Folk traditions and fortune telling for Christmas. Christmas Eve and the night before Christmas: the main Christmas fortune telling, prohibitions, traditions and signs How to tell fortunes at Christmas traditions

Christmas Eve, which is called Christmas Eve and is celebrated on the evening of January 6, is an important day for Christians.

Christmas Eve and the night before Christmas, in folk tradition, are associated with many beliefs and rituals, including maiden fortune telling.

Christmas Eve has always been considered special. By folk beliefs, the night before Christmas, which is Orthodox calendar comes from January 6 to 7, all prohibitions are lifted and mysterious forces penetrate the Earth.

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve is the last day of the Nativity Fast, established so that people cleanse themselves through repentance, prayer and fasting, and celebrate the Nativity of Christ with a pure heart.

Christmas Eve began to be called Christmas Eve, as it is believed, because of the tradition of eating sweet porridge on this day - “sochivo”, grains of wheat and other cereals boiled with honey.

Porridge had a special meaning - the grain symbolized resurrected life, and honey - the sweetness of the future blissful life.

On Christmas Eve, Christians remember the Gospel story about the worship of the Infant God by the Eastern sages. Magi from the east brought gifts to the newborn Savior: gold, incense and myrrh.

On Christmas Eve the fast is not as strict as on other days. last week Nativity Fast.

On Christmas Eve, the service of Vespers is combined with the liturgy and is performed in the morning, therefore the Orthodox fast until the moment when a candle is brought into the center of the church and before which the troparion to the Nativity of Christ is sung.

Traditionally, a brew of pears, cherries, apples, plums, raisins and other fruits boiled in water was also served on the table. The table on which the meal was located was covered with hay or straw, as a reminder of the manger in which the newborn Jesus was laid.

In the old days in Rus', it was forbidden to use piercing or cutting objects on Christmas Eve, as this could lead to illness. According to tradition, on these days men did not go hunting or slaughter cattle, and women and girls put off sewing and knitting until the end of the holidays.

People believed that housework could also bring trouble to the house.

Christmas Eve has long been considered best time for fortune telling, since it almost always came true. Therefore, taking advantage of the unusualness of this night, people wondered, trying to predict.

Fortune telling at Christmas has been very popular for many centuries. In the old days, fortune telling was done using candles, shadows, shoes, and so on. Fortune telling does not lose its relevance in our time.

Christmas fortune telling and carols

Fortune telling at Christmas aroused the greatest interest among girls who wanted to find out the name of their future spouse, and maybe see it in the mirror or in wedding ring his reflection.

The Church has a negative attitude towards any manifestation of divination and magic, and therefore condemns any attempts to find out the future, especially at Christmas. Despite this, people have been guessing and continue to guess.

The betrothed-mummer

The most popular are fortune telling for the fulfillment of a wish, for a betrothed or fiancée, or for the future.

On Christmas night, girls could find out the name of their future spouse and even see his face in the mirror. To do this, the girl sat down in the dark between two mirrors at midnight, lit candles and began to peer into the reflection, hoping to see her betrothed.

The girls were fortune-telling with a mirror at the crossroads - standing with their backs to the month, looking in the mirror and wishing: “Betrothed, mummer, show yourself to me in the mirror.” As some say, after a while the betrothed appears in the mirror.

Christmas fortune telling and carols in Chelyabinsk

One of the oldest fortune tellings at Christmas is on wax. To do this, you need to pour water into a transparent glass or deep plate and place a ring without a stone on the bottom, preferably taken from the fortuneteller’s finger. Melt the wax in a spoon over the candle flame with the words “burn-burn the candle, burn-burn the wax, tell me the name of your betrothed.” Then sharply pour the melted wax into the center of the ring into the water and carefully examine the shape of the frozen wax figure.

Street fortune telling

You can find out the name of your future husband on Christmas night in the following way. To do this, the girls went out into the street and asked the first man they met his name. As soon as he introduces himself, that’s what his betrothed will be called.

The following fortune telling will also help you find out the future - for this, on Christmas night, at midnight, you just need to step outside the threshold of your house. The first sounds you hear will predict your fate - the ringing of bells means you will be a happy bride.

Your betrothed is already in a hurry to come to you if you hear a cheerful male voice. If you hear a quarrel or just a conversation in a raised voice, your personal life is unlikely to work out this year.

