Folk signs and superstitions - learn everything about life. Folk signs and superstitions, interpretation of signs

Signs have been in demand among people since ancient times. Exists a large number of There are different classifications of beliefs, but ultimately all of them can be divided into negative and positive. Often people ignore signs of fate only because they are afraid to believe in bad things. But, fortunately, not all superstitions have a bad interpretation; various good signs are known that interpret the acquisition of happiness, profit, love, health, and family well-being.

List of popular good omens

We bring to your attention a list of positive interpretations:

You need to remember that signs and superstitions will only work in a situation if you believe in them. For ardent skeptics, they are unlikely to attract both good and bad events into life. And which side to be on is only your personal right.

If we judge objectively, then good luck there are many more than bad ones. Plus this number is updated regularly. Despite the technical and scientific progress no one will cancel the belief in ancient superstitions, carefully developed by our distant ancestors and carefully preserved for a long period of time. Plus, seeing the positive, bright side of everything is much more beneficial and much more productive for life than destroying yourself with negative emotions.

There are quite a lot of superstitions in human life; almost everyone knows bad omens, which in some sense determine the corresponding aspects of his life. They helped our ancestors avoid failures (in their opinion), as well as achieve success and find happiness. Today, many old signs have been forgotten, new ones have appeared, just as effective. In this article we will look at some of them, as well as detailed interpretation each.

Folk signs in human life

The appearance of various signs is associated with the faith of our ancestors in the mystical forces of nature. They were sure that natural phenomena are divine manifestations of anger or, conversely, favor; certain actions of living nature (birds, animals or insects) can predict the future or tell the past.

The correct interpretation of folk signs ensured the absence of many problems and protected from troubles and misfortunes. Conversely, ignoring this knowledge led to irreversible sad consequences. Of course, it cannot be said that all signs have wisdom, some are quite absurd, but most really warn. In this case, you need to be careful and not forget about the wisdom of our ancestors.

If, however, you did not notice the sign and were subjected to negative influence, then you should contact a specialist at our center. We already have quite a lot of feedback from clients whom we have really helped in difficult situations.

The most famous bad folk signs

Of course, most of all our ancestors feared bad omens. This carried over to modern people. You can very often hear, especially from the older generation: “Don’t do that, they say it’s a bad omen...” Often without even explaining why this is so. Next, we will look at some bad omens and superstitions that are known to almost everyone, and their interpretation.

Cheeks or ears are burning - this means that someone unkind is discussing you, saying something bad. In this case, you need to wash your face with blessed or simply running water.
An abandoned swallow's nest, which she recently built, portends trouble.
A butterfly flying into a house predicts a disease, which, if not given enough attention, can lead to death.
A very bad omen is a bird flying into the house. By folk beliefs the bird is the focus of the souls of the dead, so it can bring misfortune or misfortune, perhaps bad news. The bird should be released as soon as possible, and the bird should not be allowed to spend the night in the house for one night.
You cannot sweep crumbs off the table with your hands, as this predicts financial difficulties in the near future. It is for this reason that empty bottles should not be left on the table.
Clothing worn inside out predicts trouble in the near future. Our grandmothers said in this case that you would be beaten. To prevent this from happening, you had to take off your clothes and trample on them, and then put them on again, but this time correctly. It is believed that this sign came to us from those times when holy fools wore their clothes inside out, so it soon became a sign of a poor, sick and unlucky person.
You cannot lend or repay debt in the evening, as this can lead to poverty.
Among weather signs, birds are very popular. For example, if a swallow flies low, then it is raining, and if crows are swimming or gathering in a group, then this is bad weather; if in winter a flock of crows begins to caw, then this is due to frost.
It is a very bad omen to give watches or sharp objects (especially knives). To protect yourself from misfortune, you need to give money to the donor.
You can't take out the trash at night. According to one version, it is believed that the family is deprived of money, and according to another, it will soon be discussed or condemned.
A very popular sign is to sprinkle salt. Our ancestors believed that this meant trouble or a major quarrel. In order to protect yourself from the consequences, you should take a pinch of salt and throw it over your left shoulder or sprinkle the scattered pile with sugar.
There are a lot of wedding signs, the violation of which threatens misfortunes and troubles. For example, the groom should never see the bride’s dress before the ceremony, otherwise there will be trouble. To protect against the evil eye and damage, the bride should make several stitches with blue thread on the hem. In order for a young family to always have wealth, the bride’s shoes should have closed toes and heels.
When a woman is expecting a child, you should also pay attention to signs. During this period, the expectant mother is most vulnerable, so it is not recommended for her to sit on the doorstep. Our ancestors believed that the threshold is the line between our world and the other world, so a woman can fall under the influence of evil forces (and with her the unborn baby).

