Customs and signs for housewarming in a new house or apartment

Signs about housewarming

The very first signs about housewarming in a new house appeared in ancient Rus'. Before changing housing, the Slavs tidied up the old house. It was impossible to leave a mess there. The owner had to fix the damage and do the cleaning. Otherwise, when residents moved, they took away old problems.

When crossing the threshold of a new house, they first brought in food - cereals, salt and other supplies in order to attract wealth. Then a cleansing ceremony was performed. The owner took a twig of St. John's wort in one hand, and a lighted candle in the other, and walked around his property. First he moved counterclockwise to remove negative energy, and then in the opposite direction. According to the superstition, during the cleansing ritual, new residents had to think only about good things and imagine happy days in their new home.

Transport

The Sergievo railway platform is located 3 km north of the village, providing passenger service by suburban electric trains.

There is a bus service in the village along the following routes:

• No. 129 St. Petersburg, platform Sergievo - Novoselye
• No. 461 St. Petersburg, platform Sergievo - Annino
• No. 462 St. Petersburg, Sergievo platform - Forest nursery
• No. 488 St. Petersburg, Sergievo platform - Gardening "Kirovets"
• K-635 St. Petersburg, Prospekt Veteranov metro station - Housewarming (in the summer - before the Kirovets gardening)
• K-636 Lomonosov - Villosi
• K-81 St. Petersburg, Prospekt Veteranov metro station - Tallinskoe highway - Anninskoe highway - Krasnoselskoe highway - Novoselye

An interchange with the St. Petersburg Ring Road is open 1 km north of the village.

Customs associated with housewarming

In the old days, people were sensitive to a new home. They paid special attention to the choice of location for the house. Before starting construction of the hut, our great-grandfathers laid out oak bark on the ground. If there were caterpillars under it, and not insects, this was a good sign, then construction began. The move was always planned for church holidays and celebrated by the whole village.

Astrologers recommend moving into a new apartment on the new moon, when the celestial body is in the sign of Taurus or Aquarius. In their opinion, this is the most favorable time for housewarming.

Many ancient customs are still relevant today. Modern people try to follow old traditions in order to attract good luck and prosperity to their new home.

Pick up an old brownie

According to legend, a brownie lives in every house. He is the rightful owner of the home. When moving to a new apartment, it is worth inviting the keeper of the hearth with you. To do this, place a broom on the floor and mentally or vocally invite the brownie to sit on it. You must take the broom with you.

It is much more difficult to make friends with a brownie who lives in a new house. He may not like his family. To appease the keeper of the hearth, it is necessary to place a plate of food on the table or on the floor on the first night after moving. Sweets are suitable - cookies, candies, and milk. According to the sign, if a brownie wants to make friends with a new family, he will certainly accept the treat. In this case, the apartment owners will find in the morning that several pieces of food are missing from the plate. If the food remains untouched, it means the brownie has left.

Clean the house

Immediately after moving to a new home, the housewife must do the cleaning. Although the apartment is always clean after renovation, you still need to refresh the floor. This is not done to get rid of dust. Cleaning has a symbolic meaning. According to the sign, this is how the housewife will clear the space of bad energy that could have accumulated in the house.

Read also Why towels are given as gifts according to signs

Money for a new house and an old one

There is another custom or sign associated with housewarming in a new apartment. Before moving, you need to scatter coins on the floor in the old house, then collect some of them and take them with you to your new home. These actions carry deep symbolic meaning. They will help achieve material well-being for a family that is leaving their old home.

Salt to everything

For a housewarming party, the owner of the house should scatter salt in all corners, moving clockwise. It is important to go around each room. According to the sign, this magical ritual clears space of negative energy, protects the home from evil, scares away unwanted guests and gives peace and prosperity.

Feast

It needs to be arranged right on the floor - for this, of course, you need to spread the skins of killed mammoths. Are there none? They will be replaced by fluffy blankets, woolen blankets, air mattresses, mats and lots of pillows. You need to spread it all out in a circle so that there is free space in the middle for an impromptu fire and a “table”.

