The fortieth anniversary in many cultures is considered a special date, which is not recommended to be celebrated. Moreover, the superstitions associated with it have come to us since antiquity and beyond. last years have not lost their relevance.
Moreover, the opinion of psychics and astrologers completely coincides with them: 40 years are not celebrated, since, in otherwise a person will face many problems. What explains this statement?
Why can't women celebrate 40 years?
Signs are not recommended for women to celebrate 40 years, as this may lead to a decrease in stocks vital energy and consequently health problems. It is known that this milestone is associated with serious changes in the female body: biorhythms noticeably slow down and the first symptoms of menopause appear.
At the same time, both appearance and behavior undergo changes: gray hair appears, wrinkles become deeper. As for the mood, there is a frequent change of it, manifestations of aggression appear, irritability appears, often this condition provokes the development of depression.
According to signs, the celebration of the fortieth anniversary only exacerbates the situation, so it is better for women not to celebrate it.
Why can't men celebrate 40 years?
Men do not celebrate their 40th birthday for other reasons. History knows many cases when this holiday for representatives of the strong half of humanity turned out to be the last. Until the age of fifty, accidents or serious health problems prevented them from surviving.
If we turn to ancient signs, they also do not advise men to celebrate 40 years. People say that if you neglect this advice, you can lose your guardian angel. As a result, a person is left without protection and a mountain of troubles, including complex diseases, can fall on him.
In addition, by the age of forty, many men begin to look back and delve into their past. Someone regrets that they could not make their dreams come true, others think about the approaching old age and become discouraged. And the celebration of the anniversary, according to popular observations, only harms: it once again reminds us that a significant part of life has already been lived.
History knows many cases when this holiday for representatives of the strong half of humanity turned out to be the last
Church opinion
The clergy insist that many people's reluctance to celebrate their fortieth birthday is due solely to inner fear. Every believer remembers the memorial service, which the relatives of the deceased always order on the 40th day after death.
In the Bible, you can also find many significant events related to the number 40. However, not all of them have a negative connotation.
- The Flood lasted for 40 days.
- It took the Jewish people 40 years to overcome the desert and find happiness in the Promised Land.
- Jesus ascended to heaven 40 days after his death.
- For 40 days after his baptism, Jesus was all alone in the Judean wilderness.
- King David ruled for 40 years.
- Solomon's temple in Jerusalem was 40 cubits wide.
- Isaac married Rebekah when he was 40 years old.
- Prophet Moses lived for 120 years, which is three forty years. And for 40 days he had a conversation with God.
- Goliath demanded to fight the Jews for 40 days.
- 40 days were allotted to the inhabitants of Nineveh for repentance.
- The soul finds peace 40 days after death.
The Orthodox Church does not prohibit celebrating forty years. On the contrary, she believes that it is necessary to celebrate every year that was given to man by God. As for superstitions, they are considered a sin.
Opinion of astrologers
Astrologers are convinced that 40 years is a date that is characterized by a crisis. This period is under the influence of the planet Uranus, which has a certain influence on all spheres of life and lends itself to radical changes.
On the threshold of his fortieth birthday, a person begins to rethink own life, often questioning the values and priorities that were previously important to him. At that time Negative influence Uranus appears as:
- increased risk of being in a dangerous situation (accident);
- deterioration of the financial situation;
- development of dangerous diseases;
- serious disagreements in the family that can lead to divorce.
In general, the actions of a person on the threshold of his fortieth birthday resemble throwing from side to side. People often commit rash acts, their thoughts are confused, decisions are spontaneous, panic arises in any stressful situation. For these reasons, astrologers do not advise either men or women to celebrate their 40th anniversary too violently.
In order for the crisis not to gain momentum and end as safely as possible, it is advisable to celebrate the anniversary in a quiet environment.
At the same time, at the celebration of the hero of the day himself, you should also not congratulate him on his 40th birthday. Astrologers recommend cheating a little and dedicating a festive speech to the outgoing date - 39 years.
