Setting: A cold afternoon in Moscow. Mikhail and Yura, two old friends, are meeting at Mikhail’s apartment for tea and a catch-up. Yura arrives with a box of pastries.
Mikhail: (opening the door with a grin) Yura! You brought something? What is it?
Yura: Just some ponchiki from that new place near the metro. Here, take it.
Mikhail: (alarmed, backing away) Wait! Don’t hand it to me across the threshold!
Yura: (pauses mid-handover) Oh no. Not this again.
Mikhail: I’m serious! Step inside first. You know it’s bad luck to pass things through the doorway.
Yura: Misha, it’s minus ten outside. My ears are freezing, and you’re worried about invisible spirits loitering on your doorstep?
Mikhail: Not just spirits. Conflict. Misunderstanding. Every Russian babushka knows this. You pass something through the threshold, you invite trouble.
Yura: And how, exactly, does the universe detect that a bag of pastries crossed the threshold and decide, “Right, now it’s time to ruin Mikhail’s week”?
Mikhail: It’s not the universe—it’s tradition. These customs are like warnings. They’ve survived centuries for a reason.
Yura: Yes, so did leech therapy and the belief that Earth is the center of the universe. Doesn’t mean they’re right.
Mikhail: Look, two years ago, I shook hands with my cousin across the door. The next day we argued over something stupid, and we didn’t speak for months.
Yura: That’s called being human, not haunted. You probably had unresolved tension already. Did you also sneeze that morning? Maybe sneezing causes arguments too?
Mikhail: Don’t joke! These things are connected in subtle ways.
Yura: Okay, Mr. Mystical Moscow. What about when you passed me a beer at the dacha over the fence last summer?
Mikhail: Yeah, and then you slipped and fell into the barbecue pit later. I rest my case.
Yura: I fell because you left a garden rake on the path like in a cartoon. Not because of cursed beer exchanges!
Mikhail: Yura, I’m just saying—it doesn’t hurt to respect traditions. Maybe they don’t make sense to you, but they’re part of who we are.
Yura: And I respect our culture. I really do. But blind belief can be dangerous. What if your superstition stops you from helping someone in need, just because they’re standing in the wrong place?
Mikhail: Huh. That’s… a fair point.
Yura: Look, if passing things through a doorway caused doom, supermarkets would be ground zero for spiritual warfare. Ever seen a checkout lane?
Mikhail: (laughs) Okay, that’s a funny image. Evil spirits at aisle three.
Yura: Exactly. So, can I give you the ponchiki now or do I need to file a spiritual safety clearance?
Mikhail: (smirking) Just step inside, you smartass.
Yura: Fine. (steps in dramatically) There. I’m safe. You’re safe. The pastries are safe. Happy now?
Mikhail: Happier than a babushka with fresh blini.
Yura: Then let’s have some tea. But next time, I’m bringing science books, not donuts.
Mikhail: Just don’t pass them to me through the door.
Yura: Deal. I’ll throw them through the window instead.
Science Vs Superstition 
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