Yuletide fortune telling

But with the shoe, street fortune telling at Christmas is the most famous. The girls threw their shoes over the fence and looked where the sock was pointing, accordingly the groom would come from there.

You could find out your future in marriage by grasping the fence with outstretched arms. If a girl grabbed an even number of stakes, this meant a happy married life. An odd number foreshadowed an unhappy marriage.

Other fortune telling

On Christmas Eve they also told fortunes using dreams. At night you had to eat herring or something salty, without drinking water. The groom will be the one who gives water in a dream.

The character of the future spouse could also be determined through fortune telling. Place a spoonful of honey, citric acid, salt and wine into four identical glasses of water.

Stir the contents of the glasses, place them on a tray and cover with a thick napkin and swirl the tray with your eyes closed so as not to know the contents of the glasses.

Then turn off the lights in the room, remove the napkin from the glasses and, having chosen one of them, take one sip from it. Your husband will have a great character if you come across a glass of honey. A glass with salt means that you and your husband will have to shed a lot of tears, with acid - a dull, boring life. A glass of wine indicates that your husband will drink too much.

The sex of the unborn child was guessed with a ring or a needle. They lowered the ring into a glass, pierced the woolen fabric with a needle, and then the object was suspended by a hair or thread and slowly lowered near the man’s hand. If the ring or needle began to make pendulum-like movements, a boy would be born, if circular, a girl would be born, and if the objects did not move, there would be no children.

A good omen on Christmas Eve is to see a shooting star, as it is believed that a wish made on the night before Christmas will come true. Therefore, on Christmas Eve you should definitely look at the sky.

Celebrating Christmas in dark colors is considered bad omen- on such a bright and cheerful holiday you cannot be sad. Spring will be early if there is a strong snowstorm on Christmas night.

People believed that next year you will have a rich harvest if you prepare holiday dishes and some of your food constantly falls out.

If you stumble on Christmas Eve, be careful you might get some bad news.

During all the holidays, the dreams you see will be prophetic, so try to remember them and correctly understand what fate predicts for you.

Material prepared by Sputnik Georgia based on open sources

6 years ago

Well, not only at Christmas, but during the period from Christmas to Epiphany, you can guess, that is, from the sixth to the nineteenth of January. However, fortune telling is considered to be the most truthful from January 6 to 7 and from January 18 to 19.
It was believed that during the winter solstice, the souls of the dead were most ready to give information about the future.
According to the Orthodox canons, fortune telling is a sinful, demonic matter. Therefore, the roots of fortune telling are clearly pagan and they originated in the era of sacrifices.

blade00014 6 years ago

Fortune telling was widely developed in ancient times among peoples Ancient Greece and Rome, in Egypt, Assyria and Babylon. What is fortune telling? Fortune telling is various occult rituals, methods and techniques that allow you to find out the future or some interesting facts or information. Fortune telling exists in the cultures of many peoples.
The tradition of fortune telling at Christmas appeared among the Eastern Slavs due to the belief that this time is considered the most favorable for fortune telling. The night on Christmas Eve was considered a turning point or borderline period when evil spirits were especially strong. Also, besides the Christmas evening, the Vasilievsky and Epiphany evenings were considered the most favorable for fortune telling.
The Eastern Slavs had many methods of fortune telling, such as fortune telling with a rooster, a mirror, with matches, by shadows, etc.

aon555 6 years ago

You can tell fortunes not only at Christmas, but also during Epiphany, that is, from the sixth to the nineteenth of January. But it is popularly believed that fortune telling is from the sixth to the seventh of January or from the eighteenth to the nineteenth of January. It is believed that during the winter solstice there are more souls of the dead ready to “talk about your future.” By Orthodox customs fortune telling is considered a sin, a demonic matter. Therefore, it is believed that the tradition of fortune telling is clearly pagan, and perhaps appeared during the times of sacrifice. But this has not yet been proven for sure, and it is not known who invented these fortune telling. There is also a legend that God is happy , from the fact that his son was born, he opened all the doors in the world, and from some of these doors the devils got out. And they arranged a holiday for themselves - from the New Year to Epiphany. When they returned home, they became bored in hell, and they came up with a game - they began to tell fortunes, sing songs, and spend Christmas time having fun.

