When they tell fortunes at Christmas or baptism. Wax fortune telling

Guessing - from Christmas to Epiphany

Began Christmastide. This is the name of the days between Christmas (January 7) and Epiphany (January 19).
Christmastide- twelve days from Christmas (Kolyada) to Epiphany. This time " from the star to the water", i.e. from the appearance of the first star on Christmas Eve until the baptismal blessing of water.
This period has been considered magical since time immemorial, and our great-grandmothers tried to find out their fate with the help of fortune telling. Previously, there was a belief that it was on these holy days that various evil spirits penetrated the Earth. She could not do any harm, because Christ was born, and her fate could be learned from her.
“Prophetic” days were considered especially magical - Vasilyev's evening (January 13, Vasily and Melanka) and Epiphany Christmas Eve (January 18).
Christmas fortune-telling continued right up to Epiphany.

« Christmas time has come, what a joy, windy youth wonders"- wrote Pushkin, about Christmas fortune-telling.

There were gatherings and games everywhere. Mostly girls used to tell fortunes about their betrotheds. Christmas time is the best time to find out the name of your future spouse, to look into the future at least with one eye.
And now, if a group of friends gathers, it is interesting to find out what kind of life awaits each one.

Once on Epiphany evening

The girls wondered:

A shoe behind the gate,

They took it off their feet and threw it;

The snow was cleared; under the window

Listened; fed

Counted chicken grains;

The ardent wax was heated;

In a bowl of clean water

They laid a gold ring,

The earrings are emerald;

White boards spread out

And over the bowl they sang in harmony

The songs are amazing.
V. Zhukovsky. "Svetlana"
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K. E. Makovsky. "Yuletide fortune-telling." 1900s

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Let's remember the most interesting fortune telling.

They guessed differently. Let's look directly at Zhukovsky's poems.
Listened under the window.
Girls in the villages walked around the locked church doors at midnight and listened. If a bell was heard ringing, it foreshadowed an imminent marriage, but if a knock was heard, it meant an imminent grave.
Or went listen under the windows of houses and based on the words they heard and the conversation, they predicted a good or bad life for themselves, a kind or bad husband.
There were a lot of fortune-telling stories involving a chicken or a rooster.

Feed the chicken.
On the floor in the room where they were going to tell fortunes, gold and silver rings, earrings, bread were laid out in 3 places, and water was placed. They brought a chicken, or more often a rooster, into the house, and watched which thing the bird would peck first.
Fed the rooster with counting grain.
To do this, counted grains were scattered on the floor, and at midnight a rooster (preferably black) was brought. If the rooster pecked all the grain, the year was expected to be successful, and the girl who scattered the grain would get married. If the rooster pecked several grains, they were counted and they found out on what day the dreamed event would occur. Well, if the rooster did not peck the grain at all, this foreshadowed failure.

Fortune telling with a rooster
Grain is poured into one plate (or money is placed), water is poured into another, a mirror is placed nearby, and sometimes a chicken is brought. If a rooster pecks at a mirror, the husband will be a dandy.
A rooster that approaches grain or money symbolizes the husband’s wealth; a rooster that approaches water symbolizes a tendency toward drunkenness; if a rooster approaches a hen, it means that the groom will be a “womanizer.”
And here’s what fortune-telling was like:
Fortune telling on bread.
Place as many pieces of bread in a bowl of water as there are people in the family. They are mixed with the words: “Circle, bread and water, my whole family is here. If there is trouble, separate, bread and water.” And in the morning they see what happened. If they are all together, then everything will be fine. And if someone’s piece floats to the side, then the one it symbolizes will die or leave.
More fortune telling
- they took thimbles, and for each one they thought of the name of one of the family members. Water was poured into them after midnight, and thimbles were placed on different windows. In the morning we looked at how much water was left in them. Whoever has more will live longer.


And this is how the girls guessed about your future- they went out into the street at midnight, lay down in the snow, and left without looking back. The next morning they looked at what was left of the snow imprint - if it seemed to be covered with lines, it meant that the husband would be rude and cruel. If it is smooth, it will be kind. If deep, get married several times. If it is covered in snow, there is no threat of a quick wedding. And if there is a mound, death is not far off.

