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Covering mirrors at night. Weird, right? Well, that’s what I thought until one evening, wrapped in the coziness of a friend’s old, dimly lit living room, the conversation veered into the unexpected territory of nighttime rituals. s a person who has spent many a night binging on series until my eyes pleaded for mercy, the idea of my nightly ritual becoming all the more palpable in the form of mirror-covered walls was a bit of a spine-tingling one.
But, as it turns out, this practice isn’t as bizarre as you may think at first (as I was), and it’s steeped in a rich tapestry of cultural and superstitious backgrounds. In many cultures around the globe, mirrors are more than just reflective surfaces for checking out your outfit or fixing your hair. They are considered conduits, or gateways to another world. By covering a well’s opening at night, we can keep unwanted spirits from slipping through to our world. Think for a moment of lying in bed and wondering if another set of eyes watched you from the other side of that glass. The shivers are getting to you, aren’t they? This whole topic honestly makes me feel soooo uneasy it’s insane!!
This conversation sparked my curiosity, so I decided to dig deeper into why people do this interesting thing. Here’s what I found:
Cultural and Superstitious Background
In many traditions, mirrors are believed to reflect not just our physical appearance but also our souls. This concept supports the idea that, while we sleep we let down our spiritual guard. So to cover mirrors is an action aimed at preserving your spirit against attacks and influences from outside. It’s about keeping your soul inside your body, where it belongs, safely tucked away rather than wandering off into the mirror and getting lost — or worse, swapped.
During periods of mourning, it’s common in several cultures to cover mirrors in the house. The theory behind it is avoiding their spirit being trapped in the mirror. Or, some say, to stop the living seeing the reflection of their dead one. It’s also a gesture to move from the external to the internal and to consider the grieving process, rather than looks.
This mirror-covering ritual is intertwined with the idea of balancing the energy within a space. In the realm of Feng Shui, mirrors are powerful tools. They can double the energy of whatever they reflect. At night, when you’re trying to wind down, having a mirror reflect your resting body might amplify energy in a way that’s not conducive to restful sleep. Covering the mirror can be seen as a way to maintain harmony and tranquility in the bedroom environment. This one is kinda okay for me, and doesn’t scare me. Haha!
Practical Reasons for Covering Mirrors
Apart from these mystical and spiritual reasons, there are also practical considerations that might lead someone to cover mirrors at night. For one, it could simply be about reducing light reflection. In our modern world, where even the smallest electronic devices emit some form of light. A mirror can amplify this light, making it harder to achieve complete darkness for optimal sleep. Now this I can relate to and can get behind this reason. I really don’t like any light during the night when I’m trying to sleep, so maybe I could cover them for this reason. Maybe..
Then there’s the psychological aspect. Seeing your reflection unexpectedly in the middle of the night can be startling, to say the least. A covered mirror eliminates this possibility. It helps to create a more serene and undisturbed sleeping environment.
Is It a Common Thing?
So, do many people put something over their mirrors at night? Granted, it may not be as universal as, say, brushing one’s teeth before bed, but it is more common than you might think. The custom transcends cultural barriers, and exists in some form or another in different regions across the globe.
Whether it’s a spiritual, emotional, or practical choice, the practice of covering mirrors at night edges onto a deeply universal human experience. It’s the search for a safe place to peacefully lay our heads.
Intrigued by my findings and the stories I’d heard, I decided to give it a try myself. I’ll admit, the first few nights felt odd, almost like I was acknowledging the presence of something unseen. But soon, it became another part of my nighttime routine, like turning off the lights or setting my alarm.
Whether it’s the power of suggestion or not, I can’t deny there’s a certain peace in knowing that, at least for the night, what’s in the mirror stays in the mirror. I’m not saying that I’m going to do it more often because mirrors are okay for me just the way they are, but well, it didn’t hurt to try. So, why not…
Whether you really believe in these ideas or just want to sleep better, covering mirrors can feel surprisingly soothing. It might seem strange at first, but in the calm of the night, it could make more sense. I don’t know. Why not try it and see for yourself? But I honestly just wish that I never even found out about any of i. I wish I had gone my whole life without staying at a friend’s house with normal mirrors, no covering and no feeling scared!
Once you dive into one nighttime ritual, it’s hard not to explore others – like why people put bay leaves under their pillow. The meaning behind it might just surprise you.