We're having a feast in a cave, aren't we? This means there must be a fire. To do this, you can take a large metal tray and line it with many floating candles. Around the “fire” you can place dishes with common dishes. It is better to prepare dishes that can be conveniently eaten with a fork without a knife or simply with your hands.

A barbecue will come in very handy, because meat from a fire is the best treat for “cavemen.”

When the guests arrive, the owners will invite them to walk through the cave (apartment/house), carefully examining it for convenience for living.

Certificate of acceptance of the cave belonging to (names and surnames of owners)

The cave contains:

safe hearth – 1 pc.; solid skin covering the entrance to the cave – 1 pc.; rock paintings such as wallpaper - on all walls; tools for keeping the cave area clean are available; cold cabinet for freezing and storing mammoth meat – 1 pc.; comfortable soft beds - depending on the number of residents; openings in the cave that allow daylight to pass through are high-quality, glazed; cave brownie – 1 pc. The cave was inspected by experts from the cave commission:

Last name and first name of guests in order - space for signature opposite each last name. date

After reading the document, the hosts ask the expert guests to confirm what was written by leaving their signature on the document. This document, by the way, will remain as a keepsake for the owners: it can be framed and hung on the wall.

After accepting the cave, the owner will offer to “wash” this matter. This is followed by a feast and “cave” entertainment. For example, you can do cave painting: blindfold several people, give them pencils and ask them to draw a plan of the cave they inspected on the wall. On the wall, if it cannot be washed, you can hang several large sheets of wallpaper or whatman paper left over from the renovation using double-sided tape. However, you can also draw on the table by laying out a large sheet of paper on it. Whoever draws the most accurate plan will receive the title of Cave Architect.

Then you can arrange “Ritual Dances”: in fact, this will be the usual game of pantomime, but to the music. You need to prepare cards in advance, on each of which one item of modern household appliances is written: washing machine, refrigerator, gas stove, microwave, TV, DVD player, iron, etc. The cards are shuffled and distributed 1-2 to each participant, including the owners. Suitable music sounds (something in the style of “primitive drums”), and the participants take turns showing with gestures and movements the object that they got. But you definitely need to do it smoothly and rhythmically, that is, in a dance. The “talking” dance lasts until someone guesses what was being said. After this, the next participant shows his ritual dance and so on.

After dancing, you can play dice - one of the most ancient games. That's why it's called that because the first dice were made from animal bones. But only this time the game will play out a little differently. You will need a cube, a block of sticky notes and a pen.

Dice game at a cave party.

Players take turns throwing the dice. Each number on the die has its own meaning:

one-piece - mammoth: the one who has the one-piece is glued to his head or body with an adhesive piece of paper for notes with a large target drawn on it; deuce - baby mammoth: the one who gets a deuce is glued to a piece of paper with a small target; three - hunter: the one who gets a three sticks a piece of paper with a large target on it to any participant in the game; four - the keeper of the hearth: the keeper of the hearth is given an indulgence - she re-rolls the dice; five - the owner of the cave: the one who got a five sticks one piece of paper with a small target on it for all other participants; six - leader: the leader can remove one large or small target from any participant at will. Housewarming party There is no need to draw targets in advance - they are easily and quickly depicted schematically during the game. Players roll the dice in a circle. A total of five to ten circles can be made depending on the number of players (the more players, the fewer circles).

Then the targets for each participant are counted: 2 points are awarded for each large target, 1 point for each small target. The one who scores the fewest points wins. And the loser (who scores the most points) receives the title of mammoth.

How to properly celebrate a housewarming

Housewarming must be celebrated in 2 stages. For the first time - modestly, gathered in a narrow family circle. And in the second - together with the guests.

