What did the girl wear during Christmas fortune-telling? Merry Christmas time

About the origins of traditions

The history of the holiday dates back to ancient times. IN Slavic tradition The Christmastide period starts from (December 21) to (January 19). In the Russian tradition, Christmastide refers to the period from December 19 (Nikolin's day, the holiday of St. Nicholas the Winter) to January 19 (holiday. In church tradition this period is shorter. The meaning of the word is associated with the cult of the Sun and dead ancestors. The struggle between the forces of darkness and light ends with the victory of the latter, and many Christmas customs and rituals are dedicated to this. It was believed that on these days, when the sun turns to spring, our ancestors, ascended into the light, could visit this world.

Give gifts to the worthy

The custom of “warming the ancestors” - burning straw fires in the courtyards on dark December evenings - existed in different areas. In some places this was done exclusively by the owner, and in others the entire household gathered in silence around the fire.

It was believed that within a month the souls of the dead could a short time come to our world. At this time, they had to help their descendants: punish the guilty, give gifts to the worthy, predict fate, prepare the arrival of the new year and the victory of the forces of Light.

With the adoption of Christianity, many customs appeared, the old ones were partially forgotten or modified. But echoes of ancient beliefs can still be found.

Straw occupied a fairly significant place in Christmas rituals: they used it to tell fortunes, covered floors and benches with it, and decorated huts with straw sheaves. It was customary to pour straw under the ceremonial tablecloth before Christmas Eve.

✨ Saints and scary

In the Orthodox tradition, Christmastide is a 12-day period that begins on the evening of January 6 (Christmas Eve) and ends on the morning of January 19 (Epiphany). The Church prohibits fortune telling, mummers walking around, singing and dancing in the streets (this is considered sinful), but not a single Christmastide is complete without fortune telling and carols.

The week from Christmas to St. Basil's Day (old New Year) the name “holy evenings” stuck. The whole world rejoices, rejoices at the birth of the baby Christ, it is filled with holiness and grace. The other week - from Vasily's Day to Epiphany - is called "terrible evenings." This is due to the rampant evil spirits.

There is an interesting legend explaining this name. The Lord, overjoyed that his son was born, opened the doors of hell and let the unclean “walk.” Until Epiphany, they will rush around the earth, confusing the people and causing all sorts of dirty tricks (demons, by the way, help to tell fortunes).

✨ Ritual songs

After St. Nicholas Day, the girls begin to remember Christmas songs and games (most Christmas games are accompanied by a special recitative or chant). They were performed only during this period, so they played and sang with pleasure. These songs include all carols and shchedrovki (small ritual songs with wishes for good and well-being to the inhabitants of the house). Carols have been sung since Christmas Eve. Shchedrovki, very similar to them, sang on the eve of the Old New Year. Mummers and carolers walked the streets, entered courtyards and sang songs, for which the owners had to generously treat the carolers. If this was not done, then the carolers could wish for something not too pleasant.

In addition to carols, they also sang Christoslavs - small songs with religious content. As a rule, children and young girls sang. Ritual poetry has this peculiarity: it can be performed strictly in certain time of the year. At any other time it is considered sinful.

✨ Russian carnival

For most European nations, the celebration of New Year and Christmas coincides with carnivals. In Russian villages this custom existed in the form of mummers and caroling. They dressed up in sheepskin coats turned inside out, other people's dresses, masks (hari), costumes of traditional Christmas characters.

✨ Christmas time: traditions, customs, rituals✨

The main characters of Christmastide are old men, beggars, tall old women, a bull (cow), a horse, a gander, a goat (goat), a bear, and wolves (dogs). The poor and the elderly are people from the other world. Aliens, the old woman could mean both death and winter. The bear is a symbol of winter, evil forces, wolves are guides to another world, a goose is a soul who has learned the truth, a cow is associated with the cult of the moon, a horse is a guide between the world of the living and the dead, a symbol of the sun, a goat is a symbol of fertility.

Dressing up was considered a dangerous and sinful activity, so on the last holy day (Epiphany) the mummers washed themselves in an ice hole. By Orthodox traditions This is how a person was cleansed from sin, and according to paganism, immersion in water is the shortest path of the soul to heaven (after all, the mummer for the time of Christmastide, as it were, lent his body to the souls of his ancestors)

There is a mention of Christmastide in the works of the Christian theologian Ephraim the Syrian, who died back in 373, and in the church charter of the Monk Sava the Sanctified, who died in 532. And in 567, the church officially considered the days following from the Nativity of Christ to the celebration of Epiphany as holidays.

✨ What to do on Christmastide

Believers were instructed to glorify Christmas and the Lord, who sent Jesus Christ to Earth, to attend divine services - after all, not only to spend holy days at a set table. During the Christmas holidays, a respectable Christian was obliged to attend at least one service in the church. On these days, more often than usual, they distributed alms to the poor, gave gifts to children, and helped the infirm old people.

By Christmas time, January 6, the Nativity Fast ends. On this day, in the evening, on Christmas Eve, they prepare for the holiday of the Nativity of Christ, which is celebrated on January 7th.

On Christmas Eve, a Lenten table of 12 dishes is set at dusk until the first star. According to tradition, even in non-religious families, they fasted on Christmas Eve.

✨ How Orthodox Christmastide is celebrated

Christmas caroling is one of the main rituals of the festive period. Execution time is the first three days of Christmas (including Christmas Eve, but more often - early in the morning on Christmas Day), as well as on the eve and first day of the old New Year (the night of January 13-14); eve of Epiphany.

Caroling includes the singing of benevolent songs - carols glorifying the Nativity of the Savior. As a rule, carolers - often children - walked in small groups from one hut to another. They could be dressed up in the most intricate way: a bear or a goat, a tramp or a peddler, a kikimora or a demon. The mummers sang congratulatory songs, and after performing, they demanded treats. They also thanked the owners for their gifts through chants.

Carols are widespread among Ukrainians, to a lesser extent among Belarusians; among Russians they are found mainly in the north, in the form of the so-called “grapes,” that is, in the form of great songs with the traditional refrain: “grapes, my red-green.”

Often, during the ritual walks around houses, another festive rite was performed - the glorification of Christ. It symbolized the arrival of the Magi, announcing the Nativity of Jesus Christ. The performers of the ritual (most often these were children or youth) walked in groups of up to 15 people. They glorified Christ according to custom on the first or second day of Christmas. The main attribute of the procession was a man-made star - a symbol Star of Bethlehem. The singers congratulated the owners with songs, and they, in turn, presented the guests with pies, bagels, gingerbread cookies or coins.

Yuletide traditions also include a sowing ceremony. Village children or shepherds went from house to house and carried grain with them in mittens. In the upper rooms, guests imitated sowing, while saying ritual wishes for good and attracting a future rich harvest. At the end of the ceremony, the owners gave gifts or treats to the sowers.

On holy days, real performances were staged in many huts. This action was called a nativity scene. Essentially it was a mobile puppet show, presenting to the audience the mystery of the Nativity of Christ. The dolls were angels made of clay or wood, magicians, and shepherds bearing gifts.

✨ What are they treated to during the Christmas holidays?

The main purpose of Christmas treats among Orthodox Christians was not to satiate - rather, food was a symbol of the holiday. Gingerbread and pies were served on the table, as well as traditional kutya (on Christmas Eve and Epiphany Christmas Eve) - this dish was usually prepared from whole grains (wheat, barley, millet) with the addition of wild berries and honey. Wealthy families could prepare kutya with raisins and nuts. Guests were also treated to uzvar, a drink made from dried fruits sweetened with honey.

