When someone dies in the house, it is customary to cover all the reflective surfaces in the room with a cloth. There is a belief that the soul of a deceased person can get into a mirror or TV and remain forever in the other world without the opportunity to go to heaven. When can you start using TV again after a funeral?
Rules for the treatment of the deceased
After the death of a person, it is believed that he should be put on the table as soon as possible, since the feathers of the pillow bring great torment to the soul of the deceased. In the room with the deceased, it is imperative to close all the vents, windows and doors, and also restrict the entry of pets into it. The cat should not be allowed to jump on the deceased person. While the deceased is in the house, there should be a cup of water and a towel hanging on the window - the soul of the deceased needs them to wash.
The old people say that the deceased should not have his eyes open, because in this way death is looking out for a companion for the deceased.
After taking the coffin out of the house, you need to sweep and wash the floors, and after that, be sure to throw out the rag and broom. While the deceased is in the house, you cannot do cleaning - however, as well as wash. The lid of the coffin can only be hammered outside, as the sealing in the room heralds a new burial. All unnecessary accessories purchased for the funeral cannot be left in the house - all of them, down to the last, must be put in a coffin. The only caveat is that icons or crosses cannot be placed in the coffin intended for the crematorium, since this amounts to desecration and blasphemy.
Turn on the TV
Covering mirrors and television screens is an old tradition that has nothing to do with the Orthodox religion. It takes its origins from paganism, since it was previously believed that all reflective surfaces are able to draw in a soul that has just flown away. The soul trapped in the looking glass rushes about and cannot find peace - it is from this belief that the legends about restless ghosts appeared.
Modern funeral and burial rites include various components of folk cultures, of which Orthodoxy is an integral part.
Believers and clergymen argue that watching TV is equated with an amusement activity, which is not permissible during a period of mourning. However, not everyone adheres to this belief - most people start using the TV immediately after a funeral or after nine days. At the same time, the mirrors can remain veiled - and today the TV is a source of news that easily replaces the Internet, so it is easier for modern people to abandon its use and observe all funeral traditions.
