Why can't you wish a person good luck? Superstitions ~ Prose (Article)

Origin of the word "luck"

By the word “luck” we usually mean any positive events that occur in life due to certain circumstances. However, biblical interpretations go back to the pagan god Moloch. This is the god of luck and luck, who was worshiped by the Sumerians, and at a later time by the Carthaginians. The statue of the god was cast from silver. A copper frying pan with hot oil was placed in front of it, and a stove was located behind the statue.

In the worship of Moloch, infants were sacrificed. All who made such a sacrifice could count on good luck throughout the year. This was done for:

good harvest;
benefits in trade and other matters;
success in battles, etc.

But the cost of this was very high, and therefore the very understanding of luck, even among the ancients, was shrouded in a negative connotation.

What does the word "luck" mean according to the dictionary?

Such a familiar, as it seems to us all, and habitual word “luck”, which we use for every occasion. We wish good luck to a friend when he is about to take any action, we say “good luck” when saying goodbye to a friend or acquaintance, we often wish good luck to ourselves. What is this word and what is its meaning?

The meaning of the word "luck"

From the point of view of modern interpretation, luck is something positive, a favorable outcome of one or another action that we performed, a lucky chance, luck, success. Luck is something that happened by chance, a lucky chance, a favorable combination of circumstances. An example of luck is winning the lottery. Luck either exists or it doesn’t. It does not depend on anything, but comes spontaneously when it is not expected at all. This is the interpretation of the word in the modern world, but in ancient times the meaning of this term was much deeper.

What did the word "luck" mean in ancient times?

Our society is divided into lucky people and losers. We are drawn to the first, and unconsciously, and we try to avoid the second. In ancient times, the word “luck” did not mean luck, but a characteristic of a person. In Old Norse manuscripts, the phrases “good luck” or “bad luck”, “he found luck”, “his luck turned good”, “his luck left him” are found. Among the ancient Scandinavian peoples, luck was a person’s personal magical power that brings good, that is, it is a certain force that determines human life, his happiness or unhappiness, success or failure, etc.

Properties of luck from the point of view of the ancients

Luck can be good or bad. The first makes a person lucky and brings him good. The bearer of bad luck is unlucky in absolutely everything.
Luck can be found, lost or changed. Among the Scandinavians there was an opinion that if a man committed theft, he would lose good luck.
The ancient Scandinavians considered luck to be contagious, therefore, people with bad luck were avoided, and those with good luck were drawn to in order to become infected.
It was also believed that no matter how much a person shared his luck, his own luck did not decrease.
Rulers with bad luck were expelled, because under them there were crop failures, droughts, loss of livestock, etc.
They asked the gods for good luck and treasured it as a valuable gift.

What does the parable say about God's providence?

One hermit, knowing why one should not wish for success in Orthodoxy, asked God to reveal the ways of His providence and began to fast. One day he set out on a long journey, and on the way he met a monk (it was an Angel) and offered to be his companion. He agreed. In the evening, they stopped to stay with a pious man, who offered them food on a silver saucer. But, to the surprise of the hermit and the owner of the house, after eating the food, the monk took the dishes and threw them into the sea. Well, okay, no one said anything, the travelers moved on.

The next day the hermit and the monk stayed with another husband. But here’s the problem! Before the journey, the owner decided to bring his little son to his guests so that they would bless him. But the monk touched the boy and took his soul. Numb with horror, the old man and the child’s father were unable to utter a word. The companions left again. On the third day they remained in a dilapidated house. The hermit sat down to eat, and his “friend” dismantled and reassembled the wall. Here the elder could no longer stand it and asked why he was doing all this, for some purpose.

Then the monk admitted that he was actually an Angel of God. And he explained his actions. As it turned out, the first owner of the house is a godly man, but he bought the dish untruthfully. Therefore, I had to throw away the dishes so that the man would not lose his reward. The second owner is also godly, but his son, if he had grown up, would have become a real villain, capable of the most evil acts. And the third husband is a lazy and immoral man. His grandfather, who was building a house, hid precious gold in the wall. But the owner could have died through him in the future. Therefore, I had to fix the wall to prevent this from happening.