January is the time when daylight hours begin to slowly increase. Therefore, on Christmastide they usually baked pancakes, which since ancient times were considered a symbol of light and sun. Often before Christmas, housewives prepared cookies called carols. The shape of such baked goods could be different, but the dough was always made unleavened - from rye flour. This treat could be eaten with kvass, tea, and cabbage soup.

Often, starting from January 7, roasted pig was served at the Christmas table - it was revered as a symbol of future fertility and prosperity. Other meat delicacies could also be consumed on the holiday: lamb, game, hazel grouse, goose or chicken.

✨ How to decorate houses

Candles were always present in the decoration of houses on the eve of Christmas - their light symbolized Christ himself. They prepared for the holiday by stocking up on large wax candles that burned for almost a day: the fire was lit at nightfall and extinguished by the end of the next day.

During the Christmastide period, peasants scattered straw on the floor of the huts and placed a sheaf in the red corner. They also did not forget about decorating the gardens: it was customary to tie ribbons around fruit trees in the yard. The chickens on the farm were fed festive kutia. All this was done in order to attract happiness and prosperity to the house.

✨ HOLIDAY DIVINATIONS ✨

The tradition of telling fortunes at Christmas time is the most ancient and, apparently, will live on for a very long time. For, in addition to the natural desire to know what is hidden, the sacrament of Christmas fortune-telling is very spectacular and exciting, and sometimes terrifying and frightening.

People have been telling fortunes since ancient times, Chaldean priests, ancient Greek Pythia and augurs, Slavic Magi did this... Who hasn’t tried to look into the future! The word “fortune telling” itself has an unclear origin; it can be traced back to the name ancient goddess happiness Gad, or from the Sanskrit “gad” - “to explore”, or from “gadam” - “to experience”. Fortune tellers in ancient times relied on random but natural phenomena or signs and opened the veil of secrecy over the “messages” of gods or other powerful forces.

Fortune telling could be done at any time, although some days or periods were considered especially favorable. The most reliable was considered to be divination on Christmastide - on “holy days”, there are 12 of them, from January 7 to 19 according to the new style, especially on the most “prophetic” days - “Vasil’s Evening” (January 13) and Epiphany Eve (January 6). There are other divisions: the first week of Christmastide was called “holy evenings”, the second - “terrible”, and these were the most correct and reliable fortune-telling.

So if you didn’t have time to tell your fortune on Christmas night, when magical sessions are most powerful, you will have almost two more weeks at your disposal when you can perform Christmas fortune-telling.

This period is full of uncertainty, this is the time when the struggle between Chaos and Light is going on, the knots of the next year are being tied, the foundations of upcoming events are being laid. At the turn of the old and new years, a person is especially keenly interested in the future, his own and those close to him. Moreover, at this time the other world is closer than ever. All sorts of devils, goblins, brownies, kikimoras, banniks and other evil spirits with the undead crawl into the “upper” world from almost all the cracks and make contact more easily, especially, as some argued, on “terrible evenings.” Just have time to ask, because it is from evil spirits that they receive answers during fortune telling.

Here it is important not to give up, not to be scared and to follow the rules of behavior - during conspiracies, wait for the rooster to crow, cross yourself, and so on. Otherwise, you can fall into ruin - or lose your mind, or even die. Unenviable fate! What did they ask? Yes about everything. About life and death, illness and health, weather and harvest, wealth and family well-being. But of course, the most “top” topic for fortune telling was the betrothed and marriage.

✨ Rules for fortune telling for Christmas time

The best time to tell fortunes is after sunset. During the process of communicating with otherworldly forces, there should be no cats, dogs or other pets nearby; they can prevent the spirits from giving truthful answers to questions.

If you are going to tell fortunes using candles, it is better to stock up on church candles in advance - it is believed that such candles will protect the questioner from otherworldly forces; they will not be able to harm or play tricks by giving false answers.

To be completely confident in the veracity of the predictions, you must read a special conspiracy before starting fortune telling. If the fortune telling is not as successful as expected, knowledgeable people advise to ward off troubles with a special spell, which must be memorized and read 12 times, turning your face to the east. So, when you fully prepare for fortune telling, do not forget to not only find all the texts of the conspiracies, but also get hold of a compass.

During the session, everyone had to adhere to certain rules and conditions.

1. You cannot cross your arms and legs. One explanation for this is that it can kind of confuse the things with which you intend to perform the ritual.

2. Be sure to remove all rings and other objects that are tied to you or encircle any limbs. These can be belts or bracelets. In some cases, they let down their hair or even take off their shoes and clothes.

3. There must be no noise in the room; there must be complete silence. All other lighting except candles is excluded.

4. During Christmas fortune-telling, a girl should not be under the protection of her religion. Therefore, be sure to remove crosses and remove icons from the premises.

Particular attention was paid to the choice of place, which must necessarily be considered “unclean”. The bathhouse was considered one of the best places. After all, this is where, according to legend, spirits, various scarecrows and other evil spirits lived. Some abandoned place was very good for fortune telling at Christmas time. an old house, basement or attic. Those who were especially brave even dared to tell fortunes in the cemetery, because it was the places at the junction of two worlds—the border places—that were considered valuable. Such places can be thresholds, gates, corners in the house. But, perhaps, the crossroads have always been considered one of the most sinister places, and in this place anyone will feel the presence of dark forces.

✨ Fortune telling for your betrothed and marriage ✨

✨ Fortune telling by mirrors

The most famous and mystical fortune telling for a betrothed is using mirrors. In a dark room, they place a mirror in front of themselves, and a candle on the side of it, pronounce the spell “betrothed, come to me for dinner” and peer into the mirror. The appearance of the groom is heralded by a flickering candle flame and a fogged mirror. As soon as this happens, the glass needs to be wiped with a towel. The groom should come up from behind and his reflection should appear in the mirror.

✨ Fortune telling using water

You need to bring a piece of ice or a lump of snow from the street, wait until it melts, and look at the rubbish that is in the water. If a hair is found, the betrothed will be rich, a stick or sliver will have his own home, a piece of paper will be associated with science, a piece of paper will be a military man.

Pour heated wax or egg white into a glass of water. If they fall to the bottom and spread like a pancake, then marriage will still be a long time coming. If they take the form of a candle, the rings mean a wedding is coming.

They light three candles and, without blinking, peer into the center of the ring, trying to see the face of the future spouse.

A transparent glass without edges or patterns is filled two-thirds with water and carefully lowered into the glass. wedding ring. They light three candles and, without blinking, peer into the center of the ring, trying to see the face of the future spouse.

✨ Fortune telling with threads

You need to cut the threads of the same length according to the number of fortune tellers and set them on fire at once from one candle. The girl whose thread burns out the fastest will be the first to get married. If someone’s thread goes out before it burns halfway, this means that this girl will never get married.

✨ Fortune telling by matches

You need to insert two matches into the sides of the matchbox, identified with a guy and a girl, and then set them on fire. If the matches turn their heads towards each other, it means that this pair will be together.

✨ Fortune telling on a log

In the dark you need to find a thick stick and examine it carefully. If the tree turns out to be smooth, the husband will be good, with knots - bad, with cracks and crevices - evil.