For many peoples, the interpretation of signs and superstitions, as well as the observance of certain rituals, was the norm in the past. Each undertaking was subject to them, but if the time was unfavorable, then the matter was postponed until better times. This was especially true for travel, rituals, etc.

In general, it should be said that many signs were reinforced by people’s faith in them for thousands of years, and in our information field of the earth, attitudes appeared that began to determine certain cases in a person’s life. Of course, the interpretation of omens should not become the first place in your life, but if something doesn’t go well, then maybe it’s worth paying attention to what’s happening around you? If you don't know where to start, you can attend our seminars or find a teacher for individual lessons.

SIGN, -s, and.

1. Distinctive feature by which you can recognize someone or something. Here's another sign for you: when he walks, he always waves his arms. Gogol, Ivan Fedorovich Shponka and his aunt. According to special, memorable signs, the pilot finds his way over the taiga. Sokolov-Mikitov, Above the blue taiga.

2. A sign, according to superstitious beliefs, that foreshadows something, a harbinger of something. She was very pious and sensitive, she believed in all sorts of omens, fortune telling, conspiracies, and dreams. Turgenev, Fathers and Sons. The cup slipped off the saucer and fell to the floor, breaking into small pieces. “Oh,” Varvara cried quietly, and Samghin, smiling, said: “That’s a good omen.” M. Gorky, The Life of Klim Samgin.

3. usually plural h. (signs, -meth). Various signs preserved among the people and passed on from generation to generation indicating upcoming weather phenomena. According to signs, experienced people predicted a short autumn. Sayanov, Lena. - Mikhalych! What other signs do you know? - There are circles or smoke around the sun - a sign of frost. Dogs rolling around in the snow mean a blizzard. But I know more summer signs. V. Chivilikhin, Silver rails.

Keep an eye (be, be available) who- about who (or what) is the subject of someone. attention, interests, plans, etc. “Do you have anyone in mind,” Raisky continued, “some kind of groom?” I. Goncharov, Break.
Have in mind ( or hold) someone-what- to know someone, sth., to have someone, sth. in mind. Anyone who has a pointer and good forest places in mind goes with the opening of the season for black grouse. Zvorykin, Black Grouse Hunting.

Source (printed version): Dictionary of the Russian language: In 4 volumes / RAS, Institute of Linguistics.

research; Ed. A. P. Evgenieva. - 4th ed., erased. - M.: Rus. language; Polygraph resources, 1999;:

Signs associated with

human body

Scratching your elbow means sleeping in a new place.

The mustache itches - before a gift. My head itches - I hear swearing.

Right palm

itches for profit, the left one for loss.

The neck itches for the feast.

The nose itches for news, wine, christenings.

The eyebrow itches for a date, tears.

The left eye is itching to cry, the right is to look at the dear one.

Cheeks burn with tears.

Lips itch before kissing.

If you hurt your leg - hurry up.

The soles itch for the road.