In conclusion, the Angel commanded the elder to return to his cell and not think about anything in particular, because, as the Holy Spirit says, “the ways of the Lord are mysterious.” Therefore, you should not try them, there will be no benefit from it. God gives everything - sorrow, joy, and sin. But one is by good will, another by economy, and the third by permission (Luke 2:14). And everything depends on His will. However, as well as from yours. After all, the Lord does not take away a person’s freedom of choice. And luck, as you see, has no place here.

In Islam

A similar approach is professed in Islam. Devout Muslims may also not be happy if you wish them luck. Luck is well-being, and any good can only come from Allah.

If you just wish good luck, then it’s not entirely clear where this good comes from? The 18th surah of the Quran al-Kahf says: “I will do it tomorrow. Unless Allah wills it! If you have forgotten, then remember your Lord and say: “Perhaps my Lord will lead me in a more correct path.”

Devout Muslims, if they want to wish well-being, usually mention Allah. “Success to you from Allah” and so on.

Islam

Similar views are present in Islam. Orthodox Muslims do not have the most rosy attitude towards wishing good luck, since any prosperity is given by Allah. Wishing good luck casts doubt on the source of blessings. Therefore, Muslims, wishing for well-being, always make mention of Allah and his role.

Professional superstitions

It is not customary to wish good luck to people who earn food. For example, these are hunters and fishermen. This belief has remained to this day. This is due to the fear that the wish will be heard by evil spirits who will definitely want to disrupt the hunt or fishing. Therefore, all people’s efforts will be in vain.

Artists will also not be happy with a seemingly harmless wish. They prefer to act according to a different scheme - wishing for bad things will give the opposite result, i.e. receiving a benefit. The roots of such views go back to the 16th century, when artists wanted to break their legs on stage for good luck.

Many people wonder why you can’t wish good luck to doctors. Here we should not forget about the superstitions of doctors - for them such a wish is considered as a risk of restless and fussy duty.

Why shouldn't you wish good luck before an exam?

They say that in order to successfully pass exams, a student must, according to signs, remain uncut until the moment they arrive, refuse to buy new clothes in favor of “lucky” ones, enlist the support of a brownie, and stand on the appropriate day only on the left foot. Superstitions, of course. But almost all students take one thing seriously. Many of them refuse to wish their fellow students success, say “no feathers, no feathers” and receive a playful wish “to hell with it.” But when asked why you can’t wish for good luck in the exam, they answer that if you do this, the result will show a 2 or 3 in your record book, despite long-term preparation and knowledge.

How else can you wish good luck?

If you need to wish good luck, but cannot say it directly, there are three methods to please any superstitious people:

Allegory. Instead of wishing good luck, you can parting words with wishes for success or a successful outcome of the matter. For example, “good luck on the exam!” or “pass the interview safely!”
Wish you to fail. Usually they wish “no fluff, no feather.” This is a universal parting word, to which the usual answer is “to hell with it.” For specific situations, before fishing, going for berries or visiting the boss, folk art suggests “no tail, no scales,” “no fungus, no berries,” “no praise, no money.” Among superstitious sellers there is a specific “no client, no revenue.”
Shift responsibility for the fate of man to God in plain text. However, phrases such as “God help”, “with God”, “with God’s grace” can offend non-believers or representatives of non-Christian religions.

Some limit themselves to friendly handshakes or kisses on the cheek, thus implying participation and support.

In the old days, the phrase “peace to you and your home” was widely used, which was also one of the forms of wishing good luck, prosperity and prosperity without attracting attention.

Important! It’s easy to find the right words if you understand the situation.

Saying “good job” or “bon voyage” will demonstrate interest and a sincere desire for everything to go smoothly. Sometimes allegories express this even better than the usual “well, good luck.”

Is luck the name of the devil?

In one of his conversations, the famous Romanian elder of the twentieth century, Archimandrite Cleopas (Ilie), said that luck is the name of the demon.

