No one can say for sure when fortune-telling appeared. It's just that one day, a person decided to look into the future, using at the same time improvised objects, he wanted to know the answer to the question: will his wish come true or not? Of course, now in the era of colossal computerization, people even guess by barcodes and labels on their clothes. However, nobody succeeds in checking the reliability of these predictions. Basically: if the question asked carried out is just a coincidence.

A little from the history of Christmas divination

To understand the essence of Christmas divination, the history and types of these prophecies, let's look at where it all began. Where the mirror was considered a portal to a parallel afterworld... When during the ceremony they used real living candles, which symbolized life, eternity and peace in the family. Moreover, for Christmas divination they took only wax candles, since wax also carries a certain symbolism: flexibility, resignation to fate, the ability to memorize (or rather to imprint in oneself) various images. You can hardly see any magic ritual using gas burner or a light bulb ...

When is the best time to guess on New Years? By itself New Year's celebration originated at the end of the 16th century, and Christmas officially entered into force in the 10th century. Since the roots of Christmas go much deeper into antiquity, it is customary to carry out ceremonies on the first Christmas Eve (after the appearance of the first star), namely on the night of January 6-7 (Christmas Eve). Of all the twelve Christmastide days, the first week ("holy evenings") is especially distinguished, which is used for funny and funny fortune-telling; and the second part ("scary evenings") - for dangerous and risky. The most correct and serious are the prophecies made on the night of January 14 (on Vasilyev's evening).

Divination for holy evenings

So, the easiest Christmas fortune-telling to perform is to find out the name of your betrothed by going out into the street and asking the first passer-by man his name. Subsequently, you can tell your grandchildren that their grandfather was predetermined by fate.

To determine where the young girl should expect the groom to appear from, the throwing of the left shoe over the threshold is calculated. Where he will show with his toe, from there fate will come.

In general, most Christmas predictions are designed specifically for the search for their future destiny and are aimed at the younger generation.

In order to find out what the groom will be like, the girl is blindfolded, twisted several times around her and stopped in front of a table, on which a piece of bread, salt, a bottle, a mirror and a knife are laid out. Look at which subject she will choose. If a knife, then the groom will be a bully, if the mirror - a narcissistic "narcissist". If he touches a bottle - a drunkard, bread - rich, he chooses salt - grumpy.

To determine how many children a girl will have, and who exactly will be born, there is a simple way of fortune-telling at Christmas time. Pour water into a small glass, put your jewelry (ring, earring) there and put it out in the cold. When the liquid freezes, you can start counting: the bumps are boys, dimples are girls.

Anything will do to get an answer. For example, two glasses. One is filled with water, the other is left empty. They make a wish, holding the glasses in their hands, and with the fastest possible movement they pour the liquid from one container to another. Of course, it's not worth training in advance in transfusion, and taking the second, third attempt is also not worth it, after all, this is not setting a new record. So, if you managed to pour everything almost without loss, wait for the fulfillment of your desire, if a whole puddle has formed - alas.

If you have enough time and patience, you can tell fortunes on rice grains. A hand with an open palm down is held over a container of rice. Make a wish and pick up a handful of grains. Then it is poured onto a napkin and counted. A paired number speaks of a positive answer, an unpaired number - a negative one.

If the girl is already on friendly terms with the young man, then you can try to determine whether they will be together. To do this, it is enough to "borrow" one hair from him. Pour water into an ordinary cup, add a pinch of salt and sugar to salt and sweeten life and throw both hairs (yours and the groom's). If by morning both hairs are together, then their owners will have to live together. If not, you will have to go in search of another candidate.

Another type of Christmas divination is the determination of fate by a piece of bread. They break it down into unequal parts according to the number of people in the family. Big piece symbolizes the father, less - the mother, even less - the children. They pour liquid into the container and twirl it with a finger, saying: “Spin, bread and water, my whole family is here,
If there is trouble, separate the bread and water. " After a while, when the whirlpool stops, they look at the picture that has turned out. If the pieces of bread are gathered together, then everything in the house will be as before, and if some one swims to the side, then someone will leave the family. Depending on the size of this slice, they determine whether someone will marry, or leave to study, or wait for other troubles.

