Home is our home, our space. This is where we relax, live, and receive guests. In , cleanliness and a comfortable atmosphere. There are many folk signs about the house. They also apply to when you can’t clean the house.
All phenomena and actions have their own physical and esoteric, symbolic meaning. Likewise, cleaning a house or apartment can be considered not only as clearing the room of debris and dirt, but also as cleansing the home of energy dirt. It is precisely with this, and also with the fact that the world invisible to our ordinary eyes is inhabited by various entities (brownies, goblins, etc.) that signs are associated that are passed on among the people from generation to generation.
When not to clean
Popular wisdom and popular beliefs say that cleaning should not be done:
- after sunset, in the evening, at night;
- when one of your relatives or loved ones is on the road;
- after matchmaking, viewing of the bride or groom;
- on major church holidays;
- with open windows;
- while cooking.
Let's talk about each sign in more detail.
After sunset, in the evening, at night. It is believed that if you clean in the evening or after sunset, you can “wash away” the well-being and prosperity in the house. Some people also believe that this can anger Domovik, and he will then begin to misbehave and harm the residents of the house.
There are also versions of why you can’t clean your house in the evening, as well as after sunset and at night. After sunset, the time of darkness begins, Navi, when slightly different forces begin to operate in the world than in the light time. After cleaning, a certain energy void is formed for a while, which can be filled by dark energies.
The second statement is logical. As for the brownie, you can argue here. And if he starts to get angry because of the evening cleaning, then you can talk to him and even cajole him.
Here we will answer the question of whether it is possible to do laundry in the evenings. Although washing is not quite the same as cleaning. Signs and popular rumors say that it is better not to wash clothes at night or in the evening.
While relatives and loved ones are on the road. There is a sign about cleaning that is the opposite of this. It is imperative to wash the floors after the deceased has been taken out of the house and buried. It is believed that then his soul will not wander around the house and disturb the household.
If we draw an analogy, it turns out that by washing the floors, cleaning up after the departure of guests, loved ones, relatives, we also make sure that they do not come to us again. But you want to see your friends and loved ones. But if the guests were unwanted, unpleasant (alas, this happens), then it won’t hurt to wash the floors after they leave to remove negativity from the house.
And while our loved ones are on the road, it is advisable, if possible, not to start major cleaning. It is believed that this way they can ruin, “wash away” the road.
Actually, after a holiday, good gatherings, you want to stay in this wonderful state, and at the same time make sure that the guests get home safely.
After matchmaking and viewing. It is believed that on the day of the matchmaking or viewing of the bride or groom, it is forbidden to clean the apartment after coming home. Otherwise, the wedding may not take place. Other versions - you cannot clean it up within 24 hours after such an important event.
Actually, usually, when you come after such an event, you don’t suddenly want to start cleaning up urgently. Moreover, they return home in the evening, when there is no time for it anymore. If such a desire suddenly arises, then we have already discussed whether it is possible to clean up in the evening.
On major church holidays. It is important to understand here that each religion has its own rules and days, and people can practice different religions. For a Muslim, Christian holidays mean nothing. They have their own. But, as a rule, any religious tradition has its own days prohibited for cleaning.
However, people say that then there will be a quarrel in the house.
While cooking. It is believed that it is also impossible to clean the house at the same time as preparing food. Otherwise there won't be enough food in the house.
Superstitions or folk wisdom?
All signs are some kind of information that is passed on from generation to generation. Some signs are logical, others look like superstitions, especially in our time, when many women work, and there is only time for cleaning and washing in the evenings or on weekends. And, by the way, the ban on cleaning in the evenings is a good reason to do nothing after a hard day, when you come home tired.
At the same time, you shouldn’t have an unambiguous attitude towards everything. If a cat knocked a vase off the table or a child, while you were away, pulled out everything he could reach from the closet, and it’s all scattered around the apartment, then maybe you shouldn’t wait for dawn? Especially if you go back to work in the morning.
Therefore, whether it is possible to clean in the evening, in parallel with cooking, or in another case, everyone decides for themselves, as well as to believe or not to believe in various signs.