Biting your tongue means a quarrel.
Signs associated with the house:
You should not give or accept knives as gifts - this is a sign of enmity.
You cannot wipe the table with paper - this leads to quarrels and losses.
Also, you should not knock keys and put them on the table - this leads to conflicts.
Do not place an open umbrella in the bedroom or living room - this may cause tears to be shed.
To avoid a quarrel at a party, cross the threshold with your right foot.
Do not sweep the floor when someone dear to you has left, so as not to block his path to your home.
Do not play with a knife - a quarrel may arise.
If you have to pass a needle to someone, you need to lightly (jokingly) prick this person. This is done so that there is no enmity with him.
To prevent two brothers from quarreling, one magnet is sewn into their clothes.
If someone is called by the name of a person who has left, then this person will be angry when he arrives.

Signs associated with objects:

A brick falling out of the oven is not good.
If the pin was found, the friend remembered.
If the dishes are left uncleaned on the table, then the devil or other evil spirits will live in the house.
Spilling salt means quarreling; to avoid this, you need to laugh or hit yourself on the forehead.
Wipe your hands with a tablecloth - there will be hangnails.
If you step on the place where the bucket stood, then sores will spread throughout your body.
If the keys are left on the table, it means a quarrel.
If a girl pricks her finger with a needle, she will hear praise.
Stepping over a broom means it’s hard to give birth to children.

Signs for the weather:

Plants and animals turn out to be reliable weather forecasters, especially for forecasts for the near future.
Probably the most sensitive to weather changes are cats.

Signs for frost:

Cat in the stove - cold in the yard; the cat is in a ball in the cold. And wait for frost if the cat covers its face with its paw while sleeping.

Signs for warming:

The cat lies down on the floor, fast asleep; lies in the middle of the room, tail thrown back; lies stomach up; sits on the windowsill and looks out the window.
And if a cat scratches the floor, there will be a snowstorm. Some similarities can be found in the behavior of dogs. They curl up and lie in a ball - in the cold; stretch, legs spread, for warmth; they ride in the snow - in anticipation of a thaw and a blizzard. It's a snowstorm if dogs chase each other and play in the snow.

Signs on pets:

If, in good winter weather, cows and sheep from the countryside go to the barn on their own, expect a snowstorm.
The calves are playing around in a warm room - there will be a snowstorm.
If the cow's teats are warm in the evening when milking, it will not be warm, and if they are cold, it will be frosty.
IN winter time goats knock their feet, flap their ears and sneeze - towards the snow.
The piglets squeal - it's freezing.
In the face of frost and snowstorms, adult pigs also squeal, and at the same time they carry straw with various debris in their mouths, apparently to protect themselves from the oncoming cold.

Signs of the Sun:

If at sunset the sky is light azure, golden, light pink, or there is a noticeable predominance of a greenish tint, the weather is good, even if the sun is covered with clouds.
The red disk of the sun sets in a cloud or fog - to rain or wind, in darkness - to drought.
After sunset, the sky in the west turned crimson red - a sign of strong wind and rain.
If the sun rises from the reddened clouds around it - to rain, in fog - to clear, quiet and stuffy weather.
If the sun rises from the reddened clouds around it - to rain, in fog - to clear, quiet and stuffy weather, in a clear sky and seems smaller than usual, and its rays are very bright - to drought.
If the sky turns red at sunrise, it means rain in one or two days; if it turns all colors, it means rain on the same day.
The morning sun is red - the weather will change for the worse, rain and wind are possible.
When the sun rises, it is stuffy (steamy) - it means rain on the same day.
The sun is covered with clouds in the morning - it will rain.

Signs for the Moon:

If the moon seems larger than its usual size and is reddish in color, it means rain.
During the full moon, the moon is light and pure in color - the weather is good, dark and pale - it means rain.

Signs on the Stars:

The stars seem very shiny - in the heat, they flicker strongly and look smaller than usual - in the rain.
A starry sky means clear weather, rare stars mean rain.
Stars in the fog mean rain, falling stars mean the wind.
If the stars twinkle strongly, and there are clouds in the morning, there will be a thunderstorm at noon.
Strong twinkling of stars at dawn means rain in the coming days.

