Housewarming: rules for hosts and guests, ancient customs

A housewarming is a joyful event. But before you indulge in unbridled fun and celebration, it is important to remember the covenant of your ancestors. There are certain rules for hosts and guests. Since ancient times, this day has been celebrated with a wide feast. Housewarming was compared to the New Year. They said that once you meet him, you will live your life in the new house.

Ancient customs

Our ancestors treated housewarming more than responsibly and prepared for it ahead of time. The first step was to choose the “right day”. All days of the week were considered successful for moving, except Monday and Saturday.

• Preparation

Before leaving the old house forever, the owners lit the stove for the last time, cooked porridge (until half cooked) and fed it to the cat. What was left was carefully wrapped in a knapsack and transported to a new place of residence. Also, before leaving, they swept the floor and poured a handful of garbage into a paper parcel. Undercooked porridge, garbage from the floor, and a cat (rooster) were certainly taken away with them. And it was also necessary to invite a mythical creature - a brownie - to the new house.

• Brownie

The house spirit is called the house spirit, an invisible entity that keeps order and protects the home from troubles, evil spells and ill-wishers. It is customary to “feed” him with milk and sweets in a saucer, and when moving, always invite him with you.

There are several options for rituals. Each locality called for a brownie in its own way. For example, they treated him to milk, and then invited him to the “ship” - homemade bast shoes.Or they carried it on an iron scoop along with stove coals, on an old broom. And in some houses, on the night before the move, a glass of vodka and bread and salt were left for the brownie, and a bag of coals and an awl was placed next to it. The brownie moved in it.

• Entry

According to customs, the first animal to be allowed into the house was a cat, sometimes a rooster. Then the owner had to cross the threshold. And only then the rest of the family members according to seniority. Next, in the new house, they lit the stove and finished cooking the porridge taken from the old home. A handful of rubbish was thrown into the corner. A treat for the brownie was placed next to the stove, a bast shoe, a bag, a broom or an iron scoop with coals were placed.

Believing families were the first to bring a table with icons into the house and invite the priest to bless it. Only after this they set the table and held a party in honor of the housewarming.

When letting the animal into the house, the new residents carefully watched how it would behave. The rooster will crow - to a cheerful life, the cat will lie down comfortably and fall asleep - to a calm, measured life. And if animals run away from home, there will be trouble.

Rules for hosts

Today, many traditions and customs of our ancestors have been forgotten. Most are limited by the rules of etiquette. By following them, you will leave a good impression of yourself and avoid awkward situations at the holiday.

1. Invite guests to the housewarming party in advance - 2 weeks before the event. This will increase the chances that everyone invited will come. People need time to have time to prepare gifts and carve out a free day among everyday chores and worries. In this case, it is desirable that the holiday coincides with the day of entry.
2. Invite your new neighbors too. A housewarming party is a great opportunity to get to know each other.
3. Clean up.A housewarming party is characterized by some chaos: boxes arranged, a minimum of furniture and cutlery. But at the same time, no one canceled cleanliness. Don’t forget to take out construction debris and wash the floor the day before guests arrive. Seating should also be provided. As a last resort, make a makeshift table and chairs out of boxes or pallets.
4. Decorate the room. A bouquet of wildflowers in a vase, balloons, paper lanterns, and garlands will create a festive and cozy atmosphere.
5. Prepare a treat. The first thing at the table is to drink a glass of vodka - so that the new settlers have a clean life. Guests are also greeted with pies and chicken dishes. Pies symbolize good relations with neighbors, and chicken is placed on the table so that “the chickens don’t peck at money.”
6. Be friendly and hospitable to everyone. On this day it is especially important to avoid conflicts and minor squabbles. Let your guests have only positive impressions of you and your home.

"There's always fun at housewarming parties"

An old Russian proverb instructs to have fun on a memorable day. They say that noise and laughter scare away evil spirits.

To make the housewarming holiday fun, you can prepare interesting competitions in advance. For example:

• Who will move into the house faster? Participants in the game are given cut-up photo cards of the house. Whoever completes the puzzle faster wins.
• "Crocodile". You can add a twist to the traditional game and make up words related to housewarming: hostess, brownie, comfort, moving, renovation, etc.
• Contest of wishes. You need to express your wishes to the owners, but they must begin with the letter N (housewarming).
• My dream house. Blindfolded, players build a house out of blocks or draw it on paper. The winner is chosen by general vote.

Or you can spend the evening playing interesting board games, twister, or just dancing to catchy music.

Rules for guests

Housewarming is the only day on which guests are allowed to openly look at someone else's house. It is customary to come to the holiday on time, with gifts and good wishes. Previously, new residents were brought burning coals from the stove: this served as a guarantee of well-being.

Gift selection

For any holiday it is customary to give something. The best housewarming gift is kitchen utensils:

• coffee and tea sets;
• beautiful spice sets;
• wine glasses;
• dishes;
• baking pots, molds;
• multicooker;
• coffee maker;
• juicer;
• food processor.

What else can you give to new residents:

• Lamp, chandelier, candle - modern analogues of fire from a stove. If you want to pay tribute to traditions, give new residents a light source as a gift.
• Textile: tablecloths, bedspreads, bed linen, blankets, curtains, pillows, kitchen and bath towels. These gifts are associated with comfort and will be very useful for housewarming.
• Indoor flowers. As a gift to the owners, you can present the tree of happiness (pachyra aquatic), eucalyptus, phalaenopsis orchid, climbing begonia or petunia in a beautiful flowerpot for the balcony. And for a single woman, a wonderful housewarming gift would be spathiphyllum - “female happiness.” Indoor plants symbolize comfort and prosperity at home.
• Icon, bereginya doll, horseshoe, broom (broom), bag of coins will become amulets for the home. They are usually given as housewarming gifts by elderly people and close relatives.

You don't have to choose from this list. You can give something else for the home or paired items for all family members (slippers, bathrobes, aprons).

To avoid getting into trouble, you should consider the list of prohibited gifts.For housewarming gifts, piercing and cutting objects and knives are not given. Watches, wallets, purses, jewelry with pearls, and mirrors are prohibited. They promise quarrels, troubles, misfortunes and tears. It is also considered a bad omen to give money to new residents: this will lead the family to poverty and financial failure.

Buying a home is one of the most significant events in the life of every person. With a new home, people have hope for a new, better life. Housewarming is an entirely bright and joyful holiday, and it must be celebrated without fail. We advise you to observe the customs of your ancestors and then give your guests a warm welcome. These could be friendly get-togethers or parties with toastmasters and competitions. You need to choose what is closest to you. The guests can only happily accept the invitation and wholeheartedly congratulate the new residents. It is not necessary to choose an expensive or original gift. The main thing is to honor the owners with attention and help them fill the house with joy, laughter and good wishes.