✨ Fortune telling on the stairs

They make up a set of words that characterize a man. For example: widower - well done - daredevil - Sagittarius - poor - rich - old - married. As they go down the steps, they recite a rhyme. Whichever word appears on the last step - that will be the husband.

✨ Fortune telling by boot

The girl needs to go outside, turn to face the house and throw her boot over her shoulder. If his toe falls away from the house, it means that this year she will get married and leave her native home. If he heads home, he will stay with his parents for now.

✨ Fortune telling by name

They go out into the street at night and ask the first man they meet for their name. Whatever his name is, that’s what the betrothed will be called.

✨ Dream fortune telling

They dissolve a pinch of salt in water, drink salted water before going to bed and say: “Whoever is my betrothed, whoever is my mummer, will give me something to drink.” The groom will dream about giving the bride a drink.

They put four card kings under the pillow and say: “Whoever is my betrothed, come in a dream.”

They put a comb under the pillow and say the following words: “My betrothed, come and comb my hair.”

✨ Fortune telling on a ring, bread and hook

Place the named objects under the scarf and turn around yourself five times. After this, they drag these things out from under the scarf without looking. If you get a hook, your husband will be poor, your bread will be rich, your ring will be beautiful.

✨ Fortune telling in the snow

At midnight you need to go outside and walk through the freshly fallen snow. If no one crosses the tracks before dawn, married life will be easy; if the tracks are trampled, you will have to live your whole life in quarrels with your husband.

At midnight you need to go outside and throw a handful of snow in the direction opposite to the wind. If snowflakes fall directly on you, it means that the husband will be young and handsome; if the snowflakes scatter to the sides, the husband will be elderly.

✨ Fortune telling for family life ✨

✨ Fortune telling on needles

You need to smear two needles with melted wax, put them in water, make a wish and carefully monitor their behavior. If they drowned immediately, the wish will come true, if they got together, marriage is ahead, and if they separated, they will not see their betrothed. For married women loose needles promise family problems, and for men - problems in business.

✨ Fortune telling by ice

You need to fill a glass with water, put a ring in it and put it outside. The number of sons is judged by the number of hills on the surface of the ice, and the number of daughters is judged by the number of holes.

✨ DESTINY TELLING ✨

Fortune telling by wax

At all times, this fortune telling was one of the most popular. You need to drop wax into the water and carefully examine the resulting figure: if in the shape of a wallet or banknote - to wealth, in the shape of a house - to changing your place of residence or buying a home, in the form of an embryo - to the birth of children, in the shape of a heart - to true love.

✨ Fortune telling by shadow

You need to crumple a sheet of paper or newspaper into a loose lump, put it on a plate and set it on fire, and while it burns, say your question out loud. After the paper is completely burned, you need to place a burning candle next to the plate and look at the shadow that the burnt paper casts on the wall. A figure will appear indicating the answer.

✨ Fortune telling on mirrors

In another fortune telling, two mirrors are taken and placed opposite each other to form a long corridor. Light two candles so that they are reflected in the mirrors and illuminate the corridor. If you look into this corridor for a very long time, you can see a variety of events from your own future.

✨ Fortune telling using peas, nuts or beans

The fortuneteller takes a handful of peas, nuts or beans and begins to place them one at a time on the table, saying: “Luck - wealth - love - deceit - poverty - work - chores, worries - child - apartment - military uniforms.” The choice of words may depend on what you want to find out about your own future. Whichever word the grains run out of is what awaits you next year.

✨ Fortune telling on small objects

A company of young men and women gathers. Everyone puts something on the tray: a key, a button, a cufflink, a handkerchief, a coin, a ring, an earring. They cover the tray with a towel, shake it, then, without looking, with their left hand everyone pulls out the first thing they come across: a key - a new home or a car, a scarf - tears, a ring - marriage, an earring - good luck in their career, a coin - wealth, a button - a child , cufflink - travel.

✨ Fortune telling on paper

For this fortune-telling, you will need strips of paper of the same size, on which you need to write questions of interest and your desires. All strips are randomly placed in a wide bowl into which water is poured. The strips of paper will first swirl in a whirlpool and gradually float to the surface. The strip that comes out first means that what is written on it has a positive answer.

✨ Fortune telling by fir branches

A fresh spruce branch is held over a candle and they say: “Spruce-queen, mother of all trees, should I live long or wait for death? Wealth or poverty, betrayal or fidelity? A fir branch is placed under the pillow. In the morning they take it out and examine it. The needles did not turn yellow or fall off - to health, wealth and mutual understanding in the family. The needles fell off - to illness or quarrels.

From January 6 to January 19, Christmastide began in Rus' - a favorite Christian holiday, when people get together and visit each other or receive guests. January 6th is Christmas evening, it was necessary to observe fasting; you could start eating only when the first star appeared in the sky. For this event, it was necessary to wear everything clean, since “you cannot come to the feast in old clothes.”

There is also such a sign that on the night of January 6-7, deceased relatives come, so you must remember them and put an extra utensil on the table, pour a glass and put some bread. In the church you can light a candle for repose.

Also during Christmas time, many girls gathered in the bathhouse, took a steam bath, put on new shirts, unraveled their braids and began to tell fortunes, since fortune telling at Christmas is the most truthful, because on this night otherworldly forces leave their homes and come to people’s houses, thereby contributed to truthful answers to Christmas and Yuletide fortune-telling. They are varied and very interesting.

But most often, Christmas fortune-telling in Rus' was associated with the search for a betrothed-mummer, because the happy fate of a girl depended on a successful marriage, so the lovely young ladies came up with different ways to find out what she would look like future groom and what his character will be.

This fortune telling has been written about more than once in various literary works, so it is the most widespread, but not all girls dared to use the magic of the mirror; only the brave ones resorted to this method of prediction, since it is carried out alone, by candlelight and in silence. You need to put two mirrors opposite each other, put two candles on the sides of the mirrors and say the words: “Betrothed-mummer, come and show yourself.” Then you should peer into the “corridor” in the mirror along which the groom should come. It could take for a long time, but you could see it right away. Just, the main thing is not to overlook it. By the way, there is also a belief that an evil spirit could appear in the mirror and touch a girl’s face, after which she would lose her beauty every day.

Fortune telling with shoes

The girls who decided to tell fortunes had to take each of their boots and place them from the beginning of the room to the threshold one after another, initially drawing lots to see whose boot would follow whose. To do this, one was blindfolded and a boot was brought to her, and she said, first, second, etc. It is important whose boot is the first at the threshold - she will be the first among the fortune tellers to get married.

Fortune telling by eggs

Each girl must bring an egg and mark it in some way, then each one puts the egg in a basket placed at the entrance. Then one of the girls, preferably the youngest, is placed at the basket, blindfolded, so that she takes turns pulling out the eggs. This way you can find out which of the girls will be the first to get married - whose egg will be the first to be pulled out of the basket.

Divination by rings

It is very important to know what kind of groom you will get from a material point of view. To do this, you need to bring different rings, which you put in a container with grain or some kind of porridge, then each fortuneteller comes up and pulls out a ring. After this, the ring must be returned and mixed in the grain.

• Golden - a rich man.
• With a pebble - solid and rich.
• Silver - average income.
• Made from wire - poor thing.
• Tin - poor but hardworking.
• From a lace - beggar and lazy.

Fortune telling by objects

You need to take several items - onion, egg, ring, sugar, salt, pepper, coins, paper bill, candy, petal. Place them under identical cups and mix them. Then the girl comes up and chooses any one. Whatever object appears there will be the groom.

