Superstition in Russia: Difference between revisions

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{{Culture of Russia}}

'''Superstition in Russia''' covers the [[superstition]]s and folk rituals of the [[Russians|Russian community]]. Many of these traditions are staples of everyday life, and some are even considered common social [[etiquette]] despite being rooted in superstition. The influence of these traditions and superstitions varies, and their perceived importance depends on factors such as region and age.

==Customs regarded as superstitions==

Many of the things on this list may, or may not, be regarded as [[superstitions]] by [[Russians]], or by outsiders. Most of them apply to the other countries that made up [[The Soviet Union]] as well. Many of them are now inseparable parts of every day life or simply common social [[etiquette]], though they often have their origins in superstition. This list is by no means complete, but it covers a great deal of them. The awareness of them, and the weight they carry, depends on various factors including region and age. Some are extremely common and practiced by the vast majority of the population. Some are extremely obscure. However, it is all relative and opinions vary greatly on the subject.

=== Financial ===

*Hands that itch are an omen that one will become wealthy.

*A wallet (or any other money holder) given as a gift must carry some money inside. Otherwise, it is said to cause bad financial luck.

=== Travel ===

*Before leaving for a long journey, travelers, and all those who are seeing them off, must sit for a moment in silence before leaving the house. It is often seen as a time to sit and think of anything one may have forgotten. Another version of the superstition states that the traveler must sit for a moment on or beside their suitcase. An example in {{Langx|ru|Присядем на дорожку.|lit=let's sit on the path|translit=prisyadem na dorozhku|label=Russian}})<ref>{{Cite book |last=Власова |first=Марина |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UcASAQAAIAAJ&q=%D1%81%D1%83%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%8F+%D0%B2+%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%B8 |title=Русские суеверия |date=2000 |publisher=Азбука |isbn=978-5-267-00379-7 |language=ru}}</ref>

*Returning home for forgotten items is considered a bad omen. It is considered better to leave it behind, but if returning is necessary, one should look in the mirror before leaving the house again. Otherwise, the journey will go poorly.

===Russian folkLuck medicine===

*Breaking a mirror is considered bad luck in Russia, as is looking at one's reflection in a broken mirror. However, the effect is more severe than the "seven years of bad luck" known colloquially in the United States. Sometimes it is bad luck to use mirrors thrown away by someone else.

* It is widely believed in [[Russia]] that sitting on cold surfaces, such as rocks or even the ground, is not simply [[taboo]] for a woman, but it is extremely hazardous to her health and inhibits her ability to bear children (by somehow exposing her [[ovaries]] to the cold). It is a practice that is rigorously upheld, especially in cold weather and with young children, who will often unknowingly sit on the ground, and who will frequently be lifted up by a supervising adult.

*It is considered bad luck to use hand gestures to demonstrate something negative (like injury) using an unharmed person as an object. For example, when one describes a scar they saw on someone's face, they would not gesture on their own face or another's. If one must do so, they would demonstrate in mid-air. If one does it without realizing, it can be countered by either pointing towards the body part used and then making an abrupt motion away from it, with the motion of throwing bad energy away. They may also wipe that area with their hand and then blow on their hand to similar ends. Spitting over one's left shoulder can also be used as a countermeasure to this bad luck.

=== Newborns ===

* Keeping all parts of one's body as dry and warm as possible in cold weather and rain is generally practiced as [[prophylaxis]] for the [[common cold]] in Russia, as it is in many parts of the world. There are a variety of [[home remedies]] used to treat the common cold, including hot [[tea]]. Cold beverages are avoided while one is sick. This is not unique to Russia; however, many Russians tend to be more adamant about it than most Westerners.

*It is believed that supplies bought for a newborn baby should only be purchased after the baby is born.

* Traditional self-medication is prevalent in Russia. Banki (банки) are little glass jars that are usually applied to the back. A match is lit inside in order to burn up the oxygen and create suction. This technique is known as [[fire cupping]] in traditional Chinese medicine. Gorchichniki (горчичники) are [[mustard plaster]]s that are applied onto the back or the chest. Mustard plasters have been and still are used by Westerners, as well. <ref> {{cite journal | author=F. Klenner | title=Virus Pneumonia and Its Treatment With Vitamin C | journal=Southern Medicine & Surgery | year=1948 | volume=110 | issue=2 | pages=36-38, 46}} </ref> [http://www.seanet.com/~alexs/ascorbate/194x/klenner-fr-southern_med_surg-1948-v110-n2-p36.htm] Doctors often prescribe banki and/or gorchichniki instead of chemical medications or antibiotics when a patient has flu and cold like symptoms.

