It so happened historically that in the Orthodox world there are many different examples and superstitions. Moreover, they relate to various spheres of life and events. Such a sad event as a funeral is no exception. According to Orthodox rules, when a person dies, you need to cover the mirrors with a blanket or cloth so that they are not visible. Why cover mirrors after death and when can they be opened? There are many different opinions on this topic. But Orthodoxy does not interpret such a ban as superstition at all.
How many days are mirrors closed after a funeral?
There is a certain definition:
If the deceased is indoors, then it is necessary to cover all reflective objects, even the TV and computer. There is no exact number of days for how long to keep the mirrors closed. Some consider 9 days when the soul of the deceased is in the room, others 40 days when the soul shell still hovers on earth.
So, on what day after the funeral are mirrors opened? It is generally accepted on the 9th day, but if a person is in doubt, then the best option is to withstand 40 days.
The attitude of the church and the response of the priests: when to remove a curtain made of a rag, sheet or other fabric?
When asked when to open mirrors in Christian traditions, any priest will answer that our church does not consider it necessary to follow the rule of covering mirror surfaces.
This ritual originates from paganism and has nothing to do with Orthodoxy. In their opinion, the dead do not need us to perform any rites and rituals, including hanging mirrors.
An interesting fact is that there are no reflective surfaces in churches . This is justified by the fact that the mirror reflects everything the other way around, including icons and crosses. It is also believed that if you perform the funeral service for the deceased with an open mirror indoors, the prayers will not have the desired effect.
Whether to cover mirrors or not is up to everyone to decide for themselves. Some people are skeptical about this, but the vast majority follow this rule.
What is mourning in Orthodoxy and how to observe it
In the Orthodox Church there is no such thing as mourning. Mourning is a worldly concept.
Everyone decides for himself how and for how long to mourn - do not wear bright clothes, do not visit places of entertainment, do not listen to music, do not celebrate holidays, do not eat delicacies and alcohol, and lead a humble lifestyle for 40 days.
It is recommended to postpone marriage until a year has passed since the death of a loved one.
Believers, in order to help the soul of a deceased person quickly find peace, pray especially fervently for 40 days, order memorial services and magpies for the deceased in various churches and monasteries, do good deeds and give alms. This is all mourning in Orthodoxy.
Phenomena associated with omen
You can often hear mystical stories about how a mirror was not hung in the house after the death of a tenant, and then strange things began to happen. At night, household members heard footsteps, lights flickered, things fell, dishes broke. This means that the soul of the deceased is not at rest.
A clergyman was invited to the house. If the unnatural phenomena did not go away after the consecration of the home, the mirrors were thrown away.
Even if a loved one did not die at home, but was buried from the funeral hall of the morgue, mirrors must be covered. For another 40 days, a person’s soul remains among the living. Popular beliefs say that after death, the spirit of the deceased comes to the homes of relatives and friends to say goodbye forever.
Why are mirrors covered?
The ancient Slavs were sure that the mirror opened a portal to the other world. The human body has not only a physical shell, but also a soul. Mirror surfaces are covered for a number of reasons:
The soul, separating from the body, may become frightened when it sees its reflection in the mirror. If a living person sees the deceased in a mirror, he will die. The spirit of the deceased can be taken with him. The soul can get lost in the mirror corridor. Once reflected in it, the spirit will not find its way to the Kingdom of Heaven. He will remain there as if trapped. And his dead energy will remain in the house forever. An evil spirit can take the soul of a deceased person by dragging him through a mirror. The energy of the deceased will harm the living. After all, mirrors can absorb and conduct different energies. Therefore, they need to be systematically cleaned and hung up at the time of the funeral. A person who has lost a relative is depressed. He feels loss, his soul is devastated. Passing by an uncovered mirror, he can look into it and, in a state of depression, see a certain image.
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About antiques
Previously, mirrors were made by layering mercury onto glass. Leaving this world, the human brain emits alpha waves, and the mirror absorbs them and reproduces the image. The resulting image was often mistaken for a ghost.
Now mirrors are made using a different technology. But the sign of covering reflective surfaces remains.
There are cases when, after the death of a person, the mirror became cloudy or strange patterns appeared on it. Then they immediately broke it and threw it away. Otherwise, the soul would not be able to leave the looking glass.
Why do mirrors close after death?
The tradition of hanging mirrors after a person has died dates back to ancient times. Even the church cannot say the exact dates of the appearance of such a custom. Ancient Orthodox believers were confident that a mirror opens a portal to the other world, and as you know, a person has not only a body, but also a soul. Cover the mirror for the following reasons:
When the soul leaves the body, it may see its image and become afraid. As a result, the soul will not be able to fly to the other world and find peace. If an Orthodox believer sees a soul in a mirror, death immediately occurs. If the soul sees itself in the mirror, then it will get lost in the labyrinths and will not get into the Kingdom of Heaven. Evil forces can take the good soul of a dead person to hell through a mirror. The mirror accumulates negative energy that comes from the deceased, and as a result, after the funeral, the family in which the grief occurred experiences troubles.
These are not all of the listed reasons why tradition is used. In fact, there are many that can be listed. Priests cannot give a definite answer to this question. The Church does not give an exact answer or exact instructions for how many days the mirrors should be covered and how long after the covers should be removed from the mirrors after the funeral. But despite this, in some churches clergy recommend throwing veils not only on the day of death, but also on the 9th and 40th day. Because these days the soul visits its home. And only on the 40th day the soul flies to heaven.
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On day 9 the soul separates from the body. During this period she remains in the house. Therefore, it is customary to cover not only mirrors, but also the TV, computer monitor and other objects that can mirror the display.