AllenZzzPro 6 years ago

Since childhood, we have been inclined to believe in miracles, fortune telling, and witchcraft. Since ancient times, people were ignorant and illiterate. Many natural phenomena could not be explained. That is why they believed in the predictions, signs, and omens they themselves created. One of the forms of such superstition is fortune telling. It is customary to guess with particular zeal from Christmas Eve (January 6) to Epiphany (January 19), since during this period the so-called corridor is revealed and maps, visions, and numbers will show the whole truth.

xfrostbytesx 6 years ago

In ancient times, the days of Christmastide were considered magical. People wondered about the future, the harvest, weddings. It is believed that during this period the evil spirits are most active and open to contact. After all, it is from evil spirits that we receive the information that interests us. Christmas is Christian holiday, so fortune telling at Christmas is a sin. Fortune telling is the worship of evil spirits, so the church has never welcomed fortune telling. Instead of praising the Lord God, people worship the devil.

The New Year has come, the clinking of glasses has died down, the fireworks and fireworks have gone out. However, the next one is coming, no less Holy holiday- Christmas. Where did the tradition of caroling at Christmas come from? What events is this holiday associated with, and how should it be celebrated? What fortune telling for Christmas will help lift the veil of future events? You will find answers to all of the above questions in this article.

What date is Christmas

According to the old style (according to the Julian calendar), this event was celebrated on December 25th. Currently, Christmas falls on January 7th, or more precisely on the night from the 6th to the 7th. In Rus', this holiday received official status in the 10th century, which was associated with the baptism of Prince Vladimir. Believers fast before Christmas - the period of abstinence from meat food is 40 days. The fast continues until the appearance of the first star on Christmas night.

What is the holiday associated with?

When Christians celebrate Christmas, they remember the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. The story of the birth of Jesus is given by the evangelists Matthew and Luke. According to the Bible, baby Jesus was born in Bethlehem because Mary and Joseph came to this city in connection with the census of the Roman Empire.

The birth of Christ was marked by the appearance of a wonderful star in the sky. Following a heavenly sign, the wise men came to worship the baby Jesus. They brought gifts with them - incense, gold and myrrh. Wanting to get rid of the Messiah, King Herod gave the order to destroy all infants under the age of two. However, an angel commanded Joseph and his family to flee to Egypt, which allowed Christ to be saved.

Carols for Christmas

Christmas Eve marks the beginning of the winter holidays. In the old days, at this time, noisy festivities, children and young people went to carol - go around the surrounding houses, congratulate the owners and receive sweets and other gifts in return. With the advent of Christmas, Christmas carols acquired a religious connotation. However, the very essence of this “ceremony” remained unchanged.

By the way, Christian carols were preceded by pagan carols associated with the cult of fertility. The name “Kolyada” itself belongs to one of the goddesses of the pagan pantheon, responsible for the harvest. The peasants sang chants and expressed wishes for prosperity and a good harvest in the new year.

Fortune telling for Christmas

Fortune telling using shadows. A simple, affordable and very popular method. You will need a large and flat plate, a blank sheet of paper, a candle and matches. The sheet should be crumpled and placed on a plate next to a lit candle. Based on the outlines of the cast shadow, the fortuneteller tries to predict his fate (intuitively). This method only works on Christmas night.

Fortune telling by wish. Suitable for those who have a domestic cat. Make a wish for yourself cherished wish, and then call the cat. If a cat crosses the threshold of the room with its right paw, then, alas, the wish will not come true. If with the left paw, then .

Fortune telling by apples (for the groom). This fortune telling for Christmas will allow you not only to find out the name of your future husband, but also to feast on it. You should take as many apples as you have potential suitors, and scratch the initials of the “candidate” on the bottom of each one. Then you need to go into a dark room and take a bite from each apple. Determine the best taste sweet fruit- the initials scrawled on it belong to your future husband.

For Orthodox Christians living in Russia, the second most important religious holiday - Nativity. The Russian Orthodox Church and other denominations living according to the Julian calendar celebrate Christmas from 6 to 7 January. In Russia, January 7 is a day off. Western Christians and orthodox churches, living according to the Gregorian calendar and the New Julian calendar coinciding with it, celebrated Christmas from 24 to 25 December.

Christmas Eve - Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve - Christmas Eve - is a very important day for all Christians. In Rus', the pre-Christmas Eve was associated with folk beliefs that still had a pre-Christian nature.