But does the name “Moloch” have anything to do with luck? This question was asked by the domestic clergy. It turned out that this common noun translates as “royal.” According to a number of Russian church researchers, the revered elder, known for his dogmatic accuracy of sermons, was not entirely accurate and objective in this case. Simply put, in this case he was wrong - which does not detract from the spiritual legacy of his work. By the way, the word “luck”, which sounds like “minor” in his native Romanian, echoes the related Slavic word “narok”, which means goal, intention, etc. There is nothing pagan in the meaning of the word.

Yes, Moloch is an ancient pagan deity, to whom children were sacrificed to receive and attract good luck, but to equate the two concepts, a pagan god and luck, is completely wrong.

Interestingly, the word “luck” appears in several places in the Bible, including the book of Ecclesiastes. The story of Joseph the Beautiful, sold by his brothers into slavery in Egypt, is, in fact, a long and fascinating story about the luck sent by God to the righteous for his loyalty. Russian saints also use it, for example, the Monk Ambrose of Optina, who said: “Whoever does not honor holidays has no luck.”

In a word, historically there is no demonicism behind the word “luck” as such.

Image of Moloch

So what is the demon Moloch, according to old legends? Moloch was depicted as a creature with a bull's head and horns. What has survived to this day is not so much references to the essence of the demon, but the very image of Moloch and his statues.

The idolatry of the ancient Israelites to Baal was accompanied by great solemnity and pomp. Temples were erected for him (1 Kings 16:32 ), in which idols were placed (2 Kings 10:26 )

The colossal copper statues, with the body and head of a bull, were hollow inside. The long arms of the statue, moved by mechanisms with chains, accepted the victim, sending him inside the bull. Babies were calmed down with caresses before being killed, and relatives were strictly forbidden to show sadness. All this was done to the beat of drums and the music of flutes, to please Moloch, so as not to incur his wrath.

Jer ., 7:31 . And they...burn their sons and daughters in fire; which I did not command, and which did not enter my heart.

It is interesting that the supreme demon was identified with fiery Gehenna. In the valley of the Hinnom River, located near Jerusalem, pagan sacrifices were carried out. It was believed that Moloch lived in Gehenna, taking victims for himself and bestowing good luck in return. Why did they think so? In the old days, people asked the gods for good luck. Happiness, material and other benefits were of secondary value. Luck was considered the most valuable gift of the gods, which a person or his family possessed. And often, in pursuit of her, people made insane sacrifices, blindly believing in her and worshiping her.

2 Kings , 16:3 . But he [ Ahaz ]... led his son through the fire, imitating the abominations of the pagans...

Ritual killings were subsequently prohibited by the Law of Moses. But until the end of the Babylonian captivity, the pagans did not stop practicing them.

How do Christians feel about Luck?

It is clear that such cruelty could not arouse approval among Orthodox people. They considered Moloch a real fiend of hell. They said that one should wish for loved ones or even enemies the well-being and help of God, and not the “devilish spawn.” And they forbade their children to even mention the name of the bloodthirsty demon. However, this was not the only reason why one should not wish good luck to the Orthodox.

There is another one, not so terrible. Christians simply believe that all events are sent or allowed by the Almighty. The Lord, according to beliefs, gives every person the opportunity to be saved after the Last Judgment and return to the “Promised Land.” And it is trust in God, and not in unintentional chance, that will help them. The providence of God is what all Orthodox believe in. There is even a whole parable on this occasion. You can read it further.

I wish you good luck... love... and patience.... LUCK IS THE NAME OF THE DEMONS Is it possible to wish people “luck”

Be vigilant, wish each other well-being and God's Help, not the devil!

“I see that in some memorials you mentioned the demon Luck, writing: “About the luck of a daughter,” “About the luck of a son,” “About the luck of a family.” Why did you write the devil in my memorial? Do you know who Luck was? It was the biggest demon that mowed down millions of souls. Moloch, or "Luck", was the god of happiness among the Romans, Sumerians and Carthaginians. What was this god Moloch, or “Luck” as we call him today? His statue, cast from copper or silver, was carried on a two-wheeled cart. On his back was a copper stove, and in front of him was a copper frying pan; from behind, firewood was thrown into Luck until the statue became hot. And his priests carried axes in their hands, large and sharpened. What kind of sacrifice did Luck accept? Only infants from the hands of mothers. They came to the village where you live. They dragged the chariot of Luck with a red-hot frying pan and called, clapping their hands: “Whoever wants good luck, make a sacrifice to Luck!”

