Who carries the coffin at the funeral. Signs and superstitions associated with a deceased person. Bad omens at funerals - on the street and in the cemetery
Signs foretelling quick death
In Russia, it is customary to associate the souls of the dead with birds and animals. It is believed that the soul close relative able to transform into a bird or an animal, which, as it were, warns the living members of her family about the impending disaster. If the bird sits down and knocks on the window, then expect bad news about the death or serious illness of a person close to you. Also, people in Russia believe that after death, the soul of the deceased can enter the body of a dog or cat and come to native home to spend some more time with family.
If there is a seriously ill person in the house and his facial features began to sharpen during his lifetime and his nose became cold, then this means that he will soon. It is believed that Death came very close to him and pulls him by the nose into the other world.
A sharp improvement in the well-being of the dying is also considered a bad sign. As they say: "Before death, the patient felt better." There are many cases when a practically dying person, literally the day before his death, felt relieved, he even had an appetite, and he began to move around the house on his own. However, at night he became very ill and died.
Another one that portends a quick death: if a dying person suddenly starts to shudder, then it is believed that Death itself begins to look into his eyes.
If the patient begins to collect the sheets into a fist or make such movements as if he is collecting something from his body (the people say “loosing”), then these signs also portend his imminent death.
Signs related to the funeral
If in the house, then everyone there immediately needs to hang all the mirrors. It is believed that the soul of the deceased can accidentally fall into the looking glass, from where there is no way out. Mirrors are kept hung for forty days. After this period, the soul of the deceased finally passes into the afterlife and the mirrors can already be opened. There are many chilling soul stories that tell about what can happen if this ritual is not observed. Oddly enough, but even inveterate atheists, for the most part, still hang mirrors if someone close to them dies in their house.
In the room where the coffin with the body of the deceased stands, all doors and vents are closed and pets are not allowed into this room. If a cat jumps on a coffin with a body, then this is considered a very bad sign, and a dog with its barking and howling can scare the soul of the deceased, which is next to its lifeless body for three days after death.
For forty days after death, a cup of water is placed in the house of the deceased, and a cotton towel is hung outside. It is believed that the soul comes into the house, drinks water and wipes himself with a towel. There are many cases when the water in the cup, left overnight, miraculously disappeared.
It is considered a very bad sign if one's eyes suddenly open. People say that soon there will be another death in this family. As if the dead man is looking for a fellow traveler to the next world.
Signs associated with and things of the deceased
You can not clog the coffin lid in the house. This may portend another death. After the coffin was taken out of the house, it is necessary to sweep and wash the floors, after washing it is better to throw away the broom, rags and bucket. It is believed that in a similar way, death is washed out from all corners. This superstition is strongly associated with another sign: when someone goes on a business trip or on a trip, it is recommended, on the contrary, not to wash or sweep the floors during the day.
If it turned out that the coffin turned out to be large, then one more death should be expected soon.
Relatives accidentally bought extra items for the funeral ritual - this is also a very bad omen. In no case should such things be left at home - they must be placed in the coffin of the deceased so that he takes them with him to the grave.
Signs associated with the cemetery and the grave
It happens that the coffin does not fit in the dug grave. This sign indicates that someone else will die soon. They also say: "the earth does not accept him." There was such a case when the deceased bequeathed to bury him next to his parents, but, for a number of reasons, the relatives failed to do this. last wish deceased loved one. He was buried in a new cemetery, where the graves were dug out with the help of special equipment. When the funeral procession arrived at the cemetery, it turned out that it was too small for the coffin, and the gravediggers had to expand it manually. The relatives of the deceased then discussed this incident for a long time and blamed themselves for not being able to fulfill last will his deceased relative.
It is also bad if the grave begins to collapse. This, too, could mean another death in the house. 
What to do if you meet a funeral procession
If you are walking and met a funeral procession, then it is absolutely forbidden to cross its path. Also, you can not distill the hearse by car. Taxi drivers and professional drivers really believe in this sign.
You can't watch the funeral from the window. If a coffin is carried past the windows, then it is best to wake up all the household members sleeping at that moment. It is believed that the deceased can take with him all those who are sleeping at that moment.
The funeral rite is one of the key moments of existence, important both for the souls of the deceased and for the relatives of the deceased. Signs at funerals have long been known, which allow you to know in advance about some future events.