Christmas Eve is celebrated on the evening of January 6th. At this time, it was customary in Rus' to tell fortunes, and in general, many rituals, beliefs and prohibitions were associated with this day, which are still observed today.

What is Christmas Eve

The name Christmas Eve comes from the word “sochivo” - cereal grains boiled in honey. This dish was used to break the fast after a very strict and long fast, on the last day of which it was customary to refuse food altogether until the first star appeared in the sky, for which believers mistook the planet Venus. After the first star appeared in the evening sky, it was possible to break the fast with a soch, and then after the Christmas service, the believers sat down to a festive meal, including meat dishes.

Christmas Eve in Rus' was also called Kolyady, since from that time on believers (mostly children) walked around the courtyards and sang carols - folk Christmas carols.

Christmastide

Since Christmas in Rus' the time has come Christmastide. Christmastide is a week of joy and celebration when all fasts are lifted and meat can be eaten every day.

Christmas Eve and the night before Christmas: Christmas fortune-telling, traditions and prohibitions

Fortune telling in Rus' was customary for a limited number of days a year. In winter, they used to tell fortunes from the night before Christmas and throughout the Christmastide - right up to Epiphany evening on January 18 (Epiphany is celebrated on January 19).

It was believed that at this time evil spirits walk the earth, but treat people condescendingly and even allow them to look into the other world. The Church has never approved of fortune-telling or the wild celebration of Christmastide, but the tradition of “misbehaving” at this time with evil spirits is still alive today.

In Rus' they mostly guessed unmarried girls, and the custom was widespread in all levels of society - from simple peasant women to wealthy and educated noblewomen.

When is the best time to guess?

The best time for fortune telling, when the predictions are considered the most accurate, is called the night before Christmas from January 6 to 7, Old New Year from 13 to 14 January And Epiphany evening from 18 to 19 January.

Fortune telling on the night before Christmas

Many books and manuals have been written about fortune telling. The most famous Christmas and Yuletide fortune-telling was given by Federal News Agency. Let us recall the three most popular fortune tellings that girls used on the eve of Christmas to find out about their female destiny. After all, the main topic of fortune telling is who the betrothed will be, whom you will marry, and when to expect matchmakers.

Fortune telling on girlish objects

For this fortune telling you need company. On the pre-Christmas evening, village girls gathered together for fortune telling in the upper room, and young beauties from other classes - in the living room.

On a special fortune-telling table (a dining table would also do) each person put one item she brought with her. These were mainly jewelry - earrings, rings, as well as coins, handkerchiefs and other girlish little things. Each girl, closing her eyes, took one of the objects with her left hand and tried to guess by touch what the New Year promised her. A coin means money, a ring means wait for matchmakers, a scarf means you have to cry and wipe away your tears, a spoon means abundance, etc.

Fortune telling on a saucer

This famous fortune telling It is also customary to conduct it in a large group. On the fortune telling table (or just on a small round table) you need to put a white sheet. A large circle is drawn on the sheet, which will be a fortune-telling circle. The circle is divided in half, “yes” is written on one half, “no” is written on the other. You need to write all the letters of the alphabet around the entire circle in a clockwise direction. It makes sense to prepare for fortune telling in advance.

On the pre-Christmas evening, fortune-telling participants gather at the fortune-telling circle and light three candles, which is preferable for various magical rituals. It is advisable to turn off the rest of the light. After this, take the saucer, turn it over and heat it on one of the candles.

Then the heated inverted saucer is placed on the fortune telling circle. All fortune telling participants place their fingers on the inverted saucer, lightly touching the hot porcelain. After this, you need to say three times: “The spirit of such and such is being called!”

As a rule, in order to look into the future, famous writers and poets or one of their recently deceased mutual acquaintances are invited to be “assistants”. The most popular invitees are: Pushkin And Mayakovsky.

When the invited spirit “appears,” the saucer should be knocked, preferably three times. After this, you can contact the spirit with various questions, and try to find out the answers by the movement of the saucer. You can ask questions that require a “yes” or “no” answer, or ask something more complicated and try to read the “message” from the other world by moving the saucer towards different letters that will form words.

Two things are important here - cheat less and not take everything you “hear” from the spirits too seriously.

