Despite the amazing development of science, faith in omens and superstitions lives and lives in modern society. Someone is afraid of a black cat, someone is afraid of cracks in the asphalt. Many adults flatly find themselves celebrating their 40th birthday, citing the bad consequences for the birthday person.
The number 40 is special for many cultures. In Judaism and Christianity, it is associated with key events. That is how many days the Great Flood and the temptation of Christ in the wilderness lasted, the same number of years it took for Moses to bring his people to the promised land. According to believers, the soul wanders around the earth for forty days before being assigned to heaven or hell. In general, the associations, at first glance, are the most unpleasant. They add fuel to the fire of esotericism, for which the four in the Tarot deck is made up of the numbers denoting the number forty, that is, four and zero. And the number four, in turn, promises death. All this noticeably affects some people and makes them wait for illnesses and misfortunes after the celebrated fortieth anniversary.
Are there real, earthly reasons to be afraid of this age? In a sense, yes. If you remember how short the life of our ancestors was, it is not surprising that the exchange of the fifties really spoke of approaching the brink of the grave. This observation is supported by the fact that the initially discussed sign concerned only men, because women were not so long ago recognized as creatures with a soul. And the onset of old age worried only full-fledged members of a patriarchal society. The church today is unanimous in its opinion: the fear of the fortieth anniversary is pure superstition. To postpone or cancel the holiday because of him is regarded as a sin. Moreover, the same Bible is full of other connections with the number forty. After the Flood and the long wanderings of the Jews, a new, pure life began. After trials in the wilderness, Christ was able to rise again by being crucified. There are also more everyday details. King David's reign lasted forty years. Solomon built a temple forty cubits wide.
But what if those around you still set the birthday boy in a negative mood? The simplest thing is to tell them another reason for the party, that is, seeing off the 39th year of life. Or celebrate the holiday only with understanding people. In the end, psychologists have repeatedly come to the conclusion that a person is able to program himself for involuntary self-destruction. And if he believes in bad omens, they can really bring misfortune. But strong personalities do not care about signs.