• Onion - she will be angry, the girl will cry a lot of tears.
• The egg will only love itself.
• The ring is for money and wealth.
• Sugar - he will speak sugar speeches, but not only to his beloved.
• Salt - it will be difficult to live with him because of his character.
• Pepper is a jealous groom.
• Coins - will be stingy.
• A paper bill is a wasteful person.
• Candy - a fun life will be with him.
• Petal - will love you.

Fortune telling by onion

On the night of January 6-7, the girl must plant an onion in a glass of water. If it germinates before January 19, then she will meet her soulmate this year, if not, then, alas, it is not her destiny to be loved.

Fortune telling by cards

Although girls were afraid to take cards for fortune telling at Christmas, as they were believed to be from evil spirits, there were still brave young ladies. They took a deck of cards and chose 4 kings, guessing for each one which of the guys would be who. Then they turned the kings face up, and under them they folded the cards into 4 piles of 9, depending on which set was collected - 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, jack, queen and ace. Whoever comes out first is the one who loves

Fortune telling by cat

There was also such fortune-telling. The girl went out of the gate and looked to see if there was a cat nearby. If he was, then she will meet her soulmate this year. If not, then it is not her destiny to meet her betrothed.

It is important what color the cat is. If he is white, the husband will be blond; if he is black, then he will be brunette; if he is gray or striped, he will be brown-haired; if he is red, he will be red-haired. Often the eyes matched the groom's eye color.

Fortune telling by weather

In addition to fortune telling about the groom, there were also predictions of the future. So, if it snows at night from January 6 to 7 or from January 18 to 19, expect wealth and a decent life; if it rains, tears and troubles; if there is frost on the trees, a pleasant surprise; if it is dry and windy, news; if the weather is calm - quiet flow of life.

Fortune telling by thread braid

You need to weave a braid from different threads - red, blue, green, white, black, grey, yellow, brown and pink. Then the girl closes her eyes, spins around herself three times, approaches the braid and pulls any thread without looking. She will be the answer to what will happen to her next year.

• Red - the year will be full of love and romantic dates. Most likely, the girl will meet her soulmate.
• Blue - home year. You will make renovations in your apartment or purchase a property that you have long dreamed of.
• Green - the year of health and sports. You will change your diet and lifestyle - swimming pool, gym and more. This will have a good effect on your appearance and well-being.
• White - a good time promises you the future - calm and peace in your soul and with your surroundings. You will be kind and happy.
• Black - some kind of trouble awaits you next year. It can dramatically change your life for the worse.
• Gray - fatigue and dissatisfaction with what is happening will become your big problem next year.
• Yellow - life filled with positivity.
• Brown - some kind of sadness will depress you all next year.
• Pink - platonic relationships await you next year.

Fortune telling by birds

Very good and truthful fortune telling by birds. Any night from January 6th to January 19th, you should go to bed alone and mentally ask the question: “What lies ahead for me”? As soon as you wake up, look out the window,

• if a crow or jackdaw sits on a branch, then sad news awaits you;
• if there are sparrows, someone will come to visit;
• if the titmouse is good news;
• if doves are messengers of goodness and peace;
• if there is a bullfinch - some kind of joy.

Fortune telling by the hour

You need to ask about your future at midnight from January 6 to 7 and go to bed. During January 7, watch the clock; it will be good if the same numbers appear on the dial.

• 00:00 - in the future you will be disappointed in your loved one.
• 01:01 - you should start improving yourself, then in the future you will be able to realize your old dream.
• 02:02 - when will you stop pleasing everyone, but not yourself. To change the future, love yourself.
• 03:03 - a difficult time is coming for your family - quarrels and scandals.
• 04:04 - you better not take risks this year, as it will be unjustified, and you will seriously harm yourself.
• 05:05 - your loneliness is only good for you - you can achieve a lot without relying on others.
• 06:06 - a scandalous incident will happen in your life, after which it will change dramatically, but for the better.
• 07:07 - constant lies on your part can cause quarrels with many close people, change - everything will continue to be consistently good.
• 08:08 - you owe a lot, it’s time to pay it back, otherwise everything will turn against you.
• 09:09 - you should finally start giving instead of taking, because they don’t like selfish people.
• 10:10 - a great time awaits you next year, as they say, dreams come true.
• 11:11 - soon everything will change for the better, you just have to wait out the dark streak.
• 12:12 - the past will remind you of itself with pleasant events in the future.
• 13:13 - a quarrel with a loved one awaits you this year, but you can fix everything.
• 14:14 - soon, very soon you will realize that you lost a lot when you abandoned family traditions.
• 15:15 - a love triangle will suddenly appear in your life.
• 16:16 - luck and joy await you ahead.
• 17:17 - your friend may ruin the holiday for which you have been preparing for a long time.
• 18:18 - fortune is on your side.
• 19:19 - financial difficulties will also affect relationships with friends.
• 20:20 - have you ever thought that our life is like a boomerang? It's time to think.
• 21:21 - danger and adventure await you.
• 22:22 - death loved one will deal a huge blow to you and your well-being.
• 23:23 - birth of a child.

Good afternoon, friends, popular belief, during Christmas time fortune-telling is the most accurate, this tradition still lives on. That is why during the period from January 7 in the evening until Epiphany on January 19, Christmas fortune-telling begins. During this Christmas period in Rus', our ancestors tried to find out their fate.

How can you force fate to reveal its cards? offers fortune telling in different ways, known since ancient times and suggested by modern professional fortune tellers! You can tell fortunes on these holidays either alone or in the company of friends. The main thing is that this action is a joy! According to popular beliefs, you need to start doing fortune telling only in good mood, otherwise dark forces may cause harm...

Dates of Christmas fortune telling

And although you can tell fortunes from the very first seconds of the new year, our great-grandmothers considered the most reliable day for fortune telling to be the night from January 13 to 14! In that very Old New Year, it is best to start Christmas fortune-telling! It was believed that “Vasiliev’s Evening,” which occurred on January 13, was the most suitable for divination.

According to popular beliefs, all evil spirits at that moment acquired special power and most willingly shared only with them the secrets of the future known only to them. Experienced fortune tellers correctly chose not only the day, but also the hour! Therefore, the most prophetic fortune-telling was carried out at midnight - right at the junction of yesterday and tomorrow. It is at this moment that the border between the present and other world very transparent and thin! Hence the chances of getting a true prediction of fate are higher!

But on January 7 and 19 - Christmas and Epiphany - it is better to refuse attempts to lift the veil of the future. People believed: by telling fortunes on these sacred days, you can predict your happiness...

What to wear during Christmas fortune telling

Before divination, you need to let your hair down, remove all jewelry from yourself, and belts and straps from your clothes. According to popular belief, it was believed that one must free oneself from everything that prevents one from overcoming the boundary between the past and the future and penetrating the secrets of the future. During Christmas fortune-telling, girls wore loose clothes. The perfect outfit for a party magical ritual there will be a simple nightie or a loose dress. Such clothing does not “block” the channels of communication with the world of spirits, which reveals to you the secret of the future. After finishing the fortune telling, it is better to wash the clothes to remove them negative energy after a “dialogue” with the other world.

Now choose the fortune telling that you like and lift the veil of the future! Begins the selection - fortune telling for love and relationships!

