Is it possible to celebrate a birthday in advance? Let's look into it in detail. Is it possible to celebrate a birthday ahead of time? How can a superstitious person celebrate his fortieth birthday?

Many people have probably heard that it’s better not to celebrate your 40th anniversary. Anyone who decides to celebrate this date will allegedly be haunted by misfortunes.

AiF.ru decided to figure out what might underlie this prejudice.

Where could the belief come from that you should not celebrate your 40th birthday?

The number 40 is associated with many important events for Christians:

• The Flood lasted 40 days;
• For 40 years the Jewish people were forced to wander in the desert before finding their happiness in the Promised Land;
• 40 days after his death, Jesus ascended to heaven;
• After his baptism, Jesus spent 40 days in the desert, exposed to temptations and various temptations of the devil.

In this regard, the popular consciousness could be that the number 40 is associated with death and suffering. And therefore, it is better not to celebrate this particular date in a series of your own birthdays.

Some particularly superstitious people point out that the problem is also in the word “forty” itself. They break it down into two parts: "trash" and "fate", which, in their opinion, can be interpreted as "dirty fate". If we develop this idea, it turns out that those who celebrate their 40th anniversary are rejoicing over their unhappy future.

How does the Church feel about superstition?

The Russian Orthodox Church considers this and other superstitions a sin.

Do people celebrate their 40th birthday abroad?

Only residents of the Land of the Rising Sun are suspicious of the 40th anniversary. The fact is that in Japanese the number four is consonant with the word “death.” Therefore, some citizens of the state prefer not to celebrate those birthdays that contain this number. Also, superstitious Japanese do not like living on the fourth floor, being fourth on the list and watching channel four on TV.

How can a superstitious person celebrate his fortieth birthday?

There are several options for celebrating 40 years for superstitious people:

• celebrate the departure of 39 years;
• celebrate 40 years and 1 day;
• change the reason for gathering guests. For example, decorate a house in New Year's style. And let all wishes be addressed to the birthday boy, but without mentioning his age.

– Well, are you going to celebrate your daughter’s birthday on Friday? I was extremely surprised to hear my colleague’s question. After all, my girl’s second birthday was just around the corner. The colleague was not the only one among numerous Orthodox acquaintances who, having learned about the postponement of the family holiday, sternly lectured us that we were depriving the child of his childhood, that he still did not understand anything about “church affairs.”

In general, it turned out that the theme “Family holidays during Holy Week” has a place to be. It’s about her that I had a conversation with, the rector of the Church of the Great Martyr. St. George the Victorious Patriarchal Metochion in Gruziny.

Archpriest Feodor Krechetov

— What to do if some important family holidays fall during Holy Week?

— If the spouses in the family are believers, there is agreement and understanding between them, such a question simply does not arise. Since childhood, I myself have become accustomed to the fact that any family celebrations that fall during Lent were postponed to the next Sunday or to or even for a time after Easter. It was natural and it simply could not have occurred to anyone that, say, a birthday could be celebrated on one of the Holy Days. And no one felt disadvantaged if his personal celebration was postponed...

The question becomes relevant in those families where one of the spouses is an unbeliever or simply has a “liberal” view of issues of church life. Then it can be difficult to reach agreement, and sometimes you just need to make a reasonable compromise: at least not touch the second half of the week: Thursday, Friday, Saturday... Because this special days, and for an Orthodox Christian to conduct them, if possible, preferably in a church.

— I have heard such objections: why deprive small child holiday, if he is not yet able to understand what kind of Events we remember on...

- In fact, the child absorbs and remembers the general mood of his loved ones. But as for celebrating the birthday of a small child, there is no point in insisting on a specific date: when the adults give him a holiday, then he will be happy. And in the future, when he becomes older, it will not even occur to him to expect fun for himself in tense and sorrowful days for every Christian. If, of course, he has the example of his elders before him.

I remember I postponed the celebration of my Angel Day because it fell on the First Week of Great Lent. This is an example to all of us that for the sake of church-wide events we can move our own, even such significant ones as Angel Day.

— Why do you think, why do people today even think that family celebrations and Holy Week are completely compatible?