– Archimandrite Cleopas (Ilie)

Is it possible to wish people “good luck”? “You wouldn’t wish this on your enemy!” they say in cases where some kind of misfortune or misfortune occurs. However, we are used to constantly wishing each other “Good Luck”, without even imagining what a terrible curse we are sending on the one to whom this wish is intended!

The fact is that Luck or, as we better know, Moloch, was the main deity among the Semitic peoples, who was one of the incarnations of Baal (or Baal, Beelzebub, Belshazzar), i.e. the devil. Baal is mentioned several times in the Bible in the Book of Judges - 2:11, 3:7, 10:6; Molech - in the Book of Amos 5:26 and 1 Kings 11:7.

The cult of Moloch-Baal among the Semites consisted of wildly unbridled voluptuousness, seeking artificial stimulation. Its external symbol was always the phallus, which was depicted as a column with a truncated top. At the temples of Baal lived the so-called kedeshim and kedeshom, holy fornicators and harlots who doomed themselves to serve the temple by earning money through fornication.

The purpose of this cult was to deeply corrupt the people who resorted to it. The fruits of this worship were the well-known sad events that occurred in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, where the cult of Baal was especially pronounced.

Both now and previously, the main feature of the Semitic peoples - the worshipers and servants of Satan - is lies and deceit. The priests of Baal-Moloch were no exception, who, trying to veil the true goal of the cult, so as not to scare people away from its devilish essence, spread the idea that they served the fertile Sun, the source of warmth and life fire manifested in it.

As in all pagan cults, Moloch's servants made sacrifices to him. Typically, these were human sacrifices that were performed in honor of Moloch through burnt offerings, supposedly passing them through the solar life fire. Newborn babies were considered the most pleasant victims of Baal, especially children of noble families: “and they built the high places of Tophet in the valley of the sons of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in fire, which I did not command and which did not enter into my heart” (Jer. 7). :31). The children lay down on the outstretched hands of the idol, which had the face of a calf, and a fire burned below. These monstrous sacrifices were performed at night to the sound of flutes, tambourines and lyres, which drowned out the cries of the unfortunate children and also increased the excitement among the people. The altars of the gods were constantly stained with the blood of children, and in the years of major festivals or in times of disaster, people, and in particular children, were sacrificed in hundreds and thousands.

“First approaches Moloch, the terrible king, spattered with the blood of human victims and the tears of fathers and mothers. But because of the noise of the drums the cries of their children are not heard when they are thrown into the fire in honor of the terrible idol" (John Milton, Paradise Lost).

“The statue of Moloch was built specifically for accepting human sacrifices and burning them. She was colossally tall, all made of copper, and empty inside. The head was of a bull, because the bull was a symbol of strength and the sun in its fierce form. The arms of the statue were of monstrous length, and the victims were placed on the huge outstretched palms; the hands, moved by chains on blocks hidden behind the back, lifted the victims to the hole located in the chest, from where they fell into the flaming inferno, which was placed inside the statue, on an invisible grate , and the ash and coals that fell through it formed an ever-increasing heap between the legs of the colossus... the children were laid alive on the terrible red-hot palms of the monster. Relatives were strictly forbidden to show sadness. Children, if they screamed while they were being prepared for the terrible ritual, were calmed down with caresses. As ugly and impossible as it may seem, mothers were obliged not only to be present at the terrible celebration, but to refrain from tears, sobs and any manifestation of sadness, because otherwise they would not only lose all the honor due to them due to the great honor bestowed upon them by the people, but they could bring the wrath of the offended deity upon the entire people, and one reluctantly made offering could destroy the effect of the entire sacrifice and even bring upon the people troubles worse than before. Such a weak-willed mother would be forever disgraced. Drums and flutes maintained a continuous noise, not only to drown out the screams of the victims, but to increase the excitement among the people." (Ragozina Z. A. History of Assyria. St. Petersburg: Ie A. F. Marx, 1902. P. 151–152).

