This picture presents all traditional things that belonged to a Ukrainian ancient peasant family. A wife and a husband in traditional embroidered shirts are having dinner at the table covered with embroidered cloth. The wife’s head is covered with a red scarf, which was a symbol of a married woman. The husband wears a straw hat, which peasants used to cover their heads working long sunny days in the field. The wind-mill and their thatched roof house are in the background of the picture.
Each item you see in the picture was believed to have a special meaning, such as
Rooster –protection of the house from evil forces, triumph of good forces,
Wheel – eternal renewal of life,
Sack – wealth and prosperity,
Broom – brings money to the house if it’s bottoms up,
Corn – the coming generations, family unity,
Bird – honesty, unity of heaven and earth, memory of ancestors,
Pepper – men’s health,
House – family unity and strong family bonds ,
Pumpkin – fertility ,
Butterfly – eternity of soul.
There were so many superstitions about how to use these house items. People believed that a horseshoe nailed to the door in an upward position would gather good luck and positive energy to the house. A housewife would never sweep the floor after sunset – she could sweep prosperity out of the house. The broom was always kept upward in the house’s corner so that it would ward off the evil eye and bring money to the family. It was believed that devils would get out of their hiding places after sunset, but when rooster crows three times at the break of dawn, all devils run away.
Many Ukrainians of older generation, especially those who live in villages , still believe in superstitions. They will never lend you anything after sunset, especially money or salt; they will spit three times over the left shoulder if a black cat crosses their way; they believe that meeting a woman with buckets full of water will bring them luck; they believe that two safety pins stuck crosswise in the linen of their coats will cast away the evil eye.
I don’t believe that practicing ancient superstitions will make your life more successful and secure, but I think that it’s better to direct your energy and time to do something useful with your life, isn’t it?