Astrologers do not advise either men or women to celebrate the 40th anniversary too violently
Opinion of psychics
Psychics call the forty-year milestone a period of energy deficit. At that time vitality are declining, its energy field is weakening. And if a person with an evil eye is present at the holiday, this will entail a lot of trouble.
Here, psychics pay attention to numerology: if the number 4 symbolizes creation, then 40 means the transformation of the worldview. In general, this information does not carry any negative, and therefore does not give a clear answer why it is not customary for women and men to celebrate 40 years.
However, there is another opinion. Psychics are convinced that this belief is directly related to the Tarot, where 40 is the number of death and events associated with the burial of the dead. For this reason, they do not advise planning a 40th anniversary celebration.
How can this date be celebrated?
According to many signs, it is forbidden to celebrate 40 years, because, otherwise, a person risks incurring a lot of trouble. And having found out how dangerous this date is, many superstitious people completely refuse to celebrate the anniversary. However, there are several ways, thanks to which, in honor of the fortieth birthday, you can gather loved ones at the table and at the same time avert trouble.
- As mentioned above, first of all, the accents should be correctly placed: the holiday is not dedicated to growing up, but to the outgoing date - 39 years. Be sure to tell your guests about this so that they have time to purchase necessary postcards and corrected the inscription on the cake.
- If you are going to celebrate 40 years, try not to invite many guests. May this day be next to you only relatives and closest friends whom you fully trust. At the same time, it is also better to refuse a magnificent feast. It is advisable to limit yourself to a light dinner and tea drinking.
- You can also move the celebration of the anniversary to the next day. And then the date is quite appropriate to change to 40 years and 1 day. And if you are too superstitious, warn your guests not to say your age aloud during the celebration.
And do not forget, if you go through life with a smile and a positive attitude, then no signs can ruin your holiday. Try to get around superstition, because for this you just need to be smart, and then the celebration of the insidious date will leave only warm memories in your memory.
When the conversation turns to the fortieth birthday, birthday people are faced with misunderstanding, condemnation and surprise from others. What's the matter? Why can't women and men celebrate 40 years?
Let me tell you right now that this is a lie. Each person treats beliefs in their own way. Some are looking for a special meaning in superstitions, others believe without reasoning, and still others have great doubts about the veracity of signs. But signs for a wedding and other beliefs are still popular.
Even people who don't like celebrating holidays don't ignore anniversaries. Some arrange a big and noisy event, while others gather in the company of close people and friends.
The superstition in question has no scientific side. No one can explain why it is better not to celebrate the fortieth anniversary. Only religion and esotericism have superficial arguments that reveal the secret of the prohibition. Consider the main versions.
- In fortune-telling on Tarot cards, the four symbolizes death. The number 40 is absolutely identical to the four in value. This argument cannot withstand any criticism.
- The church has a different opinion. A close examination of the Bible reveals that many important events have a close relationship with the number 40, but none of them is characterized by a negative color.
- According to historical postulates, in the old days only the lucky ones lived to the age of forty, which was considered advanced. Therefore, the anniversary was not celebrated, so as not to draw attention to old age, indicating the imminent end of life.
- The most reasonable explanation earlier age at the age of 40 was considered a period of rethinking of life, which was preceded by the transition of the soul to a different state. According to legend, the guardian angel leaves a person who has reached the age of forty, because by this moment he has gained life wisdom. There is no contradiction in this argument. But there is no data, according to which the jubilee festivities bring trouble.
For unknown reasons, the holiday is associated with misfortunes that differ in significance and meaning. One person pinched his finger, another had an accident, and a third lost a loved one. But such events do not only happen after the fortieth birthday. This proves that belief is a terrible force that takes possession of thoughts.