Signs for the Wind:

Strong northern or northwestern winds mean cold, stormy weather.
A wet wind means prolonged bad weather, gusty and streaky winds mean calm weather.
If the wind increases towards night, the weather will worsen.
Strong wind and rain mean good weather.
The wind blew from the north - it was a clear and cold day.
If at noon in good weather the wind increases and white clouds like cotton wool appear in the sky, and in the evening they disappear and the wind weakens, then this means good weather the next day.

Signs for Rain:

Light rain in the morning means a good year, if bubbles form on the water from raindrops, the bad weather will be prolonged.

Signs for Rosa:

Heavy evening and morning dew means good weather, and the more abundant it is, the hotter the coming day will be. But if dew does not appear and dries quickly, the weather will worsen.

Signs for Fog:

If the fog spreads along the ground or quickly dissipates in the rays of the sun, the weather is stable, good and even hot, and if it rises in the form of a column, it means rain.

Signs for Thunder:

Dull thunder means quiet rain, and rolling thunder means heavy rain.
Prolonged rumbles of thunder mean prolonged bad weather.
If lightning flashes without thunder after rain, the weather must be clear.

Signs for the Rainbow:

If a rainbow appears in the morning before noon, it will rain; in the evening - for good weather.
If a rainbow disappears soon after rain, it means clear weather; if it stays for a long time, it means bad weather.
If rainbows appear during rain, it means rain for several days.

Signs for the weather. For rain:

Wooden lids, plugs, window frames, doors are difficult to open; dew falls on the glass in the double frames, the windows seem to be crying; in a container with water, bubbles appear on the surface; the same bubbles are visible on any surface of water.
Now let's turn our attention to the behavior of animals. Before the rain, domestic animals usually greedily eat grass (even cats and dogs) and drink little, the horse shakes its head and throws it up; the cows raise their muzzles upward, greedily inhaling more air, the cattle run away from the yard into shelters; the dog vigorously digs the ground and gets into the water; The cat shakes its muzzle, you lie down.

Birds before the rain:

Chickens bathe in the sand, flapping their wings; a rooster crows for no reason in the middle of the day, a domestic goose splashes in the water and dives; rooks, crows, jackdaws, and seagulls scream loudly, often in alarm, gathering in flocks. Well, fishermen know well that before it rains, fish jump out of the water and don’t bite; earthworms crawl along the surface of the soil; Mosquitoes and midges bite harder.

But here’s how the weather will improve the behavior of animals:

The cat washes itself, licks its paw; the horse snorts; the rooster crows at the beginning of the day rainy weather; birds suddenly begin to chirp in bad weather; seagulls land on the water and swim.

Signs: Not good:

Place the bread with the top crust facing down.
Cut the bread from both ends at once.
Take the last piece from the plate. But if you are offered to take the last piece, grab it immediately - this will bring happiness in love or material profit.
Spilling salt means trouble. But if you are going on some important business, a pinch of salt in your left pocket will protect you from troubles or disappointments.
Passing a salt shaker across the table means passing on your troubles to someone.
Do not do this and under no circumstances accept a salt shaker from others, even if they hand it to you without malicious intent, out of ignorance.
When eating, you should not let another person finish eating a piece, as he will eat away all his strength from the first one. You should also not let you drink after yourself, so that your thoughts will not be known.
Stabbing bread with a knife or fork means depriving yourself of happiness forever.
If a child brings food into the house from strangers, under any pretext, force him to take him out of the house and throw him away - food can be charmed.
A wooden chair accidentally overturned is a bad sign, especially if it happened in a hospital.
If someone moves a chair for you, under no circumstances, after sitting and getting up from it, do not put it back in its original place. When visiting, this means that you will no longer be in this house.
If you accidentally drop a comb on the floor, do not rush to pick it up, let someone else do it, or, before picking it up, step on it with your left foot and spit over your left shoulder three times. You should do almost the same thing with dropped gloves, but if someone else picks up and hands you a dropped glove, this is a sure sign that you are in for a pleasant surprise.
If you forgot gloves in someone's house and then returned to pick them up, then do not take them over the threshold, but enter the house, even if you are in a hurry, sit down and pull them on your hands. Only after this can you leave - otherwise you will be in trouble.
Giving gloves means a quarrel, but if this happened out of ignorance, then you should give some money for the gift.
Humming on an empty stomach is a bad omen; you will have to cry in the evening. It is strictly forbidden to hum while playing cards or preparing a meal made from flour (pie, pancakes, etc.).
To always have money in your pocket, put a bent coin or a coin with a hole in it. But it will help as long as, when you receive new money, you remember to spit on it.
Whistling brings bad luck in many cases. You cannot whistle in a mine - a collapse may occur; on a ship - the whistle scares off a tailwind; behind the scenes of the theater - the audience will boo.
Gathering around a table with 13 people is a very bad omen. If this happens, in order to avoid misfortune, you need to put out an extra utensil and not leave it empty, but fill it with the same as the guests’ plates.
It is a bad sign to follow the guest with your gaze until he is completely out of sight. A person may turn around and then be very homesick for home and loved ones.
An ancient superstition says that when crossing a bridge, it is better not to talk to anyone, even to your companion.
To protect yourself from bad omens, you need to spit over your left shoulder three times: after a quarrel or an unpleasant incident; before you go on a dangerous and risky business, and especially when you feel that someone looked at you with an unkind look.
Knocking on wood also protects against bad omens. Nowadays, you may not have a real tree at hand, so carry at least a small piece of tree bark in your pocket.
To protect yourself from the evil eye, mentally place a mirror between you and this person with the front side facing him or, looking in his direction, whisper in a whisper: “I wish the same for you.”
The easiest way to protect yourself from the evil eye is to pin a safety pin as large as possible closer to your heart, but so that it is not visible to others. The head of the pin should be pointing down.
If you feel that the person walking behind wants to put the evil eye on you or cast a spell on you, turn your head sharply towards him, right hand move back towards him and make the goat sign with your fingers: middle, ring and thumb are squeezed together, and the rest are stretched out. In this case, the hand is directed to the ground.
According to folk wisdom, if you drain water through a sieve three times, it helps against spoilage and many diseases.
Bandages made of red threads on the left hand protect against the evil eye and relieve joint pain. The power of red color is also transferred to plants with red berries - viburnum and rowan. Rowan, according to legend, drives away witches.
To protect yourself from influence evil man, at the entrance to the house, hang a branch of St. John's wort - it will save a person from bad thoughts. In case of family damage with a burning branch of St. John's wort, you need to baptize the corners in the house for ten days. You can stick it in a window frame or door in the most visible place kitchen knife. An ordinary person will not notice this, but a person with bad thoughts will fly out as if scalded.
When a person first leaves home after a serious illness, he must walk around the house in the direction of the sun. If you don't do this, the disease will definitely return.
The easiest way to protect yourself from the evil eye or damage is to cross your arms or legs when talking with a person from whom you can expect trouble.
Tie two rowan sticks with a red thread crosswise and hang this cross between the lining and the top of your outerwear. Not a single sorcerer and not a single witch can harm.

Boy or girl? Signs for determining the future gender of a child:

Determining the future gender of a child is a topic that has always interested future parents. After all, you need to prepare for the arrival of a new person, and it’s easier to do this if you know who will be born: a boy or a girl. At least to come up with a name for this new person.
Of course, now there is modern medical equipment that makes it possible to determine the sex of the unborn child with almost one hundred percent probability, but there are cases when the position of the fetus in the womb is such that even an ultrasound cannot determine the sex of the child. In addition, many parents refuse ultrasound, and many simply do not have such an opportunity.
This is where signs come to the rescue, allowing you to find out the gender of the unborn child even before birth. Naturally, such signs often have no scientific basis, but for inexplicable reasons they come true.