Celebration for relatives

A mandatory attribute of the festive table is a bottle of champagne. When your family has eaten and drunk, you need to take care of the brownie - leave sweets and some milk in a plate for him. According to the superstition, it is extremely undesirable to swear during a housewarming celebration. There should be a peaceful and calm atmosphere in the house, then harmony will always reign in the house.

Celebration for guests

A few days after moving in, following traditions and signs, a housewarming party is held for the guests. This time we have to prepare a lot of festive dishes and snacks and decorate the table beautifully. An embroidered towel is placed in the center, and on it is a loaf decorated with sprigs of rowan or viburnum. The hostess must bake it herself.

According to legend, it is customary to prepare festive, beautiful and hearty dishes for a housewarming party. The table must be rich, then the life of the family will be abundant. None of the guests should leave hungry.

Each invitee must throw a coin over the threshold upon entering the house. According to legend, this action helps to attract wealth into the house. The holiday should be noisy and fun. Only good news and pleasant moments should be discussed at the table. When saying goodbye to friends, the owner says to the guests: “Peace to your home,” and they answer him the same. According to the sign, the new house will be filled with good energy if all the guests are satisfied with the holiday.

Prohibited gifts

There are some gifts that should not be given for housewarming. Otherwise, the new residents may be offended, the festive atmosphere will fade, and the relationship will deteriorate. And this will affect the rest of your life.

1. Money. Never give cash in an envelope. Otherwise, the home owners will face financial problems. There is also a risk that the house will be visited by robbers.
2. Wallet. If you give the owners a wallet, they will be in danger of running out of money.
3. Mirror. Giving a mirror means bringing illness to the owners.
4. Pearl products. Jewelry made from this stone will lead to bitter tears.
5. Watch. New residents should not be given any clocks (wall, table, wrist) or even alarm clocks. Otherwise, the owner or mistress of the house will spend a lonely old age.

But then what to give as a housewarming gift? Rules and beliefs establish that the best gifts are:

• household items (breadbox, dishes, kitchen utensils - excluding knives and forks);
• towels, bed linen (only from relatives);
• textile;
• Appliances;
• furniture;
• curtains;
• items for beautiful interior decoration - photo frames, figurines, vases.

You can give figurines and other beautiful items for the interior.
Each guest invited to a housewarming throws coins over the threshold at the entrance. They cannot be touched for 3 days. After this, the owners collect the coins and hide them in a secluded place.

What do people say they give to a family as a housewarming gift?

Since ancient times, it has been considered a good sign to give housewarming gifts. However, not every item is suitable for such a case. Invitees should only give gifts that will truly benefit the family and bring happiness to the house.

Horseshoe

It’s a good sign to give new residents a horseshoe. It symbolizes prosperity, happiness and abundance. Owners of a new home need to secure it correctly. The horseshoe is placed above the front door with its legs up. In this position, it resembles a vessel. If you hang a sacred object the other way around, the family cup will never be filled.

Lamp

According to the sign, the new house should be illuminated with light. It symbolizes warmth and comfort, so a lamp - a floor lamp, sconce or chandelier - would be an excellent housewarming gift. However, in this case, you need to take into account the style of interior design. In order not to make a mistake in choosing a lighting device, you can present the owners of the house with a certificate to a lighting store or give a set of decorative candles.

Dishes

In Rus' there was a saying: “New dishes for a new home.” It is still relevant today. To ensure that the housewife enjoys cooking and the family is well-fed, pots, plates, a tea set, frying pans and other kitchen utensils are given as housewarming gifts. According to the superstition, if new dishes appear in the house, then there will always be food on the table.

Textile

If you believe it, a good housewarming gift for relatives is home textiles. Curtains, tablecloths, blankets, bed linen - these things make the house a place where you want to return, they give comfort. However, before buying home textiles as a gift, you should consult with the hostess, because every modern person tries to decorate the interior in accordance with his taste.