=== Exams ===

These beliefs and practices may be considered as superstitious by some Westerners, who think that viral and bacterical causes of colds and flu make it irrational to associate body temperature with the probability of getting sick and hot remedies with better recovery. However, some existing research shows that mild hypothermia inhibits the immune response, in which case Russian traditional beliefs and remedies may be not be completely baseless. <ref> {{cite journal | author=S. Russwurm ''et al.'' | title=Direct Influence of Mild Hypothermia on Cytokine Expression and Release in Cultures of Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells | journal=Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research | year=2002 | volume=22 | issue=2 | pages= 215-221}} </ref> [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11911804&dopt=Abstract]

*Before one takes an exam, someone else may say, "ни пуха ни пера!" which roughly translates to "neither fur, nor feather!" which is meant to wish bad luck. To this, the one taking the exam would reply, "К чёрту!" which means, "Go to the Devil!" or "To the Devil!" which is a way of countering bad luck. Originally this had been used by hunters - one wished another bad luck ("So you would hunt neither hare, nor duck"), and another countered bad luck by mentioning the devil.

*On examination day, it is considered bad luck to make one's bed, wear anything new, or cut one's fingernails.

*The night before the exam, it is believed to be bad luck to wash one's hair.

*Some believe that shaving or cutting their hair one week before the exam will result in bad luck.

===Russian EtiquetteMiscellaneous ===

* Men in Russia will always shake hands (or at least offer a wrist if a hand is dirty, wet or otherwise unavailable) when they greet for the first time during the day. However, it is taboo to shake hands with your gloves on. A glove must be removed, no matter how cold it may be. Russia is one of the many countries where this [[handshake]] tradition is rigorously upheld.

* Knocking on wood is practiced in Russia as in other countries to ward off bad luck. However, Russians tend to add a symbolic three spits over one's left shoulder (or simply with the head turned to the left), and Russians will often knock three times as well. Traditionally, one was spitting on the devil (who is on one's left shoulder, while an angel is on the right one).

* Shaking hands and giving things across the threshold is taboo. Usually a guest will come inside before shaking a host's hand when arriving and shake it before leaving the threshold when leaving. Sometimes people will even avoid saying "hello" and "goodbye" across the threshold.

*To meet a woman with empty water buckets is considered a bad omen.

==Traditions for the use of alcohol in Russia==

* It is traditional in Russia for men to give [[flowers]] to women on nearly every occasion, but only an odd number can be given. Giving an even number of flowers is taboo, because even numbers are brought to funerals.

*When you're having alcohol, especially [[russian vodka|vodka]], the glass must be drunk until it is gone, "to the bottom" of it. However, the glass is not to be poured full if one wishes a bit.

*If one raised a glass with alcohol during a toast, one should not put a glass with alcohol back on the table until the toast is finished. However, it refers only to shot-type strong alcohol which you are supposed to drink at once. Wine, long drink [[cocktail]]s and [[beer]] do not fall under the rule as they are meant to be sipped.

*Traditionally alcohol is poured out to all the people present, though they are not required to drink.

*One should not make a long interruption between first and second shots.

*The latecomer must drink a full glass. (so-called "penalty")

*Outgoing guest must drink last glass, so-called "na pososhok" ({{Langx|ru|На посошок}}). Literally it is translated "On a small (walking) staff", really means "For lucky way".

*As a rule, every portion of spirit is accompanied by a touch of glasses and a toast pronounced. Funerals and commemorations are exceptions; there the touch of glasses is forbidden.

*It is not allowed to pour out by hand holding a bottle from below. When pouring, one is expected to keep another hand away from a glass. This is often described as centuries old tradition preventing culprits from poisoning their victims.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Почему нельзя наливать через руку: пустое суеверие или традиция |url=https://news.myseldon.com/ru/news/index/215853177 |access-date=2022-05-29 |website=news.myseldon.com|date=6 September 2019 }}</ref>

*It is not allowed to fill a glass being held in the air.