As mentioned above, Moloch Valaam also had the nickname “Luck”. Why? Because it was believed that a family that sacrificed its child to the deity would certainly have a successful year in terms of agricultural work and harvesting. Therefore, when the priests of Moloch brought their idol cast from copper or silver on a two-wheeled cart to the next village, they clapped their hands and shouted: “Whoever wants good luck in business, make a sacrifice to Baal!” Then the crazy women took their babies and gave them to the servants of Satan...

This kind of ritual infanticide was subsequently prohibited by the Mosaic Law and punishable by death (Lev. 18:21; Lev. 20:2), but the Semites did not stop practicing them until the Babylonian captivity (586 BC).

After the revolution of 1917, when the Russian soil was desecrated by trampling on faith and apostasy from God, ritual infant sacrifices were introduced by allowing abortion at the state level. Russia became the first country in the world to legalize abortion. Subsequently, this “legal” horror spread throughout the world. And to this day, these monstrous sacrifices are performed, but already disguised as a medical procedure...

Or do you think that aborted babies are not a sacrifice to the demon Luck? After all, it is precisely in order to avoid sorrows and for the sake of good luck at work or in personal life, for the sake of a comfortable life, that people sometimes without hesitation make the decision: “the baby in the womb must be killed!” And because the honest word “infanticide” was replaced by the cunning and harmless-sounding word “termination of pregnancy”, and the child with the soulless word “fetus” - the essence does not change - the child in the womb will be torn alive into pieces or burned with an alkaline solution, and then will be destroyed. Moloch is pleased and can reward the child killers with luck for a short time, but sometimes he can simply laugh with his demonic laugh and say: “Why do you need luck, you’re already mine?!”

How to avoid the consequences predicted in signs

Those who believe in omens should know how to prevent an impending disaster if someone has recklessly wished good luck.

For an Orthodox person, it is enough to cross himself to calm his conscience, then he can go to church and pray.
A simply superstitious person can symbolically “buy off” failures. To do this, they either quietly throw a small coin over their shoulder, or, if there is still a lot of time before the event, they pay off with alcohol, placing a shot of vodka on a cabinet or in a dark corner of the house.
In case there are a few days left before the event, a salt bath is suitable. Salt scrubs will cleanse not only the body, but also the energy field. After the procedure is completed and all that remains is to rinse off, they say the following words: “water and salt will take away bad luck, other people’s thoughtless words will not bring me harm.”
Those who believe that Fortune will be offended by remembering her in vain are advised to carry with them an amulet or talisman that attracts good luck. It is impossible to talk about it and it is undesirable for it to come into view of strangers.

But the best way to avoid any consequences, for those who do not believe strongly enough in omens, is to ignore the fact that you cannot wish for good luck and treat such parting words as politeness.

Important! Despite the fact that in Orthodoxy you cannot wish for luck, it is known that Christianity has a negative attitude towards any superstitions.

It is believed that belief in omens, spirits, and magic is incompatible with Orthodoxy. In this regard, some church leaders are trying to eradicate superstitions, even those that, at first glance, fit into the Christian picture of the world.

Several definitions of luck in ancient times

In ancient times, it was believed that luck can be both “bad” and “good”. A person with "negative" luck was called a loser; everything he touched became unlucky. On the contrary, they tried to adopt part of their “Luck” from people with “positive” luck; they willingly communicated with them and sympathized with them. The losers, as a rule, were lonely and persecuted by everyone;
Interestingly, the luck of military men was assessed when they were elected to higher positions. Even the ancient Vikings chose their leaders with good Luck. It was believed that the exaltation and elevation to a high position of a false leader with bad luck led to droughts, cattle pestilence and civil strife;
It was believed that luck was partly inherited. Our ancient ancestors believed in this and tried in every possible way to protect their family from manifestations of bad luck from the outside. In fact, all definitions of luck have similar features to karma and its manifestations.

Prayer for God's help for a good deed

Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, Who is everywhere and fulfills everything, Treasure of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Good One, our souls.

