Those who once lived in the village or came there to visit their grandparents, spent summer holidays there, noticed that there are traditions here, different from those of the city. And this applies to many things, from the interior of the premises to the exterior.
One of these traditions or habits can be called the design of a sleeping place, beds. They have always looked beautiful and unusual here. The main feature is the location of the pillows. They were always stacked one on top of the other. Often, a fairly tall structure was obtained, which was necessarily covered on top with a tulle cape or a beautiful piece of white lightweight fabric with embroidery.
1. Why pillows were laid out in a slide
Of course, in childhood we got used to this arrangement of things and took it for granted. But for people from the city, who have no idea of rural life and order, a slide of pillows always caused slight bewilderment and surprise.
Many people still believe that this is some kind of tradition, something similar to a beautiful and mysterious ritual. In fact, everything is much simpler and more prosaic. First of all, it's all about a habit that's ingrained over many decades. Aesthetics and order are in second place. And the last - in times of lack of abundance of various goods, it was pillows that symbolized wealth in the house, a certain social level of the family. To prove this to everyone, pillows were laid out in the most prominent place in the hut and carefully covered with a beautiful fabric cape. The addition was, of course, a carpet hung on the wall.
Currently, the criteria for wealth and prosperity are completely different. The tradition of showing pillows is gradually disappearing, even in rural areas.
2. Knife and scissors under the pillow
Another habit of village grandmothers, which could often be encountered in the villages, has mystical roots. For many centuries, people were afraid of diseases, bad dreams, damage and evil eyes, and always tried to prevent the occurrence of adversity. Inveterate materialists can only laugh at such superstitions. But they also often experience vague anxiety if they had a nightmare or a black cat crossed the road.
The villagers used simple objects, namely scissors and knives, as protection from everything unknown and otherworldly. In our time, you can also meet representatives of the older generation who firmly believe that this will save them from negativity. This is especially true for rural grandmothers.
The knife and scissors are placed under the pillow before going to bed. The first thing that comes to mind from the explanation is protection from possible robbers and thieves. But this assumption is wrong. In reality, the situation looks somewhat different. These items are indeed protection. Only this protection is not from the living. It is believed that it is these cutting tools that can become an excellent amulet against bad dreams, otherworldly visitors and any kind of negativity. People unconditionally believe that it is the knife under the pillow that prevents evil spirits from reaching them at night, during a period when the soul is especially vulnerable.
Scissors perform a similar function. Only they were usually placed under baby pillows, especially if the baby slept restlessly or it was assumed that someone had jinxed him.
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3. Why do grandmothers constantly wear headscarves?
And finally, it is worth mentioning the habit of village grandmothers to wear headscarves. They do not even go out into the yard without this universal headdress, let alone appear bareheaded in public.
On this score, there are also different opinions, but the main factor is tradition and religion. Since ancient times, it was believed that every married woman is obliged to wear a headscarf - it is indecent to have her head uncovered.
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From a practical point of view, this approach to appearance is also easy to explain. Wearing a properly chosen headdress is not hot in summer and not cold in winter. There is no need to monitor the presence of hairstyles, styling. In the village, this is quite relevant, given the way of life of women. Scarves have a low cost, so you can buy them in an assortment. You can wear these products in different ways. There are several ways to tie them on your head.
Of course, there are other interesting traditions in the countryside, but they are not so bright, memorable and famous.
In the Middle Ages, many did not even use pillows. Read, why people used to sleep while sitting: what forced them to refuse good rest.
A source: https://novate.ru/blogs/140720/55303/