Signs for the night will tell you what not to do in the dark, so as not to invite trouble into your home. They will also tell you about actions before bed that will help attract good luck.
Predicting the future after sunset
After sunset, animals can warn of upcoming events. Seeing a spider in the dark means worries and troubles. I kiss the roosters crow at night - to trouble that will affect entire region or town. Chickens are also warned about this if they scream or fly off the roost before dawn. The birth of puppies before dawn means quarrels in the house, and barking for no reason means trouble.
At night, when all the sounds have died down and the lights have gone out, the brownie comes out of his hiding place, in which he spends the day. He can stroke a family member, and in the old days the future was predicted by the nature of this touch. If the hand is warm and soft, the family will soon become rich and happy. Cold and hard - trouble is rushing into the house.
Waking up to the sound of a cricket means wealth. If a cat gives birth to kittens when it is already dark outside, your financial situation will change for the better.
If you wake up at three in the morning for several days in a row, this is not a very good sign. It means that someone is casting a spell on you. We are hardly talking about positive rituals. Most likely, the matter is damage or love spell.
Falling or breaking things at night is a negative belief. Broken dishes foreshadow bad news about something that has already happened, but you don’t know about it yet. If an icon or other religious object falls, it means trouble. Perhaps there is something to do with black magic here. A burning lamp may go out, but in the dark it is not re-lit so as not to attract bad things.
The time after sunset is great for improving your financial situation. So, signs for the night recommend putting money near the mirror in the evening. In the morning, put them in your wallet. This will bring you prosperity.
What not to do before bed - folk wisdom
Beliefs about mirrors endow them with magical powers, often called portals to other dimensions. This is why it is forbidden to look at your reflection at night - so as not to unwittingly invite guests from other worlds. It is far from certain that they will be friendly. In addition, in the old days they believed that in the dark, mirrors take away beauty and youth.
It is better to take off your underwear at night so that it does not collect the negative energy of evil forces. Therefore, washing before bed is highly undesirable. You can’t shave, cut your hair, or cut your nails until the morning. This applies to both men and women. Those who violate the ban will face problems in their personal lives.
Among the things you should not do before bed is to be active. Noise, laughter, and fun games were strictly prohibited from sunset. The old people said that in the evening children play with devils. Perhaps the fact is that after having fun, it is difficult to put a child to bed.
In ancient times, pregnant women slept under the moonlight so that the baby would be born healthy. According to other superstitions, sleeping in the rays of the moon is a sign of madness. Therefore, you should not leave the windows uncurtained before going to bed.
Before going to bed, you should remove vampire plants from the bedroom. For example, this is monstera. Sleeping in the same room with her threatens fatigue and poor health in the morning.
You can't leave the house at midnight. Wait until the first hour of the morning. Opening the door before going to bed is also undesirable. If someone has the wrong door, this promises you problems in the government house.
Night signs
Our ancestors left everything until the morning immediately after sunset. So, superstitions prohibit taking out the trash until the morning. At night, an evil spirit wakes up and can take away wealth from the house through the rubbish taken out of it. Money luck is also taken out along with the trash.
Don't leave a knife on the table. The brownie is afraid of sharp objects; it could offend him. Such negligence leads to illness and problems in the family.
Dirty dishes, salt shaker, onion and garlic prevent the brownie from fighting evil spirits. Therefore, these things should be put away in kitchen cabinets. Money on the table at night means loss, keys mean loss of property, an empty bottle means poverty. Food is not left on the table also because evil spirits may enter it.
After sunset, bread and salt are not returned from the house. These items are often damaged. In addition, this is a sign of poverty and failure. Among the things you should not do at night is cleaning. Sweeping in the dark means sweeping the brownie out of the house, depriving him of his protection and patronage. Wash the floor - wash luck, love and prosperity.
Signs about money prohibit borrowing or lending after sunset. This portends a deprivation of monetary luck; you may remain in debt for a long time. According to superstitions, money sleeps at night. Therefore, there is no need to count them or move them from place to place.
They also do not make vows and promises after sunset; it will be almost impossible to fulfill them.