Fortune telling on mirrors

Fortune telling on mirrors is one of the most popular and considered “scary” fortune telling for the night before Christmas. On the evening of January 6, you need to place two mirrors opposite each other in a dark room and light a candle between them. Then the fortuneteller sits in front of one of the mirrors and carefully peers at the image. When the candle flame “multiplied” in the mirror begins to blur, the image of the betrothed may appear in a foggy image. Or maybe you dream of something terrible, so experienced fortune tellers advise to be careful - suddenly someone unexpected will appear from the mirrors and drag the beauty into the other world...

Prohibitions on Christmas Eve and the night before Christmas

In Rus', in the pre-Christmas period and on Christmas itself, everything that could promise misfortune or death was prohibited, since the holiday itself is associated with birth and with the triumph of life.

During this period, it was forbidden to use dangerous sharp objects; it was forbidden to go hunting or slaughter cattle. It was also forbidden to sew, knit, use knives, or generally engage in cooking or cleaning, including sweeping the floor.

It was also believed that Christmas cake should not be cut in advance, since knives were prohibited on Christmas Eve.

Signs for Christmas

If the weather is clear at Christmas, the coming year will be easy.

A clear sky the night before Christmas promises a good harvest.

If there is snowfall and a blizzard on the pre-Christmas evening, spring will be early and friendly.

Christmas fortune-telling is the name given to fortune-telling performed during the Christmas season. Christmas time is a wonderful two weeks of magical holidays, snow and hope, which begins on Christmas Eve on January 6, and ends on Epiphany on January 19.

Fortune telling during this period is considered the most reliable and most often comes true, because... their traditions go back to ancient times pagan Rus'. The results of fortune-telling are also greatly influenced by the fact that Christmas fortune-telling takes place on holy days, and according to legend, they help people good spirits and angels.

Fortune telling at Christmas is one of the most famous and interesting Russian traditions, which has come down to us from time immemorial. According to popular belief, the most powerful forces helped on the night of Christmas Eve. It is worth noting that it is better to guess using the old calendar, because... all traditions come from those times. On Christmas Eve, all magical prohibitions are lifted, mysterious forces rush to the earth: some to harm people, others to help. As a rule, girls and women used to tell fortunes. They got serious, mentally shutting themselves off from the mundane, and turned to supernatural forces, hoping that they would help them discover the secret of the future.

Christmas fortune telling in Europe

But not only in Russia do people resort to the help of mysterious forces during the Christmas holidays.

For example, in good old England there is an ancient Christmas fortune telling, which is very similar to our log fortune telling. When darkness fell, the girl went to the woodpile, took an armful of firewood and stacked it by the fireplace. In the morning, the firewood was counted: if there was an even number, then the girl would have a wedding that year. Well, if the number of firewood turned out to be odd, it meant that the wedding was postponed.

In the Czech Republic, girls tell fortunes using apples. After the Christmas dinner was over, the fresh apples were cut crosswise. If the correct seed star appeared on the cut, then the coming year was supposed to be a happy one. Fortune telling for the reciprocity of feelings among the Czech people looked like this: you had to choose the most beautiful and appetizing apple and offer it to your lover. The result depended on how interested the object of passion was in the fruit: if he eats an apple, he will respond to the feelings; if he eats the apple along with the core, then he will be young together, and if he refuses or does not finish it, then the love is not mutual and there is nothing to hope for.

In Bulgaria, the most popular and reliable fortune-telling at Christmas is considered to be answering questions with the help of your favorite book. This fortune telling is extremely simple. You just need to focus on your desire, guess the page number, paragraph and line, open and read what the prediction kept there.

In Greece, at Christmas, people most often try to predict the birth of a child, since the birth of a baby there is considered a miracle and the grace of God. In order to get an answer, a cheesecake is placed in the middle of the table. The fortuneteller is tightly blindfolded so as not to peep, and given a knife in his hands with which he needs to cut the cheesecake. If the knife lands in the middle of the pie, the New Year will bring the conception or birth of a boy. If the knife touches the edge, a girl will be born, but this event will have to wait. If the knife gets on the tablecloth, there will be no children in the coming years.

Fortune telling for Christmas in Russia

But let's return to Russian traditions. During Christmas and Christmas fortune-telling, you can look for only the most positive aspects in all predictions. Bad omens should not be attached of great importance, otherwise you risk setting yourself up for failure in advance, and absolutely no one needs this.

