Since ancient times, human death has been surrounded by a special mystery. It is no coincidence that at present there are many signs and superstitions associated with funerals.
Currently, various prescriptions are associated with the funeral of a deceased person, the implementation of which is considered mandatory in the minds of the people. However, some of the practices are superstitions and are completely unnecessary from the point of view of the Orthodox faith and Christian culture.
The practice of covering mirrors at the funeral (and for forty days after death) of the deceased is very common. It is very rare to find families that do not adhere to this tradition. However, from the point of view of Orthodoxy, the practice of covering the mirror at a funeral is not only optional, but speaks of a person's false idea of the soul from the point of view of the Orthodox faith.
Supporters of the practice of covering mirrors at funerals justify this by the fact that the mirror itself is a window, an "entrance" to the other world. In order for the soul not to leave the earth ahead of time through such a "portal", the mirrors are curtained. Another theory suggests that the soul can see itself reflected in the mirror and be frightened. Such explanations have nothing to do with the Orthodox tradition.
According to Orthodox teachings, it is not necessary to curtain mirrors at funerals. The Church proclaims to people that the human soul is completely rational. It is absurd to say that an intelligent soul will be afraid of its own image. In addition, Orthodoxy does not see in the mirror any portal to the other world, through which the soul can get lost in the looking glass. All this belongs to the field of mysticism and in this context is completely alien to the Orthodox worldview. The believer understands that such actions do not affect the soul of the deceased in any way. The main thing for a deceased person is to perform a prayer commemoration of the deceased and a deed of mercy in memory of the deceased.
Often, such superstitions, like some other popular practices, replace the Christian meaning of commemoration. People begin to pay attention to external actions, forgetting about the spiritual foundations of the meaning of the wires to the last journey of loved ones.
It should also be said that the curtain of mirrors at a funeral can still take place if it is physically and mentally unpleasant for living people to see the display of the coffin. Some people start to feel some discomfort. In this case, you can curtain the mirrors in the room, but this is done not out of fear for the soul, but for the practical convenience of living people.