“It’s just that now people are increasingly obsessive about their own “I”, about its significance. And yet - this is the result of a lack of sense of proportion, a fall into some extremes. One extreme usually occurs at the beginning of turning to God, the so-called spirit of neophyte, when people do not yet know how to calculate their strength and usually try to act according to the letter, for example, fasting very strictly, although there are neither the strength nor the conditions for this.

The other extreme usually happens later, when people have already gained experience and, realizing that spiritual life is not built according to the letter, they decide that they will not “blindly obey the letter,” because the main thing is the spirit. And they begin too easily and imprudently to deny rules, traditions, and often, as a result, church life itself, arbitrarily adjusting it to their personal desires and requirements.

If it seems simpler and easier to us, why not do it that way? After all, the main thing is that “everything is real in the soul.” How “real is in the soul” with priorities set in this way is not worth saying.

If I consider myself a church person, then I must always subordinate my personal life to the life of the church. There should be no arbitrariness of people's own will.

— Isn’t there a risk in this case of going into the formal implementation of certain rules and regulations?

- A person should always look for his measure, based on the awareness of what he is ready to sacrifice for the sake of God. And this feeling makes it clear what is acceptable and what is not. And just today we often observe a loss of a sense of proportion... It occurs most often in the case when a person has externally accepted Orthodoxy, he is captured by the novelty of sensations, he tries to live church life, but it does not become deeply close to him, remaining something formal.

And church life should not be formal. It was often like this, say, in pre-revolutionary times, when many people perceived everything related to faith as a custom. The loss of reverence, and ultimately the meaning itself, led to the fact that later all customs were easily lost. Or they have transformed, sometimes so meaninglessly that people do not know why they perform certain actions.

Previously, after Easter, on Radonitsa, people, having prayed in the temple, went to cemeteries, to their departed loved ones and laid Easter cakes and eggs on the graves, so that the beggars would then go and pick up this offering as alms and commemorate the deceased, whose name is indicated on the cross . And now it has turned into some kind of obligatory burden: why, why - they themselves don’t know. But it’s necessary – it’s supposed to be: everyone does it. There was just a loss of meaning.

It's the same with family holidays on Strastnaya. A person says to himself: “The main thing is that I, internally, believe. Why should I follow customs then? And I don’t need the memories that the Church talks about. I already remember everything.” A person insists on some kind of personal faith. The balance between personal faith and church consciousness is not just disrupted, but completely lost.

— What is the price of loss?

“As a result, the living sensation, the living presence of Christ in life is lost. Holy Week is a time when a person visibly and vividly feels the convergence of time, world history, at one point. And he feels involved in this. Through prayers, through the whole mood of the services of Holy Week, we are transported, outside of time and space, to what happened more than 2000 years ago and at the same time - happening now, we empathize and participate in those Events, because every day of Holy Week corresponds to the day of the earthly life of the Savior. Through this we come into contact with Eternity.

And if this is not close to a person, he does not want to be transported anywhere, services for him simply turn into being inside the temple, where they stand for a long time and read something. Of course, this is painful and a person reassures himself: “God doesn’t need this tedious standing. God needs me to love Him. And why then postpone the birthday of a person dear to me in order to spend several hours on my feet in a stuffy temple? There is a loss of feeling, but at the same time the person continues to call himself Orthodox.

The division of consciousness takes place. It wouldn’t occur to a normal person to organize a holiday or have fun when someone close to him has just died. But due to the loss of sensitivity, a living sense of presence, Gospel Events begin to be perceived as something abstract. Which leads to questions like the one we just discussed.

Many people are concerned about the question: is it possible to celebrate the anniversary of death earlier, when it is not possible to do so on the day of death? There are a number of rules and recommendations that must be adhered to and observed during the funeral of the deceased. After all, different situations happen, and it is not always possible to arrange a wake on time. How to do this correctly so that the newly deceased does not feel bad in the next world?

What is pomina?

A memorial is a ritual that is performed to honor the memory of a deceased person. A social event, that is, a meal, turns out to be a kind of basis for a wake, which the relatives of the deceased arrange in his home, in a cemetery or in another place (cafes, canteens, restaurants).