*It is considered bad luck to make a toast with an empty glass. If done, the toaster must finish off the bottle of what he had last.

*It is considered bad luck to put an empty bottle back on the table when it is finished.<ref>Donaldson, Lloyd. (1996) ''Russian Etiquette & Ethics in Business''. [[NTC Business Books]]. p. 74.</ref><ref>King, Anna. (2010) ''Russia - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture''. [[Kuperard]]. {{ISBN|1-857-33352-7}}</ref><ref>Richmond, Simon. (2010) ''Russia''. [[Lonely Planet]]. p. 109 {{ISBN|9781742203737}}</ref>

=="Cause and effect" Russian superstitions==

* You should never go to someone else's house empty handed. Alcoholic beverages and/or dessert is a common gift to bring when invited to someone's home.

* If your ears or cheeks are hot, someone is thinking or talking about you (usually speaking ill).<ref name="bare_url_a">{{Cite web|url=http://paganism.msk.ru/primety/prim10.htm|title="Язычество славян" - Приметы - Сонник|website=paganism.msk.ru}}</ref>

* If your nose itches, you'll be drinking soon. For children they might say, "You'll get hit in the nose".<ref name="bare_url_a" />

* If your right eye itches, you're going to be happy soon. If your left eye itches, you'll be sad.<ref name="bare_url_a" />

* If your lips itch, you'll be kissing someone soon.<ref name="bare_url_a" />

* If your right hand itches, you're going to get money soon. It sometimes means you're going to greet someone. If your left hand itches, you're going to give someone money.<ref name="bare_url_a" />

* If you have the [[hiccups]], someone is remembering you at this moment.<ref name="bare_url_a" />

* If an eyelash falls out you'll receive a gift. If someone finds an eyelash on someone they will sometimes let the person blow it away and make a wish.<ref name="bare_url_a" />

* If a fork or spoon falls on the ground, expect a female guest. If a knife falls, expect a male guest.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://paganism.msk.ru/404.htm|title=Язычество славян - энциклопедия славянской религии. Создатель сайта: Мельников Виталий Викторович.|website=paganism.msk.ru}}</ref>

* If you eat from a knife, you'll be "angry like a [[dog]]".<ref name="bare_url_a" />

* If someone is not recognized when seen or heard, they will be rich. So if someone calls you on the phone and you don't recognize them you can cheer them up by telling them they'll be rich.<ref name="bare_url_a" />

* If someone was talking about you before you entered the room/conversation, then you will live a long and rich life.

* If a [[cat]] is washing its face, expect guests soon.<ref name="bare_url_c">{{Cite web|url=http://paganism.msk.ru/primety/prim06.htm|title="Язычество славян" - Приметы - Сонник|website=paganism.msk.ru}}</ref>

* If a [[black cat]] crosses your path, it is bad luck (though not unique to Russian tradition). People will often avoid crossing the place where it crossed, or will at least wait for someone else to cross it first.<ref name="bare_url_c" />

* If a [[hare]] crosses your path, it is bad luck. This is much less common than the cat superstition, which is understandable given the lack of hares in urban conditions.<ref name="bare_url_c" />

* If you spill salt, it is bad luck and is said to bring conflict, but no one will throw salt over their left shoulder.<ref name="bare_url_c" />

* If you step on a crack, it is bad luck. This one isn't very common, and Russians who do avoid cracks don't do it in an effort to save their mother's backs.<ref name="bare_url_a" />

* If it is raining when you leave a place, it means you'll return, and it is considered a generally good omen.<ref name="bare_url_a" />

* If it rains on someone's wedding, it means they'll be wealthy.<ref name="bare_url_d">{{Cite web|url=http://paganism.msk.ru/primety/prim02.htm|title="Язычество славян" - Приметы - Сонник|website=paganism.msk.ru}}</ref>

* If someone sneezes while telling something, it means they are telling the truth.<ref name="bare_url_a" />

* If one or more birds [[defecate]] on you or your property (commonly cars), it is good luck, and may bring you riches.<ref name="bare_url_c" />