The main folk signs at the funeral
Tradition strictly regulated the course funeral rite. The main signs at the funeral, which our ancestors believed in and followed:Always looked at the weather. If the sun shines, then the deceased was a good man. Rain at the funeral speaks of no best qualities dead man.
Take care of pregnant women. Women in position should avoid any hassle associated with burial. They were not allowed to look at the deceased and attend the funeral and burial. If the pregnant woman nevertheless decided to come to the funeral, she had to leave the house before they began to take out the coffin. These superstitions are associated with the desire to preserve the fetus: it was believed that the deceased could take the soul of an unborn child.
They protected the children. They were treated with the same trepidation as pregnant women. The little ones were not allowed to attend the funeral and were watched closely until the completion of all the rites. Children could, while playing, drink water intended for the deceased, put something in his coffin, or take some thing of the deceased for themselves. Any of these actions can lead to serious illness or death, so they controlled the behavior of younger relatives very carefully.
They were in mourning. The traditional term is a year. At this time, close relatives of the deceased were not allowed to marry. The funeral before the wedding is one of the the worst signs. Its authenticity was confirmed to some extent by the last Russian tsar: Nicholas II married Alexandra Feodorovna a week after his father's funeral. Sad and bloody history Everyone knows this family.
believed in strength church holidays. One of the few good signs says: a person who died or was buried on the day of a religious holiday automatically goes to heaven.
Superstitions and omens at funerals are common today. In many ways, they are justified, as they are associated with long-term observations of people.
What signs at the funeral speak of new deaths
Grieving relatives may be faced with the need to organize a funeral again: often another rushes to the next world after one dead person. They say about this such signs of imminent death:Someone accidentally crossed the path of the funeral procession. This person is waiting for death for the same reason as the current dead man. As a "lightweight" version of a negative prediction, the development of a cancerous tumor is called.
Relatives forgot to put an ax under the coffin. A similar custom is associated with the desire to cut off death from the house, to scare it. If this is not done, then very soon she will again “visit” and take another person with her.
Relatives forgot to untie the ropes that bind the limbs of the deceased.
A dead man can drag the whole family to the next world.
The ordered coffin or dug grave was too wide for the deceased. This means that the dead person leaves room for the "new".
The eyes of the dead man open: he looks after himself a mate. The legs of the deceased remain warm until the very funeral. The sign portends a new death.
The coffin fell. The incident points to deaths in the family within three years.
The dead man fell out of the coffin. Someone else will die soon.
The coffin lid fell (or was forgotten at home in the confusion). One should expect a quick death of one of the relatives.
The grave has collapsed. If the earth crumbled from the south side, death will come for a man, from the north - for a woman, from the east - for an old man, from the west - for a child.
Someone tripped or fell during the funeral. To his imminent death. In a short period of time, two died in one house. Death loves a trinity and will soon take someone third. The funeral fell on New Year. 31th of December - unfavorable date for something like this: next year at least one person per month will be sent to the next world.
Buried on Sunday. The sign says that during next week will have to carry out the funeral ritual three more times.
The funeral was postponed, no matter the reason. For a month in the family or in close circle there will be another death (and according to some sources, even two or three). According to legend, the dead man, delaying the funeral, is simply waiting for the next dead person.
Folk signs at funerals warn people against putting their photo or personal item "as a keepsake" in the coffin. Thus, a person runs the risk of going to world of the dead much earlier than expected.
The same applies to dressing the deceased in his clothes. After saying goodbye to the deceased, it is advisable to touch his shoes and say: “Farewell! When the time comes, we will come to you, but you don’t follow us.” You need to leave the coffin without looking back. Signs at a funeral in magic: what ordinary people don’t know about
If the average person perceives farewell to the deceased as a sad event, then sorcerers rejoice at the opportunity to “get rich”. Many signs about funerals are based on fear of magicians and witches: relatives tried to do everything to prevent such people from stealing funeral paraphernalia.
Of particular value are:
a rope that tied the hands and feet of the deceased;water and soap used to wash the deceased;
coins for the eyes;
crest;
measure from the coffin;
candle stub left over from the funeral service.
