Kupala Night is one of the major folk holidays of the Eastern Slavs that coincides with the Christian feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist and the East Slavic feast of Saint John’s Eve. In folk tradition, it was revered as the day of the summer solstice and was originally celebrated on the shortest night of the year, which is on 21-22 or 23-24 of June [….] The name of the holiday is ultimately derived from the East Slavic word kǫpati “to bathe”.
A number of activities and rituals are associated with Kupala Night, such as gathering herbs and flowers and decorating people, animals, and houses with them; entering water, bathing, or dousing with water and sending garlands on water; lighting fires, dancing, singing, and jumping over fire; and hunting witches and scaring them away. It was also believed that on this day the sun plays and other wonders of nature happen. The celebrations are held near the water, on the hills, surrounding that; chiefly, young men and women participate in these folkloric traditions. The rituals and symbolism of the holiday may point to its pre-Christian origins.
By Post of Ukraine – http://www.stamp.kiev.ua/ukr/stamp/?p=1&fi=1&rubrID=12, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5277717
On Kupala Night, “bride and groom” were chosen and wedding ceremonies were conducted: they jumped over the fire holding hands, exchanged wreaths (symbol of maidenhood), looked for the fern flower and bathed in the morning dew. On this day, “village roads were plowed so that ‘matchmakers would come sooner’, or a furrow was plowed to a boy’s house so that he would get engaged faster.”
Wreath The wreath was a mandatory attribute of the amusements. It was made before the holiday from wild herbs and flowers. The ritual use of the Kupala wreath is also related to the magical understanding of its shape, which brings it closer to other round and perforated objects (ring, hoop, loaf, etc.). The customs of milking or sipping milk through the wreath, reaching and pulling something through the wreath, looking, pouring, drinking, washing through it are based on these attributes of the wreath.
The women are collecting herbs. By CenterOfCrafts – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=129940095 By Axlbillyrose – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=86910410 By Aliaksei Staliarou – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=100576668Wikipedia
Ivan Kupala Night / The Official Ukrainian Web Site
There is a beautiful and humorous article about Ivan Kupala Night on the Ukrainian web site ukraine.ua.
Ivan Kupala Night a mysterious celebration in search of luck
Can you imagine jumping over fire, divination, dancing, swimming, guessing, searching for a magic blooming plant that never existed, and all this stuff in the middle of the night? Looks like a quest, doesn’t it? Still, this is how Ukrainians celebrate Ivan Kupala Night, an extraordinary ancient holiday, beloved for its original traditions and rites.
How to organize your own Ivan Kupala Night celebration Ukrainian style?
Gather with your friends at the bank of a river and light up a fire.
Take a bath so that you can stay healthy and get rid of sins. Remember to be careful and don’t get caught by mermaids!
Jump over the bonfire with your partner. Get concentrated before jumping because stumbling is a really bad sign. Just don’t ask what that means!
Float a wreath that you’ve weaved out in the water. Strongly recommended for singles only. Otherwise, we are not responsible for the consequences of breaking the rule!
Try to find a blooming fern at night and let all your dreams turn into reality! Besides, you’ll be able to understand animals, become invisible and farseeing, unlock treasuries… In short, you’ll be almost almighty. The last rule is just don’t google if fern can bloom. You need to have some faith in it!
[ed. note: WLBOTT recommends the Kyiv Independent. Excellent news site.]
Ivana Kupala, Ukraine’s midsummer festival
These vibrant and enchanting traditions mark the celebration of Ivana Kupala that falls on June 24 (Julian calendar) or July 7 (Gregorian calendar). It’s a cherished and ancient holiday that has long been a significant part of Ukrainian culture, particularly in western and central parts of Ukraine, where the traditional rituals and festivities are more robustly observed.
Kupalo, the pagan god of earthly fruits, is associated with fertility, harvests, and the summer solstice in Slavic mythology. Ivana Kupala’s celebration, rooted in ancient pagan traditions, honors fire, water, and vegetation through rituals seeking purification, protection, health, fertility, and a bountiful harvest. The name “Kupala,” derived from “kupaty” (to bathe), reflects the water purification rituals central to the holiday.
Once dark, the herb and flower wreaths are sent adrift down the river, each adorned with a candle. Traditionally, unmarried women would interpret the fate of their love lives based on the wreaths’ paths: a floating wreath foretold of impending marriage, while a sinking one suggested a delay.