Read also: The meaning of rowan according to signs and superstitions

Decor items

For housewarming gifts, decorative items are given that improve the energy of the home. These are various figurines, photo frames, flower stands, candlesticks, decorative pillows. In short, everything that will decorate the interior. According to the sign, things given from the heart will contribute to peace and harmony in the family.

Housewarming on New Year's Day

If the housewarming party is planned for the New Year holidays, then there may be even more ideas for gifts. A family that has changed their place of residence will be delighted with an artificial Christmas tree, garlands, and a stand for champagne. The hostess will need beautiful glasses, decorative napkin rings or figurines of Grandfather Frost and the Snow Maiden.

Ancient signs

Our ancestors left many folk signs about housewarming to new generations. Many of them are still popular:

1. When moving to a new apartment, you need to take your brownie with you. This can be done using an old shoe. On the night before a housewarming party, shoes are placed under the bed and the keeper of the hearth is asked to climb in there. When you wake up in the morning, you need to put the shoe in your bag.
2. In ancient times, the inhabitants of Rus' were the first to let a rooster or chicken into a new house. According to the sign, the bird was supposed to take away all the negativity left behind by its previous owners.
3. Our great-grandfathers believed that pets choose the quietest corner to sleep. At the housewarming party, they watched where the cat would go to sleep. A bed was placed in this place, since there was clean energy there.
4. During general cleaning in a new home, the floors, walls and surfaces should be washed with water and added table salt. Our ancestors believed that it eliminates negative energy flows. And at the end of the cleaning, the door frame was smeared with honey so that the residents would have a sweet life.
5. Having moved into a new house, people fumigated the room with incense or walked around the rooms with a lit candle in their hands. At the same time, they said the words of the prayer “Our Father.” If you believe it, fire also destroys bad energy. After this ritual, a horseshoe was fixed above the door for good luck.

Making a gift with your own hands

If you do not have design talents or do handicrafts, it is better not to try to do anything with your own hands to decorate the interior. The owners will have to display your creation on a shelf or hang it on the wall, and it is important that the gift looks presentable.

To put a piece of your soul into a gift, make your own gift wrapping or create a bouquet of sweets. Or take advantage of our master classes on making housewarming gifts with your own hands.

Aroma diffuser

A new house that has not yet been lived in usually has a not very pleasant smell. Therefore, an aroma diffuser will be an excellent housewarming gift for the home. Moreover, you yourself will create a aroma that will appeal to guests and hosts.

• 200 ml glass bottle with a narrow neck;
• water-soluble odorless oil 100 ml;
• hydrophilic aromatic oils of 2 aromas, 20 drops each;
• vodka 50 ml;
• bamboo sticks 4–5 pieces.

Manufacturing procedure:

1. Pour carrier oil into the jar.
2. Add aroma oils with a pipette, combining aromas: cinnamon-orange, vanilla-chocolate, mint-apple.
3. Stir the oils well until completely combined.
4. Add vodka and stir again.
5. Seal the stopper and package the sticks and aroma diffuser nicely.

You can make a label with the composition of the flavoring and stick a welcome message on the bottle. To make your gift more interesting, look for a jar at a flea market. It could be a vintage perfume bottle.

Video instruction.

Coffee candle in a cup

This gift will appeal to coffee lovers and is perfect as a housewarming present.

• white coffee mug with a volume of 200–250 ml;
• the remains of white paraffin candles are 2 times the volume of the cup;
• wick (can be taken from an old candle);
• coffee-with-milk dye 5–7 drops;
• coffee flavoring 10–15 drops;
• bamboo stick;
• a piece of foil.

Manufacturing procedure:

1. Melt the wax in a water bath until it becomes liquid.
2. Attach a circle of foil to one edge of the wick, tie the other end to a stick.
3. Drop some wax onto the foil and place it in the middle of the bottom of the cup.
4. Place the stick on the edge of the cup with the wick pointing straight up.
5. Add dye and flavor to the melted wax and mix thoroughly.
6. Carefully pour the wax into the cup and leave until completely hardened.
7. Cut off the excess length of the wick and remove the stick.