O Creator and Creator of all things, O God, hastily correct the works of our hands, which we begin for Thy glory, with Thy blessing, and deliver us from all evil, for One is Omnipotent and Lover of Mankind.

Quick to intercede and strong to help, present yourself to the grace of Thy power now, and bless and strengthen, and accomplish the good work of Thy servants: whatever you want, as the Almighty God is able to do.

Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of Your Beginning Father, You declared with Your most pure lips: that without Me you cannot do anything. My Lord, Lord, with faith in my soul and heart spoken by You, I fall down in Your goodness: help me, a sinner, to accomplish this work, which I have begun, in You, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Rub, spit, scream...

In Russia, a popular way to attract good luck and fortune is to rub any part of a monument, stone, tree or other object in the surrounding world. In Moscow, at the Ploshchad Revolutsii metro station, people have long hurried to the dog monument to rub its nose. It got to the point that, for the sake of this dubious action, prudent Soviet citizens specially got off the train and then jumped back on. The copper dog at the metro station was considered to bring good luck.

In the 1990s, such paganism became a tradition; recently, the scope of the fascination with tourist superstitions has reached unprecedented proportions. It became fashionable and approved to rub not only a dog’s nose, but also many other protruding parts of statues: a peasant’s finger and bast shoe, a student’s shoe, a child’s leg and a worker’s knee.

By the way, the dog statue suffered so much from popular love that in 2014, local historian Alexander Mozhaev appealed to the management of the metro and the Department of Cultural Heritage with a request to take the sculpture under protection or at least hang warning signs. Alas, he was told that they would not warn anyone, but they were going to cover the landmarks with a remedy to erase the relief...

From the dog, people's attention spread to another animal from the capital's subway - the rooster, and it became customary to throw notes with wishes into the hem of the poultry house attached to the rooster. It is interesting that the rooster, inconspicuous at first glance, is the main mystery of the station. Some say that you should never touch it, otherwise something terrible will happen. Others attribute dark power to only one of the four roosters, without specifying which one. Such a veil of secrecy makes the object of attention even more attractive.

In addition to animals and birds, as well as protruding body parts and clothing, bronze and marble weapons are popular among visitors to historical sites. Thus, fortune seekers polished to a shine the details of monuments to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War and other world wars and conflicts: revolvers, grenades, rifle butts...

Moreover, there is no unity in views on the correct procedure for obtaining luck in this way. There is an opinion that you don’t need to rub any dog, but only “Bauman’s dog” - near the third car from the end towards Shchelkovskaya. The very origin of the sign is attributed to Baumanka students, who allegedly began turning to the statue for help in 1938, when the Revolution Square metro station was built.

But there are also popular minds that subtly differentiate the purpose of objects: a revolver brings good luck in money matters, a girl’s shoe promotes success on a date, and a dog helps you pass an exam easily. Or this: a dog’s nose is used to help in the exam, but its paw is only useful in the test. But, as the pace of life accelerates, most people passing by rub whatever comes to hand - maybe it will help.

Many people laugh at the “severe necessity” of spitting over their shoulders, but they follow it, like hundreds of others. And they don’t mind when friends give amulets or throw a “lucky coin” into their wallet.

Signs, superstitions and rituals have become firmly established in life, moreover, new ones are appearing.

Let's take students. Even excellent students begin to either count steps or knock on wood. They say the exam is a lottery, how can you not play it safe? Students in large cities believe that they only have to go to the exam by tram or trolleybus in order to get a lucky ticket.

In Tomsk, it is popular among students of the Polytechnic University to paint the shoes of the monument to Sergei Kirov located next to the university, and always red. It’s not easy for city services, but they’ve almost gotten used to it. After all, this happens only on the eve of the session.

New signs and rituals also appeared among drivers. You can't whistle in the car: the traffic cops will stop you. For the same reason, it is not recommended to count money in the car - the rustling of banknotes attracts increased attention from the traffic police.

Along with traditional signs, borrowed ones gradually took root in Russia. Thus, the fashion for Feng Shui helps to sell small figurines of frogs in huge quantities, and they should be placed at home in places strictly oriented to the cardinal points and various zones.