Funerals are held several times:

• on the day of death or the next day;
• on the third day after death - usually the day of the funeral;
• on the ninth day;
• on the fortieth day;
• in the future, memorial dinners are held on the sixth month from the moment of death (although the Panikhida is not celebrated in the church during this period), and then on all subsequent anniversaries.

When it comes to memorial tables, devout Christians adhere to anniversaries. Commemoration in the church on days 3, 9 and 40 is based on centuries-old temple practice. For two days after death, the human soul is present on Earth and visits the places where it liked to stay during life. On the third, the soul goes to God for worship. The next week, angels show the soul the abode of saints and the splendor of heaven; on the ninth day, the soul is again led to worship God, after which it is sent to hell for 30 days.

During this time, being in the underworld shows all 9 circles and places of torment of sinners. On the fortieth day, the soul ascends to heaven to worship God, and then the Lord decides where the soul will live until the Last Judgment.

How to remember the newly deceased?

Before burial, from the moment of repose, the Psalter is read over the body of the deceased. They continue to read it even after the funeral, until the fortieth day.

The deceased is also mentioned during the funeral service, which is supposed to be held on the third day after death. It must necessarily pass over the body of the deceased, and not in absentia, since all relatives come to the funeral: relatives, acquaintances, friends, neighbors, and their prayer is very important, it is conciliar.

You can remember the deceased not only through prayers, but also through good deeds and sacrifices.

During this period, it is possible (even necessary) to distribute clothes, shoes, and other household items of the deceased to all the needy and beggars, so that they serve a good purpose. Items must be in good condition. This can be done from the first day after the death of a person.

It often happens that the anniversary of the death of a loved one falls on a working day, when relatives are tied up with work and there is no way to prepare everything. This day may coincide with a spiritual festival; in this case, clergy necessarily recommend postponing the anniversary of the deceased a little earlier or later.

Church ministers believe that it is not at all necessary to hold a memorial dinner on the anniversary of his death. If there are any compelling reasons not to do this, then you need to rely on them first.

It is not recommended to celebrate the anniversary of death during the week of Easter and during Holy Week of Lent. During this period, all thoughts and actions should be directed to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ during Passion Week; on the week of Easter, one should rejoice at the news of the resurrection of Christ. So if the anniversary falls during these weeks, it is best to move the event to Radonitsa - the day of remembrance of the dead.

If the anniversary of death falls on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve, then the memorial should be moved to the 8th or a little later. If the fortieth day falls on Christmas, then you should order a memorial service the day before, pray for the deceased on the day itself, and then hold a wake with relatives. It’s even better that after the holiday, everyone will be in high spirits, since the wake is also dedicated to the birth, only the birth of a person into eternal life.

For this reason, it is initially necessary to order a Liturgy for the repose of the Soul of the deceased and a Panikhida for the Day of Remembrance in the church. You should also pray for the deceased yourself. The funeral lunch or dinner can be postponed until late date, on the weekend following the anniversary of his death. Church prayer mentioning the deceased on the third, ninth and fortieth days after death is very important. This is of great importance for him, it will ease suffering after the separation of the soul from the body, it will appease the Lord, who determines the place of the soul beyond the grave according to a person’s earthly deeds.

If the anniversary falls on a significant church holidays, then it is allowed to postpone it to the next weekend.

But on this day you must go to church for prayer, light a candle for the repose of your soul, donate to the needs of the temple, and give to those in need at the church gates.

In order for the funeral at the table to benefit the deceased person, it is better to do as the Savior commanded: do not invite friends, neighbors, or relatives to the meal. But when you prepare it, you should invite all those in need: the poor, the lame, the blind, the crippled. Or simply distribute a funeral dinner to socially vulnerable segments of the population on behalf of the deceased.

In Orthodox Christianity, moving the date of commemoration on the fortieth day to an earlier date is not welcomed.

It is necessary to order the Liturgy and Panikhida in the church at this time, and pray a little on your own for the newly deceased. And then, if possible, remember the deceased at home, at the funeral meal.

When changing the date of the anniversary of death, it is better to consult with a clergyman and explain the reason for the postponement. Of course, it is advisable to commemorate on the day of death, since the day before that the person was still alive, rejoicing, and happy. You can't remember him.