Fortune-telling on "scary evenings"

As for the "terrible evenings", according to popular legend, these days God, celebrating the birth of the Son, opened all the closures and released the evil spirits. Therefore, in the second half of the Christmas holidays, all Christmas divination using mirrors is considered especially dangerous. Special activity these days witches and witches are showing, as their connection with the "other" world becomes stronger. The ceremonies carried out during this period are distinguished by special accuracy and responsibility, since it is believed that what is seen and predicted on these days will no longer be possible to change.

To communicate with the future, you can use the "mirror corridor". Take one large mirror and one small one, place them opposite each other. Two candles are lit on the sides. Next, you should focus on the corridor itself, consisting of reflections. It is better to hold a white handkerchief in your hands. As soon as a vision appears in the reflection, you should quickly throw a scarf on small mirror... Thus, you can, as it were, peep through the keyhole at an episode from your future, but in order not to provoke trouble on yourself, it is better to immediately close the passage.

To see any pictures during fortune-telling, you need to have rich imagination and a developed imagination. It comes in very handy when pouring molten wax into water. A candle is lit, and when it is lit, it is tilted over a bowl of water several times to create intricate shapes on the surface.

If you get a lot of small drops - money.
- If the outlines of a person are guessed - to the wedding.
- Flower, grapes - fortunately, luck.
- Mushroom - for longevity.
- Bell - to the news. If it is symmetrical - good news, curve -
bad.
- A leaf of a tree - to envy.
- An apple is a symbol of life, wisdom, health.

How true can Christmas divination be?

It is clear that one cannot take all prophecies literally and act in accordance with what is predicted. But there is still a rational grain in all fortune-telling. You need to be able to see it and apply it in Everyday life... These can be the usual directions of direction, the opportunity to prepare for the coming changes in fate, hints of changes in personal life, etc.

All Christmas divinations have only one year for their fulfillment. Moreover, some believe that twelve Christmastide days correspond to 12 months of the year. That is, if the fortune-telling took place, say, on the 3rd day of the Christmas holidays, then the result should also be in March (the third month of the year). Although there is no reliable confirmation of this "law".

Fortune-telling is mainly focused on girls, since the female gender is more curious, emotional and receptive to messages from the other world... Men, on the other hand, believe that it is better to achieve everything in life on their own. This is their strength and rationalism. In fact, both are right. Without perseverance and determination, you cannot achieve the fulfillment of your desires, but who said that you cannot use the clues of fate for this?

The Christmas week is the days between the birth of Christ and his baptism. Not everyone knows what date Christmastide begins and how many days it lasts. And Christmas Eve begins on Christmas Eve on January 6 in the evening after the rising of the first star in the sky, the extreme ending date is Epiphany on January 19. As a result, the Christmas period lasts 2 weeks, right up to the Epiphany of the Lord.

In 2018, Christmastide also begins with the Nativity of Christ and continues until Epiphany Eve. V church calendar this is an important winter holiday in Russia. There are many beliefs associated with Christmas days. The Christmas week in 2018, as in other years, will begin on Christmas Eve on January 6th.

Since January 6, from the beginning of Christmas time, the souls of the dead return to our world of the living. From this day on, devilry... On Christmastide days, witches arrange a sabbath, rave and have fun with the unclean. But apart from that, on these important Christmas days, when miracles are possible.

Magic rituals can begin when the Christmas week begins. Fortune-telling and rituals for Christmastide for the betrothed are the most popular these days. The Christmastide of Russia lasts 2 weeks: the holy week from the evening of January 6 to January 13 (Old New Year), as well as January 14 to 19 -a terrible week, right up to Epiphany itself. Those days the best way suitable for fortune telling, rituals, divination, rituals. Yule divination will help you find out the future, and rituals will help shape and attract the necessary development of events in the coming year.

What they do on Christmastide: traditions

The Christmas Fast ends on January 6. On this day, you can already drink a little alcohol. On the first day, they visit relatives and friends. They come to visit with congratulations and gifts. And it is also customary to thank loved ones for their care and love. Do it sincerely, with all your heart.

Christmastide begins to be celebrated on January 7th. You can start your meal the day before, January 6, when the first star rises. At least 12 dishes are placed on the table.