In traditional Slavic customs, young men would attempt to retrieve the wreaths from the water to capture a woman’s interest. This gesture was part of the festive atmosphere, highlighting rituals of fertility and courtship. It was a time when young men could display bravery and express their romantic intentions during social mingling and matchmaking rituals of the celebration.
The Christian church tried to suppress the Ivana Kupala tradition during the spread of Christianity in Eastern Europe, particularly from the 10th century onward. This effort aimed to replace pagan customs with Christian practices. The church’s influence led to the partial Christianization of the holiday by adding the prefix “Ivan,” in reference to St. John the Baptist, whose feast day is celebrated on June 24 (Julian calendar) or July 7 (Gregorian calendar). This blending of traditions is why the holiday is now referred to as “Ivana Kupala.”
How many people who have never participated in these pagan entertainments are prone to superstition and mythological ideas? The ground for this is our fallen nature, corrupted by sin.
– Hieromonk Iov
(Party Hardy, Dude!)
The Hieromonk
A hieromonk (Greek: Ἱερομόναχος, romanized: Ieromonachos; Georgian: მღვდელმონაზონი, romanized: mghvdelmonazoni; Slavonic: Иеромонахъ, Romanian: Ieromonah, Albanian: Hieromurg), also called a priestmonk, is a person who is both monk and priest in the Eastern Christian tradition.
In our own defense, it is difficult to discuss a pagan fertility ritual without touching upon some adult themes. Please rest assured that this BLOTT has been approved by the WLBOTT Ministry of Virtue and Vice.
Getting Hitched While there are many traditions that have unfortunately fallen to the wayside, the burning of Kupala figures is not one of them: men create dolls in the female form and women create the Kupala doll in the masculine form. At the end of the celebration the male doll is burned to ashes and the female doll is drowned. Once the male dolls have smouldered down to ashes, everyone grabs a handful to throw it on their fields for a fruitful harvest. Another variant is the burning of a very large straw man with large genitalia. The idea is that the bigger the ‘privates’ the better the crops resulting from its very fertile ground.
WLBOTT: There is a myth that on the celebration of Ivana Kupala, you must be wary of mermaids. What’s the story there?
Elder G: Ah, yes, the connection between Ivana Kupala and mermaids, or “rusalky” as they are often called in Slavic mythology, is a fascinating part of the holiday’s lore!
According to the myth, the rusalky are water nymphs or spirits who inhabit rivers, lakes, and forests, and during the time of Ivana Kupala (which is held around the summer solstice), their presence is particularly strong. These rusalky are said to be the spirits of young women who died tragically, often by drowning, and they are believed to be mischievous and even dangerous during this holiday.
On the night of Ivana Kupala it’s said that the veil between the human world and the spirit world is thin, allowing rusalky to come out from their watery homes. People are often warned to avoid the water during this time, as the rusalky are said to lure people, especially young men, into rivers or lakes, potentially drowning them.
However, not all stories paint them as malevolent. Some versions describe rusalky as more playful or even helpful, but still unpredictable. In some regions, they are viewed more as protectors of nature, watching over the forests and waters.
WLBOTT: There are so many humorous aspects to this holiday. One tradition says that a young woman will plow a single furrow to the front door of a young man, as a romantic gesture.
Elder G: That is such a quirky and charming tradition! It’s a bit like a symbolic way of “laying the groundwork” for romance—literally! I can just imagine a young woman determinedly plowing her way through fields, leaving everyone wondering who her chosen one will be. There’s a lot of humor in how such gestures mix romance and practical work.
WLBOTT: So, G. There’s a superstition surrounding the Ivana Kupala festival. There is a tradition that a young couple jump over a fire, holding hands. But if they stumble or their hands become loose, there is bad luck. Can you elaborate?
Elder G: Yes, this is one of the most well-known and symbolic traditions of Ivana Kupala. The act of jumping over the bonfire together, hand in hand, represents a test of love and unity for couples.
The superstition behind this tradition is quite fascinating. According to folklore, if the couple successfully makes the jump without stumbling and their hands stay tightly held together, it is seen as a sign that their relationship is strong, and they will remain together, happy, and blessed with good fortune. The fire symbolizes purification, and jumping over it is believed to cleanse the couple of any negative energies or obstacles in their relationship.
However, if they stumble, fall, or if their hands come apart during the jump, it’s considered a bad omen. This could mean that their relationship is weak or that they will face challenges, misfortune, or even the possibility of breaking up. In some variations of the superstition, it is believed that failing the jump means that the couple was not meant to be, and it could lead to separation.
References: Oh Grow Up
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