In the old days, we didn’t collect water at night, we didn’t go swimming in natural reservoirs - after sunset the merman and the mermaids woke up. An exception is some church holidays, for example, Epiphany Night. You can't take a steam bath only after midnight - at that time the devils are steaming there.
There are many superstitions about what not to do before dawn. They are designed to protect a person from evil spirits and black sorcerers, who become more active at this time. Knowing ancient signs, in the dark you can attract wealth or good luck into your home, predict the future, and protect yourself from harm.
Many of us know dozens of superstitions and signs, but few know where they came from. So let's figure out why it's not possible...
Why you can't take out the trash after sunset
1. This sign is especially popular among men) It is believed that if you throw out the trash after sunset, gossip will spread about you. Everything here is logical and can be explained: why would you take something out of the house under the cover of night? The neighbors will clearly notice this fact and will certainly discuss why you hide your garbage so carefully.
They also say that this sign is associated with belief in good and evil spirits. In order for good spirits to enter your house at night, you must clear your house of debris in advance. Those who didn’t have time were late, and therefore there is no point in throwing out trash late at night.
Why can't you walk in one shoe?
2. This superstition is as old as time. Old people used to say that if you walk in one shoe, it means you will soon become an orphan. Shoes are a pair, they are a unity. By separating one shoe from another, you separate those who gave you life - your parents. And it’s half the trouble if your family separates due to discord in family life. It’s worse when there is true love in a family and nothing but death can separate the lovers.
Why can't you pick up anything at an intersection?
3. A crossroads is a, so to speak, mystical place where two worlds intersect - ours and the invisible. A large number of rituals have always been performed at crossroads, which were not always aimed at good. Since ancient times, it was believed that if you transfer a disease or misfortune to some object and then throw it at a crossroads, evil spirits will take it away. By picking up objects at a crossroads, you take away the misfortunes of others, and the more expensive the selected item, the more terrible the misfortune brought upon it.
Why can't you eat from a knife?
4. One of the signs says: if you taste food from a knife, you will become evil. All this is due to the fact that the knife has an ancient and rich history.
For the ancients, the knife was a tool for protecting and obtaining food for humans, so the knife was ascribed sacred meaning. The knife was considered protection not only from real dangers, but also from all evil spirits. It could only be used after certain rituals. Therefore, eating from a knife means angering the spirits that make a person evil.
Why can’t you immediately leave the house, but need to “sit down on the path”?
5. This example is directly related to people's belief in good and evil spirits. It was believed that house spirits interfere with a person on the road and try to bring him back, so there will not be a good path. By sitting down before a long journey, you seem to deceive the spirits - they think that no one is leaving anywhere and lose their vigilance. Only after such a procedure can you hit the road, getting rid of excess “baggage”.
Why can't we celebrate forty years?
6. The only anniversary that is not customary to celebrate is forty years. The basis of this superstition is the connection of the number “forty” with death.
Back in the 17th century in Kievan Rus it was decided to “test the dead” for incorruptibility. The period by which the incorruptibility of the relics was determined was set at 40 days. Hence the connection of the number “forty” with funerals. This number is also correlated with the fortieth memorial day after death, and in all religions, 40 is a fatal number.
Thus, the one who celebrates the fortieth anniversary does not pay tribute to the dead and death itself, thereby bringing on sickness, illness, and even death.
Why can't you give a watch?
7. Even now, when people have stopped believing in bad omens, a gift such as a watch is considered undesirable. This belief came to us from China, where a gift of a watch is considered an invitation to a funeral. In our country, it is believed that a watch as a gift begins to count down the time of friendship between the person who gave the watch and the person who received it. In addition, clock hands are sharp objects, which, like piercing objects, cannot be given as a gift in order to avoid quarrels and insults.
To avoid all the misfortunes associated with giving a watch, you need to ask for a coin for it - then it turns out that you did not give it as a gift, but sold it.
Why can't you come back halfway?
8. This superstition is associated with the border between worlds. A person who has not achieved his goal returns back weakened. Crossing the threshold of a house, he can offend the spirits of his ancestors with excessive anxiety, as well as give free rein to creatures who dream of infiltrating our world. To get rid of the failures associated with returning back, you should look in the mirror again when leaving, then the person’s strength and energy will be replenished.