* If you find a [[bay leaf]] in your soup (commonly [[Borshch]]) while eating, it means you'll get mail from someone.{{Citation needed|date=November 2007}}

* If you wear clothes (such as an undershirt) inside out, you will get beaten. Your friend should point this out, wait for you to fix the clothes, and then punch you symbolically. If you noticed it yourself, take the piece of clothing off, put it on the ground and step on it.<ref name="bare_url_a" />

* Lucky in cards not lucky in love. This, however, is only a pre-marital superstition. The reason for the division is that marriage is a sacrament in the Russian Orthodox Church, and this sacrament, ordained by God, eviscerates the pre-marital superstition. Thus, when a man is bonded by divine sacrament to a single woman whom he loves the cause and effect is reversed: namely, his married love for a single woman, and her love for him, will bring him good fortune in all endeavors including cards.<ref name="bare_url_d" />

* If you wear a shirt backwards, you will become acquainted with someone new.<ref name="bare_url_a" />

* In Russian superstition if a couple sets a wedding date and doesn't end up getting married on that date, they can not set another date and should not get married as their union will be cursed.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://paganism.msk.ru/primety/prim03.htm|title="Язычество славян" - Приметы - Сонник|website=paganism.msk.ru}}</ref>

* Accidentally breaking a glass is considered good luck.

* If one tripped on their left leg and was born on an odd-numbered day, or tripped on their right foot and was born on an even-numbered day, one should ask someone else to slap their corresponding hand in order to negate the bad luck.

* If you have ringing in one of your ears, ask someone which ear is ringing. If they guessed right, you should both make a wish.

* If someone does something bad, a ghost may take a possession owned by the family. If the sinner repents, the ghost will return the item sometime during the week of their birthday.

*If someone whistles inside a house, they will become financially irresponsible and lose money.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Несмелова |first=Ольга |title=Почему нельзя свистеть в доме и еще пять домашних запретов — www.wday.ru |url=https://www.wday.ru/dom-eda/soh/pochemu-nelzya-svistet-v-dome-i-esche-pyat-domashnih-zapretov/ |access-date=2022-05-29 |website=www.wday.ru |language=ru}}</ref>

* If you find yourself standing between people with identical names, you should make a wish and it will come true.

Russia lacks some of the superstitions Westerners find commonplace. Most Russians are not particularly concerned with the number {{num|13}},{{Citation needed|date=September 2008}} opening [[umbrellas]] indoors{{Citation needed|date=September 2008}} or walking under [[ladders]].{{Citation needed|date=September 2008}} Archaically though, the number 13 might have been considered a "devil's number". This is because it could only be divided by itself, contrasted with a widely used number 12 for counting.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Новости |first=Р. И. А. |date=October 13, 2007 |title=Несчастливое число 13: суеверия, совпадения или сверхъестественность? |url=https://ria.ru/20071013/83773933.html |access-date=2022-05-29 |website=РИА Новости |language=ru}}</ref>

Communion or hold conversations with demons. Sorcerers primarily used black magic to summon devils. The goals of summoning devils include attaining wealth, fame, approval of superiors, sex, or harming another person. Those that rejected Christianity and sought the Devil felt that the Devil was as strong as God and impious spells were more powerful than prayer.<ref name="Elena">Elena B. Smilianksaia, "Witches, Blasphemers, and Heretics," Russian Studies in History 45. 4 (2001).</ref>

* It is traditional to always propose some kind of toast when drinking. Refusing to drink [[vodka]] on certain occasions or to a certain [[toast (honor)]] may sometimes be considered rude. For instance refusing to drink vodka at a funeral banquet is considered unacceptable. However you never toast in honor of those who have died or on [[Easter]] (for the same reason). Your glass cannot touch the table from the time a toast is proposed to the time you drink. Your glass should remain on the table when it is being refilled.

===Love magic===

* Many Russians consider it bad form not to finish a bottle of vodka once it has been opened, no matter how few people there are left to finish it.

