One of the most anticipated and beloved summer holidays is Ivan Kupala’s Day, or Ivan’s Day. This ancient Russian holiday, combining pagan and Christian traditions. Ivan Kupala Day is celebrated on the night of July 6-7, Christians celebrated the Nativity of Ivan the Baptist, and pagans celebrated the summer solstice. The onset of the Kupala night is always associated with magical beliefs – it is on this night that the fern begins to bloom, the herbs are filled with miraculous power (they “fumigate” the sick, fight evil spirits), the trees move from one place to another, and the animals begin to talk among themselves. How to meet the day of Ivan Kupala in modern society and spend it, according to ancient traditions?
How to celebrate the holiday of Ivan Kupala
You can meet the holiday of Ivan Kupala only in nature, in the countryside. If you are a city dweller, then you can celebrate in city parks, but this does not reflect the full scale and authenticity of the ancient holiday. It is better to leave the city, visit your friends or relatives who spend the summer in the country. This holiday is very fond of children, so spending such a short family vacation will be a good rest after hard working days.
On Kupala night you can find out your future, this day is especially awaited by young, unmarried girls. An old belief says that if a girl runs naked around a rye field three times at night, she will be able to bewitch her beloved.
Also, for girls on the night of July 6-7, a wreath should become an obligatory decoration. It needs to be “woven” from the flowers of Ivan da Marya, burdock, bear’s ear and Mother of God grass. These wreaths with lit candles or splinter girls should be lowered down the river, whose wreath will immediately sink, which means that the betrothed has fallen out of love with the girl, and she will not marry him. And whoever has a candle or a splinter will burn longer, that girl will live a long life.
How to celebrate the holiday of Ivan Kupala
Another way to find out if a girl will get married is to pick up various herbs without looking at midnight and put them under the pillow. In the morning, the girl should examine the plucked plants, if there are 12 varieties, then she will get married this year.
Kupala night, the shortest and according to popular belief, you can’t sleep on such a night, since all evil spirits come to life and become very active: goblin, witches, water, snakes and sorcerers. To protect yourself from the attack of witches, nettles are placed on the windowsill and at the threshold of the door in the house. Protection from thieves will be given by the Ivan da Marya flower, it must be spread out in all corners of the house, then intruders will not penetrate it.
You can protect yourself from diseases and ailments if in the morning, on the day of Ivan Kupala, you walk through the dew.
The main event of the Kupala night is the flowering of the fern. Its flowering is associated with treasures that can be found by seeing the opening fern.
How to celebrate the holiday of Ivan Kupala
Ivanov is celebrated by numerous water rites, but it is worth being sharply bathing in the water, because the “birthday man” that night is very dissatisfied that so many people are invading his kingdom. With the especially careless, he can be very harsh and can drown them.
Also, not a single celebration of the Kupala night takes place without lighting fires and undergoing “cleansing” rites. It is believed that fire cleanses the soul from envy, and the body from diseases. They dance around the fires, dance and jump over them. Whoever jumps higher and more successfully will live a happy life.
In some villages, in order to protect cattle from diseases and pestilence, they drove through such cleansing fires. Mothers take off and throw the clothes of sick children into the fire so that all diseases and misfortunes burn out. Children and young people are sure to play burners, catch up, arrange various noisy fun games, sing Russian folk songs.