All this is used for guidance the strongest damage. Therefore, it is recommended to pour water into a specially dug hole away from the house, and soap should also be thrown there. The comb and measure are usually placed in the coffin. The dead cannot be left alone in the house. This is partly due to the desire of witches and sorcerers to put a personal item, biomaterial or photograph of their victim in the coffin: in this way damage to death is done. For the same reason, strangers should not be allowed near the coffin in the cemetery, especially if it seems that they are plotting something.
Suspicious behavior indicative of magical work being done includes:
Please lie down on the bed of the deceased.The desire to go behind the coffin backwards.
Tying knots on a cord or rag during the removal of the deceased.
Throwing fresh flowers at the feet of people walking behind the coffin.
Placement on the lips of the deceased needles crosswise.
Folk omens are closely connected with the idea of magic.
Many modern people they do not believe that a sorcerer can do harm by manipulating any object. But there are a lot of cases confirming the effectiveness of black spells. For example, a popular way to permanently get rid of unwanted person- put his photograph in the mouth of the deceased. It is necessary to carefully observe what is happening, not letting grief cover your eyes and hide someone's negative activity. Basically, bad omens are common at funerals. This is connected not only with the natural fear of death, but also with the fear of the dead: the one who was nearby recently has now become a representative of another world. Following traditions allows a person to survive parting with a loved one as comfortably as possible.
One of the most mysterious and incomprehensible events for mankind is death. About what happens to a person beyond its line, we can only speculate. Fear of the unknown is a natural reaction that forces even the most notorious atheist, albeit to a minimal extent, to adhere to certain rules of behavior in the process, before and after the funeral. The traditions that are observed during this ritual are among the most revered in the world. Not everyone knows how to behave correctly if such a grief happened in the family. We often receive requests for clarification on certain issues. We will try to answer the most popular of them from an ethical and religious point of view.
First, here are the most common funeral superstitions:
Close windows and doors in the house;
Put food, money and things in the coffin (in recent times mobile phones);
Put a pancake on the face of the deceased, and then eat it, believing that the sins of the deceased are destroyed by this;
To believe that a person who returned to the house after the removal of the body and before returning from the cemetery would certainly die soon;
At the commemoration, put a glass of vodka and bread "for the deceased";
Keep this "funeral glass" until the fortieth day;
Pouring vodka on the grave mound;
Before lowering the coffin, throwing metal money into the grave in order to “buy the land”;
Attach metal glasses to the monument for commemoration with vodka;
Kiss your fingers and apply them to the edge of the grave;
Say: "May the earth rest in peace";
Scatter bread crumbs over the grave;
Scatter spruce branches along the road to the cemetery;
To believe that the soul of the deceased can take the form of a bird or a bee;
To believe that if the deceased is not revered, then his soul remains on earth as a ghost;
To believe that a person who accidentally stood between the coffin and the altar during the funeral service will certainly die soon;
To believe that the burial ground, which is given at the funeral service in absentia, cannot be kept at home for more than one day;
To believe that cremation can cause illness in the children or grandchildren of the person being cremated;
Remember only light (white) alcoholic drinks: vodka, if wine, then only white;
For the sake of the soul, be sure to cook only those dishes that the deceased loved;
At the commemoration, there is only spoons (there is “sin” with forks).
The custom of not serving knives and forks to the table at the wake, apparently one of the modern superstitious customs, was born in Soviet canteens, where these cutlery were not accepted and where the wake was held. And only then, out of absence, a "theory" was born: so as not to inject the deceased. It is believed that this "tradition" appeared in the middle of the 19th century among the merchants. People, inflamed by "funeral" alcohol, moved at the table to the question of dividing up the inheritance, and rarer-piercing objects, i.e. fork-knives, led to serious injuries, so it was removed from the use of commemoration.
To believe that if the deceased has a long coffin - to the new dead.
Believe that the deceased hears until the priest says over him: "Eternal memory ...".
Distribute soap at the commemoration - so that the dead person is washed in the next world.
Distribute handkerchiefs to all those present at the wake (it is believed that wiping ourselves with a handkerchief, we remember the deceased).
Cut all the “loops” on the deceased, including the trouser belt, tie collar and lace of the pectoral cross.
To believe that if something falls from the table during the funeral dinner, then picking up the fallen is a sin.