When and with what should you hang it?
When to hang fabric? Mirrors and other reflective surfaces, such as a TV screen or computer monitor, should be covered immediately after the death of a person. It doesn’t matter whether he died at home or in the hospital, whether farewell was held at home or in the ritual hall.
To do this, you can use any thick fabric that you have in the house; even old pillowcases and bedspreads will do. The main thing is that the surface is completely covered. There is no need to perform any rituals during this.
How many days should you keep mirrors closed after a funeral?
Opinions differ regarding the duration of the ceremony, after which the surface can be opened. The reason is a mixture of pagan and Slavic beliefs combined with the Orthodox religion. After the funeral of a loved one, a righteous Christian should consult with the priest. The priest will tell you how long you need to wait in a particular situation before opening the mirror. He will advise the best way to clean the room, showing due respect to the deceased.
The priest's answer
When can I open
Those who believe in funeral superstitions need to know when the covers are removed from mirrors after a funeral. It is accepted that disclosure can be made after nine days. But if a person is overcome by doubts about why he needs to close them, it is better to wait for forty days.
For the first nine days, the soul still remains in the room. Then she separates from the body and goes into another world. The energy of death disappears from the home. Some reflective surfaces, such as a TV or computer, can be opened earlier. After all, a person who has lost a loved one already feels bad; he cannot spend all his time in silence.
But it is prohibited to leave reflective surfaces open during the funeral. At this time, even non-superstitious people curtain them. A day or two after the burial ceremony they open them.
What are superstitious signs?
Signs can be: individual, superstition, weather. Superstitions have always been questioned and kept people in prejudice. A certain sequence of events has formed a pattern that occurs frequently. But many are still trying to comply with them:
It is not advisable to walk under a ladder; in the old days, the ladder was used to secure the gallows rope. If salt spills, it means a quarrel. After this, you should throw a pinch of salt over your left shoulder. You cannot open an umbrella at home. Legend has it that one prince received an umbrella as a gift, opened it at home and died. Looking into a broken mirror means suffering bad luck for 7 years. People associate these home attributes with the other world. Seeing yourself in a damaged mirror means trouble. Why store broken glass products? It's better to throw them in the trash.
Rules and actions at a funeral
It is necessary to escort a person on his final journey correctly. Mistakes made at a funeral can negatively affect the future life of the household. Generally accepted rules:
- The coffin with the deceased can only be carried by strangers.
- They throw a handful of earth onto the lid of the coffin. So that the soul of the deceased does not come out at night and frighten the living.
- Money is placed at the bottom of the coffin as a ransom for a new place.
- A glass of water is placed at the cemetery and at home. The deceased will be able to drink.
- A handkerchief is placed in the coffin so that when communicating with the Lord there is something to wipe the sweat from the forehead.
- It happens that a person prepares the coffin in advance. Store the product in the attic. But it shouldn't stand empty. Sawdust, shavings or grain are poured into the finished coffin. After a person passes away, the contents of the coffin are buried in a hole.
- At the moment the soul leaves the body, you need to read the Canon of the Mother of God. During the reading process, the Orthodox Christian holds a holy cross or a burning candle in his hand.
- When the soul leaves the body, a person is seized with fear. He sees the Guardian Angel and demons. Relatives should read prayers, trying to alleviate the person’s mental suffering, but not cry or lament.
- The dying person must ask forgiveness from those present and forgive them himself.
- When a person leaves this world, measurements are taken from him to make a coffin. They don't put her on the bed. They are taken out of the house and placed in a coffin during burial.
- The body of the deceased is washed after death. The soul must appear pure before the face of God after the resurrection. All parts of the body are washed.
- You cannot wash the deceased with hot water, only warm water. During the ablution process they read: “Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us” or “Lord, have mercy.” The head is washed last, then the deceased is combed.
- After the procedure, the deceased is dressed in clean, light clothes. They put on a cross.
- It is better to carry out the procedure during daylight hours. Pour water where people do not go. You can’t give “dead” water to anyone; sorcerers can use it in black magic.
- Water should not be spilled around the apartment. Household members may get sick.
- Pregnant women should not wash the deceased.
- The deceased should not have knots. The tie or scarf is untied before closing the coffin. The hands and feet of the deceased are also untied. If the bandages are cut with scissors, they are placed in the coffin.
- These rules are for Orthodox Christians. In Buddhism, people celebrate when a person passes into another world. This means that he has passed the earthly path and a new reincarnation awaits him.
- After removing the coffin with the deceased from the apartment, the floors must be washed and swept, washing death out of the corners.
If you ask in a temple when you can remove the curtains from the mirrors, the priests will advise you to wait until the forties. At this time, the soul of the deceased leaves the world.
Of course, each family decides for itself how to bury the body of the deceased and when to open mirrors after the death of a loved one. But people believe in the signs regarding burials and try to observe them.
Church opinion
According to Orthodoxy, there is no need to cover mirrors if a person has died in the house. But, despite the advice of priests, many Christians still observe this tradition that is rooted in the people. The Church explains the reason for this in its own way. The evil one created the mirror in order to multiply the sin of pride in a person, to push him towards narcissism and preening. In days of mourning, when the fate of the soul is not yet predetermined, it is worthwhile for a Christian to devote all his spiritual strength to prayer for a loved one. And it is completely inappropriate to admire yourself and dress up during this period. In addition, the appearance of someone grieving for a loved one or loved one who has died is depressed and sad, and seeing oneself from the outside in such a state will contribute to an even greater immersion in grief.
