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NEWS
08/30 2010
Today we are glad to welcome a new group of students from Belgium, Austria, and Italy. In a week some more students from Estonia will join us. Moreover, we have five students from Belgium, so we are sure, these students will find much in common :) Some of our guests are going to take part in the 2 week Russian courses, others in the 4 week course.
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How to attract good luck in the Russian way
What’s it really like to be Russian? Knowing about country’s superstitions is knowing the essence of its culture. Here’s what some of Russian people (most of them, actually, they just wouldn’t admit) believe to be rules of successful living.
• A group of two or more people should not walk on either side of a tree/puddle/hatch. They should all keep to one side or the other. Otherwise their friendship would be ruined.
• Before one leaves for a long journey, the traveler and those who are seeing him/her off, must sit for several minutes in silence before leaving the house. (Although at first thought this has no sense at all, you may use this time to think of anything you may have forgotten.)
• Birthday parties should be celebrated on or after one's birthday, not before. So when one's birthday falls during the week, it's best to celebrate the following weekend. (This rule was made up by those who always forget about others’ b-days.)
• If one person accidentally steps on another person's foot, it is common for the person who was stepped on step on the foot of the person who stepped first. It is said that they thus avoid a future conflict. (But be sure to step back lightly!)
• If someone finds an eyelash on someone’s cheek he or she should ask on what cheek – left or right - the eyelash was found. If the person guesses correctly he/she should blow it away and make a wish.
• If someone is not recognized when seen or heard or while calling you on the phone, he or she will be rich. (The thing is that you can cheer them up by telling them they'll be rich and they’ll forget that you didn’t recognize them.)
• If you have the hiccups, someone is remembering you at the moment. So you should start naming people you know – if hiccups stop after the certain name that means that this person is thinking about you.
• If your ears or cheeks are burning, someone is thinking or talking about you (usually speaking ill).
• If your right eye itches, you're going to be happy soon. If your left eye itches, you'll be sad. (Don’t mix your eyes up!)
• It is considered forbidden to step over people who are lying or sitting on the ground. It is often said that it will prevent the person from growing. If one accidentally steps over a person (or people), it is sometimes standard to step backwards over them. (How would you like if someone stepped over YOU?)
• Knocking three times on wood is practiced to keep one’s good fortune. Russians also add three spits over left shoulder meaning they are spitting on the devil that is always on the left. (But take into consideration that “spitting” has more metaphorical rather then real spitting sense – you simply do the “tphu-tphu-tphu” over your left shoulder.)
• On examination day, it is good luck to not make your bed, wear anything new, cut your fingernails, and wash your head. (Some believe that it simply makes a professor so disgusted with you that he/she would spend the least time possible on asking you tricky questions all professors love to ask.)
• Returning home for forgotten things is a bad luck. It is better to leave it behind, but if returning is necessary, you should look in the mirror before leaving the house again. Otherwise the day will be bad.
• Talking about future success is considered bad luck. It is better to be silent until the success has been achieved or to even sound pessimistic. Actually, the more pessimistic you are the better! (Now you know that Russians aren’t pessimists – they are simply working this way on their future luck!)
• Unmarried people should not sit at the corner of the table. Otherwise they will not marry. This mostly applies to girls, and often only young girls. Sometimes it is also said that you will marry but your husband will be cruel to you.
Those are only some of the “rules of attraction” which will help you to attract good luck and keep bad luck away. It’s also very useful to know these rules so as not to offend your Russian friends – whether you believe in these superstitions or not!
by Katya Gudkova |
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