Christmas fortune telling for your betrothed

Christmas fortune telling for your betrothed at two mirrors. This is an old Russian fortune-telling, which must be carried out while being completely alone in a room in which there is a large mirror (in the old days, this Christmas fortune telling the fortune tellers secretly conducted it alone in an empty bathhouse). If the apartment has several rooms, then it is better to choose the one with a balcony. When you decide on a room for fortune telling, you need to prepare yourself: remove the cross, free your hair if it is tied with a ribbon or a hairpin, undo your braids and untie all the knots on your clothes. It is advisable to carry out the ritual of fortune-telling for your betrothed wearing only a shirt, barefoot; none of your relatives or friends should know about your intentions.

Exactly at midnight, place two candles in candlesticks on the table or trellis on both sides of the mirror. Opposite the large mirror, install a smaller mirror so that you create a “corridor” of mirrors. When installing mirrors, it is important to repeat to yourself:

“Betrothed-mummer, show yourself in the mirror.”

Next, you need to carefully, without taking your eyes off, look into the mirror “corridor”. Then after 10 - 20 minutes you can see the reflection of your future husband. As soon as he appears, you must immediately remove the small mirror with a quick movement of your hand, otherwise the groom may hit you in the face. After this you need to shout:

“Out of this place!” and cross yourself.

This fortune-telling requires a lot of endurance, self-control and strong nerves, because in the reflection anything can appear, even a horned monster... Those who are faint of heart should not test themselves like this, but turn to simpler folk fortune-telling, which will be discussed further.

To dream about your betrothed in a dream. At night, comb your hair with a comb, saying the words:

“Betrothed mummer, come to me dressed up!”

Then place the comb under your pillow. To make your wish come true, you cannot talk to anyone until dawn. If you want to know the name of your future chosen one. Then, in the evening, prepare the papers with male names, put them in a hat and leave them next to the bed. When you wake up in the morning, without getting out of bed, put your hand in a hat with pieces of paper and pull out one of them.

Fortune telling on the betrothed on cards. This fortune telling is for those who have not yet met their soul mate. Select all kings and jacks from the card deck, set aside the remaining cards (they will not be needed). Shuffle the cards and place them under your pillow or mattress. When you go to bed, say the following phrase:

“My groom, dream about me in a dream and tell me about yourself.”

When you wake up in the morning, take the first card you come across at random with your hand:

• jack means your future groom will be young.
• the king - the chosen one will be older than you.

Now look at the card suit:

Spades - the groom will be successful and wealthy.

Kresti - a new acquaintance will happen when you least expected it.

Tambourines - you will meet your betrothed at a party of mutual friends.

Worms - your chosen one will be from the closest circle of your friends.

Fortune telling on cards for a loved one. This fortune telling is for those who already have a loved one; it will tell you how your relationship with him will develop in the coming year.

Take a deck of cards in your hand and ask the question: “What awaits me with (state the name of the chosen one).” Then draw four cards at random.

If prevail:

• worms - a sea of ​​love awaits you;
• clubs - your relationship will be intertwined with money issues;
• peaks - most likely you will break up;
• tambourines - separation is possible.

Fortune telling by a tree. Choose any tree and grab onto any of its branches without looking.

• If she smooth and even- your betrothed will be a good husband.
• If the branch knotty and clumsy- the husband will turn out to be bad.
• Dry - the marriage will be childless.

Fortune telling using multi-colored threads. In the evening, prepare threads of different colors: white, red and black. Place them under your pillow. In the morning, stick your hand in there and pull out the first thread you come across. If she:

• red - you will get married in a year;
• white - your wedding will take place this year;
• black - don’t expect marriage this year.

Fortune telling by bulbs. Are you waiting for a marriage proposal, and from several admirers? Find out who will make a passionate confession first. To do this, write the names of the applicants on the bulbs and place the onion in water and let it sprout. The one whose name bulb shoots first will make the proposal before the others. Of course, you will have to wait for the results, but you need to plant onions on one of the holy days.

Fortune telling by apples. If you have several admirers, then you can find out which of them will propose marriage to you by looking at the apples. Take the required number of fruits and scratch your initials on each one at the bottom of the apple. Then go out into a dark, unlit room with apples and take a bite from each, immediately determining which one is the sweetest. The apple that turned out to be the sweetest and matches your groom.

Fortune telling using a paper snowflake. Cut out a snowflake from paper. Stand on a chair in front of a decorated Christmas tree and let a snowflake fly. Look where she landed! On a branch with toys - you will meet love, or your current feelings will “light up” with renewed vigor. On a bare branch - difficulties in relationships are possible. On the floor - no changes are expected in your personal life.

"Boats" . In order to find out about the future groom in the new year, use the “Boat” fortune telling. You will need a small bowl that is filled halfway with water. Attach pieces of paper with inscriptions to its edges: travel, whirlwind romance, wedding, quarrel, engagement, etc. Half a shell walnut insert a candle stub and light it. We launch the boat into the middle of the basin and see which piece of paper it floats to.

Fortune telling using an elevator. Another fortune telling for love is modern. Is your heart filled with love dreams? Psychics tell us how to find out whether they will come true in the near future. The answer will be given to us... by a passenger elevator! Having mentally asked your question, enter the cabin and stop on one of the middle floors. While remaining in the elevator, wait until the doors close again and someone calls him to another floor. If the cabin points upward, your wish will soon come true! Down - the time for this has not yet come! You can guess in any house where there is an elevator. But only during Christmas time!

What awaits you in the new year?

Fortune telling at the New Year tree. If you have a green beauty at home, which is dressed up with multi-colored balls and toys, then you can use them for fortune telling.

Stand in front of a decorated Christmas tree. Blindfold yourself. Don't peek! Turn around your axis several times. Then turn your hand towards the tree and take the first toy you come across. Take off the bandage and see what color the toy is in your hands.

You don’t have to blindfold yourself, but start a New Year’s round dance around the forest beauty to the music. When the melody ends, pick off the decoration, but don’t choose, grab without looking what comes to hand.

Red, orange, pink and yellow toys. A stormy love adventure awaits you. If you are married, then your passion with your spouse will flare up with renewed vigor.

White. You are getting closer and closer to your goal. Don't retreat!
Green. You will achieve success in school or at work. Career growth possible!

Silver or gold- promises unexpected profits.

Blue, cyan or purple- talks about family well-being.

In addition to toys, you can hang on the Christmas tree: dried fruits, apples, nuts and candies. Let's look at what you picked and determine your future destiny in the coming year:

• Drying - to a well-fed life.
• An apple means an addition to the family.
• Nuts mean surprises.
• Sweets - to glory.

Fortune telling at the crossroads. This ancient fortune telling, When unmarried girls on Christmas Eve, they went out to the crossroads and tried to hear the first phrase, which was the answer from higher powers. It is believed that it is the intersections of several roads that acquire at this time magical power. And even if the advice or phrase sounds unclear, use your intuition and it will tell you what to expect from Fate in the near future.

Fortune telling for six glasses.

To find out what the coming year has in store for Christmas time, magicians advise turning to the help of six glasses (glasses or glasses). Put salt in one, candy in another, a coin in the third, a key in the fourth, grain in the fifth, and a ring in the sixth. Ask someone close to you to place the containers on the table in one row and, blindfolded, lead you to the glasses! Your task is to choose the one to which your soul will be drawn. Its contents will tell you about your future.