Why women should not celebrate 40 years
By the age of forty, the biorhythms of the body change and the period of menopause is approaching. This is accompanied by the appearance gray hair and the first wrinkles. Feelings are also changing. Depression, stress, manifestations of aggression and irritability become commonplace. These are the "symptoms" of menopause.
It is impossible to avoid this, since changes in the body are inherent in nature. At the same time, the celebration of the ill-fated anniversary contributes to the deterioration of the state of the female body, which leads to the extinction of vital energy.
Some women doubt the veracity of superstitions and safely celebrate their fortieth birthday, as well as photograph sleeping people. Others hesitate to play Russian roulette because health and life are at stake.
Why you can't celebrate 40 years for men
The celebration of the fortieth anniversary for a woman is fraught with health problems, constant failures and a decrease in the supply of vital energy. As for men, here the conversation is about death.
The beginning of fear was put by the famous story about an astronaut who went into earth orbit after celebrating his fortieth birthday. After the launch, the ship crashed, which led to the sudden appearance of problems. There are many life stories in which men who ignore signs die mysteriously.
According to one version, the fortieth anniversary is the last anniversary that a man will celebrate. A serious illness, such as the California flu, will prevent you from surviving to 50. The ancient superstition has no scientific basis, but numerous coincidences prove that it works. If a man celebrates 40 years old, he will let go of the guardian angel and start playing with death.
Church opinion
Orthodox people who honor the canons of the church are advised to listen to the opinion of church ministers. According to them, the ban on the celebration of the fortieth anniversary is a manifestation of human fear.
People are also afraid of the number 40 itself, which has a connection with things for the dead. 40 days after death, relatives come to the grave of the deceased and order a memorial service.
It is noteworthy that the Orthodox Church considers superstition to be nonsense and denies the negative impact of the date on the condition and life of a person.
The clergy argue that for men, even the celebration of the 33rd birthday, and at that age Christ died, does not bring white and suffering, since there is nothing offensive to higher powers in this. At the same time, the fortieth anniversary is less significant compared to this date.
The Bible describes many events related to the 40s.
- After the Resurrection, Jesus stayed on earth for 40 days, kindling hope in the hearts of people.
- The reign of King David was 40 years.
- 40 cubits is the width of Solomon's temple.
As you can see, not all events are associated with death or negative things. The church considers superstition a sin. Batiushki recommends celebrating every year given by God.
Opinion of astrologers
According to astrologers, the age of forty is a crisis trait for a person. At this moment, the planet Uranus has a huge impact on life, represented by radical changes and events.
Often people overestimate life values. Negative impact the planet is often expressed in the form of an accident, crisis, poor financial situation, serious illness or divorce.
Forty-year-old people are also influenced by the planet Pluto. This manifests itself in the form of financial difficulties, bankruptcy and health problems.
The end of the fourth decade of life coincides with the square of Neptune to Neptune. A person changes life priorities, and his actions resemble erratic throwing. Therefore, astrologers recommend celebrating the fortieth anniversary in a calm and quiet environment so that the midlife crisis ends more safely.
Opinion of psychics
Psychics are not superstitious people and rely solely on their own strength. At the same time, there are numerous signs received from grandmothers by inheritance, in which they unconditionally believe.
Answering the question why it is impossible to celebrate 40 years, psychics refer to numerology. Number 40 negative value does not carry. The number 4 is a symbol of creation, and 40 symbolizes the transformation of the worldview and mind. Therefore, followers of numerology do not see anything wrong with this.
Esotericists claim that the belief is associated with the mystical properties of the Tarot, where the number 40 symbolizes death. On the ill-fated card there is the letter "M", corresponding to the four.
There are many things connected with this figure regarding the burial of the dead. Therefore, esotericists do not recommend celebrating the date. According to them, the afterlife, along with otherworldly forces, is a serious thing. There is no room for frivolity here.