Journalist Anastasia Pirozhnikova recalls how she provoked the seller’s anger: “As it turned out, frogs should sit on rugs and look in certain directions. When I was looking for a fur coat, during a conversation I sat down at the table and accidentally touched one of the frogs. The woman seller started screaming. The essence of the problem was that the frogs should not be touched: they may get angry and will not bring money.”

Bloody sacrifices of the god of Luck

The Bible contains a mention of the ancient Semitic deity Moloch, to whom bloody sacrifices were made. In general, during pagan times this was not uncommon. A wide variety of gods and goddesses are known who demanded bloody offerings to fulfill the desires of their parishioners. But Moloch (or rather, his priests) became famous for his particular cruelty - he gave believers Good Luck in everything for a whole year, but only on the condition that they sacrificed newborn babies to him.

Data vary on how exactly the sacrifice took place, but one thing is certain - the babies were burned alive. By sacrificing their newborn child to the bloody deity, the family ensured themselves good fortune. Moloch was popularly known as the god of Luck. It is clear why no one should wish good luck at such a price.

Where did superstition come from?

There are two versions of where the belief came from that you should not wish a person good luck. Which one is more accurate cannot be said for sure.

It is believed that this is an ancient hunting tradition. The evil spirit will hear your wish and do everything to make it happen the other way around. Therefore, allegories were put into circulation or, on the contrary, they wished for failure.
Another version of the origin is Christian. Orthodox believers believe that this is an appeal to the ancient Sumerian god Moloch, to whom children were sacrificed.

According to an alternative version, the fact is that the ancient Roman goddess Fortuna was touchy and changeable. Therefore, those who turned to her too often or relied on her too much sooner or later lost her patronage for intrusiveness and were doomed to a streak of bad luck. It was possible to overcome the black streak only through sacrifices, so it was easier not to mention the goddess of luck once again.

It is now impossible to find out the original source. Everyone can count as they prefer.

Important! Some people are of the opinion that such superstitions are stupid inventions.

God forbid!

Believers believe that everything that happens is sent down by God. One should trust in him: as God gives, so it will be. Christians turn to the Lord to support them in their work and diligence, and do not consider achievements as the will of chance or a successful combination of circumstances. So it would not occur to a believer to wish good luck. Rather, he will say “God bless you!”, “God help you,” “God bless you on a good journey,” or “God bless you.”

Similar ideas have developed in Islam: any good comes from Allah. Devout Muslims turn to him when success and a successful outcome of a matter are important to them.

Christian religion

The Christian religion, particularly Orthodoxy, does not have the most positive attitude towards luck. Among the first Christians, the wish for good luck had shades of the wish to bring punishment on a person. After all, the times of worship of Moloch still remained in memory, and therefore the wish was considered a sin.

But even now, for example, Orthodox Christians tend to rely on the will of God, and not at all on manifestations of luck or fortune. Believers have an understanding that everything that happens is predetermined by God, and therefore all achievements are obtained as a result of human efforts, the help of God, but not by a coincidence of circumstances. That's why you can't wish for luck.

To wish, so to wish

Initially, luck is something positive that brings a successful outcome to a matter. But a positive attitude and attitude towards what is happening largely influences. Correct programming of consciousness “for luck” will bear fruit. You should not rely on the statements of strangers; it is important to know that you will be lucky in this matter, and then fortune will be on your side. Luck can sometimes turn away from a person, but this does not mean that you need to give up and stop doing business. You always need to believe that if she is not with you today, then tomorrow she will definitely visit you and reward you for past failures and mistakes.

Therefore, wishing good luck may not always lead to the effect that the speaker intends. And if you are superstitious, you can attract what you want, according to old traditions and beliefs. The main thing is to explain to the person why and what you want, using certain interpretations, otherwise he may not only not understand you, but also harbor a grudge.

For students

Wishing a student or student good luck before an exam is a bad omen. There is a belief that such a wish attracts dark entities like the devil, who steal success.

Many cultural experts believe that this sign comes from Ancient Rome. Then it was customary to treat fortune as a living being.

For example, it was then believed that one should not wish for success, because fortune is angry with those who rely too much on it.