Flowers?

[Edward M Dumanis]

On Fri, 17 Feb 1995, Jerry Ervin wrote:

> Has anyone else ever heard of the custom of ensuring that, when taking
> flowers on visiting a Russian home, one should take an _odd_ number
> of flowers for good luck?  (Some Russians I've talked to swear they've
> never heard of it; but others are equally sure it's
> quite common. What's the collective experience of SEELANGers?)
>
> Thanks
>
> --Jerry Ervin
> Ohio State Universit (emeritus)
>

I cannot provide you with a collective experience but only with my own
personal experience of more than 30 years living in Moscow.

I do not know the origin of the tradition but it is true that people
bring even number of flowers only when going to a cemetery or a memorial
service.  I remember my surprise when a friend of mine brought an odd
number of flowers visiting his mother's grave but he replied that he
wanted to continue to think of his mother as alive.