Why can't you pass anything over the threshold?
9. In ancient times, the ashes of ancestors were kept under the threshold, therefore, by passing something over the threshold, you can disturb the spirit of these same ancestors. For the same reason, you cannot sit on the threshold, which is also considered the border between the world of the dead and the living.
Why can't you do anything on Friday the 13th?
The roots of faith on the terrible day - Friday the 13th, grow from the Old Testament. It seems like on this day Cain killed his brother Abel. Later, this legend was covered with a layer of speculation, turning the number 13 into a sign of trouble. Thus, 13 people took part in the Last Supper, and the betrayal of Judas was first mentioned in the 13th chapter of the Gospel.
Fear of this number has led to some hospitals not having a 13th ward, and some hotels not having a 13th floor.
Many people have heard that you should not wash the floors at home in the evening after sunset. But few people know what exactly this sign is connected with and what its meaning is. There are several options for interpreting this sign. It has been passed down from generation to generation for so long that few young housewives remember or know why they should not wash the floors in the evening. Let's figure it out. Firstly, it is believed that by washing the floors after sunset, you can “wash” the prosperity out of your home. Secondly, washing floors in the evening attracts various troubles into the house. This includes deprivation of money and the possibility of ending up in a quarrel with your loved one. It is also believed that such actions attract illness to the residents of the house, minor quarrels and household troubles. People associate day with sunshine, goodness, prosperity, good harvests, but night, darkness and moonlight with dead energy that does not give vitality. That is why, day and morning are an excellent time to manage all worldly affairs and accomplishments that bring profit and benefits to the home. Since washing the floors is the final part of the cleaning process, it has some sacred meaning for the house. The space of the house freed from garbage is filled with positive, good energy. The night is associated with the rampant evil spirits, and by completing the cleaning by washing the floors in the dark, you can let them into your home. There are several other proven folk signs associated with floor cleaning. You cannot wash the floors after sending one of your relatives on the road. This ban is valid until the person reaches his destination. According to signs, you can “wash out” the road back. If it is unknown when a person will arrive at the place, then the floors are washed no earlier than 3 days after his departure. You can’t sweep trash over the threshold, otherwise, inadvertently, you can sweep happiness out of the house along with it. If you don’t want to annoy your guests, don’t mark the floor immediately after they leave. Otherwise, all the “garbage will follow them” and may harm them. They do not sweep the floors in the apartment with different brooms. As a result, wealth scatters in different directions. If uninvited guests or bad people come to the house, then after they leave, it’s good to “cover” your tracks after them. After this, they will not be encouraged to return to your home. Do not sweep or wash the floors in the house for 9 days after the death of the person living in it. The meaning of this sign is the same as that of the departed person. Since over the next 9 days the soul is on its way. Signs prohibit cleaning the house, incl. including revenge and washing the floors, on the Annunciation (April 7) and St. Fedorin's Day (September 24).
As an integral part of our culture and history, they are the result of centuries of human observations and conclusions about various situations. People encounter folk superstitions almost every day. We adopt them from the older generation, and some are already so ingrained in our consciousness that in one case or another we do not hesitate to tell our acquaintances and friends back.
There are many signs associated with how to properly remove garbage from the house, and in particular at what time of day this should be done. Next, you will find out why you should not take out the trash in the evening.
The meaning of superstition
It is believed that in no case should you take out the trash late in the evening, when it is already dark outside. Our great-grandmothers believed that those who throw out garbage in the dark have something to hide. In former times such people were treated with caution. It was believed that under the cover of darkness a person could only get rid of the consequences of criminal and unseemly actions.
You should not throw out garbage in the evening, as people may take away personal information along with the garbage., which he keeps secret from everyone. This meaning of superstition is very easily explained: before, when there were no televisions and the Internet, people often whiled away their evenings by the window.
Therefore, if someone left the house late at night, it immediately attracted attention. The next day, all the neighbors became aware of such nightly forays and people began to make guesses and assumptions.
According to another version, in the past people followed the rule that All household chores must be completed before evening.