For the betrothed
In many fortune tellings, the betrothed must come to the girl in a dream. For example, they put a comb under the pillow, saying: “Betrothed, come to me, comb your little head.” The betrothed comes to sleep.
It was believed that people dream about Christmastide prophetic dreams, especially when the moon is waxing. A candle was placed at the head of the bed and a dream book was placed so that in the morning one could immediately look into it and unravel the dream.
Other fortune telling: dilute egg white in water, stir, and see what shapes it takes - they should predict the future.
By paper. You can crumple up the paper, set it on fire, and when it burns, bring the ashes to the illuminated wall - the figures that appear in the shadow should suggest thoughts about the future.
Addressed. Going out into the street, ask the first man you meet what his name is. The name will coincide with the name of the future husband.
Throwing a shoe , the girl looked: where his sock pointed, that’s where they would marry her off.

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Fortune telling with a mirror
This is perhaps the most terrible fortune telling, designed for people with a strong psyche.
At midnight, the fortuneteller locks herself in a room, places two mirrors opposite each other, so that a corridor of twelve mirrors is formed, and says: “The betrothed mummer, show yourself to me in the mirror.” There she should see either her betrothed or future events.
The bravest girls wondered, setting the table for 2 cutlery and waiting alone for events.
A description of this fortune telling with all the attributes can be found in V. A. Zhukovsky in the poem "Svetlana".

Here in the little room the table is set
A white veil;
And on that table it stands
Mirror with a candle;
Two cutlery on the table.
“Make a wish, Svetlana;
In a clean mirror glass
At midnight without deception
You will know your lot:
Your darling will knock on the door
With a light hand;
The lock will fall from the door;
He will sit down at his device
Having dinner with you"…
Bryullov K.P. "Fortune Svetlana"

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Fortune telling with singing subbowl songs.
For such fortune-telling, they gathered at one of the girls’ place, laid a white tablecloth on the table, and placed a dish on it (that’s why the songs were called sub-dish songs).
Rings were pulled out from dishes and bowls covered with a towel while special “sub-dish” songs were sung. The content of the song determined the fate of the owner of the ring. Now the songs are forgotten, but they are still from the texts that the Magi read.
If bread, grain, pancakes, pies were mentioned, this foreshadowed prosperity, wealth, and harvest. If they sang about a ring, a ring, a crown, it meant a quick marriage.


Tatiana's fortune-telling to subbly songs We also find it in A.S. Pushkin’s “Eugene Onegin.”
From a dish full of water,
The rings come out in a row;
And she took out the ring
To the song of the old days:
"The men there are all rich,
They shovel silver
To whom we sing, to him is good and glory!"
But it promises loss
This song is a pitiful tune;
Dearer is the “koshurka” to the heart of the virgins.
It turns out that the words under which Tatyana took out her ring predicted death, but the words about the “koshurka,” that is, a cat, foreshadowed the wedding. The words in the song sounded like this:

The cat is calling the cat
Sleep in the stove.

Pushkin also describes another common type of fortune telling: calling out to passers-by.

Tatiana in the wide yard
Wearing an open dress...
Chu... the snow crunches... a passerby; Virgo
Flying towards him on tiptoe,
And her voice sounds
More tender than a pipe tune:
"What is your name?" He looks
And he answers: “Agathon”...

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And so we can guess now. Shall we tell fortunes?

Fortune telling with a cat
Make a wish, call your cat. If she crosses the threshold of the room with her left paw, her wish will come true. If it's right, it's not meant to be.