Bury children with girdles, "so that they can collect the fruits of paradise in their bosoms."
After the funeral, do not clean the house for 40 days.
After the funeral, do not turn off the lights in the house for 40 days;
After the funeral, do not sleep on the bed of the deceased for 40 days;
Hang mirrors in the house where there is a dead person;
Can I watch TV after the funeral?
Many people adhere to this rule: as long as the deceased is in the house, it is necessary to cover surfaces that are capable of reflecting something, for example, mirrors, a TV. This superstition has nothing to do with Orthodox beliefs, but refers to paganism. It is believed that after death, a person's soul can be drawn into a mirror and unable to get out of there, it will wander forever, never finding rest. After the deceased is taken out of the room, the canvases can be removed, but some keep them closed for 9 or even 40 days.
Other sources claim that hanging mirrors is generally a fairly understandable custom. When someone died in the house, the coffin with his body was placed in the very big room. At the coffin of the deceased, the psalter was constantly read, and the worshipers could enter at any time and pray near the coffin. Accordingly, everything in the room was arranged so that everything around was conducive to prayer. Mirrors, book spines, figurines or dishes in a sideboard, vases and other small things distract the eye, and therefore do not contribute to the mood. So they began in the room where the psalter is read, to hide everything extraneous from the eyes with draperies. The Psalter has not been read for a long time, but mirrors are hung in all rooms even up to 40 days. A normal custom that has turned into superstition.
By the way, watching TV after the funeral of the deceased is a separate issue. It's not just the fact that you watch TV that matters, but what you watch. Watching entertainment programs and entertainment films is prohibited. Most often, an interval of 9 days is maintained. In addition, out of respect for the deceased, you should not turn it on at high volume. Watching, for example, the news is not prohibited.
Is it possible to celebrate a birthday after a funeral?
This issue is resolved only by how important the memory and repose of a deceased person is for those who celebrate. The Church does not set exact time frames mourning days, but in the first days after the incident, he recommends paying more attention to prayers and the remembrance of the deceased.
Ethical norms also do not give contrary recommendations on this issue. Don't have a noisy party. If, nevertheless, there is a desire to somehow celebrate the holiday (especially if the birthday is a child), you can arrange it quietly and in a family way, without loud music and noisy parties. Honoring the memory of a departed loved one is one of the distinguishing features civilized society.
Can you have sex after a funeral?
The Orthodox Church responds to this question as follows: mourning for a deceased relative is a time when all the attention of relatives should be directed to prayers.
Ethical considerations also recommend showing respect for memory and abandoning this venture. It is quite possible that a person grieving for a loss will simply not be up to such pleasures. Along with this, again, there are no clear time limits for the ban on sex, therefore, as soon as the heart comes to terms with the loss, and the feeling of grief dulls, you can distract yourself in this way. Each person sets the boundaries of what is permitted for himself.
Can you drink after a funeral?
According to church ministers, drinking alcohol and alcoholic beverages, even if for the purpose of commemorating the deceased - an unacceptable and even harmful thing for the soul of the commemorated.
In pre-Soviet times, it was not customary to drink at funerals. The main and most beneficial remembrance is prayer. There is no point in alcoholic commemoration. The only thing that needs to be consumed after the funeral during the commemoration is kutya. Everything else is not necessary.
As you know, alcohol is an enemy not only spiritual health and bodily health, but also common sense. Often, during the funeral ceremony, due to the fault of extra degrees, disputes begin, and sometimes fights between guests, which, for ethical reasons, is completely inappropriate at such an event.
Is it possible to listen to music after the funeral?
This question is often asked by people who are experiencing the loss of a loved one. Here, as with watching TV, everything depends not on the fact of listening to music, but on the nature of listening and semantic content.
Anything that can be called entertainment music during mourning is best excluded. It is allowed to listen to peaceful calm (best of all classical) music. You don't have to turn it on loud either.
It is also often practiced to listen to the favorite compositions of a deceased person. For ethical reasons, this is also a kind of tribute to memory. A mourning band often plays at funerals. These are rather echoes of the Soviet era. It is most correct from the point of view of religion to sing and listen to prayer chants.
Is it possible to have a wedding right after the funeral?
