthere was an incredibly large number of various rituals and divination related to Christmas and Christmas. At the same time, only a small part of them are preserved today, since for almost a whole century everything connected with Christmas was under strict prohibition.
It is believed that it is the Christmas fortune-telling that gives the most accurate results. Traditionally they were guessing, of course, for the next couple.
The most popular ancient fortune-telling for Christmas
One of the most interesting was thesubject. To do this, each of those present gave out something belonging to him. All of them were placed on a tray and covered with an embroidered towel. Then one of the present began the song and, without looking, pulled out the object. The meaning of the song concerned the one whose thing it got.
Divination by the boot was widespread. It was believed that if you go out on Christmas Eve and throw boots through the house, he will point to the side where the groom will be from. If the boot does not reach, the young lady will have to sit in the girls for a long time.
To find out their fate, the girls also bakedbalabushki. For this, from the well, the mouth was three times worn with water and the dough interfered with it. After baking cakes, which were called "balabushki." They were laid out on a bench, and a dog was brought into the house, which they had not been fed for the whole day before. The girl whose cake the dog eats first will get married first.
Also they guessed on spoons. To do this on the Holy evening, as soon as the family gets up after a festive dinner, it was necessary as soon as possible to collect spoons and unwashed to take out on the street, ringing them. On which side of the dog zalayut first, from there and will be narrowed.
Divination on straw was also common. In ancient times our ancestors made a roof of straw. It was necessary, having come to a strange house, imperceptibly to pull out from a roof a straw. If an empty one is caught - the girl will live in poverty, if with the grain - she will be well-off in marriage.
There was an incredibly large numberthe most diverse divination. I must say that only unmarried boys and girls could guess. Those who have already found their own couple, to ask fate about the future of the mood, were forbidden.
The Church was extremely negative about thiskind of folk games, repeatedly declaring them diabolical. However, this did not affect their incredible popularity in the people's environment, because the desire to look beyond the veil of the future is inherent in man since ancient times. In addition, such rituals were an excellent way to spend time with young people.
Today, many traditions and rituals of the distant past, including ancient fortune-telling at Christmas, are again becoming popular.
Of course, not all of them can be repeatedtoday, however, many ancient fortune-telling at Christmas can tell us about the future today. This is the famous fortune-telling fortune-telling, candlelight and many others that have been common in Russia at all times.
