Текст № 8. Seven (семь) is a nice, mystical number

Seven (семь) is a nice, mystical number. There are seven days of creation, seven virtues, seven deadly sins, seven heavens. Long ago, people believed there were seven planets and seven main arteries in the body.

Russia is part of the sacred seven set. Some семь expressions are from other cultures, such as седьмое небо (seventh heaven). The expression за семью замками/печатями (behind seven locks/seals) is from the Book of Revelations. This is used to refer, either seriously or humorously, to something inaccessible or hidden.

But in other Russian expressions the sacredness of seven seems to have dissipated over the centuries. In many cases, "seven" just means "many." For example, a person with a more mundane profession than wizardry might describe the family business with the expression до седьмого колена (going back many generations, literally "until the seventh knee"). The expression до седьмого пота (literally "to seven sweats") means to do something to the point of exhaustion.

The expression семь пятниц на неделе - "a week of seven Fridays" - refers to people who constantly break their word or change their minds. The origin remains obscure; it may be connected with traditional Friday market days and, in this explanation, the traditional propensity of traders to go back on their word.

Do you know any other phrases that contain the word "seven"?