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Ukrainian Superstitions

According to some, superstitions help to explain life's inequalities and unpredictability, including the randomness and capriciousness that marked the Soviet era, particularly under Stalin. Yet the superstitious nature of the Eastern Slavs was entrenched long before the communists arrived; rural communities have long been marked by the popularity of folk wisdom, home remedies, and superstitions. The popular Russian saying, "Khuzhe bivaet," translates as "It (or things) could be worse”. There is a resigned quality to Ukrainians that boggles and frustrates foreigners, but this too is about survival.

Ukrainians have always been highly superstitious, especially about rites of passage such as traveling, marriage and death. One recurring theme is the "jinx." Acting as if you expect success in an endeavor is to invite disaster, and this basic concept pops up all over. One pagan belief that has survived among a smaller circle of the superstitious is the danger of "the evil eye" and an ill-intending person's ability to cast it. Those who believe in the power of a hateful glance to summon misfortune "disinfect" themselves by passing a candle three times before an icon.

As another example, before a long trip, it is traditional for everyone in the household to sit in perfect silence for a few minutes while seated on their luggage, the couch, or a bed. One view is that this presents the appearance that nothing important is happening, and evil spirits get bored and wander off to make mischief elsewhere. Another opinion on this superstition is that it allows the soul to re-enter the body as it may be lounging around the house.

It is thought that invisible ghosts and evil spirits are visible in mirrors. One of the most widely held superstitions is that coming back into a home to fetch a forgotten object will bring danger on the resumed journey unless the forgetful one glances in the mirror before going out again. Some insist you must stick out your tongue at the mirror or at least make an ugly face to scare off evil spirits lurking in the nether world beyond the glass. When a person leaves home, it is believed they are followed by a guardian angel. If they return, the angel will be waiting alone on the roadside and unavailable to protect the forgetful one. Glancing in the mirror brings the angel back to restart the sojourn. It is also said that looking in the mirror is to be sure that the devil is not behind you.

When there is a death in the family, all the mirrors in the house are covered. Perhaps this is to avoid seeing the soul of the departed still floating in the house, and also to free the soul of the deceased so that it can leave the house and go on to heaven. Alternately, do not to obstruct the bedroom mirror with open closet doors or discarded clothing as this will block the journey of a recently departed spirit to the next world.

Breaking a mirror is reputed to herald the alienation of a close friend or loved one, and looking at one's reflection in a broken mirror is considered even more perilous. Catching a mirror image lighted by candles also is supposed to bring bad luck; eating in front of a mirror is thought to inflict permanent damage on the diner's physical appearance. As with mirrors, thresholds are the dwelling place of spirits. Ukrainian fairy tales are replete with the figure of the domovoi, a temperamental brownie who protects the household. The threshold is where the domovoi lives. Shaking hands or kissing over the threshold is an invasion of his territory and might offend him. He also doesn't appreciate anyone sitting or sleeping too close to his space.

The domovoi is supposed to follow the head of a household if the family moves. There are elaborate rituals for attracting free domovois to newly established households after a marriage. Most involve cats, which are the only creatures who can communicate with the brownies. Rather than carrying a bride over the threshold into a new home, the post-nuptial rite in Russia calls for letting a cat into the house to summon a domovoi.

If you accidentally spill salt, you are in for some bad luck. To stop it, pick up some salt, throw it over your left shoulder, spit three times in the same direction and say, "Tfu-tfu-tfu tri raza - ne moya zaraza." This action, held to chase away the devil that sits on a person's left shoulder looking for ways to spoil the future, is a close approximation of the Western idea of knocking on wood.

Colors and figures have strong associations with luck or the lack of it. Yellow flowers and red hair are particularly suspect. The former is associated with sadness, and the latter is mistrusted because redheads are so rare in Ukraine. Unlike in many Western cultures, the number 13 holds little meaning for Ukrainians. Friday the 13th is nothing to worry about, and hotels have floors and rooms numbered 13. However, even numbers are widely considered omens of bad luck. A dozen roses, or any other even quantity of any flower, would be appropriate only at a funeral.