Fortune telling by book
In the old days, the Psalter, the biblical book of psalms, was used as a prophetic book. Nowadays, in the absence of a Psalter in the house, you can take a volume of your favorite writer - Pushkin, Lermontov, Shakespeare or another.
To find out the answer to a question of interest, you need to mentally ask it, guess the line number below or above and open the book at random.
By glasses.
Take three opaque glasses of water. You need to put a ring in one (for marriage), bread in the second (for fertility), and a hook in the third (won't you fall for the trick). Next, the girls must choose a glass at random.
By thread. Each of the girls picks up a thread of the same length and sets it on fire. A girl whose thread burns out completely will receive a marriage proposal this year. And who's thread will go out without burning out until the middle, while it sits in the girls.
By grain. Pour cereal into a pan, and hide various things inside: a gold ring (for a quick marriage), something broken (for need), a coin (for wealth), a piece of paper (for separation). And if there is nothing in a handful except cereal, then the year will pass empty.
Fortune telling on the steps: you need to list the steps, saying: widower, well done, widower, well done, and, having reached the last one, see what word you stopped at.
Fortune telling with matches: Two matches are inserted into the sides of the matchbox and lit. If the burnt heads are facing each other, it means that the “given” guy and girl will be together.

Fortune telling - who the future husband will be
Objects are laid out on the table from which the husband’s profession can be guessed. In the old days it was bread, a book, keys, coal, meaning the work of a peasant, blacksmith, priest, merchant.
Nowadays modern things are used, but among them there should be a wedding ring. A blindfolded girl chooses an object. If you come across a ring, it means she will get married in the coming year.
If scissors - it will be a fashion designer, a computer disk - a programmer, a candle - a priest, a pen - a writer (official), a knife - a military man, a glass - a drunkard, cereal - a businessman, ashes - a loser, a coin - generous, a mirror - a dandy (reveler), the hatchet is evil. And if she comes across a piece of coal, she will be a bride for another year.
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Fortune telling with a knife
On a piece of cardboard or a large tray along the edges you need to write the answers to the questions asked:

Be patient

There is an enemy nearby, hiding under the guise of a friend.

Good news

Love letter

Good luck in business

Unexpected guests

Love
etc.
Place a regular knife in the center of the circle and mentally ask a question. Spin the knife three times. The answer will be a message that will be shown by the tip of the knife for the first time. The other two may be the cause or effect of the predicted event.
Spiritual fortune-telling, invoking spirits
For fortune telling, you need a sheet of A2 paper and a porcelain saucer. On paper, draw a circle with a diameter of about 30 cm and write along a line outside the circle all the letters of the alphabet, and in the circle - the numbers from 1 to 10. Mark the center inside the circle and place a saucer on it, having previously drawn an arrow on the vessel. Repeat three times: “I call upon the spirit...Will you speak to us? Say: Yes or no." The saucer should move and point with an arrow to the letters and numbers. You just need to have time to read it.
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Whatever happens to you in fortune-telling, remember - good things will come true, but you don’t have to believe in bad things, the main thing is to be confident in your happiness.

George Bernard Shaw said:
“People always blame the force of circumstances... I don’t believe in the force of circumstances. In this world, success is achieved by the one who looks for the conditions he needs and, if he doesn’t find them, creates them himself.”
So you can make next year the way you want it to be.
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Began Christmastide. This is the name of the days between Christmas (January 7) and Epiphany (January 19).This period has been considered magical since time immemorial, and our great-grandmothers tried to find out their fate with the help of fortune telling.

Divination- one of the magical rituals designed to help a person understand the situation, look into the past or make the right decision in the future. At all times and among all peoples, there have been special people who can predict the future, look into the past or analyze the present. There are many different methods of fortune telling and attributes that help in this. The most famous are probably divination on cards, coffee grounds and prediction by hand. Each of us, at least once in our lives, has resorted to one or another method of fortune telling; the simplest example is tossing a coin. Currently, more than 30 types and methods of fortune telling are known. Among them there are very cruel and bloody ones that have come down to us from ancient times.

Let's look at some of them.

As mentioned above, one of the common types of fortune telling is predictions using cards, ordinary or Tarot. This ritual occurs differently for different specialists. Some people give a deck of cards to the person they are telling fortunes to. Others guess from photographs. Still others, in order to determine a person’s fate using cards, need his subject. Currently, there is a huge selection of decks of fortune telling cards, among which you can choose your own deck.

