A hearth is a device or place for breeding and maintaining fire. Traditionally, it was located in an open area on the street or indoors. He has always been one of the main values for man and performed many functions.
Hearth at different nations of the world
According to archaeologists, the first foci were built by ancient people as early as 700 thousand years ago, when they began to use fire. Such devices were a round platform lined with stones. Around her, meetings and religious rites were held. Such places were sacred in different parts of the world.
In ancient Iran, the hearth is a large elongated vessel, among the Turkic tribes there is a triangular structure, tending one of the corners up, called "oshak", from this word the modern name came from. Nomadic tribes transported equipment for making a fire with them, cooked food on it and warmed from its heat.
Scandinavian nationalities and Slavs later used the hearth for the arrangement of baths and saunas. It has become an integral part of the home.
There was a traditional Russian stove in every hut. The resulting smoke exited through the opening of the furnace and went up, from where it began to look for a way out. At this time, he fumigated the hut. Finding a special window, the smoke was on the street. In this way, the hut was ventilated, heated, dampness did not accumulate in it, the air was cleaned. Such wooden dwellings could stand for more than 100 years because of this.
Among the peoples of the Caucasus, the hearth is the most honorable place; closer to it guests and senior family members were seated. The bride entered a new family, going around the hearth in a circle. There was faith in the spirit of the hearth, which should be protected, and in no case desecrate his home. In England, even now, many consider it a bad sign to touch someone else's hearth. This is avoided even by relatives and close ones.
Modern hearth
The development of the hearth led to the appearance of a fireplace. The hearth moved to one of the walls of the house or to its corner, was endowed with a chimney. This happened in the 12th century.
With the advent of the Renaissance, fireplaces became of interest to artists and art lovers. They began to be decorated with columns, mosaics, paintings, valuable types of stones. Accessories became more sophisticated and more diverse.
Today, a fireplace is an embodiment of warmth and coziness. He does not always already fulfill his initial functions and often becomes a decorative element, but interest in him is only growing.
Family hearth
Psychologists talk about the family as a single system in which there are parents, children, grandchildren. Ideally, she cares for each other, love and understanding. The family hearth is the warmth and comfort that dominate the house. From time immemorial, a woman was considered his guardian, whose mission is to preserve peace and harmony.
The home is a special energy center in the house. It can be a place where all family members gather to share their sorrows and joys, ask for advice, listen to each other, and feel happy.
The tradition of transferring the family hearth during the wedding ceremony is preserved: the parents of the bride and groom give them their warmth and best wishes in the form of a symbol - a large lit candle. They bless the newlyweds with parting words, how to preserve the relationship. It is customary to keep the candle carefully, sometimes lighting it so that the flame of love never goes out.