Christmas fortune telling with wax

One of the most common methods of fortune telling in Russia is fortune telling with wax. To do this, on one of the Christmas nights you need to collect cinders from paraffin or wax candles, melt them in some metal container and melt it over the fire. You need to take white candles; festive colored ones are not suitable for fortune telling. Once the wax has melted, pour it into a bowl of ice water as quickly as possible. Try to pour the wax in one motion, this way it will be better transformed into a figurine. This frozen figure will reveal to you the secret of the future. Take a closer look at your figure and determine what it looks like most. Here are some interpretations:

  • house - soon you will be able to acquire a new household; For girls this predicts marriage first of all;
  • a shapeless figure means a bad future and misfortune;
  • a hole or a small cave is the most undesirable figure, since it symbolizes a burial place and predicts a serious illness or near death;
  • the wax exfoliated into several strips - roads, travel and crossings;
  • the wax has separated into many small drops - good money;
  • mushroom - vitality, longevity;
  • trees - upward-pointing tree branches promise quick joy, drooping branches predict sadness, melancholy and boredom;
  • ring or candle - imminent wedding;
  • a pancake that has sunk to the bottom - a long girlhood;
  • dragon - fulfillment of hopes, completion of some project, big work;
  • stars - good luck at work, career advancement or academic success;
  • bell - news: crooked bell - bad, many bells - alarming;
  • flower - marriage or a new lover;
  • the human figure is a new friend;
  • apple - wisdom and health, an irregularly shaped apple - a temptation that must be overcome;
  • a cross is a sign of an upcoming illness;
  • egg - the appearance of something new in life.

Fortune telling with wax can also be done with milk. Before pouring wax into cold milk, you should say: “Brownie, my master, come to the threshold to drink milk, eat wax.” And see what kind of figure has formed.

Fortune telling by barking dogs

This fortune telling is intended to tell the girl about her future spouse. To do this, she must take a knife and, going outside, go to the nearest snowdrift. Next you need to start cutting the snow, while uttering the following words: “Damn don’t be silent, damn tell me what kind of husband I’ll get, will I have to cry or laugh?” After the words are spoken, you need to listen carefully to the dog barking. If the barking of dogs that reaches your ears is loud and loud, then your husband will be kind and cheerful. If the barking is angry and abrupt, then the husband will be sullen and a man of strict rules. A hoarse bark predicts an elderly groom, and a ringing and high-pitched bark predicts a young one. Howling does not bode well - it predicts a short-lived marriage and even widowhood. If suddenly the dogs don’t bark, don’t despair: this only means that supernatural forces are in no hurry to reveal this secret to you. And you shouldn’t be offended by them for this, they know better what a person should know about his future and what not.

Christmas fortune telling with onions

This fortune telling will help those girls and boys who are eager to find out the name of their future husband or wife. Or maybe it will help you choose if a girl is hesitant and can’t decide who to give her hand and heart to. In order to reveal this secret, you need, shortly before the night you have chosen for fortune telling, to select several good onions and write on them the initials of the groom candidates. For young men, respectively, potential brides. After this, the bulbs are placed in jars of water. On Christmas night, saying: “Oh, onion, onion, whisper, who will be the groom?” (for girls) or “Oh onion, onion, whisper, who will be my bride?”, the sprouts should be measured. Whichever bulb has the longest feather, the name of your destiny is written there.

Fortune telling for your future husband at Christmas

Fortune telling for your future husband is the most popular type of fortune telling for girls at Christmas. On the night of the holiday, the girl goes out into the street and asks the name of the first man she met. According to legend, the name of this person will be the name of the fortune teller’s future husband. By the appearance of the first person you meet, you can determine the degree of beauty and wealth of your future spouse. According to the stories of those who were not afraid to try this type of fortune telling, this is exactly what happened in their future lives.

You can find out what your betrothed will be like in another way - by seeing him in prophetic dream. In order to have a prophetic dream, you need to comb your hair slowly and thoroughly at night with a clean comb and say: “Betrothed, dressed up, come to me dressed up.” After this, go to bed with the comb under your pillow. In a dream, the future groom will comb his bride's hair with a comb.

Another way to see your future spouse in a prophetic dream is as follows: you need to eat something salty at night and before going to bed say the following: “Who is my betrothed, who is my mummer, he will give me a drink.”