• Salt - to misunderstandings and unrest.
• Candy - for a sweet, carefree life.
• Coin - to financial well-being.
• The key is to buy or rent real estate, as well as to resolve a pressing issue.
• Grain - to the appearance of offspring in your family or relatives.
• Ring - for new ones love relationships for unmarried people. And if you are already married - repeat the honeymoon!

Fortune telling for wax casting in water. This is one of the most popular fortune telling in Rus' - dripping melted wax into water or milk and then looking at the resulting figures. To perform the ceremony, grate the wax candle or cut it into small pieces. Fill a tablespoon with wax shavings. Prepare a bowl of water. Then melt the wax in a spoon over the candle and quickly pour it into the water. It will freeze in the shape of some figure.

See what it's like to see what the future holds for you. If it reminds:

• a dog, it means that in the new year you will find true friends or a very good close friend.
• small mugs- this is for profit.
• star - the new year will be successful for you and you will receive long-awaited news or move up the career ladder.
• horseshoe promises great happiness.
• snake - betrayal.
• cross - health problems.
• flower - a new friend will appear or you will get married.
• a running beast - to distant roads.

If the wax has formed a figure that is unlike anything else, use your imagination - it will tell you something. Keep a wax figurine with a good prediction as a talisman of the year.

Fortune telling for wax casting in milk. You need to melt a piece of wax or a wax candle in a metal mug or tablespoon. Place a saucer of milk on the threshold of the apartment with the words:

“Brownie, my master, come to the threshold to drink milk and eat wax.”

And immediately pour the wax into a saucer with milk, examine the frozen figures. See interpretation above.

Fortune telling on a thread. To find out what awaits you in the coming year, prepare 4 small threads of different colors: red, white, blue and black. All of them will symbolize the following:

• red - responsible for family relationships (if you are married) and new love(for unmarried people);
• white - will show what will happen to you at work and with your career;
• blue - will tell you about your financial situation;
• black - will reflect your problems and unresolved matters.

Now fill a deep bowl with water and carefully place the threads on its surface. Wait 5 minutes and then begin to interpret the fortune telling:

• if the thread drowns - to trouble;
• if you stay on the water, everything will be fine;
• if the threads cross each other, the events will be interconnected.

Fortune telling for wish fulfillment

For cereal. Place rice on a plate. And make a wish over her. Then take a handful of beans and scatter them on the table. Zeren even number? Your deepest wish will come true!

Pieces of paper. Before going to bed, write 15 of your wishes on identical pieces of paper, put them under your pillow, and right in the morning, when you wake up, take out one piece of paper - the wish written on it will come true.

On chicken bones. In the evening, eat a chicken foot for dinner, but don’t throw away the bones. Wrap them in a red napkin or rag and take them out into the yard behind the gate. Make your wish and say the words:

“What was in the egg came out of the egg, which walked around the yard and pecked at the millet. The one whose head was chopped off was boiled with noodles. What I enjoyed, whose bones I removed from the flesh, tell me: will it be my desire or not? What originated in the egg - give me the answer tomorrow.”

Go to this place early in the morning and see:

• if you don’t find any bones, your wish will not come true;
• the bones are covered with snow - you can give up your desire;
• the bones lie intact and untouched - everything will come true.

For salt. You need to guess exactly at midnight. Make a wish and to check whether it will come true or not, shake the salt shaker three times in your hand directly over right palm. Quickly clench your hand with salt into a fist. Blow on it three times and sharply unclench your fingers so that the salt falls out (just don’t specifically shake it off, otherwise the fortune telling will be incorrect).

• If your hand is almost clean, your wish will come true in the near future!
• If there is a lot of salt left on the palm, the wish will not come true.

Modern option - SMS. This method of fortune telling appeared with the advent of cellular communications in our lives. Make a wish. Send an SMS to the number you created. One of three scenarios will follow

1. If it doesn’t go anywhere, your plans won’t come true.
2. If it has passed, the plan will come true.
3. If you also received a good answer, then the coming year will certainly be happy.

Guessing how the case will be resolved

It’s good for those who entered the New Year without problems, but sometimes the situation is exactly the opposite. And at this time you can try to resolve it with the help of fortune telling. Take a small piece of blank paper and briefly describe your situation on it. Fold or crumple the paper and drop it into the bottom of the glass. Fill a glass with water and place it in the cold on the balcony or place it in the freezer. In the morning, take out the glass and look:

• if the ice is transparent on top, problems can be resolved very quickly and easily;
• if a cloudy layer of ice has formed, but the piece of paper is visible, everything will be decided in your favor, but not without some troubles;
• if the ice is frozen so that the piece of paper is not visible at all, the matter will not be decided in your favor and you should look for another way out.

“Order” a prophetic dream

Psychics assure: during Christmas time you need to be more attentive to your dreams. After all, there is a high probability of seeing a prophetic dream that clearly tells us about the future. And to hasten such a vision, experts in the supernatural advise using a simple ritual.

Before going to bed, place a round mirror under your pillow. Lie down, relax and say the spell to yourself three times:

“Darkness is reflected in this mirror, light is reflected in it, let it be reflected and in my dreams.”

By the way, according to the same psychics, you can have a prophetic dream if you go to the kingdom of Morpheus no later than midnight! So we go to bed early. Even if we don’t see anything fateful, at least we’ll get some sleep!

Fortune telling to get an answer to a question

By candlelight.

Lay a clean tablecloth on the table and place a candlestick with a candle. Light a candle from a match (this is a must!) and sit opposite. Frame your question in such a way that it can be answered with “yes,” “no,” or “probably.” Look at the flame of a burning candle and repeat the question to yourself again.

• The candle has a high flame: The answer is “yes”.
• Flame low: the answer is no.
• The flame flickers: "maybe" - it's entirely up to you.

Fortune telling with a cat. If you have a cat or cat living in your house, you can tell fortunes by placing the animal outside the threshold of the room. Make a wish on one of the festive evenings and then call your pet. Look carefully with which paw he crosses the threshold of the room: if with his left paw, then your wish will come true, and if with his right paw, obstacles will arise on the way.

If you don't have a pet, ask your question and call a cat from the street. If he runs towards you, the answer to your question is yes. If he runs away - negative.

Fortune telling for a future purchase

Have you decided to make a purchase in the coming year, but are you unsure whether it’s worth spending money in such a difficult time? Tell your fortune! Take a piece of paper and write five amounts on it: 500, 1000, 5000 rubles, 10 thousand and 20 thousand. Then crumple the paper and set it on fire on a plate. After the flame goes out on its own, see how much remains untouched by the flame. Enough for what you wanted? Feel free to go to the store! No? Then leave the idea until better times!

Fortune telling for money and financial well-being

Fortune telling with coins.

Take a coin and three saucers. Leave the room, and let your family hide the “wealth” under one of them. Guess where the “treasure” is hidden:

• The first time - there will be no problems with money in the new year - you will live in grand style!
• From the second, difficulties will arise that you can overcome.
• Thirdly, there is a high probability that “finance will sing romances.” Therefore, it is worth “spreading straws” and putting it aside for a rainy day.

If you are alone at home and there are no assistants to perform the previous fortune telling for wealth, then act differently. Take three coins of the same denomination. Shake them in your fist and then throw them on the floor at your feet. Look at the coins:

if two of them are heads up, expect abundance at the end of the year, and if a couple of coins land heads up, then prosperity will come to your home at the beginning of the year.