If it is not possible to celebrate the anniversary of death on the stated date, then it is worth moving it a few days ahead. It is not advisable to remember earlier.

On the first anniversary of the date of death, the deceased is commemorated on the same date.

The most important thing on the anniversary of death is to pray for the deceased, go to church, try to do good deeds on behalf of the deceased, mention him in notes, light candles for the repose of the soul. A memorial meal for relatives can be arranged on any date of the month that is convenient for everyone, a little later or earlier than the day of death.

Sometimes we are faced with a seemingly simple question: “Is it possible to celebrate a birthday in advance?” It has many answers - mostly negative. It turns out that premature celebration has a detrimental effect on the fate of the birthday boy. This is what they believed in ancient times, religion does not argue with this, esotericists confirm. Why is everyone banning the holiday in unison? Let's figure it out.

Traditional interpretation

There is no disagreement among people about whether it is possible to celebrate a birthday in advance. Superstitious people claim that this is strictly prohibited. There is no way to postpone the holiday. Another group - realists - do not think about this problem at all. It doesn't exist for them. They do what is convenient. Would you say that this is a contradiction? In fact, such people do not collide with each other. They live in different worlds. Realists have no idea what those influenced by superstitions think about. And the latter try to rely on popular superstitions or the opinion of the church instead of proving something to people who are far from their views. There is complete agreement. Everyone does what they think is right. Some need a guide, others rely on their own opinion. Please note that the postponement of the holiday does not affect the quality of life of realists in any way, which cannot be said about the superstitious. Perhaps it’s all about the attitude towards this holiday. We think about the very fact of transference, we expect something bad, and it happens. As they say, our

An ancient legend

People believe that on a birthday, the souls of the dead come to a person to rejoice with him, support him, and give advice. Along with them are angels - protectors of this person. They check the lessons completed and give tasks for the future. And of course, they also want to celebrate this holiday. People say that if you arrange a celebration in advance, then special guests from another world will not have time to attend. It is impossible to warn them about the postponement of the date. It turns out that the birthday boy is left without higher support. And this has a very bad effect on his life. He does not feel danger, no one will tell him how to protect himself, and so on. This is why all sorts of misfortunes happen, as superstitious people believe. Therefore, experts in folk traditions give a strictly negative, well-founded answer to the question “is it possible to celebrate a birthday in advance.” If you break this rule, you will lose the support of your guardians. And people who ask whether it is possible to celebrate a child’s birthday in advance are advised not to wish harm to the child. He also needs the protection of higher powers. And parents, for the sake of their own convenience, sometimes deprive their child of this protection.

What esotericists say

Experts in subtle energies agree with superstitious people. But they have their own explanation, which does not contradict folk traditions. When figuring out whether it is possible to celebrate a birthday in advance, these experts say that energy drinks are given in portions. Personality is charged for a year. And this happens exactly on your birthday. And then the person spends it the way he wants. It turns out that by the next holiday his aura is almost completely depleted. If you organize luxurious celebrations at this time, you won’t have enough energy for them. Let us add that we spend energy not only on negative events, but also on joyful ones. Emotions are a waste of energy. If you start to rejoice and entertain guests at the peak of weakness, the consequences are unpredictable. Diseases, fatal mistakes, accidents, and so on are likely. It was not in vain that they said earlier that those who celebrate in advance may not live to see the date. This is not fiction - esotericists think so. This is an energetically sound opinion. Sometimes people try to cheat and ask if it is possible to celebrate a birthday one day in advance. Believe me, this does not matter to an energy specialist. A day before the hour of birth, the aura becomes so thin that it is dangerous even to watch emotional films. That's why it's better to wait.

Is it possible to celebrate a birthday in advance: the opinion of the church

Religious leaders, oddly enough, agree with realists in resolving this problem. They see nothing wrong in postponing the date of the celebration. From an Orthodox point of view, the question of whether it is possible to celebrate a birthday in advance does not exist. The priests say that it depends on the wishes of the birthday person. But the church does not comment on this problem in any way. She says one should engage in the education of the soul, and not concentrate entirely on worldly pleasures. In addition, priests may advise against serving heavy libations. harmful to the health of soul and body. And when to organize a holiday is a matter of man. The Church does not consider birthdays an important date. For the soul of a believer, what matters much more is when he came to God. That is, baptism is a serious day, and the day when you were born is an ordinary day.

