The Power of Curtains
I have this thing about curtains being left closed during the day. My husband has a habit of forgetting to open them, if he’s in a hurry to get ready to go to work. If I don’t go back into the bedroom then they remain shut all day. On finding the curtains still drawn a chill runs through my bones, and makes me feel quite ill. Of course, this is an irrational feeling, they are after all just two pieces of material.
From the beginning of time when humans first lived in caves through to more modern times we have used some form of suspended material to shut out the cold, be it animal hides or tapestry panels or sheets of cloth. These were used for privacy, warmth, and decoration, and as well as creating dividers to separate areas within a large space. The word ‘Curtains’ carries a darker meaning too.
To actors it means ‘the death of a show‘ the final act before the curtain comes down and they are out of work. This has moved into every day life as we watch the curtains move slowly around the coffin after we have all said our final goodbyes at a funeral of a loved one.
A spot of bad luck brings the statement… “It’s curtains for him.” This seem strange that something so cosy and domestic as drawing the curtains at the end of the day has the undertone of sadness, something so final. To dream of curtains have hidden meanings too. If you dream you’re closing them then you’re concealing something, or something is being hidden from you. Opening curtains represent an invitation for opportunities to come your way.
As a child, I recall my grandmother saying that curtains left closed was a way of telling your neighbours that there has been a death in the family. I’m guessing it was something left over from the First World War, when news had arrived from the front line to say that a family member had died. Maybe closing the curtains became the quickest way of letting your neighbours know, Now isn’t a good time to drop in for a chat.
What are your thoughts on finding you have forgotten to open your curtains?