For a brighter bouquet, you can add almond, vanilla, or chocolate flavors. Pack the candle in a gift box. You can add coffee beans, chocolate, or a bottle of Amoretto to the gift.

Step-by-step instruction.

Modern signs for housewarming

Modern people willingly listen to the opinion of bioenergeticists. For those who are planning to move to another apartment, experts advise:

1. Do not leave things and garbage behind in the old house - absolutely everything needs to be taken out.
2. Having settled in a new place, you should make sure that the previous owners have not forgotten anything. Having discovered their things, you need to collect everything and take it out of the house.
3. It is a bad omen to use dishes that have chips or cracks. Before a housewarming party, it is better to get rid of such plates and cups and buy new ones instead.

Signs for luck

A family that has changed their place of residence will be happy if they listen to the superstitions associated with housewarming. You can take joy, peace and prosperity with you from your old home. To do this you just need to take the following actions:

1. Before entering a new house, you need to let the cat in. He will run through all the rooms, sniff the corners, thereby clearing the space. According to the superstition, a cat will bring good luck if it enters the apartment first.
2. To attract happiness, fire taken from an old house is used. You need to light a candle, let it burn a little, and then put it out. You should take the cinder with you to your new apartment and light the wick. It is important to wait until the candle burns completely. According to the sign, fire taken from the previous home will protect household members from troubles in the new place.
3. If you hide a few coins in the wall during renovations in a new apartment, the family will never be in need.

So be healthy, live richly

Simple tips can improve your financial condition. Thus, they do not lend money to neighbors after sunset, do not pass anything over the threshold, and also hang a bag of bay leaves at the entrance above the door. They tie it with red thread.

Also, to increase wealth, they place the house broom upside down, and after leaving the apartment of someone close to them, they do not take out the dirty laundry or wash the floor. But after a housewarming celebration, crumbs from the dinner table are removed with a cloth and given to pets to eat - this is a sign of prosperity. By the way, crumbs are never swept away with your hand or paper napkins - this leads to losses.

What things can and cannot be kept at home

Some things can attract good luck and happiness. Those who are going to celebrate a housewarming need to bring them to their new home:

1. Candles. They symbolize wisdom and help clear space of bad energy.
2. Silver bell. According to the superstition, it should be hung above the front door to protect against evil forces.
3. Horseshoe. It is also attached at the entrance. This item attracts money.
4. The icons will serve to protect the family from any misfortunes.
5. Honey. The product of beekeeping, according to signs, makes the life of household members sweet and attracts health and wealth.

Read also Why lice appear according to signs

Some items are best left out of the house. They can scare away luck and bring troubles and misfortunes to household members:

• damaged mirrors;
• dishes that have chips or cracks;
• old, worn-out shoes;
• household appliances that cannot be repaired;
• a broken mop and an old broom;
• personal belongings of deceased relatives.

House for a brownie

Next, you need to respect the brownie . Everyone remembers that he loves to hide behind a broom, so for the celebration you can purchase several new simple brooms for competitions. Guests can compete in the “cleanliness and speed” of sweeping. The following can serve as garbage for such a competition:

• tennis balls;
• confetti;
• plastic bullets for children's pistols;
• large beads;
• foam balls (you can “crush” a piece of foam from the packaging of household appliances).

The lighter and more “elusive” the garbage is, the more fun the competition will be . You should also choose cool shapes for scoops and bags.

Do you want to know what you can give your friends for housewarming? You can read about this in our article. Those who want to learn how to make various shapes out of balloons with their own hands can read a lot of useful tips at this address.

You can hold a “beauty” competition among brooms : for this, before the “defile”, guests must decorate these “predecessors of vacuum cleaners” and organize a funny presentation of their models.