Another tradition is "Christmas tales", in the evenings the whole family gathered in a close circle, invited guests and told fairy tales. There are whole collections folk stories... Among them you can find works of authorship. The tales were distinguished by their mystery, the presence of magic, and wonderful events always took place in them.

In the afternoon, on Christmastide days, it was customary among the people to ride down the slides on a sleigh. And after Christmastide, brides and grooms were wooed, the matchmaking period began.

V last days Christmastide weeks were preparing for Epiphany. They made an ice-hole in the nearest reservoirs. The shape of the hole was special - a cross.

During the entire Christmastide period, you should analyze income, draw up a budget, and plan. And it is also customary to carry out various fortune-telling at Christmas and Christmas time.

What not to do on Christmas week

Popular wisdom put forward a number of requirements that forbade certain actions to be performed on Christmastide days.

• Money cannot be counted. Especially forbidden to count small coins... You will attract tears.
• You cannot sew, embroider, knit in the evening before the holidays, as well as on Christmastide days, otherwise there will be a lot of worries throughout the year, which will be difficult to cope with.
• You can't buy real estate, start new business, open a business on Christmastide weeks. At this time, evil spirits are active, they can ruin all undertakings and bring trouble.
• Do not do hard work.
• It is forbidden to baptize children and get married.
• 7, also on Epiphany on January 19, it is forbidden to guess, so as not to miscalculate happiness.

Christmastide fortune-telling, superstition

The most the right time for fortune-telling, various predictions and rituals - Christmastide. Information about the future is open these days in January. Every year, young girls and boys used it for Christmas divination, although this was not approved by the church. Information about upcoming events was available, because spirits descend on the earth from Christmas Eve until Epiphany, and through them it was possible to get answers to questions of interest to people.

Fortune telling is a fun and extraordinary way to find out your future. To be precise, fortune-telling means prediction. Since ancient times, man has wanted to know what lies ahead of him. To this end, he used various available means. What motivates people in this case? ...

Fortune-telling in Christianity is considered a sin, but on Christmastide it was possible to guess at the suitors, learn about the future harvest, predict the weather. And then the sins were washed away at Epiphany in an ice hole.

Young girls of marriageable age especially liked Christmas fortune-telling; they very much wanted to know whether they would marry, what their husband would be like. Adults also wondered, they learned about their future. On Christmastide, it was allowed to divine in certain places. Baths, a vegetable garden, verandas, crossroads were used for this sacred action. In the house, it was possible to come into contact with evil spirits only at night, and for protection it was imperative to light candles.

Fortune telling at Christmas time at home

If you are attracted by the topic of fortune telling and prediction, then you should try folk popular techniques. Fortune-telling during the Christmas period is carried out at home, for this you should prepare the attributes in advance, study the technique, choose a place and make sure that no one bothers you.

Fortune telling on Christmas time, prediction on wax

Want to know your future? Prepare for Christmas fortune telling white paraffin candles and the remains of wax candles, metal dishes, a deep cup, fire, water.

Place the candles in a bowl, put the bowl on the fire and wait until the wax and paraffin are melted. Pour the melted wax into another white container with water. Wait for the figure to freeze. They look at the future of the one they are guessing at. There are the following interpretations of cast wax figures.

Interpreting wax figures

• Home - replenishment, prosperity, for a virgin - an early marriage.
• Ruins are a misfortune in life in the coming year.
• A cave, a pit - predicts a serious illness, death.
• Rock - obstacles on the way, in the business started.
• Heart is love, mutual understanding.
• A tree - if its branches are raised up, then joyful events are expected in the near future, lowered branches promise longing, sad news.
• Flower - joy, success, brilliant prospects.
• Ring - wedding soon.
• A candle or a dome of a church is a wedding.
• Damn, which also fell to the bottom - protracted girlhood, obstacles to marriage.
• A dog, an animal with an open mouth - troubles coming.
• Angel - receiving help from above.
• A dog, a horse's head - true friend, support of loved ones.
• Drop - cash replenishment, payments.
• Star - ambulance Higher powers, all problems in life will be solved by themselves;
• Ship - changes, travel, changes in financial, spiritual, personal spheres;
• Horseshoe is a harbinger of successful deals.
• Turtle - slowdowns in business.
• Rooster - it's time to act.
• The snake is duality: rolled up into a ball - there is a person who is watching you, if the snake is active - aggression towards the one who is guessing.
• The bear is a strong helper, protector; teddy bear - a caring period.
• Mouse - empty bustle, fuss, fear.
• Caterpillar - complete collapse, failure.
• The spider is cunning deceit.
• A hare is a danger for a man, and a gift for a woman.
• Pig - correct actions, deferred profit (correct).
• Hedgehog - the intensity of relations with people, a certain person.
• Waves are quick decisions, unexpected changes.

