A religious scholar has revealed the meaning of the tradition of hanging mirrors after death

After a person's death, mirrors are often closed or hung in the house. However, this tradition is not a mandatory religious rite and is not directly related to the requirements of the Orthodox Church or other religions. Natalia Fominykh, a religious scholar, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, professor at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, told Izvestia about the origin of the custom and its true meaning on July 11.

According to the expert, hanging mirrors after a person's death refers primarily to folk beliefs and is associated with the psychological experiences of people who have lost a loved one.

"Hanging or closing a mirror after the death of a person in the house is an absolute folk superstition. According to the laws of any religion, this is not required: it is not mentioned either in Orthodoxy or in Islam. From a medical point of view, there is also no need for this," Fominykh said.

One of the reasons for the emergence of the tradition, the expert calls the fear of memories and the emotional reaction of a person to objects related to the deceased. Psychologically, a person remembers that a deceased ancestor looked in this mirror. He may be afraid to look into it himself, fear some mystical consequences, or simply face difficult memories. But this is purely a psychological barrier.

Another factor is related to ancient ideas about the soul and the structure of the world, the religious scholar added. In popular beliefs, it was believed that the soul of the deceased remained in the house for some time — the terms of nine or 40 days were most often called. The mirror was perceived as a special object through which the soul could interact with the world of the living.

According to the Fomins, in the past, the mirror was a rare and expensive object, so it was treated with special respect and even fear.

"Our ancestors were afraid that through this unusual object, the soul could take someone from the living with it. There was also an idea that the soul of the deceased could remain trapped in the mirror and would not be able to leave the house," said the religious scholar.

In addition to mystical beliefs, the tradition also had domestic reasons. During the period of mourning, it was considered inappropriate to pay much attention to appearance, decorate oneself and be distracted by worldly concerns. Therefore, the mirror was closed so that people would think less about their appearance and focus on the memory of the deceased.

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Another reason could be related to the peculiarities of home funeral services. By candlelight in a darkened room, the reflection of people, coffins, and lights in the mirror could create a frightening feeling of increasing space and number of people present.

"Sometimes priests could actually recommend that a mirror be hung at home during the funeral service, so as not to frighten people with reflections of candles, coffins and those present. But from this, people gradually came to the conclusion that the church allegedly requires closing mirrors. In fact, this is not the case," the expert emphasized.

At the same time, hanging mirrors does not have a mandatory deadline: people often talk about nine or 40 days, but it depends on family traditions.

Also, according to the expert, the Orthodox tradition provides for other important actions after the death of a loved one. The main one is a prayer for the deceased. It was from the church tradition of prayerful commemoration that the widespread belief emerged that one should not speak ill of the deceased. This is not just a folk saying. It is associated with the need to pray sincerely, to remember the bright and kind things that were associated with a person.

Among the Orthodox rituals, the funeral service, which is usually held on the day of the funeral, also occupies an important place. In addition, commemorations are traditionally held on the day of the funeral, as well as on the third, ninth and fortieth days after death. Kutia is considered the central dish of the memorial table. At the same time, the church does not welcome the presence of alcohol at such events, since the meaning of commemoration is not in the feast, but in prayer and memory of the departed person.

Fominykh noted that the church calls for perceiving death through faith in eternal life, and not through despair. At the same time, the Orthodox tradition opposes superstitions related to the belongings of the deceased, and allows their use in the family or transfer to those in need.

On June 24, Philip Ilyashenko, priest and vice-rector of St. Tikhon's Orthodox University for the Humanities (PSTU), told Izvestia that the main traditions of celebrating the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary on August 28 are participation in divine services, a solemn meal in honor of the end of the Dormition Fast and charity. On this day, the Dormition Fast ends — one of the strictest multi-day fasts in Orthodoxy, which lasts for two weeks (from August 14 to 27) and precedes the holiday.