Ivan Kupala Day is one of the most beloved Christian Slavic holidays. On the eve, on the night before Ivan's Day, public festivities were held with many rituals, ritual acts and games.
What date is Ivan Kupala Day celebrated, and where does this name come from? Previously, in pre-Christian times, the holiday was held on the summer solstice - June 22, and had a different name. Belarusians, for example, called him Sobotki. Then, with the advent of Christianity, it began to be celebrated on the birthday of John the Baptist, 06.22 old style. In connection with the refusal of the transition of the Russian Orthodox Church to a new style, this date was postponed to July 7, thereby losing its astronomical significance.
And on what day does Ivan Kupala celebrate in other countries? Earlier on this date, the holiday was arranged almost throughout Europe. Today, the tradition has been preserved in Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, where it also takes place on July 7. But the Finns, for example, celebrate the day of Ivan Kupala on June 22, like our ancestors.
It is not hard to guess where the name came from, if you recall how John the Baptist baptized people. He dipped them three times into the waters of the Jordan River. “Bathed,” in other words. There is also a version that there was such a Slavic god Kupala, but it does not have confirmation, because until the 17th century there was no mention of him. In addition, the name reflects one of the main rites associated with this holiday - swimming in a pond and dew.
So how was Ivan Kupala celebrated this day? The central place in the rites was given to water, fire and plants: flowers, herbs, berries, trees.
It all began the evening of the previous day. Before sunset, peasants bathed in a nearby body of water (river, lake, pond) or in a bathhouse if the water temperature was too low. Then they girded with herbs, of which, with the addition of flowers and roots, weaved wreaths, after which, before sunset, huge bonfires were made on the banks of the rivers. For different peoples, the details of the festival were somewhat different, but the general outline remained. In addition, everywhere until this day it was forbidden to swim and eat cherries.
Girls and boys holding hands jumped over the fire. If at the same time their hands remained fastened, and even after that sparks flew from the fire, then there was no doubt that the couple would live happily ever after. Jumping over a fire with a “stranger” guy or girl was equated with treason.
There were many more rituals held on Ivan Kupal Day. Among them is the search for a fern flower, which, according to legend, blooms only one night a year. Anyone who finds it will learn to see all the underground treasures, understand the language of animals and birds and open the castles of any treasures of the world.
On this unusual night, herbs were harvested, given to sprinkle with dew, then dried and used for a year for healing and magical purposes. In the morning dew they tried to "swim" themselves, they collected it and used it later for protection from evil spirits.
As for the evil spirits, it was especially strong that night (as our ancestors believed). Therefore, they organized “kupala excesses”: they stole various utensils, carts, barrels from neighbors from the yards, then dragged them onto the road or piled on the roof, drowned something, burned something. Initially, this was done for “protective” purposes, in order to protect oneself from unclean forces, to deceive them and to knock them off the track, then they no longer remembered this value, but simply “taunted” it at their own pleasure.
After the dawn came, the festivities ended with round dances around the Kupalsky tree with its subsequent burning. Sunrise was watched with great attention, because there was a belief that it “plays” on Midsummer Day: it changes its location, color. Only a true righteous man could see this, or one who faces an imminent death or some epoch-making event in life.