Russians seek omens and foretell husbands in winter ritual
| FEATURE |
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MOSCOW — On winter nights set aside for fortune telling, young Russian women drip hot wax, throw shoes out of the window and crumple newspapers, hoping to foresee their future husbands and careers.
In a ritual vividly described in 19th century literature and still alive today, Russians tell fortunes in the evenings between Russian Orthodox Christmas (Jan. 6 to 7) and the festival of Epiphany on Jan. 19.
While fortune-telling is practiced between Christian holidays, it is frowned upon by the Russian Orthodox Church, which sees it as a remnant of paganism.
Many Russians take the tradition very seriously.
After examining a piece of wax dropped into a bowl of cold water, Yelena, 29, decided to take a life-changing decision to leave her office job and set up her own public relations company..... MORE
Source: The Daily Tribune
URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20110123com3.html
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