Romance was connected with magic and sorcery even until the 18th century when it became a prevalent literary theme. Neighbors suspected magic to be the cause of people so passionate that they lost their senses. Christianity supported marriage and child-bearing, but it did not support the pursuit of pleasures of the flesh. This ban did not stop people from employing the Devil to get their share of pleasure. For men the usual aim was sex, but for women it could have been to get married, exact revenge, or regain a husband's affection.<ref name="Elena" />

* It is also considered bad form to drink alcohol -- even relatively mild beverages, such as beer -- without eating something between sips or shots. For this reason, Russian cuisine is particularly rich in appetizers and finger-foods (закуски), as they are used as chasers.

===Death===

* When pouring [[wine]], you should never pour back handed.

There are many interpretations of death in Russian folk tradition. It can be reversible, and it sometimes resides outside of the body. It is also closely related to sleep. It is believed that when one sleeps one can traverse the “other world” and come back alive. There are two kinds of deaths. A person who dies in their old age surrounded by family died a “good” death, a death that was “their own.” They depart when God says they should. A person who dies a “bad” death, or a death “not their own,” died too soon before the time God assigned them. These people may have been murdered, committed suicide, died of illness, or in war. Because of the nature of these deaths the earth cannot accept them until their time comes, which means they do not receive a proper burial. Sometimes they are not buried at all, but covered with rocks or sticks. Russians associate “good” deaths with bringing good harvests, while attributing storms, droughts, and other forms of destruction to “bad” deaths.<ref>Elizabeth A. Warner. Russian Myths. (Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press, 2002.)</ref>

====Funeral rites====

* It is impolite to point with your finger. But if you must point, it's better to use your entire hand instead of your finger.

Several steps must be taken once a person has died so their body can be buried and their soul can travel to the “other world.” The first step is washing the body. In a Dual-Faith (''dvoeverie'') setting (in which Orthodoxy and [[Slavic paganism|folk tradition]] are combined) this ritual prepares the deceased for their meeting with God. They then dress the body in all white, handmade clothing, left slightly unfinished because it belongs not in this world but the “other world.” In Christianity, the white clothing worn by the corpse represents the pure life the deceased promised to live when they were baptized.<ref name="Elizabeth_a">Elizabeth A. Warner, “Russian Peasant Beliefs and Practices Concerning Death and the Supernatural Collected in Novosokol'niki Region, Pskov Province, Russia, 1995. Part II: Death in Natural Circumstances," Folklore 111. 2 (2000): 255-281.</ref>

The body must wear a belt during its burial because the deceased will need it when they are resurrected during the Last Judgment. Belts are significant in both Christian and folk rituals. Babies receive them, along with a cross, at their christening. It symbolizes a person's commitment to Christianity. In folk tradition, belts mark out an individual's private space and prove that they are a member of society, as well as protecting the wearer from dark forces.<ref name="Elizabeth_a" />

* It is impolite to put your feet up on furniture with your shoes on. Sometimes, simply showing the soles of your shoes is considered rude.

After washing and dressing the body, the body is laid out in the house for three days before it is put it in the coffin. Orthodox households and Old Belief (pre-1650 Orthodoxy) households perform this ritual slightly differently. Orthodox families lay their dead loved one so their head points towards the icon corner. In the houses of [[Old Believers]] the feet are placed closer to the icon corner so the deceased faces the corner and can pray if they desire.<ref name="Elizabeth_a" /> Old Believers believe that the dead can still feel for a time after their death. For fear of waking the newly dead, mourning does not begin during the washing or dressing. Inappropriate funeral etiquette can also wake the dead.<ref name="Elizabeth">Elizabeth A. Warner. Russian Myths. (Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press, 2002).</ref>

* Whistling indoors is taboo. Russians sometimes say superstitiously that you will "whistle away your money". The origins of this are in superstition, as it used to be considered a sin: it was believed that when you whistled you were entertaining the devil. In general it is considered rude.

The coffin, sometimes referred to as the “new living room,” is very comfortable, made like a bed with a pillow stuffed with birch bark or wood shavings. Mourners place objects in the coffin that the body might need after death such as money, food, favorite belongings, and reflections of status or occupation. Traditionally, men carry the coffin on their backs to the cemetery where the burial will take place.<ref name="Elizabeth_a" />

* Traditional Russian [[cheek kissing]] is done using three kisses, but it is not widely upheld all the time.