Housewarming according to Feng Shui

Many modern people adhere to the teachings of Feng Shui, which helps to harmonize the energy in the surrounding space. According to this teaching, the following rules must be followed at a housewarming party:

1. It is advisable to transport absolutely all things in one day. Moreover, the residents themselves must bring them into the new apartment.
2. Even during renovations, you should not enter the house empty-handed. You need to take something with you.
3. First, new residents must bring the most valuable and expensive things into their new home so that the room is filled with the energy of wealth.
4. Before leaving your previous apartment, you need to mentally thank it and put everything in order.

Cat

The sweetest and most enduring tradition. People think that they take cats into their home, but these animals are firmly convinced that they are the rightful owners of the apartment or house. This may be why, when moving, it is customary to let the cat into the home first.

At the same time, its color is important: a “lucky” tricolor or one that matches the color of the hostess’s hair is recommended. It is advisable for the animal to spend the night here on its own the day before the housewarming. It will definitely be able to come to an agreement with the brownie and establish connections with otherworldly forces before the family arrives.

In addition, it is recommended to see what place the animal chooses for itself and place a bed there. This makes sense, since cats sense geofields better than humans and actually choose favorable places to sleep.

What according to signs should not be given as a housewarming gift?

Those invited to a housewarming party must choose a gift. According to signs, some things can bring misfortune to a family that has changed its place of residence.

Mirror

It is not customary to give a mirror as a housewarming gift, although it is a necessary household item. However, superstitions warn that this item will attract trouble. It is prohibited to donate mirrors that have already been used by someone. After moving to a new house, residents must purchase this piece of furniture themselves.

Residents of ancient Rus' associated mirrors with evil spirits. This is probably why it is believed that giving this item as a gift is a bad omen.

Sharp objects

New residents should not be given piercing or cutting objects. According to the sign, knives will attract misunderstanding and tension into the family. Residents will often quarrel.

Wallet and money

You cannot give money for housewarming, as it will deprive your household of material well-being. The same goes for your wallet. If the owner needs this item, it is better to present it as a gift for some other holiday - a birthday or New Year.

Pearl jewelry

Pearls are also not given to new residents because they are associated with tears. Jewelry made from it will bring problematic situations into life, which will make you upset.

Watch

Our ancestors attributed mystical properties to watches, so they generally tried not to keep them at home. Today people can no longer imagine life without this accessory. However, many people know that it is impossible to give a watch for a housewarming or other holiday. It is believed that they will shorten the lifespan of their owners.

Original gift ideas

To ensure that your housewarming gift doesn't end up being the same as what other guests gave you, look for original items for your home.

LED lamp with the inscription: “Home is where you are expected” and the like. The night light can be placed not only in the bedroom, but also on a table in a dark hallway, and it will illuminate the corridor with light light.

Fruit bowl for unripe and ripe fruits. Unripe fruits are stored in a large glass bowl, and those that are ripe are laid out on a bamboo lid on top of the fruit bowl.

Clock in the shape of a dog. This watch will delight animal lovers. The clock can be hung above your desk or above the sofa in your living room. The dog's tail wags in time with the clock hands.

Kneeling chair. The innovative chair will be useful for those who have to spend a lot of time at the table at home. Thanks to the unusual design of the chair, you will not be able to slouch or cross your legs, which will improve your posture and strengthen your spine.

An original housewarming gift would also be: a florarium with ornamental plants, a flowerpot in the shape of a cat with herbs, a tabletop rock garden.

How to avoid the consequences predicted in signs

To prevent the bad omen from coming true, when changing your place of residence, you must carry out at least one of the rituals associated with housewarming. For example, let the cat into the house first, fumigate the room, do general cleaning by washing the floor in the new apartment with salt water. The most important thing is not to dwell on the bad, but to have a positive attitude.

New housing provides a lot of opportunities to improve your life and start over with a clean slate. Whether the changes will be positive depends on the person’s mood and his actions. Superstitious people who are planning to celebrate a housewarming should adhere to signs - choose a suitable date for moving, clean out the new home, and do not take things with them that bring misfortune.