There are also cases when a loved one leaves his family forever at the moment when she is preparing to marry or marry one of her representatives. Most often, pre-wedding chores entail spending big money and for purely rational reasons, the wedding is not canceled, but at the celebration itself they mention the death of a loved one and pay tribute to his memory. There's nothing wrong with that, it all depends. emotional state spouses.
Orthodox tradition allows weddings even before the onset of 40 days. If we touch on the topic of a secular wedding, this is a worldly event, and like all others, it can be equated with entertainment events. You can celebrate the wedding, but without any frills. Or move it at least for the time frame of 9 days.
Can I go on vacation after the funeral?
There is no travel ban after the funeral. On the contrary, if a person who has lost a loved one suffers greatly about this, the trip will be able to distract him from mourning thoughts and direct him in the right direction. Plus, every vacation is different.
Everything that has to do with entertainment events (going to discos, bars, entertainment concerts) should be canceled.
From the point of view of Orthodoxy, vacation is also not a form of disrespectful behavior towards the deceased. It is important not to forget to behave appropriately and remember the departed person with a prayer and a kind word.
Is it possible to make repairs after the funeral?
Signs that do not belong to Orthodoxy say that repairs in the house where the deceased lived cannot be done within 40 days. You can not make any changes to the interior. In addition, all belongings of the deceased must be thrown away after 40 days.
There are also superstitions that say that on the bed on which a person died, his blood relatives should not sleep at all.
From an ethical point of view, the repair will only refresh the state of the mourners of the loss of people. It will help to get rid of things reminiscent of a person. Although many, in memory of a departed loved one, seek to keep for themselves some of what belongs to him. According to signs, this is again not worth doing. Therefore, the repair will be good decision in all cases.
Can I wash immediately or the day after the funeral?
There is such a sign that says that as long as the deceased is in the house, until he is buried, you cannot wash, so you pour mud on him. Some follow the rule for longer. This superstition has nothing to do with Orthodox teaching. But walking dirty for 9 or even 40 days is very difficult and completely unhygienic and unaesthetic, so you should think before blindly following all the rules and signs overheard somewhere. Believe beliefs, but common sense should not be neglected though.
Can I get a haircut after a funeral?
The Orthodox Church does not know this superstition in its history, but people believe and actively believe that sign that you can not cut your hair after a funeral.
From an aesthetic point of view, there is no reason to ban this procedure. So if necessary or desire, you can safely go to the hairdresser and get a haircut.
In general, with regard to signs and all kinds of superstitions regarding death, they often even contradict the canons of Orthodoxy. The church considers superstitions to be sinful echoes of the pagan past.
Can I clean up after the funeral?
While the dead in the house you can not clean and take out the trash. It is believed that the rest of the family members will die. When the deceased was taken out of the house, it is necessary to thoroughly wash the floor. It is forbidden for blood relatives to do this. The Orthodox Church also denies this point and considers it superstition. On the ethical side, there is nothing reprehensible about cleaning up after a funeral.
Should the children of the deceased participate in carrying the coffin?
Some believe that the children of the deceased, as the closest, after the spouse or wife, his relatives, do not participate in the carrying of the coffin, so as not to lose their prayerful mood and concentration at such an important moment in their lives. It's a delusion. It all depends on the specific situation. When leaving, relatives take with them the earth from the grave, so as not to be afraid of the deceased. Returning home, they put the earth in a washstand and wash themselves with water from this earth. The custom of washing oneself after coming from a funeral is certainly observed today in the urban environment.
Can pregnant women visit cemeteries?
There is also a belief that pregnant women should not go to the cemetery. In fact, some women are very emotional, and a visit to the cemetery, and often the accompanying hysteria, is harmful to the child.
Distribution of clothes and belongings of the deceased after the funeral: is it possible?
Many believe that the clothes of the deceased should not be given away during the forty-first days. But this is superstition. It is better to distribute the clothes of the deceased (as alms for him), or personal items as a keepsake to loved ones immediately after his death or immediately after death. Moreover, it is in the first forty days that it is necessary to intensively do alms and distribute the things of the deceased in order to propitiate God, the Righteous Judge, who will make a preliminary judgment on the soul on the fortieth day. Friends, in memory of a friend, may have books or some souvenirs that remind of the deceased. Especially if there was a testament or the will of the newly deceased, this should be done as soon as possible. The deceased is considered newly deceased until the fortieth day. When the wife of her husband is buried, in order to remarry, she must unbutton the bottom button of the shirt of the deceased. When someone dies, a “camping” bundle is collected for him: an onion, an iron cup, millet or rice, a wooden spoon, threads with a needle. All this is given to those in need in order to be useful to the deceased in the next world.