At the funeral, a priest performs the “seeing off” ceremony, praying over the body and allowing mourners to throw dirt on the grave, symbolically incorporating the corpse into the earth. The priest then places a paper crown on the head of the deceased and the mourners throw soil and coins into the grave (the coins are either to pay for transit to the “other world” or for the space in the cemetery). After the funeral, mourners sing laments depicting the deceased leaving their family and the soul departing from the body.<ref name="Elizabeth_a" />

* When someone sneezes you tell them "Bud'te zdorovy" (Rus: Будьте здоровы), which literally means "Be Healthy" (in the formal form of address). It used to be believed that saying this would help the sneezer keep from getting sick. Russian speakers will say it just as freely as an English speaker will say, "[[Bless you]]", but the superstitious origins of the phrase have been widely lost in both languages.

It is also important to throw away any handkerchiefs used to wipe away tears at the funeral. You should under no circumstances bring it home, as it is believed that if you do this you are bringing tears into the house.

===Customs that are more often regarded as superstition===

* Before leaving for a long journey the traveler(s), and all those who are seeing them off, must sit for a moment in silence before leaving the house. It is often conveniently written off as a time to sit and think of anything one may have forgotten.

====The soul====

* After someone has left the house on a long journey, their room and/or their things should not be cleaned up until they have arrived.

Russian folk culture depicts the soul either as small and childlike, or having wings and flying. For forty days after a funeral, the soul of the deceased visits places it liked or places where it sinned to ask for forgiveness. After forty days the deceased's family sets a place for their loved one at dinner, inviting them to join them for their own commemoration. When the family sees that the skin goes untouched they know their loved one has gone.<ref name="Elizabeth_a" />

==Archaic superstitions==

* [[Knocking on wood]] is practiced just as much, and in most cases much more, in Russia as it is everywhere else. However Russians tend to add a symbolic three spits over one's left shoulder (or simply with the head turned to the left), and Russians will often knock three times as well. Traditionally one was spitting on the devil (who is always on the left).

===The Unclean force===

* Breaking a mirror isn't considered bad luck in Russia, but looking at one's reflection in a broken mirror is. And the effect is more severe than 7 years of bad luck.

The term "[[unclean force]]" (''Нечистая сила'') refers to [[devil]]s<ref name="keating2015">Ivanits, Linda J. (1989) ''Russian Folk Belief''. [[Routledge]]. pp. 38-39, 51, 104 {{ISBN|0-873-32889-2}}</ref> and all [[demon]]s and potentially harmful spirits<ref name="keating2015" /><ref>Davidson, Pamela. (2010) ''Russian Literature and Its Demons''. [[Berghahn Books|Berghahn]]. p. 5 {{ISBN|1-845-45757-9}}</ref> in the [[Slavic mythology|Russian pantheon]]. Although the beings of the unclean force resided primarily in the spirit realm (''тот свет''), they were able to manifest themselves in this world in many forms, the most well known included the [[domovoi]], [[leshy]], [[kikimora]], [[Vodyanoy|vodianoi]], and [[rusalka]].<ref name="keating2015b">Cornwell, Neil. (2002) ''The Routledge Companion to Russian Literature''. [[Routledge]]. p. 45</ref> Also counted among the unclean force are sorcerers, witches, the undead, and the "unclean dead", including suicides, those who died of drunkenness, victims of accidents and violent deaths, unbaptized infants, and vampires. Likewise, strangers and people of other religions were viewed as possessing the unclean force.<ref>Morrissey, Susan K. (2012) ''Suicide and the Body Politic in Imperial Russia''. [[Cambridge University Press|Cambridge University]]. p. 232 {{ISBN|0-521-34958-3}}</ref>

Among these spirits, the domovoi was considered the least dangerous.<ref name="keating2015b" /> If angered, the domovoi would act as a [[poltergeist]].<ref name="keating2015" /> Other spirits, like the rusalka, were more malevolent. She was said to lure men to their watery deaths.<ref>Andrews, Tamra. (2000) ''Dictionary of Nature Myths: Legends of the Earth, Sea, and Sky''. [[Oxford University Press|Oxford University]]. p. 165</ref> Among the places where the unclean force was strongest against the Russian peasant were the crossroads, the threshold and the [[Banya (sauna)|bathhouse]].

* On examination day, you shouldn't make your bed, wear anything new or cut your fingernails. It's good luck.