People treat different signs in different ways. Some believe each of them, knowing almost every one by heart, others believe only the main and most common, others consider it stupidity and fiction, and some people even believe only in good ones, ignoring bad omens. One of the common signs concerns the anniversary. So why can't a man's 40th birthday be celebrated, and is it possible in this case to single out this day in some other way?
The origin of the sign
To establish exactly why and how exactly such a belief arose, historians, most likely, will not succeed. Presumably, the number 40 can have a negative value for the following reasons:
- The number 40 appears in a negative sense in many beliefs, including Christianity. It was 40 years that the Jews, led by Moses, stayed in the desert, Jesus also spent 40 days in the desert after his baptism, and after death we have 40 memorial days;
- according to astrologers, it is at the age of 40 that a certain internal transformation takes place with a person;
- in esotericism, the number 4 means death;
- in addition, our ancestors rarely even lived to 40 - and according to one version, that is why this number acquired such a negative connotation.
Psychologists, in their own way, interpret why it is impossible to celebrate 40 years for a man, a sign, in their opinion, has nothing to do with it. The main difficulty lies in the fact that, having left the category of thirty-year-olds, men think about what they managed to achieve, whether they succeeded in everything in life, and also face the realization of the fact that youth has almost slipped away, and old age is already waiting for them.
How can you celebrate this anniversary?
If the reasons why you shouldn’t celebrate a man’s 40th birthday seem convincing to you, but you still want to highlight this day somehow, you can do the following:
- celebrate on any of the other days, because to postpone the celebration from the middle working week weekends are much more convenient for everyone;
- celebrate on your 40th birthday farewell to 39 years;
- hold a celebration that is not dedicated to your anniversary or to coincide with some other event, such as the independence of some African state. Similar information for each day of the year is not difficult to find on the Internet;
- another belief says that it is impossible to celebrate the 40th anniversary only at home. So such a sign can be a great occasion to celebrate 40 years in a restaurant, in nature, or by going on a weekend tour of neighboring countries.
From a religious point of view, why it is impossible to celebrate 40 years, the opinion of the church will be interesting to devout people, it is expressed in the fact that any superstition is a sign of distance from the true faith and is interpreted only as paganism. So, according to church canons, there is nothing terrible in celebrating the 40th anniversary.
Mark or not mark
The decision on whether to celebrate your 40th birthday is up to you. Self-esteem plays a huge role in our life. So, if you firmly believe in signs and always follow them, it's best not to tempt fate and just spend this day with your family. This will make it easier for everyone.
There may be another wonderful anniversary in your life: 40 years of marriage.
If signs do not play a special role in your life or the opinion of the church is more authoritative for you than all kinds of beliefs, feel free to tune in a positive mood and get ready for the celebration on a grand scale, not paying attention to the comments of others.
And most importantly, do not forget that no matter what age limit you have crossed, everything in this life depends on you. Stay always young at heart, be cheerful, full of strength and energy.
Why can't you celebrate your fortieth birthday, if before that all your birthdays were held in a noisy and festive atmosphere? Is it worth believing the strange superstition? What if you still really want to gather relatives and friends? This raises so many questions that have just as many conflicting answers. But it is still better to familiarize yourself with different interpretations in order to choose your own version than to trust any one unverified judgment.
Why not celebrate the 40th anniversary?
At one time, Pythagoras tried to express the whole world with the help of numbers. He partially succeeded, but much still remained beyond conjecture. But a strange craving for numbers was a characteristic of many nationalities and tribes. Modern people although they trust in many respects scientifically proven facts, they are still under the influence of ancient superstitions.
What is the reason for the ban on the celebration of the fortieth birthday? Why is the number 40 associated with unhappiness? There are many examples of the fact that it is this number, and not the number 13, as many believe, that is the carrier of negativity.
- - Within 40 days after death, the human soul wanders around the world, forcing his loved ones to be more careful in their actions and words.
For 40 years the Jewish people wandered in the desert until they found their happiness in the promised land.