Some signs for the birth of a child:

If the tummy is sharp and protruding, then it is a boy's tummy; if it is round and wide, then there is a girl inside.
Hair on the legs grows more during pregnancy - it will be a boy. If the hair doesn't grow, it's a girl.
If the father and mother are already married or engaged at the time of conception, then a girl will be born, and if not, then a boy. The boy, as it were, will replace his father and become a man in the house.
If the woman in a couple loves more, a girl will be born. On the contrary - a boy.
If before conception the spouses are often sexually active, then a girl will be born, and if with a break of several days, then a boy will be born.
If a man wears tight underwear, he will have a boy, if he wears loose underwear, he will have a girl.
If conception occurs on the day of ovulation, a boy will be born. If a couple of days before - a girl.
Future mom Sleeps with the head closer to the north - a boy will be born, to the south - a girl.
The mother's feet have become colder than they were before pregnancy - there will be a boy.
The expectant mother becomes prettier during pregnancy - expect a boy. Appearance began to deteriorate - expect a girl. Sometimes this sign only mentions the woman's face or breasts. They say that girls "steal" their mother's beauty. Dont be upset! Pregnancy is temporary.
A needle on a thread makes circles over the belly - a boy will be born. If it sways from side to side, it's a girl.
If you have a craving for sweets or fruits, this means you are having a girl. If you like salty or sour, as well as meat and cheese, it’s a boy.
A slightly swollen nose indicates a boy.

These are the most common signs of determining the sex of a child.

Remember: the birth of a child in itself is already a great joy and, perhaps, the most significant event in your life. And what gender he is is secondary. The main thing is to be healthy.

The last sign (especially for men):

Fathers often want a boy, but then love a girl more. She reminds her father of her mother and his wife in her youth. Naturally, the sign also applies to mothers expecting girls.

For a long time people have been inclined to believe in the existence higher powers, gods, fate, fate or karma, into something inexplicable. This is where numerous signs, beliefs, fortune telling and omens originate. Many signs and superstitions came to us from distant times, filled with riddles and secrets, from those centuries when paganism flourished. For example, they think bad omen walking under a ladder. Everything is connected with the fact that ancient Egypt the god of the underworld, Osiris, ascended to heaven using a ladder, so walking under it became a kind of “taboo” for people; they were afraid of angering the gods. The sign that spilling salt is unfortunately also related to ancient mythology. The gods valued salt very much; it was used for various rituals and when concluding solemn and important agreements. Spilling salt means offending the gods, and on an earthly level means throwing money down the drain. In ancient times, only predictors were involved in the correct interpretation of various signs, but some signs became part of culture and have remained alive to this day in many countries of the world.

It must be remembered that the interpretation of omens depends primarily on the state, due to differences in culture. The same superstition can predict completely different events. For example, if a black cat suddenly crosses the road in England, this good sign, and in the rest of Europe and the USA this symbol is considered bad.

Examples of happy events:

see a white butterfly,
find a four-leaf clover leaf,
hear the cricket sing,
carry a rabbit's foot with you,
sleep on unironed sheets,
fall asleep with your head to the south,
catch ladybug,
accidentally put your dress on inside out,
find 9 peas in a pod, etc.

Examples of unlucky events:

owl hoots three times,
sew your own clothes on yourself,
singing rooster at night,
stand up after waking up on your left leg,
open an umbrella indoors,
fallen picture,
red and white flowers in one bouquet,
five-leaf clover leaf, etc.

It is impossible to list all existing signs, since this is a huge historical and folklore layer. In addition, all superstitions are divided into many groups according to the objects of prediction: hypomancy - signs associated with horses, arachnomancy - with spiders, eluromancy - with cats, etc.

Another question arises: should we believe all these signs? Of course, many of them do not carry any scientific meaning and are sometimes impossible to prove in any way, but this is an integral part of the history and culture of all mankind. It all depends on the person and his worldview. Often most of Beliefs are passed down from generation to generation, from family to family and are already part of family knowledge. Here comes one very interesting activity- independently record various signs. After all, in fact, superstition is based primarily on life experience, which means that everyone can participate in their creation. You can start keeping a diary of events and phenomena, and it is likely that you will find the same patterns that can later be called superstition. This is very similar to something Scientific research and can become a full-fledged hobby.