Today I want to take a look at one of the unusual Victorian mourning traditions. In many homes, when someone had died mirrors were covered with black cloth.
Now you may ask yourself, why? Well, there were several reasons for this. Some people believed that a soul could actually become trapped in a mirror before it had been able to pass on. Another belief was that if it was left uncovered it could let demons into your home, also that should you looked in the mirror you would be next to die. Others thought that to see your own reflection while you were grieving was a sign of vanity and that it distracted from remembering the person who had died. Grieving was taken very seriously during the Victorian Era and unlike today when we want to make grief easier and lighter. It seems to me that Victorian society often wanted you to prove how grief stricken you were. Society actually judged you for it. It is really sad in a way that at a time when you are vulnerable, Victorian society could still find a way to measure it.
Not every Victorian family followed this tradition, and it was never an official rule. But, it became well known, especially in households that observed strict mourning customs.
Whether it was based on superstition, religion, or simply respect for the dead, covering mirrors became a part of Victorian mourning.
Had you ever heard of this before?
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