Why do grandmothers forbid washing floors in the evening or at night?

Whistling in the house means there will be no money, spilling salt means a quarrel, and you can’t wash the floors at night. These and other similar statements come out of our mouths every now and then. What actually happens if I wash the floor in the evening? Why can’t it be done at night? What is the meaning of these statements, where did they come from?

Folk signs and how they appeared

A home for a person is not only a place where one can shelter from bad weather, sleep, and eat food. We spend most of our lives at home. The very concept of Home, Dwelling, Family carries a certain sacred meaning.

Since time immemorial, many signs and beliefs, rules and rituals arose around the house and household affairs, which helped to establish and regulate everyday life.

Observing natural phenomena, tracking accidents and patterns in life allowed our ancestors to compile an extensive set of signs that have survived into the 21st century. We still follow these rules without thinking about their meaning.

Washing the floor at night is a bad omen

Our ancestors were sure of the existence of two opposing worlds - light and dark. From sunrise to sunset, people were under the protection of light forces - angels. At night, the time of dark forces came, against which a person found himself defenseless.

Doing housework - tidying up, washing, cleaning - in the light of day was considered correct. The angels saw the zeal and efficiency of the hostess and rejoiced. This fueled the positive energy at home.

What can happen if you break this sign? Popular wisdom says that if you wash the floors at night, then:

• peace and harmony will leave the house;
• illnesses and illnesses will come;
• financial well-being will go away;
• the house may be damaged;
• there is a risk of “closing” the way into the house for good people.

The mystical meaning of the sign about the ban on washing floors at night

If you wash the floor after sunset, you can wash the happiness and prosperity from your home. Then you can’t sweep and throw away trash.

Everything in the house is imbued with energy, the “spirit” of the house. What is taken out the door in the evening, even water after washing the floor, can be at the mercy of dark forces and unkind people. They can spoil the family. Wash the floors at night - open the way for evil spirits.

Practical roots of folk signs

Now let's look at this sign from a practical point of view. In the old days, the floors in rich huts were (if they were) simply planks - not polished or painted. Cleaning the floor took more than one hour. This is what the hostess did:

1. scraped the boards with a knife;
2. scrubbed the floor with a sponge and lye;
3. washed thoroughly with water.

This action required a lot of water. The wood absorbed moisture and then required long-term drying. Therefore, the floors were washed rarely, only in spring and summer, always in the morning, so that they had time to dry before night. In winter they made do with sweeping.

At night the stoves were not lit, the house cooled down. If you do the cleaning in the evening, your household will have to spend the night in damp and cold. So there is a rational grain in this rule.

In fact, this folk sign contains great wisdom: a good housewife should complete all her work before sunset. Without light you can't do anything well. Electricity appeared relatively recently.

Should the floors be washed in the evening after guests leave?

Popular wisdom warns the hostess against cleaning in the evening after receiving guests. If you enjoy visitors and don't want them to forget the way to your home, don't wash or mark the floor after they leave. You should wait until the morning, otherwise you will block the way for good people.

If the guest is unpleasant to you, wash or notice the floor near the threshold immediately after he leaves. You can be sure that he will not come to you again.

Modern interpretation of the belief

Centuries have passed since the days of unplaned floors in huts. For a modern housewife, cleaning the floor is a matter of minutes. Most often this is wiping the laminate or linoleum with a damp cloth using household chemicals. Until nightfall, the unhealthy substances will not have time to disappear, and a night's sleep may be ruined.

There is another argument in support of this sign. In the evening, after a working day, the whole family gathers at home. At this time, you are supposed to relax, “have dinner” with leisurely conversations and pleasant activities. This has been the case since time immemorial: evening is a time for family, relaxation, and communication. Compliance with this rule is a good reason to postpone cleaning “for later” rather than fussing around the house after a hard day.

Should we believe folk superstitions?

Nowadays, most women work during the day and come home in the evening. When else, if not at the end of the day, to tidy up the house? Thanks to progress and electricity, daylight hours have increased. The pace of modern life dictates new rules. New signs appear, they become “folk”. For example: if you wash your car in the evening, it will definitely rain in the morning!

Whether you believe in ancient beliefs or not - choose for yourself. It is important that you do not become dependent on signs. Undoubtedly, they contain age-old wisdom, but try to trust common sense.