What should be placed in the coffin of the deceased? Established superstitions and church recommendations.
One of the most common superstitions is that it is imperative to put a handkerchief in the hand of the deceased, and put the cross in left hand: “In the next world, God will scold him, and he will wipe his tears with a handkerchief, and right hand be baptized." During the reading of the psalter, a sieve is placed under the book - in order to "sift" the sins of the deceased. Some, when they read the Psalter for the deceased, put bread and water. This custom is folk, dating back to paganism, and has no basis in the canons and traditions of the Church. Therefore, one should not put water and bread when reading the Psalter for the deceased. Some put a stick or twig in the coffin of the deceased. This custom, like most beliefs around the church, comes from ignorance. In the past, in order to make a coffin according to the height of a person, the deceased was measured by "twilight", that is, the length of the "twilight" corresponded to the height of the deceased. This "twilight" was placed in the coffin with the dead. It does not have any religious symbols of "twilight", so you do not need to put any sticks in the coffin.
How should the funeral meal end?
There is a custom to end the funeral meal with a sip of jelly with milk. Some priests currently recommend fast days cow's milk replace with soy milk. (However, this contradicts that soy products cannot be used, because they are all genetically modified).
Another superstition: Superstitions keep track of which foot the priest enters the house where the deceased is: if with the right, then it’s good, if with the left, it’s bad. While the deceased is lying at home, they throw a knife into a tub of drinking water so that the deceased does not drink water from this tub at night. During the time that the deceased is in the house, they do not lend any of the products, and also do not give fire to anyone from the house.
If the owner or mistress of the house dies: If the owner or mistress dies, then all doors and exits are tied with a red cord or thread so that the household does not follow the owner.
Superstitions about the coffin and stools: When the coffin is taken out for parting, it is placed on stools. As soon as it is lifted, it is necessary to quickly grab them and turn them upside down. - "so that another coffin does not lie on these stools." The stools on which the coffin stood can only be corrected by touching the seat to the ground, this again makes the stools usable, or vice versa, depending on the region, they rush to sit on this chair so that "all troubles die."
Care about close person even after his death: In some places, after the funeral, for three nights in a row, they light a wax candle in the house where the deceased lay, put two bread and two apples, put a mug of water or a glass of vodka on each fire for the soul of the deceased, so that the deceased could come to his house and eat for three days.
How not to scare away the guardian angel?
In some places, it is believed that after the death of a person, his guardian angel stays in the house of the deceased for another forty days, and therefore, during this period, the peasants in many places did not sit under the goddess (there is an angel). And on the fortieth day, one or two women traditionally saw off the angel (according to other beliefs, the soul of the deceased) with bread, salt and beer. (the type of beer could not be determined).
superstition about whether it is necessary to leave a deceased person in a room alone even for a moment: A dead person is never left alone: neither when he lies, nor when he dies. This custom is explained by the fact that on the right side of the body worthy of God stand invisibly, and on the left - devils "and pull the soul: this one is for themselves, and this one is for themselves." The presence of living people helps the righteous to "pull" the soul of the deceased. Tears, if they are shed over the deceased, interfere with a calm departure and make it difficult to die. Those who succumb to unbridled grief in such circumstances are said to "cry back the dying man." They are predicted in the future retribution for such selfishness - they will lose speech, or hearing, or another gift, or some other misfortune will befall them. Therefore, sometimes they invite for a fee, the so-called mourners, and they cry for all their relatives. Some mourners are real professional artists.
The guardian angel watches over a person from heaven, from the "window of God's chamber", which people see as a star, and writes down every earthly deed of a person entrusted to him in a heavenly book; when a person dies, the heavenly window slams shut and people can see how a star falls "from the heights of heaven onto the chest of the earth" - this is an angel flying for the soul of the deceased. Hence the belief - if you see a shooting star and, before it goes out, you have time to make a wish, it will certainly come true, since the angel on this path does not refuse anyone and nothing and will fulfill the desire, or, according to another belief, will convey the request to the Lord . A sweet superstition, if only to replace making a wish to an angel star with a prayer.