Fortune-telling by the shadow

Simple and familiar to many fortune-telling. Take a newspaper sheet, ordinary A4 white will do. Crumpled in hands, giving the shape of a ball. Do not wrinkle tightly. The leaf is crumpled by the one to whom it is predicted. Then place the paper ball on a plate, it should be very flat, you can just turn a regular one over. The plate is placed next to the wall. The paper is set on fire, and they are waiting for it to burn out. Place a candle behind the plate. Look at the shadow, and they predict the future from it. The shadow is formed by burnt paper. The meaning of the figures coincides with the interpretation of the figures when fortune-telling on wax.

Christmas fortune telling by egg

To predict the future, on Christmas days, in the evening, take a glass, pour water into it (3/4) and drive in the squirrel chicken eggs... Hold it in your hands beforehand, mentally formulate the question. A glass of protein must be placed in the oven. Preheat the oven. Wait for the protein to turn white. Take it out of the glass. Now, consider the resulting figure.

If the squirrel figurine looks like:

• ring - wait for the wedding;
  church dome - get ready for the wedding;
• a square, a figure with right angles - expect a fatal disease;
• ship - get ready to move to another city after the wedding.
• Damn, flat circle - you will still walk in girls for a long time.

Divination by the betrothed in the mirror

All marriageable girls dream of one thing - to find out what will be their fiancé. Christmas fortune-telling will help to predict what the husband will be like. They are held on any Christmas day. But our grandmothers believed that the most accurate fortune-telling was on the night of 14, that is, 13 at midnight. This night is the best suited for divination to the groom.

Yule divination for the groom is an accurate, effective divination ritual that is performed in front of mirrors. Chosen for prediction large room with a balcony, take two mirrors - one large, the second smaller. Previously, the ritual was performed secretly in the bathhouse by girls who wanted to see their betrothed.

Preparing for divination: remove pectoral cross, tight clothes, put on a loose shirt, dress without a belt, loose your hair, take off your shoes.

Place the mirrors as follows: a small mirror opposite a large one so that a visual mirror "corridor" is created in the large one. It will be endless. For better visibility, place lighted candles on either side of the mirror.

As soon as you come to the mirror, say: "My betrothed, dressed up, show yourself in the mirror."

Sit quietly and peer into the mirrored corridor. Try to disperse your eyes. In about ten minutes you will see a picture of your future husband. For some, it takes more time, for example, 15-20 minutes. At the moment the image appears, abruptly put a small mirror on the table with a mirror surface down and shout: "Chur, me!". Then cross yourself.

Fortune-telling for 4 kings for the betrothed

Ritual fortune telling on kings is a great way to find out what your husband will be like. All the girls who have not found their soul mate are seen off. To carry out this ritual, you will need a deck of cards (regular, playing, new).
The technique for performing fortune-telling for 4 kings and 4 jacks is as follows: Take a deck of cards, take 4 kings and 4 jacks from it, remove the rest. Stir the kings and jacks before going to bed, tuck them under the pillow. When doing this, say:

Go to bed, try to remember the dreams that you have that night. In the morning, as soon as you wake up, draw one card at random by hand. If you come across:

• jack - future husband yours will be young;
• king - means that the groom will be older than you.

As for the suits, the spades mean a wealthy, successful man. Cross - unfamiliar man, new acquaintance. Worms - the chosen one will be from the circle of closest friends and acquaintances. Tambourines are the betrothed acquaintance of friends who will introduce you.

Divination for the fulfillment of wishes

Fortune-telling is done on Christmastide week, the best way for this is the night from 13 to 14. There are several techniques for fulfilling desires.