Riddles on the coffee grounds

For fortune telling on coffee grounds, you need a strong variety of ground coffee, a white cup without patterns, a great desire to determine your destiny and a rich imagination. To obtain a thick sediment at the bottom, you need to prepare coffee using a certain technology. Then, following the ritual, you need to drink it, correctly distribute the sediment along the edges of the cup, turn the cup over on the saucer and after a while lift the cup back. The thickets that remain on the saucer are the events of the past. And the stains that remain in the cup speak of the future.

The paper is burning - a man is looking into the future

Divination on burnt paper we also inherited from our ancestors. This is one of the simplest types of fortune telling, which can be used by an ordinary person not trained in magic. For this type of fortune telling you need a saucer, a candle and a sheet of paper. The ritual is performed in the dark. You need to light a candle, write your desire or question on paper, setting fire to the paper, you need to mentally repeat what you wrote. Then place the burning leaf on a saucer and carefully look at the shadow on the wall. Whatever image you see, that’s the answer.

Through the Looking Glass

One of the most dangerous and mystical fortune telling is fortune telling using a mirror. For its correct implementation and the safety of the fortuneteller, it is necessary to strictly follow the instructions. Basically, this ritual is performed at midnight, by candlelight, without electric light, in complete solitude. The fortuneteller is dressed in loose clothes, his hair is loose.

It should be remembered that no matter what method of fortune-telling a person chooses, it is always necessary to strictly and strictly adhere to the rules and instructions.

They're coming Christmastide– time from Christmas to . It is surprising that it is with these official church holidays that people traditionally associate such pagan rituals as fortune telling. Let us remind you that the church does not welcome such exercises... but still you really want to penetrate into the future, to look at least with one eye and see your betrothed. Of course, fortune telling is most often of interest to young people who, as the once popular song sang, “have their whole life ahead of them.”

So, Christmas rituals include fortune telling in order to find out the future. The word “gad” itself is Hebrew and means the name of the goddess of happiness.

One of the most common - fortune telling on things . Those gathered take rings, earrings, cufflinks and place them under the dish along with pieces of bread and pieces of paper with various wishes. Cover the top with a towel. Then they put their hand under it and take out objects with wishes. Accordingly, they relate to the owner of the item.

Widely known rite of eavesdropping . Girls go out into the street at midnight and listen to the first words of passers-by. They are interpreted for the future.

Also used for fortune telling several onions and notice each of them. The bulbs are placed on the ground, whose owner will germinate faster - the owner of that one will be more likely to get married.

Fresh egg- also a subject of fortune telling. Carefully release the contents of the egg into a glass of clean water. They let it sit for a while, and the future is judged by the location of the protein.

You can take birch splinter , wash with spring water and light it. Whoever flares up faster is destined to live a long life.

They also take a scarf¸ a piece of bread and a piece of wood and lowered into a cast iron pot (where can I get it?). Closing or blindfolding her eyes, the girl approaches the cast iron pot and takes whatever she comes across. If there is a scarf - for marriage, bread - to stay at home, a piece of wood - a coffin. Creepy, some kind of fortune telling.

Therefore, let us turn to what was sung by Ivan Zhukovsky in the poem “Svetlana” fortune telling with a mirror . On Christmastide, closer to night, taking with you a mirror, a candle and a towel, go into an empty room. Put it all on the table and sit in front of the mirror with the words: “Mummer, come to me for dinner.” You can sit in front of the mirror for a long time, or not for very long. Five minutes before the appearance of the groom, the candle flame will begin to flutter and the mirror will dim. Then immediately wipe it with a towel, and you will see: the groom will definitely show up, stand behind you and look in the mirror. Take a better look at him, and then shout: “Out of this place!” - the groom will disappear. And if you don’t say such words, then the groom will sit down at the table and take some jewelry out of his pocket. The main thing is to have time to say the word “mind”, then in the future the groom will give you exactly this gift.

To find out what the groom will be like, put it on the floor ring, hook and piece of bread, cover it all with a scarf. A person who has not seen the order in which these items are laid out is guessing. If he took out a ring for you from under a scarf, the groom will love himself very much, expensive things and outfits, if the bread is very good, it means the betrothed is rich, the worst thing is the hook - you will have to work to provide not only for yourself, but also for your spouse .