Who to believe?

There are many opinions. And everyone insists on their own. What should a person who is faced with such a question do? It is recommended to look into your soul. Each of us has basic attitudes inherited from our parents. They are so deeply embedded in the subconscious that we do not notice them. It is advisable not to violate these fundamentals. If you do something that goes against internal rules, such an act creates conflict in the soul. It is he who leads to troubles and misfortunes. Believe me, this is not about a feeling of guilt, but about an unconscious conflict. The constant dispute between the subconscious and the ego leads to unnecessary expenditure of energy. This means that they are not enough to solve pressing problems and develop the soul. Decide for yourself though.

Conclusion

Superstitions are not fiction, as many people think. There is meaning in the knowledge that is passed on through many generations. Maybe we don’t know how to explain them yet, but no one is stopping us from using the wisdom of our ancestors. And what do you think?

There is an opinion that the fortieth anniversary should not be celebrated because of possible negative consequences. The opinions of psychics and folk signs will help answer this question.

Some events in our lives are entangled with many legends, secrets and mysteries. For example, people have a strong opinion that turning 40 is not a reason for joy and noisy fun in the company of close friends and relatives. There are many reasons for this. For Orthodox Christians, the figure is associated with negative events:

• This is exactly the number of days that the Flood lasted;
• for forty years the Jews walked through the desert in the hope of happiness and only after many years they found the Promised Land;
• This is exactly the number of days Jesus spent in the desert, struggling with temptations and devilish temptations;
• forty days passed before Jesus ascended to heaven after his execution;
• The soul stays in our world for forty days before leaving for the Kingdom of Heaven.

However, the Orthodox Church itself believes that such analogies are nothing more than superstition. Bioenergy specialists believe that many signs that have survived to our times are associated with people’s lifestyles. After all, before the threshold of life was not so great, and 40-year-old people were considered to have lived a long life.

Folk signs

People divide the number forty into two syllables, which form words that carry negative energy: rubbish and rock. Litter in the lives of our ancestors meant not only ordinary garbage, but also all the accumulated negativity that interfered with happiness and prosperity. And fate is fate, which can punish everyone for wrong steps and actions.

Superstitions apply mainly to men. IN folk signs A forty-year-old man was considered old enough, and celebrating his birthday was considered a challenge to old age or even Death itself. People believed that revelry on the 40th birthday provokes a series of troubles that can lead to disastrous consequences.

Psychics' opinion

Many psychics and esotericists are wary of the number forty. On Tarot cards, four symbolizes death and is associated with burial and other rituals, one way or another connected with negative events. Therefore, psychics do not recommend organizing a celebration “on the bones”, so as not to provoke the introduction of the afterlife into people’s lives.

Also, the four is a reflection of the crisis. Astrologers are inclined to believe that people over forty are most susceptible to the influence of Uranus. This planet carries the energy of destruction and change, and not everyone can withstand such a strong impact. A negative impact can affect your financial situation, reassess your own life not for the better, and lay the foundation for events that provoke troubles and failures in the lives of forty-year-old people who decide to celebrate their anniversary.

How to protect yourself

The celebration date can be moved a day later and celebrate not forty years, but 40 years and one day. This is how superstitious people get rid of the negativity that this number carries.

You can also celebrate the previous date in a big way without focusing on the upcoming anniversary. However, superstitious people should not celebrate forty years in advance - it is believed that celebrating a day that has not come ahead of time will bring disaster.

You can celebrate forty years every day, but do not associate the party with a specific anniversary. You can invite your friends for another occasion and celebrate, for example, some memorable date in your life, have a masquerade ball or just a party with all sorts of competitions.

Whether or not to believe in the danger of the 40th anniversary is a personal matter for everyone. Orthodox Church stands categorically against signs and superstitions, because in Scripture there are many godly deeds and events associated with this number. We wish you happiness, joy and positivity, and do not forget to press the buttons and

10.10.2017 04:18

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