When Sveta and I travel there are certain things that must be done. Things that are more important than anything else. Sveta taught me these things early on and we make sure we do them. Two important traditions below…
1. After packing and getting everything ready to leave out the door on a trip, especially a trip that goes a long ways. You must stop and sit down…
The sitting last about a minute and during that time you relax your mind and soul. You may ask,”What is wrong?”
Nothing is wrong, Russians sit for a minute, no matter how pressed for time you are and they sit. You most likely will find you have forgotten something and during that minute of sitting, you remembered. Just like you remember as you ride off in the taxi and then it is too late to go back to get it…
So even if the taxi is honking, the passengers are grumbling and or you are running too hard. You must stop and sit before leaving out the door.
That is a Russian tradition…
2. When the airplane lands safely at the destination. Russians clap and cheer. This is the other end of the stopping and thinking at the beginning. This is the point that you do not have to think and hope the gods protect you. This is the point that you show happiness and you understand that the gods protected you…
The first time that I traveled out of Russia and was on an aircraft with a hundred other Russians. When we landed a thousand miles away. The Russians started to jump around, clap their hands and cheer. I was shocked!
That was when I found out that clapping at the very least was extremely important and I guess psychologically it is pertinent…
I gathered after all these years that Russians are very superstitious and just like they all carry an Orthodox icon picture in their cars (As I do also!), you appease the gods no matter whether it is true or not…
Post by Kyle Keeton
Windows to Russia…