Old beliefs about the death of sorcerers: Sorcerers are believed to die, always in terrible agony, so that earlier in the villages it used to be taken apart the roof in the house to make it easier for his soul to part with the body. After death, the sorcerer "did not give rest" until, like drowned men, he was nailed to the ground with an aspen stake.
On the funeral of suicides: It happens that the priest refuses to perform the Church commemoration and burial according to the rites Orthodox Church because the deceased was suicidal. Here it must be remembered that intentional suicides, murdered robbers or those killed in a duel are deprived of their Christian burial. It is necessary to distinguish from them people who have taken their own lives by negligence (unintentional fall from a height, drowning in water, poisoning with stale food, violation of safety regulations at work, etc.). This includes suicide as a result of mental disorder, under the influence of large doses of alcohol and so on. But the debt of love allows close relatives to ask God for forgiveness of such a person in home prayer.
Priests comment on the funeral of suicides in this way: “Suicide is the unauthorized deprivation of oneself of life in a state of despair, extreme despondency, wounded pride, loss of any meaning in life. The common spiritual ground for all manifestations of this mortal sin is unbelief and lack of hope in God. A person commits suicide in a state of severe spiritual illness. Such a high manifestation of love for God and people has nothing to do with this, when a person sacrifices his life for faith, fatherland, people. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. There is no greater love than if a man lays down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you” (John 15:12-14). The holy martyrs sacrificed their lives, having great love and devotion to God. History knows many examples when Christians had a choice, but preferred death. Hieromartyr Ignatius the God-bearer was taken in chains to Rome to be devoured wild animals. On the way to the capital of the empire, he learned that the Roman Christians intended to seek the abolition of the royal sentence of death. In the letter, he asked not to do this. The words of his letter are known, which expressed his great desire to become a sacrifice for the sake of Jesus Christ: "I am His wheat and I will be ground by the teeth of beasts to be His pure bread." He gave up the opportunity to stay alive. From the fullness of faith, he wanted to leave this life and unite with Christ. During the persecution, chaste maidens were in a very difficult situation, who, out of love for Christ, chose the path of a pure and virgin life. The persecutors, directed by the devil, sought to strike them at the very heart of their achievement—to dishonor them. The persecutors wanted to plunge them into the very mud in which they themselves lived (the pagan world at that time was greatly corrupted). Nicephorus Kallistos tells of two Antiochian virgins who, on the advice of their mother, threw themselves into the water to avoid disgrace. Other examples have come down to us. It is impossible not to see in these actions manifestations of sacrifice for the sake of moral purity, and not despair and unbelief. Not all of them are canonized. In glorifying some of them, the Church took into account the holiness of their previous lives.”
Serving a memorial service for a dead baby: Some ask to serve a memorial service for a dead baby. Panikhidas should not be served for an infant, it is enough to commemorate him at the liturgy. A memorial service is served for the forgiveness of the sins of the deceased, and the baby still does not have sins. During the Divine Liturgy, at the proskomedia, a sacrifice is made for everyone, including the saints, therefore, during the Liturgy, it is necessary to commemorate the dead babies.
Many pagan-Soviet superstitions exist in cemeteries: you can't say "thank you", you can say "thank you". You can’t say “goodbye”, otherwise you’ll “see you” soon, you have to say: “goodbye”, although in this case, no matter how long you say goodbye, the date is still guaranteed.
There are still many superstitions associated with the funeral of a person, but many of them were generated either from ancient traditions and distorted, or created on the basis of ethical considerations, or taken from religious beliefs.
Adhere to these norms or not - it depends only on you and your loved ones.
Superstitions related to death have emerged from the experience of many generations. Therefore, few people take omens at a funeral lightly. For example, when a person dies in the house, his relatives first of all close the mirrors and glass surfaces. Ancient knowledge helps to properly say goodbye to the dead and protect the living from negative impact the world of the dead.
