Slavic traditions on Ivan Kupala. Everything about the holiday of Ivan Kupala: from the history of occurrence to traditions and rituals

Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov

And Ivan Kupala (I and K uppercase), Ivan Kupala (Kupala), pl. no, husband. The Orthodox have a holiday on June 24 of the old style, dedicated to the so-called. John the Baptist. Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov

- (Midsummer Day) an ancient holiday of the summer solstice (June 24, old style) among the Eastern Slavs. Ivan Kupala is the popular nickname of John the Baptist, with the legend of which the church connected agricultural folk rituals designed to ensure the harvest ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

See Kupala. (Source: "Myths of the peoples of the world.") ... Encyclopedia of mythology

Exist., number of synonyms: 2 Ivanov's Day (4) bathed (5) ASIS Synonym Dictionary. V.N. Trishin. 2013 ... Synonym dictionary

Exist., Number of synonyms: 1 holiday (133) ASIS Synonym Dictionary. V.N. Trishin. 2013 ... Synonym dictionary

See Midsummer. * * * IVAN KUPALA IVAN KUPALA (Midsummer Day), an ancient holiday of the summer solstice (June 24, old style) among the Eastern Slavs. Ivan Kupala is the popular nickname of John the Baptist, with the legend of which the church connected ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

IVAN KUPALA- An ancient pagan (see paganism *) agricultural holiday, also Ivanov's day and the day of the summer (see summer *) solstice, that is, the longest day and the shortest night of the year. Celebrated June 24th. The holiday was spread under various ... ... Linguistic Dictionary

Ivan Kupalo, an ancient folk religious magical agricultural holiday (aka Ivan's Day; June 24, old style). It was distributed under various names among many peoples of Europe, including the Slavs. Bathed folk ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Ivan Kupala- see Kupala ... Popular dictionary of the Russian language

Books

• About outfits and rituals, Kirillov Ivan Borisovich. Folk holidays are the legacy of our ancestors. Once upon a time, people believed that with the help of rituals one could solve economic problems and attract good luck. The revival of holiday traditions...
• Evenings on a farm near Dikanka, Nikolai Gogol. "Sorochinsky Fair", "The Night Before Christmas", "Terrible Revenge", "The Tale of How Ivan Ivanovich Quarreled with Ivan Nikiforovich" - the best of Gogol's early stories - fantastic and ...

Ivan Kupala (Ivan's Day) - the ancient holiday of the summer solstice among the Eastern Slavs is celebrated on the night of July 6-7 (June 24, old style). This night is considered magical: the herbs come into force, the time for divination comes. The history of the holiday of Ivan Kupala is rooted in the depths of millennia. So Kupala is perhaps one of the most ancient holidays.

Look, Petro, you have ripened just in time: tomorrow is Ivan Kupala. Only this night in the year the ferns bloom. Don't miss!

N. V. Gogol "Evening on the Eve of Ivan Kupala"

According to legend, Kupala, who was carried away by the Sirin bird from his sister Kostroma in early childhood, raised his sister's wreath, sailing past on a boat, and according to custom, they were supposed to get married. Kostroma did not recognize her own brother. And only after the wedding, the bride and groom realized that they were brother and sister. Then they decided to commit suicide and drowned themselves in the river. Kostroma turned into a mermaid (mavka), and the sky god Vyshen took pity on Kupala and turned it into a flower Kupala da Mavka, later called Ivan da Marya.

Pavlovich- Fl'orchuk Oksana.

Night on Ivan Kupala is a summer holiday, when wreaths are weaved and floated along the river, they tell fortunes and jump over the fire. It is easy and fun for everyone on Kupala, the evil spirits are expelled, burned down, opening the way for carefree joy, games and round dances. Kupala is celebrated in the forest, and all its inhabitants, including goblin, also join the general dances and fortune-telling. Kupala night is simultaneously shrouded in mystery, suspense and the presence of another world, and at the same time it is one of the noisiest and most lively days of the pagan calendar.

Tomashevsky V.

In the old days, mothers burned the clothes of sick children on Kupala bonfires in order to burn the diseases themselves with it. The dew that fell on Ivan's Day was considered healing. They washed themselves with it to get rid of diseases. Popular belief says that on the night of Ivan Kupala, magical gaps bloom - grass and fern, capable of indicating buried treasures.

Svetlana Glebova. "On the Night of Ivan Kupala". Batik.

It has long been customary to guess at Ivan Kupala with the help of a variety of objects or plants. On a warm magical night, divination by Ivan Kupala and love spells are especially successful.

Fortune telling by wreath

Having let the wreath down the river, they observe how it behaves. A sinking wreath was a bad omen: "The wreath drowned - dear deceived." If the wreath unraveled, stretched out into a chain or broke up into separate flowers, it means that the girl is not destined to get married this year. If he was washed ashore, do not expect a wedding in the near future. The farther and longer the wreath floats, the faster the girl will marry.

Vyshinsky Vadim. "Morning, the day of Ivan Kupala."

Divination by the fire

On the festive night of Ivan Kupala, they make a big fire and jump over it. If the flame does not touch the jumper, it is a favorable sign, foreshadowing the girls - a quick and happy marriage, the guys - good luck in business and love.

Fortune telling on chamomile

Pour water into a wide and shallow container. Place two stemless chamomile flowers in it. If the flowers float in different directions - from each other - the lovers will part. If they continue to swim side by side, you will be together all your life.

Lyashko Ekaterina Vladimirovna

Divination in circles on the water

Water is poured into a wide and deep bowl. At sunset, they whisper their desire to the water and throw a small pebble. If the number of circles on the water is even, the wish will come true, if it is odd, the wish will not come true.

Divination by birch branches

Pick seven small birch branches (about the same length). Mix them together. Without looking, choose one. Which branch you pull out, this will be your future - even and smooth or curved and with tubercles-obstacles.

E. