1. Тема: Popular beliefs and superstitions in Britain and in Russia
ГОУ лицей № 1548
Исследовательская работа по английскому языку.
Тема: Popular beliefs and superstitions in Britain and
in Russia
Работу выполнял: Яковенко Александр
2010 год

2. Contents 1) Introduction (page 3) 2) Main part (page 4)
3) Popular beliefs and superstitions in Great Britain
a) Good luck (page 5)
b) Bad luck (page 5)
c) Food superstitions (page 5-6)
d) Animal superstitions (page 6-7)
e) Wedding superstitions (page 7)
f) Funny novels (page 7-8)
4) Russian superstitions and popular beliefs (page 10)
a) Common superstitions (page 12)
b) Different superstitions (page 13)
Conclusion (page 14)

3. Main part
Superstition-idea or belief held by many people for no good or logical reason: It is just a superstition that you should not walk under ladders.
Superstition- (idea, practice, etc., based on the) belief that certain events cannot be explained by human reason or physical laws; irrational fear of what is unknown or mysterious: Ignorance and superstition prevent them from benefiting from modern medicine.
People believe in different things. Our beliefs depend on our character, background experience.
Some people believe in the supernatural, other believe only in things that can be proved.
Quite a number of people believe that all events in our lives are predetermined by fate.
Different people believe in different things. They believe in reincarnation or love at first sight, in UFOs or in horoscopes.
Superstitions are much more numerous today than it is supposed.
They are found not only among the foolish or the uneducated. There was a large scale survey in England which covered a number of superstitious beliefs and practices. It was found that one person in six believe in ghosts. At least one person in ten feels that they have lucky days or numbers

4. Popular beliefs and superstitions in Great Britain
Food superstitions
Animal superstitions
Wedding superstitions
Good luck
Bad luck

5. Food Superstitions
When finished eating a boiled egg, push the spoon through the bottom of the empty shell to let the devil out
Once at the table, there were numerous other things to watch out for.  The best known of course is not to have 13 people at the table, and should someone spill the salt, a pinch had to be thrown over the left shoulder into the eyes of the Devil.   Crossed knives at the table signify a quarrel, while a white tablecloth left on a table overnight means the household will need a shroud in the near future.
Two women must not pour from the same tea-pot, if they do, a quarrel will ensue.  In Somerset a double-yolked egg was viewed with concern as it foretold of a hurried wedding due to a pregnancy

6. Animal Superstitions
Animals feature a lot in British superstitions as they do in superstitions around the world.
One ancient British superstition tells that if a child rides on a bear's back it will be protected from whooping-cough. (Bears used to roam Britain but now they are not seen on our shores)
In some parts of the UK meeting two or three Ravens together is considered really bad. One very English superstition concerns the tame Ravens at the Tower of London. It is believed if they leave then the crown of England will be lost.
It is said to be badluck if you see bats flying and hear their cries. In the middle ages it was believed that witches were closely associated with bats.

7. Wedding superstitions in Britain
1)A superstitious bride is not supposed to wear the whole of her bridal array
2)A superstitious bride does her best not to see herself fully prepared for the wedding
3)On the morning of the wedding day it is advisable for the bride and groom not to meet
4)On the way to the wedding seeing a rainbow is lucky
5)On the way to the wedding seeing a pig unlucky

8. Good luck
Lucky to meet a black cat. Black Cats are featured on many good luck greetings cards and birthday cards in England.
Lucky to touch wood .
Lucky to find a clover plant with four leaves.
A horseshoe over the door brings good luck. But the horse shoe needs to be the right way up. The luck runs out of the horse shoe if it is upside down.
On the first day of the month it is lucky to say “white rabbits, white rabbits, white rabbits," before uttering your first word of the day.
Catch falling leaves in Autumn and you're have good luck. Every leaf means a lucky month next year.

9. Bad Luck Unlucky to walk underneath a ladder
Seven years bad luck to break a mirror.
Unlucky to see one magpie, lucky to see two, etc..
Unlucky to spill salt. If you do, you must throw it over your shoulder to counteract the bad luck.
Unlucky to open an umbrella in doors.
The number thirteen is unlucky. Friday the thirteenth is a very unlucky day. Friday is considered to be an unlucky day because Jesus was crucified on a Friday.
Unlucky to put new shoes on the table.
Unlucky to pass someone on the stairs

10. Russian superstitions and popular beliefs
What is a “Russian superstition”? It is something that Russian people do or avoid doing in their everyday life out of fear that something bad will happen.
For example, people do not whistle indoors, because they might lose all their money, if they do. If a Russian person meets a woman with an empty bucket after leaving the house, he will pinch a button on his shirt between his fingers and bite on his tongue in order to avoid bad luck.
If a Russian loses something in the house, he usually addresses domovoj, an imaginary creature that supposedly lives in every house, with words “domovoj, you have played enough; give it back to me now”. After that, most people find the missing thing.
The list of popular Russian superstitions can go on and on. They encompass every aspect of life from birth until death and are widely spread not only in the rural areas of Russia, but also in big metropolitan cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg.

11. Popular beliefs in Russia
If anyone says that something bad might happen, touch the wood to ward off evil spirits
If your ears or cheeks are hot, someone is thinking or talking about you
If you see a shooting star, your wish will come true
A young woman can't sit at the corner of the table or she won't get married
Always give a woman an odd number of flowers. Even numbers are used for funerals.
If a fork or spoon falls on the ground, expect a female guest. If a knife falls, expect a male guest

12. Common superstitions Friday 13-unlucky day Lucky to touch wood
A horseshoe over the door brings good luck
Break a mirror-unlucky
On the morning of the wedding day it is advisable for the bride and groom not to meet
Don't whistle indoors - you are whistling away your money

13. Different Superstitions
Russia
- It is unlucky to see a black cat crossing your path.
- On the way to the wedding seeng a black cat is unlucky.
- For a long period of time bad luck to break a mirror.
Great Britain
- Lucky to meet a black cat. Black Cats are featured on many good luck greetings cards and birthday cards.
-On the way to the wedding seeing a pig unlucky.
-Seven years bad luck to break a mirror.

14. Conclusion
Are we really fully enlightened, having left superstitions behind? I think the discussion of this subject will leave no doubt that the answer must be ‘no’, because superstitions are still very much with us, and it is even possible that some forms of them may be on the increase.
Long history of the superstitions makes interesting to study them. But as it is clear from these superstitions, to believe in them too deeply, as some do, and allow them to prey upon the mind is foolish. But understanding them and searching for their true meanings and origins gives us a deeper knowledge of human nature.
As for me, in some superstitions I believe. For example: In black cat, in Friday 13 and whistling indoors.