===Spoiling===

* It is bad luck to use physical hand gestures to demonstrate something negative using oneself or someone else as the object. For example, when describing a scar you saw on someone's face you should not gesture on your own face or someone elses. If you must, you can demonstrate in mid-air. If one does it without realizing, it can be countered by making a hand motion towards the body part used and then an abrupt motion away (as if to pick up the bad energy and throw it away).

Related to the [[unclean force]] was the superstitious belief in "[[Maleficium (sorcery)|spoiling]]" (''порча'').<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Brockhaus and Efron. |title=Порча // Энциклопедический словарь Брокгауза и Ефрона: In 86 Volumes (82 т. и 4 доп.) |trans-title=[[Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary|Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: In 86 Volumes]].|year=1890–1907 |___location=Saint Petersburg}}</ref> One aligned with the unclean force could spoil another through the use of the [[evil eye]] or by means of magic. The spoiled person would be inflicted with such maladies and misfortunes as sickness, mental illness, deformity, loss of livelihood, and death.<ref>Bezrukova, V. S. (2000) Порча // Основы духовной культуры (энциклопедический словарь педагога) [Fundamentals of Spiritual Culture (Pedagogical Encyclopedic Dictionary)].</ref> One type of spoiling was a form of hysteria called klikushestvo (''кликушество''). It caused the bewitched person to shriek, curse, and fall to the floor when in the presence of religious objects or displays.<ref name="keating2015"/>

==See also==

* If one person accidentally steps on another person's foot, it is common for the person who was stepped on to lightly step on the foot of the person who stepped first. It is said that they thus avoid a future conflict.

{{Commons category|Russian traditions}}

*[[Folklore of Russia]]

*[[Russian culture]]

*[[Slavic mythology]]

==References==

* Birthday parties should be celebrated on or after one's birthday, not before. So when one's birthday falls during the week, it's best to celebrate the following weekend.

{{Reflist|2}}

* Talking about future success, especially boasting about it, is considered bad luck. It’s better to be silent until the success has been achieved or to even sound pessimistic.

==External links==

* Returning home for forgotten things is a bad [[omen]]. It is better to leave it behind, but if returning is necessary, one should look in the mirror before leaving the house again. Otherwise the journey will be bad.

*[http://paganism.msk.ru/primety/primety.htp Russian superstitions at the Slavic Paganism Encyclopedia] {{in lang|ru}}

*[http://www.passportmagazine.ru/article/369/ Russian superstitions in an article] {{in lang|ru}}

*[http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art30500.asp Another article]

*[http://www.worldtrip.ca/travel/articles/russian-superstitions.html A collection of Russian superstitions]

*[https://teedenis.com/ Best Gift For Family]

*[http://fathersergio.wordpress.com/2008/01/05/traditions-and-superstitions-in-russia/ Another article]

*[http://www.eioba.com/a25068/russian_superstitions A collection of them]

*[http://rbth.ru/articles/2010/09/07/twelve_russian_superstitions04931.html Twelve Russian superstitions]

{{Russia topics}}

* Many Russians consider giving sharp objects, like knives or scissors, as gifts to be taboo. You can avoid this taboo taking symbolic little money (ex. one [[Russian ruble]]) in exchange as if it is a trade, not a gift.

{{Superstitions}}

{{Asia topic|Superstition in}}

{{Europe topic|Superstition in}}

{{Slavic mythology}}

[[Category:Slavic legendary creatures|nature spirits]]

* [[Birds]] that land on a windowsill should be chased away. If they tap on the window, or fly into it (open or closed) it is considered a very bad omen (often of death).

[[Category:Russian folklore| ]]

[[Category:Russian traditions| ]]

* Things bought for a new born baby (such as clothes, toys, furniture, etc.) should only be purchased after the baby is born. This is usually done in a big hurry.

[[Category:Superstitions of Europe]]

[[Category:Superstitions of Asia]]

* It is often considered taboo to step over people, or parts of their body, who are on the ground. It is often said that it will prevent the person from growing (if they are not fully grown already). It is better to politely ask the person to move or to find a way around them. If one accidentally steps over a person (or people), it is sometimes standard to step backwards over them.