- Within 40 days after the birth of a child, a woman must be cleansed in order to be allowed to enter the church or approach the marital bed.
- The Flood lasted for 40 days, which claimed the lives of many sinners.
- For 40 days after his baptism, Jesus was in the wilderness, subjected to various temptations and temptations of the devil.
- In ancient Greece, 40 years was considered the peak of prosperity, but at the same time the beginning of decline, the period when death begins to creep up so close that almost no one lived to 50 years.
Throughout the history of mankind, you can still find examples of how the number 40 brought disappointment and grief. In its very sound, you can hear "Sor" and "Rock", as if Rock itself begins to collect and then throw away all that is superfluous, as if sweeping rubbish from the hut of life. Still, perhaps, it is not worth interfering in all this and incurring additional attention of the higher forces on yourself? Maybe the fun irritates the Arbiter of Fates, why does he begin to mix drops of bitterness into the life of the birthday boy, who still dared to celebrate his fortieth birthday?
It is believed that the celebration of the 40th anniversary can cause a long illness or mental suffering, and possibly even an early death. And if the birthday man himself suddenly somehow avoids the evil turn of his Fate, one of his friends or relatives will take on all the troubles.
It is difficult to judge whether this is actually the case, because there are quite a few situations when one or another event has a different, simpler explanation. It is difficult to understand whether they can be attributed to a coincidence, or whether their weight should still be associated with the celebration of the fortieth anniversary. Everyone interprets even an obvious fact in their own way, and what can we say about reasoning about the non-material world.
The other side of the coin
There is always an opposing point of view, which is also worth listening to. Given that the Slavs used the 40-ary system of measurement, it is not surprising that there were many events that were described using this number. And if you wanted to, you could also find a lot of good things, but bad things are remembered better, passed down from generation to generation as a warning to posterity. That is why there is nothing negative in reaching the age of forty.
The examples listed above with the number 40 can be regarded in a completely different way.
- For 40 days after death, the soul is given the opportunity to "complete" its affairs. Is it bad? This means that loving people can tell a dead person nice words and ask for forgiveness for their actions.
- Yes, the Jewish people were indeed forced to walk in the desert for 40 years, but the end of the trial period was happy. Besides, if they were pure in heart, they could reach their destination sooner.
- A woman within 40 days after the birth of a child gets the opportunity to relax more and devote herself fully to the awareness of a new role (the role of mother), and also to find, as they say, " golden mean between child and husband.
- The Flood lasted 40 days, but it brought cleansing to the earth from all impurities and sinners. And the righteous were given the opportunity to unite and be saved.
- Jesus successfully passed all the tests in 40 days, showing all his endurance and fidelity. However, all temporary hardships will pass, but a pure soul will remain forever.
- In ancient Greece, 40 years was still considered the peak of prosperity, so this should be rejoiced. The decline was associated with frequent wars, poor medicine and increased mortality among the population. Today in modern world there are many examples of those people who happily lived to a hundred years, so there is someone to look up to.
Our natural biorhythms begin to change internal laws at the turn of forty. When the state changes, not everyone is given the opportunity to rebuild and begin to build their new path and find a place for themselves in life. Hence the emergence of fear, complete concentration on the bad and the attraction of trouble.
Many at this age look back at their own lives, realizing with horror that everything did not go as they once dreamed. Because of this bitterness, there is no desire to celebrate your own birthday at all. What is there to rejoice here? To the fact that almost the main part of life flew by in turmoil and was almost devoid of joy? Hair has decreased on the head or gray hair has been added, wrinkles are already visible under the eyes, and the future no longer beckons with dreams. The soul is still just as young, but the body is no more.
If we perceive 40 years as another milestone, through which it will be useful, positive result will not keep you waiting. The beginning of a new life period can be quite successful if you treat it accordingly. Even at 60 you can find pleasure in life.
How to celebrate the fortieth birthday of a superstitious person?