Another original fortune telling, which is unlikely to be done yet. Usually in winter, if there is a lot of snow, the girls secretly go out into the yard and throw themselves back into a snowdrift . Early in the morning they go out to see how the figure turned out. If it’s even, the husband will be calm; if not, he’ll be grumpy.

Possible at night walk on the first snow . If the trail is covered in the morning or remains untrodden, there will be abundance and a lot of happiness in the house. If the trail is damaged or someone crossed it, the sign is not good: expect trouble.

In the 18th century in Germany they used to tell fortunes in winter for four kings . Before going to bed, they put cards with their image under the pillow and said, “Who is my betrothed, who is my mummer, dream about it!” In the morning, without looking, they took one card out from under the pillow. The king of spades is an old jealous husband, the king of clubs is a widower, the king of hearts is young and rich, but the king of diamonds is desirable. Men can also do all this with ladies.

Write any of your own wish on a piece of paper , place it on a plate, text side down, and set the paper on fire. If it burns completely, the plan will soon come true, if only part of it, something will prevent it.

It’s even better if someone lives in your house cat. Go to another room, think of your cherished wish, call the purr. If she steps over the threshold with her right front paw, her wish will come true.

After dinner, take a large dish and place it in a circle tablespoons. Each fortuneteller remembers his own. Then the dish is placed in a secret place overnight. In the morning they come to see how the spoons are lying: upside down means death, turned to one side means illness, in the normal position means long life.

The wool thread can be placed in a bucket of water. If it curls up into a circle, the husband is cheating; if it floats freely, everything in your life is going well; a thread that has sunk straight to the bottom means the death of someone close, floating on the surface.

Of course, whether to believe or not in fortune telling is a personal matter for everyone. As a rule, those who have something come true enroll in the ranks of supporters of fortune telling, while the losers become non-believing Thomases. We have a whole life ahead of us, when we can check all the predictions.

Prepared by Elena KORNILKOVA

Time from Christmas before Baptism- This is a traditional time for fortune telling. Do you want to lift the curtain on the future and get answers to the questions that concern you? Then just use one of the suggested fortune telling methods. But remember - this is not the ultimate truth, the meanings of fortune telling can be interpreted in different ways and treat everything with a bit of humor.
The best time for fortune telling from 6 to 7 January, you can guess until January 19th. But with every day that passes after January 7, the reliability of fortune telling decreases.

Fortune telling
Do you want to know if this year will be financial for you? Nothing could be simpler. You need to guess in the evening, preferably under a clear sky. Take three bowls or cups and one five-ruble coin. Turn your back to the cups. One of your friends or relatives should hide a coin under one of the bowls. When everything is ready, choose the cup under which you think there is a coin. If you guess right the first time, your financial situation this year will increase noticeably. If the second time, you will also be with money. Well, from the third - there will be money, but it will be very difficult for you to get it.

Fortune telling - the answer to a question that worries you
You need to take your favorite book. Clearly formulate the question you want answered. Put a book under your pillow. Mentally say: “Wisdom of centuries enter my sleep” and go to bed. In the morning, take out the book, close your eyes, open it at random and use your finger to point to a place on the page. The answer includes not only the hidden line, but the entire semantic passage in which this line is included.

Fortune telling for future events in the year
This fortune telling is very famous. Take a sheet of newspaper and crumple it well, but not too tightly. Place the crumpled paper on a plate and set it on fire. When all the paper is charred and burned out, you need to place a candle next to the plate so that the shadow of the burnt newspaper is on the wall. Carefully consider what this shadow looks like. The outlines of figures and objects will help you recognize turning points in your life for this year.

Fortune telling-prediction “Bottle”
We all know the spin the bottle game, but it turns out there is such a fortune telling game. For it we need a tray or any other smooth surface that replaces it. Strips of paper with answers:
“Yes”, “No”, “Won’t come true”, “Will come true”, “Love”, “Travel”, “Good news”, “Money”, “Luck”, “Patience”, “Important meeting”, “Caution” enemy!”, “Good luck in your endeavor,” “Happy outcome.”
Place an empty bottle in the center of the circle and formulate your question or desire. Rotate the bottle around its axis three times. Where the neck of the bottle points will be your answer to the question. If it is in the middle of the two, it means that one of them is the cause, and the other is the effect.