Turn your back to the coins and take a couple of steps back from them. Then spin around yourself clockwise (close your eyes). Open your eyes and see where you are:

• if you are facing the coins, then you are close to profit;
• if your back is turned, you will not be able to get too rich in the coming year;
• if it’s sideways, everything will depend entirely on you.

Fortune telling using a deck of cards. To perform this fortune telling, you will need a new deck of cards that no one has ever played on. Take the cards out of the package and shuffle them, mentally saying the question: “Will your life be rich in the coming year?” Then pull out nine cards at random and see which suit comes up the most:

• hearts or diamonds - your financial situation will remain at the same level;
• clubs - you will have money all year;
• spades - it’s worth thinking about how to spend money more economically.

Fortune telling among friends

When you meet with friends during the Christmas and New Year holidays, Christmas fortune telling will be a good entertainment for a small group. They do not require much preparation, they will amuse your guests and the time will be fun and exciting.

Fortune telling "Wheel of Fortune". If you are gathered for Christmas time with friends and are spending the holiday in a noisy company, you can arrange a “Wheel of Fortune” fortune telling for everyone. You will need colored paper and a large hat, bag or wide vase.

Cut colored paper into strips (as for forfeits). Write predictions on each one. For example:

• success awaits you;
• what you are looking for is very close;
• your plans will come true with the help of friends;
• everything will come true, but later, etc.

Then roll up each piece of paper and place them in a wide vase. Stir and place the vase on the table. Place the guests around and let everyone make a wish and then take a piece of paper from the vase. Whether the dream comes true or not, the prediction written on a piece of paper will answer.

Fortune telling by water. On a frosty night, have each participant fill a spoon with water and take it out into the cold, for example, onto a cold balcony. And the next morning everyone runs to check what happened to the water:

If the water freezes evenly- a prosperous and happy life awaits you all year.

If there are irregularities, tubercles - be in trouble.

Bag of predictions. For a fun company, you can arrange fortune telling by putting small things in a bag: a key, a pin, a spool of thread, a coin, an earring, a handkerchief, a ring. Each of the guests will put their hand into it and pull out what the hand touches first. If pulled out:

• a coin - to wealth and prosperity;
• earring - good news;
• a pin - to discord;
• handkerchief - to tears;
• ring - to marriage (and if the fortuneteller is in a marriage union, then to the refreshment of feelings);
• the key is to a new home;
• threads - to replenish the family.

Fortune telling by the closet. This fun fortune-telling can be done in a room in which there is a closet or bedside table with clothes. They invite a child of about 10 years old - a girl or a boy. All marriageable girls among the guests are invited to stand with their backs to the closet with clothes. Then the child takes out any item of clothing without looking in the closet and asks: “Whose is this?” The girl who answers: “Mine” turns around and looks at what she got:

tie - for a rich groom;

suspenders - her husband will be a glutton;

cowards - will run after women;

pants - a cheerful person;

socks - poor groom;

skirt - a fashionable dandy;

scarf - impotent;

gloves - not clean;

shirt - poor health;

hat - high intelligence and intelligence;

a jacket is a good husband.

Fortune telling on the bun. You will have to prepare for this fortune-telling in advance, or rather, bake the buns. Do you dream of finding out what awaits you in the professional field in the new year? The magicians suggest asking a kolobok about this on one of the holy days, but not a simple one, but with a secret! First, prepare the dough. To do this, mix:

• 500 g cottage cheese,
• 2 eggs,
• 1 tbsp. Sahara,
• 2 tbsp. flour,
• 1/2 tsp. soda,
• a pinch of salt.

Then make 7 bells of equal size.

Add your own “magic” filling to each: raisins, nuts, coffee beans, peas, a piece of dried apricots, any sour berry, a piece of chocolate.

Dip the cones in flour and fry in vegetable oil on all sides for 7-10 minutes.

Ready! You can start fortune telling. Let each guest choose their own bun.

With raisins - success at work and excellent career growth awaits.

Nut - to obstacles and difficulties.

Coffee bean - to a change in the field of activity.

Pea - to the appearance of an enemy and a spiteful critic at work.

Dried apricots - to new interesting opportunities.

Berry - to unjustified expectations.

Chocolate - for passionate and fruitful work!

Having tasted the magic koloboks, you will predict events next year in professional activities.

A strong amulet against everything bad

What should you do if, as a result of fortune telling, you were predicted something bad for the coming year? Use a strong amulet made from mint.

In Rus', this fragrant plant is considered a powerful amulet against evil spirits, bad people, illnesses and misfortunes! To protect themselves from anything unwanted, women placed bunches of mint at the door. Fresh or dry - it doesn't matter! Do you want to follow the example of your ancestors? Hide a mint leaf (you can buy it at the pharmacy - from 50 rubles) in the hallway. By the way! In order for the grass to properly protect you, magicians advise changing the leaves with new ones at least once every two weeks! And throw away the old ones immediately! Like, this way you will get rid of everything bad that this plant, like a sponge, has absorbed.

Today you learned how to “interrogate” fate about your future during Christmas time. How to use this favorable time to conduct Christmas fortune-telling, which was used by our ancestors. We also learned how to tell fortunes using modern methods, which are recommended by psychics and clairvoyants in our time. I hope you were interested in immersing yourself in the magic of Christmas fortune-telling and taking at least one peek into the future.

Video - Christmas fortune telling

The tradition of fortune telling at Christmas time is the most ancient and, apparently, will live on for a very long time. For, in addition to the natural desire to know what is hidden, the sacrament of Christmas fortune-telling is very spectacular and exciting, and sometimes terrifying and frightening. Christmastide lasts from January 7 to January 19. So if you didn’t have time to tell your fortune on Christmas night, when magical sessions are most powerful, you will have almost two more weeks at your disposal when you can perform Christmas fortune-telling.

Fortune telling during Christmas time is very popular among young girls and families. Late in the evening or early at night, girls gather together to find out the name of the future groom or the date of their wedding, and family ladies wonder about the wealth in the house.

During the session, everyone had to adhere to certain rules and conditions

• You cannot cross your arms and legs. One explanation for this is that it can sort of confuse the things with which you intend to perform the ceremony.
• It is imperative to remove all rings and other objects that are tied to you or encircle any limbs. These can be belts or bracelets. In some cases, they let down their hair or even take off their shoes and clothes.
• There should be no noise in the room, there should be complete silence. All other lighting except candles is excluded.
• During Christmas fortune-telling, a girl should not be under the protection of her religion. Therefore, be sure to remove crosses and remove icons from the premises.

Particular attention was paid to the choice of place, which must necessarily be considered “unclean”. The bathhouse was considered one of the best places. After all, it was here, according to legend, that spirits, various scarecrows and other evil spirits lived. An abandoned old house, basement or attic was very suitable for fortune telling during Christmas time. Those who were especially brave dared to tell fortunes even in the cemetery, because it was the places at the junction of two worlds - the border places - that were considered valuable. Such places can be thresholds, gates, corners in the house. But, perhaps, the crossroads have always been considered one of the most sinister places. They say that each of them belongs to some kind of demon, and in this place anyone will feel the presence of dark forces.