They also tell fortunes about their husband using glasses of water. You need to take four glasses and pour clean water into them. Put a teaspoon of honey in the first glass, half a spoonful of salt in the second glass, a quarter teaspoon of citric acid in the third glass, and add a little wine to the fourth glass. Next, you need to thoroughly mix the contents of the glasses and cover them with napkins. The girl being told the fortune comes up and without hesitation chooses one glass. If you come across water with honey, then your husband’s character will be good and his life will be sweet. Water with salt predicts tears and sadness. Water with acid means a sad, dull life, and water with wine will tell you what your husband will drink.

Christmas fortune telling by burning threads - fortune telling for girlfriends who want to find out which of them will get married faster. The girls cut threads from one ball of equal length and set them on fire. Whichever of them burns out the thread faster will be the first to get married. If the thread goes out immediately or less than half has burned out, this means that you can’t expect a quick marriage.

Fortune telling with matches will help you find out how realistic it is for a couple in love to be together. To do this, take a matchbox and insert a match on each side. The matches are lit and allowed to burn. If the cinders are facing each other, then the dreamed boy and girl will be together. If one is facing the other way, then one of the couple will face a broken heart in the future.

Another Christmas fortune telling, which is called “fortune telling by log”. It is suitable for those who spend the Christmas holidays at the dacha or in a country house where there is a fireplace or stove. The girl leaves the room and in the dark pulls out one log from the woodpile. Then he returns to the hearth and examines it carefully. The log will help you draw a conclusion about what it will be future husband. A smooth, even log predicts a good, handsome groom. A log with rough bark - ugly, but hard-working. If you come across a log with thick and good bark, then the betrothed will be rich. A tattered log predicts a poor groom, but this does not mean that he will not be able to improve his affairs in the future. Thick will say that the groom will be strong and strong. A log with knots predicts a large family, while a crooked log predicts an elderly or physically disabled groom.

Christmas fortune telling by cat is a simple way to find out about the character of your future spouse. The fortuneteller should call the cat and stroke it with her right hand. If the cat purrs, then be kind and affectionate to your husband. If he scratches, the spouse will be cocky and pugnacious. If he meows, then the fortuneteller will get a walking and talkative life partner. If the cat just runs away, then you can’t even dream about a wedding in the coming year.

Well known ancient fortune telling on the boot. The girl needs to go out into the street at midnight on Christmas Day with a boot and throw it behind her back. Where the toe of the boot points is where you should wait for the matchmakers. But if the sock turned towards its owner, then she will not see a wedding this year.

Fortune telling for children

You can tell fortunes about children using a ring or using a needle and thread. For ring fortune telling, you need to take a bowl, pour clean water into it, and throw it into it. Golden ring and put it in the cold. Look in the morning: if the frozen surface is flat, then a childless life awaits the fortuneteller; if the surface is uneven, then examine it carefully - how many tubercles, so many sons, and how many dimples, so many girls.

Fortune telling with a needle is simpler. You need to thread the needle. Holding the end of the thread with your fingers right hand, the tip of the needle should be directed into the middle of the palm at a short distance from its surface. If the needle begins to swing across the palm, then a girl will be born in the future; if along, then the birth of a boy will make your family happy. The number of times the needle begins to swing in these two directions, the number of children there will be.

Fortune telling by shadow

This fortune telling is done like this. You need to take a sheet of newspaper and crumple it well. There is no need to roll the ball tightly, otherwise the fortune telling will not work and you will not be able to understand anything. The crumpled paper is then placed on a plate and set on fire. When the paper is completely burned out, you need to place a lit candle next to the plate and look at the shadow that the burnt paper casts on the wall. The meaning of the figures that emerged according to this fortune-telling is similar to the interpretation of wax figurines.

Hair fortune telling

At midnight on Christmas Day, you need to pour clean water into a bowl, add a small pinch of ash, a pinch of sugar and salt. Next, the water is thoroughly mixed and allowed to completely calm down. Then two hairs are thrown into the water: one of your own and the other of your lover. They put the bowl away and go to bed. And the next morning they evaluate the result of fortune-telling: if the hairs are intertwined, then you can be together and the wedding can be played in the coming year. If the hairs move some distance away from each other, then separation awaits you and it is not destined to be together. A drowned hair predicts a serious illness to the one to whom it belongs.