For cereals. Take rice, sprinkle it on a plate. Make a wish over the cereal. State clearly without interpretation. Then take a handful of rice and lightly toss them on the table. Count the grains. If their even number then Hurray! The wish will come true!

On the water: pour into bowl pure water... Whisper your wish. Take a cup of water out on the porch or balcony, outside, preferably under the open sky. In the morning, look: find a hole in the water - the envisioned will not come true, if the surface is flat - wait for the fulfillment of the plan.

On chicken bones. Prepare the chicken. Eat the foot for dinner. Save the bones. Fold them neatly in a rag, red paper napkin. And then take it outside the gate into the street. Make a wish. At the same time, the following words are spoken:

Put the bundle outside the gate, go home.

Come to this place early in the morning, check: if the bones are not in place, the desire will not come true; if the bones are covered with snow, then it is worth abandoning what was conceived, and if the bones are intact, then everything that was conceived will come true.

Ways of fortune-telling on Christmastide, simple and popular

There are several ways of divination on Christmas days. In Russia, the following objects were used for predictions: cereals, salt, cards, a mirror, water, wax, candles. Often they took coins and made predictions with the help of animals. The most popular in the village were simple ways fortune-telling at Christmas time, it was believed that they are the most faithful. And in order for this to be so, you just need to believe! You all probably know the most popular Christmas time fortune-telling - throwing a boot or felt boot through the gate or out the window. Where the toe will show, from there and the groom wait.

Rites on Christmas days during Christmas week

In the days from Christmas to Epiphany, our ancestors have always looked for signs and clues to predict the future. Rituals on Christmas days before Epiphany were carried out with one purpose - to find out about their future. During this period, they wondered about the future groom, health, fate. To see their future directly, they tried to perform the rite and see prophetic dream.

The ritual of "ordering" a prophetic dream was popular mainly among women. Do you also want to see a dream predicting the future, in which there will be clues and signs of fate? Remember, on Christmastide days, all doors are open in thin world, so treat dreams with special attention... Very often, in the period from 7 to 19, prophetic dreams are dreamed.

If you deliberately want to see a prophetic dream, then do the following rite. Take the round mirror. Place it under your pillow before bed. Relax before bed and say the special words 3 times:

You will definitely see a prophetic dream, just do not forget that you need to go to bed before midnight.

An original way of divination on Christmastide

Among original ways Fortune-telling on Christmastide can be called the following: pulling out a log from a woodpile, to which they approach with their backs and at random with their hand pull out a piece of wood. If the line is even, then the groom is okay, and the crooked one - the future husband is awkward, will be flawed.

Fortune telling at the closet where clothes are stored. This method is also classified as non-trivial. This is not only accurate but also a fun way to predict. In the group of girls call a boy, a girl about 10 years old. In the closet there should be men's and women's things. The child has to come up with his back to the closet and then pull out one thing at random. In this case, the child asks the question: "Whose is this?" Vying with each other, all who are guessing should answer: "Mine." Who is the first - to that and the prediction.

If pulled out of the cabinet:

• Suspenders - the future husband will be with a big belly, a lover of food;
• tie - rich, wealthy;
• panties - a womanizer;
• scarf - with weak potency;
• pants - funny joker;
• socks - a person of modest income;
• skirt - a fashionable person following fashion;
• gloves - "thieving", dishonest;
• jacket or sweater- a good reliable spouse;
• hat - an intelligent person with high intelligence;
• shirt, shirt

  The winter solstice is celebrated as the most sinister day of the year. The people call it "Karachun", which among the Slavs meant: "death", "doom". People were afraid of this holiday, they performed various rituals to help the Sun to be born again. They were looking forward to a new sunrise, ...
  

  The Christmas rite was performed by those who were lonely and already desperate to find love. All who wanted to meet their soul mate and tie the knot with her performed the following ritual at midnight on Christmas Day. You need to go to the church, walk around it 12 times clockwise. At the same time, one should make an appeal to God for help in finding new love. It is believed that such a ritual destroys loneliness and removes vows.

In this article:

Techniques for predicting the future have been used since ancient times, they were spread across all continents and in all countries of the world. Fortune-telling in Russia has also existed for many centuries, on ordinary days the future was predicted by sorcerers and sorcerers, but on Christmastide and other holidays, everyone who wished used this magic.