How not to bring trouble while the dead is in the house
According to Orthodox canons, the burial of the deceased is carried out only on the third day after death. While the deceased is at home, the rest of the family must adhere to certain rules. Failure to observe traditions can harm the soul of the deceased and bring misfortune to the relatives of the deceased. The most common superstitions:
Signs at the cemetery during the funeral
Rain during the funeral is a good omen. Such weather phenomenon says that the soul of the deceased will soon find peace.
But you should not look for more good signs during the funeral. On the contrary, there are many restrictions and prohibitions associated with the burial ceremony. For example, children and pregnant women should not come after the hearse, because attending a funeral can be unsafe. The proof of this is more numerous signs and beliefs:
Signs at the wake of the deceased
Traditionally, funerals end with a commemoration. Even during the memorial meal, you should be careful to protect yourself and your loved ones:
- The one who jokes or laughs at the memorial table will soon have bitter tears.
- Anyone who gets drunk at the wake will have alcoholics in their family.
- Those who clink glasses will communicate misfortunes to each other.
- Three candles on the table - to the new dead.
- Choke on kutya - to a protracted illness or imminent death.
- If the spoon has fallen off the table, you can’t pick it up (to illness).
Funerals are a sad but inevitable reality. Death has always been incomprehensible, frightened by its inevitability, the inability to predict what is there, beyond its threshold? Perhaps that is why the funeral rite, perhaps more than all the others, is surrounded by a halo of signs, rules, superstitions. People tried to distance themselves from the deceased, to save the lives of other family members. This childishly unsophisticated faith, the desire to eliminate the frightening unknown has remained to this day. Signs, superstitions have become almost mandatory rules for the ritual.
The first requirement is to close the mirrors where there is a dead person. It is believed that the soul can go to the mirror, stay to live there. She will frighten her relatives, she will not be able to leave this world.
According to another version, if the deceased is reflected in the mirror, then he will “double”, take one of his friends or relatives.
Funeral signs offer to close the eyes of the deceased. Previously, this was done with the help of copper nickels, today they use large coins. open eyes the deceased, our ancestors believed, looked out among those present for the one who would die next.
Seeing off the deceased, you should definitely put a few coins, a handkerchief, a comb with him. This set, as was previously thought, will help to overcome the long path to paradise, pay for the road, appear before the Almighty in a decent form.
But photographs of the living cannot be put in a coffin. Otherwise, they too will be buried.
The deceased person was necessarily washed to cleanse the body. The soul is cleansed by itself, for this you need to put a glass of water on the windowsill. It will be a bath for the soul.
Signs at a funeral forbid pregnant women or close relatives from washing the body of the deceased. Carry out the coffin, too, must not blood relatives. Otherwise, the deceased will decide that his death is welcome. It's better if it's just friends or acquaintances. Their hand, as a sign of gratitude from the deceased, is tied with a new towel, sometimes with a handkerchief.
Where they say goodbye to the deceased, it is not recommended to wash or sweep the floor. It was believed that the living would die in this way, "swept out" for the dead. This must be done immediately after the domino is carried out of the house. Turn the table where the domina stood, and throw away the bed, the dead man.
Signs at a funeral advise how to deal with things, property of the deceased. It is not recommended to touch them for up to forty days, and after the soul passes, all things must be quickly distributed to those in need, taken to the cathedral, church.
Almost all the signs at the funeral are aimed at protecting others from damage that can be caused evil people using funeral props.
Before laying the deceased in the coffin, his hands and feet are tied. quite understandable from modern point the rite was considered a way of not allowing the dead to get up, walk the earth, frighten the living. Before closing the lid of the coffin, and then lowering it into the grave, the legs and hands are untied.
These ropes can be used to death, so witches or black healers always try to steal the ropes. In order to prevent this from happening, they put a special observer. Usually this elderly woman well acquainted with the rituals.
Signs and superstitions at the funeral prescribe how to behave during the ceremony. You can not step on the towels where the coffin is installed, bring any objects, flowers from the cemetery. When returning home, be sure to rinse your hands.
You can’t cross the road in front of the dead: you will die very soon.
It is necessary to commemorate the deceased on the day of the funeral, on the ninth and fortieth days, on the anniversary.
Signs at the funeral evolved over the centuries. They contained a sound grain of intuitive experience. People, not knowing or not being able to find an explanation for the laws of nature, instinctively felt how to behave in difficult situation, developed a line of behavior, fixed in signs and rituals.