It's one thing if the birthday boy is critical of various superstitions, and it’s a completely different matter if he takes seriously all the recommendations of his ancestors. The fact is that thoughts can attract certain situations to life and even cause illness. That is why the strengthened belief that 40 years are not celebrated can, when trying to celebrate your birthday at 40, play a bad joke.
However, people's craving for superstition can always be turned in the other direction. There are several options for celebrating the fortieth anniversary with minimal consequences.
- Celebrate the departure of 39 years. Warn all those invited to reduce congratulations and toasts to the celebration of the departure of 39 years. It seems that the rhythm of the feast will be familiar, but the emphasis of the number 40 will disappear. An additional revival will appear among the guests, because it is very unusual not to meet new age birthday, and see off the past.
- You can gather a narrow circle of guests. 40 years in esotericism means a turning point in life, when the energy is significantly weakened. During this period, it is easy to jinx a person, even unconsciously. That is why reducing the number of guests will allow you to gather only the most trusted and close people who sincerely wish you all the best. But this applies, as a rule, only to male birthdays, so women can safely celebrate their fortieth birthday, unless, of course, they are not afraid to voice their own age out loud.
- You can also move the date of celebration from the date of birth so that all signs become invalid. If the holiday, for example, falls in the middle of the week, it will be very easy to justify your decision with the desire to have a great rest on the weekend.
- You can change the reason for gathering guests. You can always come up with theme party. Well, wishes for the birthday man can be expressed without mentioning his age. The idea of a holiday depends on your imagination, but guests will definitely support it with pleasure.
Christianity believes that everyone is equal before God. And this applies not only to people, but also to numbers. That is why a believing person should never single out one of the numbers in front of others and attribute to it the presence of certain magical properties. That is why it is believed that 40 years is as good as 39. You should be grateful for every day you live, while not trying to guess the date of your death and somehow trying to push it back or move it forward with specific actions.
Almost every man approaching the age of forty will surely begin to learn from others with surprise that this anniversary cannot be celebrated. Bad omen. And, what is most interesting, no one can really explain the essence of this sign. No wonder it is one of the most popular queries in the search engines of the worldwide web.
In order not to bring misfortune ...
Having wandered through the links, you can find many stories from life about how people gave up on signs, celebrated cheerfully - and as a result brought misfortune upon themselves. Forum visitors willingly tell stories from their lives - about how a lady called guests, received a bunch of gifts, and one gift turned out to be “with a surprise” - with severe damage, which the lady could not get rid of for a long time. Or about how a certain married couple celebrated their wife's anniversary in a restaurant, and from there she was taken away in an ambulance - problems with pressure. Or about how the man was going to long business trip on the eve of the anniversary, the whole family tearfully asked him not to celebrate, but his colleagues insisted, and the man celebrated, after which ... the finger seemed to dislocate.
However, there are no less stories about how someone did not notice, but he still felt sad.
“My aunt just didn't want to celebrate her 40th birthday,” says one forum visitor. - On a grand scale celebrated thirty-nine years, arguing that in next year there will be no holiday. And what do you think - four days later I had an accident! There is also a very sad case - the man did not live up to the planned anniversary exactly one day. It seems that they did not celebrate, but still some kind of sediment remained ...
In contrast to these gloomy stories, there are a lot of stories about grandfathers, great-grandfathers and grandmothers-great-grandmothers, whom the anniversary feast did not prevent them from living happily up to eighty and ninety.
Historical background
As usual, how many people - so many opinions. Whom to listen to? And why not celebrate 40 years?