How they wondered in Russia

On winter evenings, many girls in Russia whiled away the time with the help different techniques predictions of the future, rich and enlightened ladies and hawthorns could use methods common in Europe, for example, fortune-telling on maps, and in the Russian hinterland they used simpler and more accessible folk remedies.

There is a huge number of different ways of predicting the future that have been used from time immemorial in our country, it is simply impossible to list and describe everything, therefore we will consider only the most popular and interesting from the point of view of a modern person.

Ancient fortune telling on eggs

This simple technique predicting the future, which is in many ways similar to the old diagnostic tool for the evil eye or damage. To carry out such fortune telling, you will need to type in a clean transparent glass warm water, and then dissolve the egg white in it.

When the squirrel dissolves in the water, it will create various shapes, according to which the prediction of the future takes place.

The most common symbols in this technique are:

• Church is a wedding for a young girl and a quick death for an elderly lady.
• Ship with sails - the imminent arrival of the husband for married woman, and for a girl - an early marriage to a loved one living in a foreign country.
• It is believed that the most negative future is foreshadowed by a protein that has blossomed to the very bottom of the glass. Such a sign may indicate an imminent danger, illness, fire or death of a fortuneteller or one of his relatives.

Simple divination with a mitten

It is a simple technique that is more fun than a serious predictive power. At the same time, in the old days, people believed in the veracity of this fortune-telling.

This method is intended in order to find out who will soon visit the house in which the fortune-telling is carried out. To do this, take a mitten from a high shelf and toss it up. It is believed that if the mitten falls with a thumb up, this predicts the imminent appearance of the one who is really expected in this house. If the thumb is down, it means that either an unexpected visitor will come, or the one who is really expected and wants to see will not come.

***

New Year's fortune telling on spoons

This technique was used in almost every home in New Year's Eve... To carry out fortune-telling, it is necessary that each family member take a spoon in his own hands, draw water into it and take it to a cold place (it is better to Fresh air, for example, on the balcony). It is believed that if the water in a spoon hardens with a slight deepening, this is a clear harbinger of trouble (illness, money difficulties), the flat surface of the ice means that New Year will pass for a person without major changes. If the water freezes and forms a small bump, this good sign, meaning that the new year will bring joy and well-being for a person.

Fortune telling on Kupala

The holiday of Ivan Kupala was widely celebrated in all cities and regions of Russia from the most long ago... The celebration has always been accompanied by numerous magical ceremonies and rituals aimed at attracting good luck and prosperity. In addition, at this time, numerous methods of predicting the future were carried out. As an example, consider the river and wreath method.

This fortune-telling was carried out by the girls in order to find out if they were destined to get married this year. For this, the girls split into small groups and set off at dusk to the nearest river. On the way, they gathered herbs and flowers, and wove them into beautiful wreaths. Approaching the river, the girls took turns lowering the freshly woven wreaths into the water.

It was believed that if a wreath made by a girl floats far, it means that this year she will definitely meet her betrothed and marry him. If the wreath sank, it meant that the girl would remain unmarried for another year.

Ax ritual

Russian fortune-telling is very diverse and interesting, it is pleasant to read about them and imagine how our distant ancestors performed these beautiful rituals. In order for the picture of the rituals of predicting the future in our country to be complete, it is imperative to mention one of the most ancient fortune-telling.

This technique was used in order to find out the perpetrator of a particular crime. All suspects were brought to one place and placed in one circle. A priest came out to the center of the circle, holding an ax in his hands, impaled on a long wooden stake (the stake is needed so that the ax rotates easily on the tree). After that, the priest began to spin the ax in his hands and pronounce aloud the names of all the suspects standing in the circle. It was believed that the ax would begin to curve at the moment when the priest utters the name of the really guilty.

In divination, it is better to use a decorative ax.

The same prediction technique could be used to answer other questions. In particular, it was also used by young girls who wanted to know which of them was destined to be the first to marry. In this case, the whole procedure was repeated, only instead of the suspects there were girls in the circle, and the priestess pronounced their names in turn.