* Unmarried people shouldn't sit at the corner of the table. Otherwise they won’t marry. This mostly applies to girls, and often only young girls. Sometimes it is said that you will not marry for 7 years, making it alright for young children to sit there.

* When giving an animal as a gift (a cat, dog, bird, etc), the receiver should give the giver a symbolic sum of money (for example: one [[Russian ruble]]).

* A purse (or any other money holder) as a gift requires a little money inside. Given empty it causes bad financial luck.

* A funeral procession brings good luck. But one should never cross its path or it is bad luck.

* A woman with empty water buckets coming towards you is considered a bad omen.

* A group of two or more people should not walk on either side of a tree. They should all keep to one side or the other.

* [[Bread]] should only be cut with a knife, not with your hands. Otherwise, it is said, that your life will be broken. The opposite is held true by some people.

* Two or more people should never use one towel at the same time to dry their hands or bodies, or it is said to bring conflict.

* A stranger should not look at a new born baby before it is a certain age (between two months and one year). If one looks at the baby it is considered bad luck to compliment it. Instead, one could say, "Oh, what an ugly child!" instead.

* It's good luck to trip on your left foot.

* One should never hand a knife directly to another person or it is said that the two will get in a fight. Instead a person should always place the knife down on a surface, and only then can the other person pick it up. In several cases you can give it directly, but only pointing sharp end to yourself and making the knife's handle accessible for the opposite person.

* If one feels that he or she may have been cursed by someone (had the "[[evil eye]]" put on them) or just has the feeling of a hostile presence, it is recommended to remove one's coat and then put it back on starting with the hand opposing the usually used one.

==="Cause and effect" Russian superstitions===

* If your ears or cheeks are hot, someone is thinking or talking about you (usually speaking ill).

* If your nose itches, you'll be drinking soon. For children they might say, "You'll get hit in the nose."

* If your right eye itches, you're going to be happy soon. If your left eye itches, you'll be sad.

* If your lips itch, you'll be kissing someone soon.

* If your right hand itches, you're going to get money soon. It sometimes means you're going to greet someone. If your left hand itches, you're going to give someone money.

* If you have the [[hiccups]], someone is either just talking about you or talking bad about you.

* If an eyelash falls out you'll receive a gift. If someone finds an eyelash on someone he or she will sometimes let the person blow it away and make a wish.

* If a fork or spoon falls on the ground, expect a female guest. If a knife falls, expect a male guest.

* If you eat from a knife, you'll be "mad like a [[dog]]".

* If someone is not recognized when seen or heard, he or she will be rich. So if someone calls you on the phone and you don't recognize them you can cheer them up by telling them they'll be rich.

* If a [[cat]] is washing its face, expect guests soon.

* If a [[black cat]] crosses your path, it's bad luck (as it is in most places). People will often avoid crossing the place where it crossed, or will at least wait for someone else to cross it first.

* If a [[hare]] crosses your path, it's bad luck. This is much less common than the cat superstition, which is understandable given the lack of hares in urban conditions.

* If you spill salt, it's bad luck and is said to bring conflict, but no one will throw salt over their left shoulder.

* If you step on a crack, it's bad luck. This one isn't very common, and Russians who do avoid cracks don't do it in an effort to save their mothers' backs.

* If it's raining when you leave a place, it means you'll return, and it is considered a generally good omen.

* If it rains on someone's wedding, it means they'll be wealthy.

* If someone sneezes, it means he or she is telling the truth.

* If one or more birds [[defecate]] on you, it's good luck.

* If you find a [[bay leaf]] in your soup (commonly [[Borscht]]) while eating, it means you'll get mail from someone.

* If you wear clothes (such as an undershirt) inside out, you will get beaten. Your friend should point this out, wait for you to fix the clothes and then punch you symbolically.

* If you wear a shirt backwards, you will become acquainted with someone new.

Russia lacks some of the superstitions Westernerns find commonplace. Most Russians are not particularly concerned with the number [[13 (number)]], opening [[umbrellas]] indoors or walking under [[ladders]].

==Notes and References==

<references/>

[[Category:Russian culture]]

[[Category:Soviet culture]]

[[Category:Superstitions]]

[[Category:Traditions]]

[[Category:Russian folklore]]

[[Category:Luck]]

[[Category:Etiquette]]