Several examples of Christmas fortune telling

• At night, go to a crossroads and, having asked a question about your future groom, draw a circle around you. After this, you must listen carefully to what is happening around you. Cheerful conversations, laughter, singing, and any other positive emotions will mean an early marriage. Swearing, quarrels, crying will delay your marriage by a year.
• One evening during the holy week a cheerful company of several people gathers. Small objects specially prepared for this are laid out on the table: a coin, a ring, a needle, an earring, a scarf. You can get creative and add a few other items. Then the person, without looking, lowers his left hand onto the table. This Christmas fortune-telling is to understand the meaning of the thing on which the hand is placed. For example, a coin - to wealth, a scarf - to sorrows and problems, a key - new flat. Ring for a wedding. Girls can change this fortune telling a little and thus find out the profession of their future groom. A coin is a banker, a passport is a lawyer, a driver’s license is a minibus driver, a flash drive is a programmer, scissors is a builder, a spoon is a cook. Here again everything is decided by imagination.
• For the next Christmastide fortune-telling you will need a cat or cat. Let the animal stand outside the threshold of the room. Make a wish and call your cat. If she crosses the threshold with her left paw, the wish will definitely come true, and if she crosses the threshold with her right paw, obstacles will arise that you will have to overcome.
• This is a very famous fortune telling that can be used on any day, not only during the holiday week. Take some book. Write down the page and line number at the top. All that remains is to open the book and interpret what you read.

Throwing shoes, melting tin, putting a pancake on your head and running with a mouth full of water is all part of Christmas fortune-telling, a favorite pastime for girls in Rus'. Why these tricks were needed and what embarrassments happened, read the material of the Moscow 24 portal.

Christmastide falls between two Christian holidays - Christmas and Epiphany, now the period from January 6 to January 19. Although religion prescribed to stay away from evil spirits, people did not give up trying to predict fate and at the same time have fun.

The guys spoiled all the plans for the girls, violating the rules of fortune-telling, and the marriageable brides themselves were not far behind. The young were invariably interested in whether they should expect a wedding in the new year, and the older ones were most afraid of the images of crop failure or death drawn by fantasy.

“And this looks like...” General fortune-telling is similar to each other, they all required rich imagination. Conclusions were drawn from them based on the rules that each village had its own, or even without them at all. According to the principle “what I see, I sing.”

One way is to pour melted tin or wax into a ladle of cold water. The result is some kind of intricate figure, which they then carefully examined and tried to determine what awaits them. They used the same principle to tell fortunes on burnt paper: they set the crumpled paper on fire at all ends, and in the incinerated piece, as with wax figures, they looked for prophecies by their outlines.

They also told fortunes using chicken eggs. The white was separated from the yolk and poured into a container with cold water. The figure always turns out to be approximately the same - a solid mass with threads stretching upward.

To be a girl or not to be Fortune telling about your betrothed is the most varied and numerous.

Rooster predictor. Fortune tellers bring a rooster to the hut, pour three or four handfuls of oats onto the table in a large circle surrounded by coal, and place rings there. Afterwards, a bird was released onto the table: whose ring the rooster throws out of the circle is destined by fate to marry within a year.

Accuracy development. The girls go into the yard, take a handful of straw from the bunches, choosing straighter spikelets. In the hut they try to stick it into the ceiling: whoever manages to hit it twice in a row is destined to find a groom in the coming year.

Running with water. The girls go to a pond, river or well, take a mouthful of cold water and, as quickly as possible, without looking back, run to their homes. Anyone who cannot run home without spitting out or swallowing water will have to spend a year or longer in prison.

Hide and seek through the snowdrifts. For this fortune telling, you need a kneading bowl - a wooden tub for kneading dough, as well as a whorl for shaking or a rolling pin. The girl is blindfolded with a scarf, the tub is hidden in the snow, after which she walks through the snowdrifts, waving a whorl, and looks for the kitchen utensils hidden from her. The groom was expected to marry if the girl managed not only to find the tub, but also to hit it with a spatula.

Eavesdrop at the church. One of the types of fortune-telling for which the most stringent requirements were imposed: the girl certainly had to go to the temple at midnight and completely alone. However, most often this rule was violated: they went to fortune telling a couple of hours early, and even with a crowd of girlfriends. If a bride of marriageable age managed to hear the word “rejoice” - she could wait for her betrothed, and if the words about peace and eternal memory - then she would not only not see the wedding, but also fear death.

Soak the splinter. And this fortune-telling incited rivalry among friends. With its help it was possible to find out who would get married the fastest. Each girl took the stub of a torch, the first one lit from the stove in the morning. The girls went with them to the ice hole, dipped them in the water, returned to the hut and tried to light it: the one whose flame flares up faster than the others is approaching a wedding.

Throwing a shoe. This is perhaps the most famous Christmas fortune-telling, described by Zhukovsky in the ballad “Svetlana”: “Once on Epiphany evening / The girls told fortunes / They took a shoe off their feet and threw it behind the gate.” If the toe of the shoe lies towards the house, the girl will sit at home for another year, and if it is towards the road, wait for the wedding. Shoes were thrown not only over the gate, but also over the well. They acted according to the same principle: wherever the toe lands, wait for the groom from there.

Whooping at the crossroads. Without fail, completely alone at exactly midnight, the girl goes out of the village to the nearest crossroads and shouts “ay”, cowering in fear of evil spirits. Wherever the loud answer is heard, from there the betrothed will come. There is another option - stand at an intersection, draw a circle and listen to what is happening around you. If you hear laughter, cheers and singing, this is good sign: we need to wait for a quick wedding. But with swearing and lamentations the result is the opposite.

Who got it? It’s not enough to know that the wedding is about to break out. During Christmas time they tried to satisfy their curiosity by finding out what kind of husband fate had promised the girl.

Get someone you meet. The village girls even had a way of finding out his name. You had to wait until the first oat pancake was baked, put it on your head and go outside. In this form, you should approach the first man you meet and ask his name - that’s what they will call the groom. Only now many understood what was happening and made fun of the girls: they either made up non-existent names, or refused to speak, scaring the superstitious girls.

Through the looking glass. They tried to find out from otherworldly forces what the betrothed would look like. A white towel was laid on the table, a mirror was placed on it, a glass of water was placed on the mirror, and a ring was placed in the glass. The girl peered at him for a long time and intently, until finally she saw the man’s face. True, only if she had not met him before. And if the betrothed happened to be an acquaintance, then the fortuneteller could only see the back of his head in the ring.

The most famous fortune telling with mirrors is the following: at 12 o’clock at night, the girl places two mirrors opposite each other, and lights candles on the sides of one of them. So he looks, intently and without blinking, until he sees the image of his betrothed. During these fortune-telling, it was customary to remove the cross, while repeating the phrase “God has no power, do not bless Christ” - a prayer in reverse.

Dream world. To see the groom in a dream, girls resorted to various tricks: they stuck the end of a spindle into a braid, put a mirror and card kings under the pillow at night, or sprinkled oats under the bed - they say, the groom will come to collect the bread. They lured him into sleep with a comb, which they placed under the pillow, saying: “Betrothed, mummer, comb my head.” There were also culinary methods: they ate a thimble of salt mixed with water at night and waited until the betrothed appeared in a dream to give water to the bride.

It's easier to call right away. And finally, fortune telling for the bravest: at night, before the roosters crow, go to the bathhouse, set a table for two (only without knives, otherwise you might get stabbed!) and invite your betrothed to share the meal. After the howling of the wind, he should appear, but the girl cannot communicate with him - she can only ask one question: “What is your name?” After this, as they believed in the old days, the groom answered, began to take something out of his pocket, and then the girl had to sharply shout: “Forget me!”

Those who responded to this call in the bathhouse were often, however, not otherworldly forces, but quite real potential suitors who were keeping an eye on the superstitious young ladies.