How to tell fortunes on a sieve

This remedy in Russia was usually used in cases when some things or livestock disappeared from the house, it was believed that with the help of such fortune-telling it was easy to find out the culprit. It is important to note that this ritual required not an ordinary sieve, but a specially prepared sieve, with which the sorcerers sowed snow on winter nights and shook it out in the moonlight.

When the sieve is ready, the head of the household places it on his forefinger, and then extends this hand to the north. Then he begins to turn clockwise and pronounces the names of all people who could have been involved in the atrocity committed. All the action must be carefully monitored by the sorcerers who observe the position of the sieve. When they see that the sieve is constantly moving at the same time as pronouncing a certain name, he is the criminals.

Christmas cake

This tool was used by young girls who want to know the name of their betrothed. To do this, they took bread or a cake baked for Christmas time and ran out into the street with it. dark night... They treated the first man they met with a cake and asked his name. It was believed that their betrothed would be called exactly the same as this random man.
V different corners countries existed different options carrying out this simple ceremony of predicting the future. In some areas, a girl must have run down the street with a pancake on her head, and in others with a full mouth. It is also worth noting that in those ancient times they practically did not believe in the effectiveness of this tool, it was just that the girls, thus, had fun and had a good time in the company of their peers.

Russian fortune telling on cards

As already mentioned, fortune-telling on cards was widespread in our country only in high society, simple girls not only did not have access to this tool, they simply did not know about it. Wide use such techniques were obtained only during the reign of Empress Catherine II, who was a famous connoisseur and lover of everything mystical.

Have Slavic peoples, including in Russia, fortune-telling was very common. This was taken seriously with many rules. Some fortune-telling was allowed to be carried out on any day, and there were those that were carried out only at a certain time, for example, depending on the phase of the moon or religious holidays.

Fortune-telling for every day

So people could guess on any of the days and find out whether the wish will come true, what the future holds, or who is the betrothed.

Tell me little sissy

Cats were considered in Russia to be creatures from the other world, who see and hear what is inaccessible to humans. Therefore, in fortune telling, cats were often indispensable helpers.

So, you need to make a wish, think about it a little, not be distracted by anything else, and then just call a cat from another room or from the street and watch how it goes. If the cat, crossing the threshold, steps into the room from the left leg, then the desired will come true, and when from the right, then not.

Divination with rice grains

In fortune-telling, you can use not only rice, but also any other grain. Both the Slavs and other peoples have always had a respectful attitude to grain crops, they were considered a symbol of abundance and a prosperous life.

You need to pour the cereal into a bowl, cover it with the palm of your left hand and focus all your thoughts on what you want, or ask an exciting question. You can just use a normal question:

At the same time, you need to imagine how the force and energy of desire passes from the hand and palm to the seeds, and it is better to speak out loud about your desire or question.

Then the grains are scattered over a napkin and take just one handful. You need to count the grains, if the number turns out to be even, then the desired will come true and good awaits in the future, and when the number turned out to be odd, then the wish will not come true and the future prepares something bad.

Divination with twigs

In Russia, there were many ways of fortune telling with the help of twigs, one of them is called "The River and the Bridge".

This will require dry twigs or some willow twigs. From these twigs it is necessary to weave a bridge, whoever wishes. You can make it high or low, narrow or wide, the view of the bridge does not affect the veracity of the answer, you just need it not to fall.

Then take a bowl and fill it with water, it will act as a "river", put a "bridge" over it and put it under your bed.

Before going to bed, you need to cast the spell three times:

“Who are you, my betrothed, who are you, my mummer? Show yourself to me, transfer over the bridge over the fast river. "

On the same night, the betrothed may come to sleep, who will help to pass along the bridge.

Ancient fortune-telling on Christmastide

With the arrival of the Christian faith in Russia, new fortune-telling appeared, which were carried out during Orthodox holidays. One of these holidays was Christmastide. They began on January 6, on Christmas Eve, and continued until Epiphany on January 19.

In fact, the custom of fortune telling at this time was also in the period of the pagan faith in Russia, since great importance was attached to the time of the winter solstice. People believed that it was at this time Higher power the most powerful and ready to communicate with people.

The main theme of fortune-telling on Christmastide was marriage. This is not surprising, since at that time the fate of the girls largely depended on early marriage.