Modern fortune telling by phone based on desire
Dial the phone number. Say: “Hello, please tell me...” and say your wish. Listen to the answer. Tone of voice and intonation are also important. Don’t forget to apologize later and say that this is just a fun Christmas fortune telling.

Fortune telling about the profession of the future husband
The girl being told fortunes is blindfolded. Objects symbolizing different professions are laid out on the table. For example: a screwdriver (working profession), wallet (banker), calculator (accountant), computer mouse (programmer), thermometer (doctor), CD (musician), fountain pen (official), cell phone (manager), etc. . Be sure to include a wedding ring. The girl must select objects on the table three times. If after three attempts she chooses the same thing, then her future husband will be in the profession that the chosen object symbolizes. If only a ring comes into your hands, this means that the girl will certainly get married next year, but who this person will be by profession is unknown.

Fortune telling by wax
This is perhaps the most famous fortune telling. For fortune telling you will need a candle and a saucer of cold water. Light the candle and wait until enough melted wax has formed. Then carefully pour the wax into the saucer and wait for the outline to form. The frozen wax figures will be your predictions of significant events for the coming year. Interpretation of the figures:
Many dots or stars foretell good luck and money.
Flower - meeting a friend who will help you move up the career ladder.
A figurine that looks like some kind of animal portends constant business trips or relocation.
Fan - minor troubles at work, clashes with superiors.
The ring is a quick wedding.
A dome-shaped figure - a meeting of new love.
The circle - the smoother it is, the luckier the year will be.
An egg-shaped figure is a symbol of something new in your life. Changes that will radically change her.
A rectangle or square means health problems, pay special attention to it.
A figure resembling a ship or train - moving to a new place, possibly to another city.
A bell-shaped figure is good news that will change your life for the better.
A scattering of small circles in the form of a bunch of grapes - a happy family life.
A figure that looks like a tree leaf - you have an enemy who is harming you, be vigilant and careful.
A figure in the form of a dragon - the fulfillment of your cherished dream.
Mushroom - good health.

Fortune telling about the groom in the mirror
This is the most accurate fortune telling for your betrothed, but also the most terrible. You need to guess alone in complete darkness, preferably starting at midnight. For fortune telling you need two mirrors and two twisted candles. Place mirrors opposite each other so that they reflect the candles in the form of a long corridor. The girl should not have a belt, her hair should be loose. Look carefully at the gallery formed by the reflection of the candles and quietly say: “Betrothed, mummer, show me your appearance.” Your future husband should appear in the mirror gallery. As soon as his face appears, you need to quickly say: “Out of this place!” After these words, the image of the man will disappear, and the fortuneteller will be out of danger.

Once upon a time in Rus', every national holiday was accompanied by songs, round dances, and various rituals. There was also such a custom as Christmas fortune-telling. How did he appear? What did our ancestors want to find out when they poured melted wax into water or peered into mirrors? The presenter of our column, K.I., will tell you about this today. Doronina.

FROM THE STARto the water

Svyatki is an old Russian word meaning holiday. As we have already told on the pages of our newspaper, winter Christmastide is the 12 days from the Feast of the Nativity of Christ to the Feast of Epiphany. People say that this is the time “from star to water.” That is, from the appearance of the first star on Christmas Eve until the baptismal blessing of water.

Although major Christian holidays are mentioned here, Christmas fortune-telling has nothing to do with church rituals. This custom appeared during pagan times. When the Christian faith replaced the pagan one, many ancient rituals were banned. But still, some customs that were not part of pagan worship remained among the people and even survived to this day. Some turned out to be timed to coincide with Christian celebrations. The meaning and origin of many of them are so confused that even famous historians and ethnographers cannot clearly define them.