It was believed that a good housewife got up with the first rays of the sun and took care of the house until sunset. Therefore, if suddenly the neighbors saw that one of the household members was leaving the hut after dark to take out the trash - this meant that there was such a mess in the house that they did not have time to deal with it during the day. And this characterized the owner of the house herself as an inept housewife who could not keep order.
There is also an opinion that a person who throws out trash late at night also takes happiness and prosperity out of the house. The premises of this superstition have not survived to this day, but the idea that in the dark you can throw away your trash along with the trash is firmly entrenched in people’s minds. Superstition had a doubly unfavorable meaning if garbage was thrown out on Monday or Sunday evening.
Mystic signs
This superstition also has much darker and mystical background. For example, many of our great-great-grandmothers believed that When the sun sets, every home needs the protection of good spirits.
According to legends, at night the peace of the family and the hearth were guarded by various brownies. And not a single brownie will tolerate disorder and dirt at home. Therefore, if household members do not have time to cope with household chores before dark, they simply lose the support of their guardian spirits. As for the strength of protective amulets, their energy background became much weaker due to the mixed and negative atmosphere of the untidy room.
If you believe another, no less popular version, then with the onset of darkness the time of rampant evil spirits began. Witches, sorcerers, devils and simply dashing people - they all got out of their hiding places and were just looking for a reason to harm someone. According to one opinion, a person who leaves the house in the dark a priori exposes himself to the danger of being under the influence of others.
But there is also a different opinion: witches and sorcerers who walk at night conduct their rituals and spells precisely on those objects that they find after sunset. But if a person takes out the trash late at night, then his things will be at the very top. It will not necessarily be aimed at causing harm to this particular person.
There are cases when someone suffers from a strong curse and turns to a sorcerer for help, and the latter, instead of removing the damage, simply transfers it to someone else. This is much easier for the sorcerer in terms of energy - he will then have to cleanse his aura of someone else’s negative energy. For this “transfer” of damage, things found in the trash are used.
If a witch wants to harm a certain person, then she could simply watch the house at late times of the day and, when the victim went to throw out the trash, it was a great opportunity for her to get a personal item. Such an object was cast with special spells, depending on what the witch wanted to do to the person, and just before sunrise it was placed under the door of the house, where the owner of the home found it the next morning.
The biggest mistake was to take this as a sign of fate and take the item back to the house, believing that it would become a kind of talisman, since the smog returned to its owner. In this case, the damage or curse imposed on the thing acquired full force and began to affect the person.
Therefore, if you threw out the trash in the evening, and the next morning you found something thrown out near your house, under no circumstances touch this item with your bare hands. In former times, the head of the house had to personally sweep such a find out of the yard with a new broom, after which he should burn both the thing and the broom itself, reading a special prayer.
Other interpretations
Nowadays, many people wonder whether it is possible to throw out garbage in the evening. Now this superstition is given simpler and more immediate interpretations:
- Firstly, in the dark there is a high probability of getting into an unpleasant situation. Unpleasant drunk people may try to force their communication on you, you may end up a victim of robbers or even an accident, because in the dark it is more difficult for the driver to concentrate on the road.
- Secondly, the space allocated for garbage containers attracts tramps and homeless people, who can become especially aggressive at night. We should also not forget about abandoned animals, for example, which it is also better not to mess with at night.
- Thirdly, not every area and yard has sufficient street lighting, and therefore a person leaving the apartment may simply trip or fall due to limited visibility. Injuries, bruises, and abrasions are another possible consequence of a night out of the house.
All of the above can be attributed to modern prerequisites for signs. But there is another opinion, originally Old Slavonic, concerning the same brownie. According to some beliefs and legends, a house spirit is a representative of evil spirits that feeds on dirt and garbage in the house.
Therefore, the trash can should not be empty at night, so that the spirit does not get angry and begin to play pranks and annoy the household. This opinion is not as widespread as the one according to which the brownie stands for cleanliness and order, but who knows: perhaps it will turn out to be correct. Therefore, in order to protect yourself and your home, trust signs and throw away garbage only during daylight hours.