Where will my betrothed come from?

Girls on the night before Christmas went outside and took with them a felt boot. They took turns throwing it behind their backs, and where the sock of the fallen felt boot pointed, there and go to get married.

Divination with mirrors

Mirrors in Russia were given a special, mystical meaning. It was from those times that the custom came to us to close mirrors until the ninth day of a person's death or not to bring a small child to the mirror.

It was believed that the mirror retains every emotion that it had to reflect at least once and then returns it to those who look into it. Therefore, it was impossible to cry in front of the mirror, and many hung it in such a way that it was reflected Entrance door and when someone came with evil, then it returned to him.

Fortune-telling with mirrors had to be carried out alone in a well-locked room, preferably so that no sounds would penetrate there. Mirrors were placed opposite each other, and between them sat a girl who wanted to tell fortunes and let her hair down. On the sides of the mirrors, two candles were placed, which were lit exactly at midnight and after that it was necessary to say:

"Appear to me, my betrothed, disguised!"

Looking at the mirrors for a long time, where the "corridor" of candles was reflected, you could see your betrothed.

Who is more likely to get married?

By such fortune-telling, the company of girls determined the sequence of marriage. It was necessary to take thick threads. The girls cut off identical pieces of thread for themselves and held them by one end, while the other had to hang down. Pieces of thread were set on fire and the one in which she burns out the quickest will marry the very first.

If the thread immediately went out or only half burned out, this girl will not be married.

Epiphany fortune-telling

Epiphany methods of divination were very diverse, and in each area they were different, but many were used everywhere. Before reading fortunes on Epiphany night, icons were hung in houses and girls took off their pectoral crosses.

I'll go and listen!

The girls gathered in a company and walked around the courtyards, listening to conversations in other people's huts near the windows. The meaning of what was heard was important, as well as in what tone and with what mood it was said. Best of all, if chanting was heard, it was considered a very good sign.

So they found out whether the future spouse would become kind or not, poor or rich future fate, whether you would live happily or with sadness.

Most often, the results of fortune-telling were joyful, because on a festive evening everyone is having fun, singing and wishing themselves and others happiness.

Fortune telling with a rooster or chicken

With the help of this fortune-telling, one could find out what awaits in the future or get an answer to some question. A circle was drawn on the floor with chalk, divided into sectors, which were signed accordingly.

For example, if you wondered for the future, wrote options such as "happiness", "joy", "melancholy" and so on, if you wondered what the future husband would be like, then they wrote "handsome", "kind", "rich" and the like.

Christmastide can be safely called the most beloved Christian holiday in Russia. They are celebrated from January 6th to 19th. It was believed that it was at this time that the souls of the dead and evil spirits appeared on earth. Therefore, these January days are the best time to look into the future. These actions have never been approved by the Church. Nevertheless, in Russia, young girls every year tried to find out their fate with the help of Christmas fortune-telling. When deciding to tell fortunes, remember that the result may not be exactly what you are hoping for.

Fortune telling

Divination with a bow.

On January 6, the girl put onions in a bowl of water. If the onion sprouted before January 19, the girl will soon be married, if not, then it is not destiny.

Fortune telling with a cat.

Young girls went out into the street and carefully watched if a cat would appear. If you manage to see it, then the girl will meet her fate this year, if she didn’t see the cat, it means that she’s sitting in girls for a year.

Fortune telling in eggs.

The girls gathered in one hut, each bringing a marked egg with her and putting it in a basket near the door. When all the eggs were in the basket, the youngest of the blindfolded girls pulled out the eggs one at a time. Whose first egg gets, she will be the first to marry.

Divination with mirrors.

Popular fortune telling in Russia, although the girls were afraid to carry it out. Guessing was necessary alone, in complete silence. Two mirrors were placed opposite each other, two candles were placed on the sides. I had to look carefully in the mirror and say three times the words "The betrothed - dressed up, show yourself", you had to peer until the groom showed up. I had to sit for a long time. Also, an unclean person could appear in the mirror, if he touches a girl by the face, she will lose her beauty.

Divination with a ring.

Girls and boys gathered in the hut, each one threw his ring on the floor, where fate would go to go. If on the doorstep - the girl is married, and the guy - on the road.