In Rus', perhaps, there was not a single celebration that was distinguished by such a variety of customs and rituals. After all, at this time the old year ends and the new one begins. The sun turns from winter to summer, and daylight hours shift from darkness to light. And before, as you probably know, the Slavs had a cult of the sun.

WHAT IS FORTUNE?

People have always wanted to know their future, so since ancient times they have resorted to fortune telling. In paganism, prediction was part of the ritual of worship. When the pagans began to convert to Christianity, fortune telling was banned. Those who engaged in any kind of divination began to be persecuted. But fortune telling remained as a folk pastime. The word itself is reminiscent of the name of the ancient Jewish goddess of happiness, fate. According to other sources, it comes from the Sanskrit root "gad", which means "to examine" or "to test". And divination, witchcraft, was the name given to the action of supernatural hostile forces to the detriment of some and the benefit of others. However, not only the Slavs or, for example, Babylonian (Chaldean) magicians were interested in predictions. In one form or another, both the Greeks and the Romans had fortune telling. And now Svyatki, or holy evenings, as they were called in Russia, are remembered abroad, especially where Slavic peoples live.

From Christmas to Epiphany

Christmas fortune-telling is usually done in the evening or at night. A variety of objects are used for this. Dreams are also of great importance at this time. It is believed that if a girl sees her betrothed in a dream, it means that she will get married within the next year.

FOLK FUN

The remnants of ancient pagan rituals were preserved in Christmas fortune-telling. But, rather, as fun, entertainment. Previously, people generally gathered together more often, especially on holidays. So during the holy week, young people came to someone’s hut. For fortune telling they took rings, rings, cufflinks, earrings and other jewelry. They were placed under a dish with bread. The top of the dish was covered with a clean towel, an embroidered napkin. After this, they danced in a circle to a song dedicated to bread and salt. Then they sang other songs. And each one in turn, turning away from the dish and putting his hand under it, took out some object from there - the one that came to hand first. It was like a home lottery. For prediction, not only the object removed from under the dish was important, but also the content of the song that was sung at that moment.

Since the items taken out were not always found by those to whom they belonged, a ransom was assigned. And a wedding song was sung to the last participant, foreshadowing an imminent marriage.

Then they rolled the ring along the floor, watching in which direction it would roll. If to the door, then for the girl it meant a quick marriage, and for the man it meant departure, a long journey. Rings and other gold items were very often used in fortune telling. This reflected the special attitude of people towards gold.

GOLD SILENCE

Gold has been valued for centuries. And to this day, when people talk about it, one can feel respect for this metal. For example, a mother says to her son or daughter: “You are my gold.” This is how she expresses affection and love. We also, for example, sometimes say: “This is not a person, but gold.” There is also a saying: “Your word is like a golden platter...”

Apparently, respect for gold arose in ancient times. It was laid before the pagan gods Perun and Veles, swearing an oath of allegiance. And the Varangian princes, when they swore allegiance, drank from golden vessels.

So people have always had a special attitude towards gold things. During Christmas fortune-telling, sitting girls, widows and men quietly passed a gold ring to the person sitting next to them. And someone alone had to find him while singing a ritual song. Whoever holds the ring will get married in the new year.

There was also fortune telling with a ring to evoke the image of the future groom.

The girl threw a wedding ring into a glass of water and said: “The betrothed, the mummer...” Inside the ring she could see the future groom.

Another very common fortune telling was as follows. Having removed the chicken or rooster from the perch, they brought the bird to the upper room. There, water, bread and various small items, including gold and silver earrings and rings, were prepared in advance on the floor in three places. They lowered the bird to the floor and watched what it would do first. In the evening or at night, the chicken is blind and, out of natural habit, will begin to peck at whatever it comes across. Whose ring or earring she pecks will be married within a year. If the bread bites, there will be no hunger. And if you drink water, it means good health. If he doesn’t touch anything at all, then fortune-tellers will face failure. In Siberia, during such fortune-telling, a hen and a rooster were allowed into the middle of the room. If the rooster proudly walks around and pinches the chicken, then the husband will be angry. And if the hen begins to be brave, this is a sign that the wife will be in charge in the house.