We repeat that the ban on the celebration of the fortieth anniversary is one of the most mysterious and unreasonable. This superstition is most likely connected with the fact that the number forty is sacred in many cultures. It had a special meaning among the ancient Jews, for example. Let's open the Bible - it is found there all the time: for forty years Moses led the Jews through the desert, for forty days the Great Flood continued, forty days Jesus spent in the desert after baptism ... Our Slavic ancestors also treated the forty with respect - there is an opinion that on it was based on the number system. Let's remember forty forty churches in Moscow, for example: not thirty thirty... Many ceremonies connected with birth and death were tied to the number 40. For example, a child could not be shown to strangers for forty days after his birth. On the fortieth day after death, the deceased was commemorated for the last time: it was believed that his soul on this day finally said goodbye to the earthly world. Until the forties they say, mentioning the deceased: "Let the earth rest in peace to him", after: "The kingdom of heaven to him."
And in Kievan Rus at the dawn of Christianity, there was an interesting custom of checking the body of the deceased precisely on the fortieth day. If the deceased led a righteous life and showed signs of incorruptibility, the question of his canonization could arise. Perhaps it is the association with forty posthumous days that is the main reason why forty years cannot be celebrated. Although, according to this logic, it is not recommended for a child to celebrate nine years, but this is not heard anywhere.
Some esotericists cite numerology and Tarot cards as an argument. Indeed, in Eastern magic, 40 is the number of death. Rather, not 40, but 4, but according to numerological laws, this is practically the same thing: 4 + 0 = 4. In the Tarot, the main Arcana "Death" has the letter designation "M", and the letter "Mem" of the Hebrew alphabet just corresponds to the number 40. All this, of course, is interesting, but it is unlikely that our grandmothers, who supported the tradition with the arguments “If you celebrate forty, you won’t live to be fifty!” know about tarot cards...
Only for men?..
Perhaps this superstition has a very practical basis. Recall that the life expectancy of our ancestors was not so great compared to ours: after forty years, a person was considered to have already decently lived, having reached almost old age (the general standard of living was lower, and medicine was not up to par). It turns out that anything could happen to him, and the general weakening of his health contributed to this. The body began to age - hair and teeth fell out, diseases came that the forty-year-old body no longer coped so well with ... Celebrating forty years meant saying hello to impending old age and, possibly, death, which could well look into the light. It was better not to remind such a guest of her age. According to one of the superstitions, a guardian angel generally retreated from a person at the age of forty, leaving him without higher protection.
What is interesting - it was, as a rule, about men. In recent years, women have also stopped celebrating their fortieth birthday, but initially this ban did not concern them at all. Perhaps this is an echo of early Christian beliefs, which generally denied a woman a soul.
The modern Orthodox Church considers this custom to be complete nonsense. The priests say that one can somehow understand and support a person’s reluctance to celebrate 33 years (the age of Christ), but one should not think that if you still arrange a holiday, then you can incur some troubles and suffering: such things are not can offend higher powers. As for the number 40, in the same Bible there are quite a lot of joyful or neutral events associated with it: King David, for example, ruled for forty years - is that good or bad? .. The width of the temple built by Solomon was forty cubits - is this due to death?.. After his resurrection, Christ spent forty days on earth, trampling death by death and giving people new hope. So position Orthodox Church in this matter is unequivocal: any superstition is evil, sin and temptation.
Protective Measures
For a long time, people have developed many ways to somehow protect themselves and get around any sacred prohibition. There is a bunch of good advice”: to celebrate not forty years, but forty years and one day, to celebrate the passing of the thirty-ninth year, to celebrate within the walls of the home (which, as you know, help), to celebrate in the circle of relatives and friends who cannot wish the hero of the day anything bad ... If forty is of great importance to you, you can use one of these loopholes with peace of mind. But we should not forget that superstition "works" only with those who seriously believe in it. Weak people tend to look for someone to blame for all their troubles - they got up on the wrong foot, combed their hair in the wrong direction, and so on. The black cat and empty buckets are to blame, the anniversary celebrated at the wrong time and the service not presented from the bottom of the heart. But still, if you really and seriously have been puzzling over the question “why you can’t celebrate 40 years” for more than a day, then it’s better not to really celebrate this ambiguous date and not spoil yourself and your loved ones with doubts and torments.
