When a person dies, he is supposed to hang all the mirrors in the house. This tradition is very stable and has been around for decades, and even people who do not understand its meaning are strictly observing it.
Mirroring and Superstition
There are a number of beliefs related to death and mirrors. One of them says that if the soul of the deceased, which for some time after separation from the body still remains among close people, can “see” itself in the mirror and get scared. Also, superstitious people believe that if the soul falls into a mirror, symbolizing the transition between worlds and dimensions, it can stay there forever, not able to get out.
The most terrible beliefs are directly related to living people. It was previously believed that if a living person sees a dead person or his ghost in a mirror, he will also die soon. This may seem silly and ridiculous, but after the death of a person, people strictly abide by traditions and listen to superstitions, not wanting to risk and joke with death. In addition, observance of rituals gives relatives of the deceased an opportunity for a while to distract from what happened, by willpower to switch from sad thoughts to troubles, and this helps to survive a terrible loss at least in the first days.
Objective reasons for hanging mirrors in a deceased's house
Passing by the mirror, a person automatically looks at his reflection. It is quite natural that the death of a loved one leaves a mark on the appearance of people - a pale face, tearful eyes, a sad expression on his face is easy to notice. As a rule, people do not want to see themselves in such a state at all, so they prefer not to look in the mirror whenever possible, at least in the early days. This does not apply only to cases when a person washes or dresses, and even then not always.
Mourning has its own laws regarding the appearance and behavior of relatives of the deceased. Admiring their reflection in the mirror does not fit into them at all. To make it easier for relatives of the deceased to strictly observe mourning, all the mirrors in the rooms are curtained. By the way, this is necessary so that nothing distracts the living from prayers for the dead, and they can devote time to their grief. There is also an opinion that large mirrors give the room a more elegant, beautiful appearance, so they are covered with canvases to emphasize the tragedy of the moment.
During deep sorrow, a person perceives space and other people not quite as usual. It can be difficult for him to see in the mirror a reflection of the house and those around him. Worst of all, if the reflection shows a photograph of the deceased, which was chosen for the commemoration, candles, or the coffin and wreaths. All this only aggravates the situation, crushes, because even if you turn your back on what gives painful emotions, you will see the same thing in reflection.
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