MAGIC OF MIRRORS

Fortune telling on mirrors was considered the most difficult and also unsafe. The bravest girls, who really wanted to know their future, decided to do this. They told fortunes at night, often alone. And always in silence, silently. Here's how they did it.

In dark chambers they placed a mirror on the table, and in front of it a lit candle, through which they looked. The betrothed was supposed to appear in the mirror. When the girl said “mind me,” the vision disappeared. And in Siberia they put two mirrors - one opposite the other. In front of one, the girl put two candles on the table. And the other was located behind it. That is, she found herself between two mirrors. The fortuneteller drew a circle near her with a lit splinter, which was used to light the fire on Christmas Eve. She looked carefully into the mirror placed in front of her. And the betrothed appeared, looking over the girl’s shoulder.

There was another method of such fortune telling. In the evening we took two mirrors, if possible of the same size. They also installed one opposite the other, lighting them with two candles from one or the other edge. It was believed that it was best to hold a mirror in your hands opposite a lighted wall mirror. And hold it so that a long corridor is formed in the wall, illuminated by lights. Of course, mirrors must be immaculately clean and without damage. When they are already installed opposite each other and illuminated by two candles of the same height, the fortuneteller must remove cats, dogs, birds from the room... And besides, strangers, except for two modest girls, who are also interested in the result of fortune telling. These two girls should not look in the mirrors, nor should they approach the fortuneteller or talk. And the fortuneteller must look in the mirror motionless, directing her gaze to the end of the resulting corridor. It is impossible to determine the time for such fortune telling. Sometimes we stayed up long after midnight and saw nothing. The girls could have dozed off and then seen a lot in their dreams... They say that before a vision appears, the mirror becomes dim. And the lights from the candles become different. This is where you need to concentrate on some fixed point, looking into the endless distance of the corridor. Then the imagination supposedly depicts a moment of the future.

CASE FROM HISTORY

Some people believe in fortune telling, others don't. But they say that there were cases when people actually managed to predict fate with their help or see real events. Here is one of them, described by professor of Russian history M.P. Pogodin.

In 1807, in the house of a landowner, a conversation arose about the dangers and labors of people close to their hearts, who were in the army at that time. We haven't heard from them for a long time. And those gathered turned to the owner’s daughter to tell fortunes on the mirror. “Look where my brother is now, what’s wrong with him now?” - asked her friend. The owner's daughter installed mirrors and sat down to tell fortunes, while the others sat at a distance. The fortune teller sat silently for a long time and suddenly spoke. She saw in the mirror a large fast river, a forest and a soldier's camp. A boat moored to the shore, and people began to fuss... The friend approached the fortuneteller and stood behind the chair. Looking in the mirror, she saw the same thing. “Sovereign!” - the owner’s daughter screamed and jumped up, amazed by what she saw. As it turned out later, the mirror showed in every detail the meeting of two emperors - Alexander I and Napoleon.
HOW THEY GOT FORTUNE IN THE OLD TIMES:

Shoe. The girl took off her shoe from her left foot and threw it over the gate. Then she looked where he would lay his toe - which meant that he would get married in the next year. And if the shoe lay with its toe towards the gate from which it was thrown out, then she should remain unmarried for now.

Seven bulbs. The girls planted them in warm soil, in a pot, and left them on the window. Then they watched them: whose onion sprouts first, that girl will be the first to get married.

Egg. Very often they guessed like this. A fresh chicken egg, previously warmed by the hands of a fortuneteller, was carefully poured into a wooden bowl filled with water. They let it sit for a while, and then looked closely at the arrangement of the white and yolk. And depending on the imagination they judged the future.

Wax. In Western Europe, as well as in Russia, wax, tin or lead was poured into cold water and melted over a fire. Looking at the bizarre figures, they predicted their happiness or misfortune, harvest or famine, health or illness.

Book. Also one of the most common Christmas fortune telling. They took a book of spiritual content (often the Bible) and, without opening it, thought at random about the page number, the line at the top or bottom. Then they opened the book at that place and read the answer to their question. If it turned out to be indirect, then it was interpreted in its own way.

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