Fortune telling with dice (dice)

For fortune telling you need to take two dice. The fortuneteller rolls the dice. You need to get a double, then you can look into the future. You can only roll the dice six times. If the double does not fall out, then fate does not want the person to find out what awaits him. Interpretations of dropped duplicates:

  • two units - failures in business and endeavors;
  • two twos - discord with loved ones and quarrels with friends and acquaintances;
  • two threes - travel, new experiences, new acquaintances;
  • two fours - good luck in work and business;
  • two fives - material well-being;
  • two sixes - mutual love.

Fortune telling by wish

There are different ways to tell your wish during Christmas time. The main thing when making a wish is to concentrate properly and have a clear idea of ​​what exactly you want.

To tell fortunes with grains, you need to take a handful of grains in your left hand, clench your palm into a fist and say out loud your wish. Then count the number of grains, and if it turns out to be even, then you are lucky and your wish will come true. If the number is odd, your dreams will not come true in the coming year. Yes, you can take completely different grains. It is more convenient to use larger grains to make counting easier.

You can use another method. Make your deepest wishes, write each one on a separate piece of paper, roll it up and put it under your pillow at night. And in the morning, reach out there and pull out the first thing you come across. What is in your hands will come true in the coming year.

There is also a Christmas fortune telling with a cat. Those who have a representative of the feline family in their home can make their deepest wish and call their pet. If the cat crosses the threshold with its right front paw, then the wish should come true. If it is left, then it is not destined to come true.

Fortune telling by mirror

This ancient fortune telling has always been considered the most accurate. However, it also carried dangers. Often impressionable young ladies lost their senses. And the whole point is that, according to ancient legends, a mirror is nothing more than the line between the real and the otherworldly. There are many signs and customs associated with this belief. Previously, when mirrors were made using silver, it was believed that in addition to connecting with the world of spirits, they had a long memory, which could harm people. Therefore, almost all signs relating to the mirror are considered bad omens. Everyone knows that a broken mirror promises misfortune and trouble. In the old days, women were not allowed to look in the mirror during pregnancy and immediately after childbirth, because... it was believed that this could destroy the precarious line between the two worlds and harm the baby and mother. At the same time, the mirror also served a strong talisman: It was believed that evil spirits, reflected in the mirror, instantly and forever lost their power.

But let's get back to the fortune telling itself. They told fortunes with a mirror in an “unclean” place (for example, in a bathhouse, where they washed off all the dirt), at midnight on yuletide night when the boundary between reality and other world most thinned. The girl who performed the divination had to be alone in the room. She needed to take off her belt, let her hair down, and put two cutlery and a candle on the table. Having prepared everything necessary, the girl sat down facing the mirror and said: “Betrothed, mummer, come to dinner with me.” At exactly midnight, in the mirror, she saw the face of a man leaning over her shoulder. At this moment, peering into the face of her future groom, she had to utter words that would drive away the image: “Cheer out of this place!” From that moment on, the danger subsided. It was believed that if this is not said, the betrothed may come out of the mirror, and then misfortune will occur.

Another fortune telling with a mirror. The girl stood in front of the mirror so that she could see the month in it, and peered into it intently. After a while, it began to seem to her that there were several months in the sky. Here she needed to quickly count their number. Fortune telling said that there would be exactly this number of relatives in the house of the future husband.

Another fortune telling on mirrors is also associated with superstitions. The mirrors were placed opposite each other in such a way as to form an endless corridor leading to the world of spirits and magical power. The girl had to undress, sit in front of the mirror and peer into the mirrored passage. The bravest fortune tellers removed from the neck and orthodox crosses. An unclean spirit was supposed to pass along the corridor so that at midnight, after the words she uttered: “Betrothed, mummer, come to me for dinner,” the face of her future husband was to be revealed to the fortuneteller. Seeing his image, the girl had to say the same amulet that is used in fortune-telling with a mirror and a candle, namely: “Cheer out of this place!” After this, the spirit disappeared, taking with it the image of the man. During this fortune-telling, friends could help the fortuneteller by making a circle around her from their belts, which served as a talisman and protection.

Fortune telling for Christmas- an old tradition of the Russian people. However, whether to guess at Christmas time or not is your choice. Many fortune telling can promise troubles and misfortunes, childlessness, illness and even death. And some can plunge especially impressionable people into a state of fear. In addition, it is worth considering how suggestible a person you are, because... It has long been known and verified that only what you believe in comes true. This applies to signs, beliefs, and fortune telling. And don't forget the old one good saying: “Everyone is the architect of his own happiness”!