Ukraine is a young country but Ukrainians as a nation is one of the oldest nations in the world. The history of Ukrainians is long and full of different events. Nowadays Ukraine is a Christian country but before Ukrainians were baptized by the king Volodymyr, they were pagan. So many superstitions that Ukrainians are following now are from pagan traditions. To understand a Ukrainian you need to know the main superstitions not to offend a Ukraine. So we are going to discuss some of the most popular but it won’t be all because actually there are many of them and they vary depending on the part of Ukraine.
It’s not allowed to give an even number of flowers! Ukrainians used to carry an even number of flowers for funerals or to the cemetery. So if you want to show your attention with a bouquet of beautiful flowers then make sure that it should be an add number. By the way, giving flowers in Ukraine is pretty popular that´s why there are many flower shops everywhere and men give flowers not just for holidays or some occasions but just as a sign of attention. Women give flowers to women also, especially for birthdays or other holiday. So we told you that you need to give an odd number of flowers but it’s not good to give 9 flowers because the number 9 is also connected to death and Ukrainians try to skip it, so it’s better to give 7 or 11 flowers.
Anyway, if you make this mistake, it’s not a disaster because Ukrainians are pretty understanding in this question for foreigners since in most countries any number of flowers is welcomed.
Unmarried/single people shouldn’t sit on the corner of the table. Young boys and girls are not allowed to sit on the corner of the table because it might be difficult for them to get married. That’s why whenever the whole family is sitting around the table, older people who are married make sure that they sit in the corner.
In general, corners were treated with special care, because they were considered one of the boundaries between the real and the other world.
There are three stages in our life - birth, marriage, and death. These are three transitional periods. Birth is when we come from the other world to this world, marriage is when we go from one home to another, and death is when we go from this world to the next. These are three stages when portals between worlds seem to open. When we are still in the transition between periods, we are less protected. And the corner is a limit, so it was treated with caution.
Knock on wood when you want to protect yourself from something like “God forbid”
The properties of this belief are to warn of some calamity or not to jinx. People used to believe that wood has a protective effect because a wooden surface is like something stable. And when we knock on it, it's as if we're appealing to our ancestors to protect us.
The ethnologist notes that previously there were basically no other surfaces, so the tree was relevant also for domestic reasons. They knocked on the surfaces when something bad sounded - so that it would not come true. And when they talked about something very good, future plans - so as not to lose success.
Also, some people slit three times and then know on the wood, as if the words they said they spit away so it doesn’t happen.
Most often, they spat three times over the left shoulder, because in the popular imagination, the left side is responsible for what comes from the evil one, as if the angel sits on the right shoulder and the devil on the left one.
By the way, this kind of superstition exists in many nations but actions are different.
Do not whistle in the house, because there will be no money/you will have a problem!
In tales and legends, whistling often accompanies negative mythological characters, such as the devil or an evil spirit. It seems that whistling is an unnatural sound that is associated with evil power. It is natural for people to speak in an ordinary voice, but if we start to change it in some way, for example, to whisper or whistle, then we are already entering the ritualized sphere.
In traditional culture, whistling mostly has a certain demonic nature. It is believed that it can cause evil forces.
A black cat crossed the road - misfortune will happen
Such a belief is not a uniquely Ukrainian phenomenon.
It originated back in the Middle Ages and came to our ancestors around the 20th century. This belief is based on the image of a witch, who, according to legends, was often accompanied by black cats. People believed that a witch could transfer to a cat. And if a black cat crossed the road, then it is likely that it was a witch in the form of an animal.
The black color of four-legged animals was also symbolic since this color has long been associated with dark forces and evil spirits. In addition, cats differed from other animals because they had special access to the human dwelling.
I can tell you from my own experience that when I was a child, I decided to check this superstition if it was right, and on purpose, I walked after the black cat crossed the road. I don’t know if it was a coincidence or not but the next day I broke a window and was punished by my mom))
Sit down before the long trip
Usually, this rite is performed before a long journey - a person sits down before leaving the house and spends a minute in silence. It was believed that this would protect from something bad on the way, and a person would be able to return home happily. The meaning of belief lies in the opposition of the "own" and "alien" world. The threshold is such a symbolic border, a transition from one's own, native to foreign, and dangerous.
A house is a territory that a person knows well, and outside it - something unknown. Belief is also related to the cult of ancestors when a person feels supported by his family. Some believe that this is a kind of grounding as if a person is once again gaining his space.
It is connected with the fact that the long road was associated with danger, and uncertainty because this outside world is alien to us. And our world, which we have created in our house and space, is loyal to us, supports and empowers us.
And as a bonus.
Ukrainians always remove shoes when they enter the house. We don’t walk inside the house in the same show we came outside and when guests visit the house, they remove the shoe also. In some families there are sleepers and they can propose to you one or just with no shoes. This one is more a tradition than a superstition but you need to know it also. We don’t say that Ukrainians believe all those things, nowadays they are more automatically Ukrainians do it because that’s how they were taught since childhood and often people don’t even think about the meaning but just keep them.
If you are going to get married to a Ukrainian woman then you need to be ready to bring Ukrainian traditions, customs, and superstitions into your house and in your life. So if you know these ones it will be easier for you to understand and find the common language with your woman.
We hope this information is going to be productive for you but if you have some more important superstitions that foreign men need to know then write them down in comments.
With best regards,
'Wife Ukraine' team
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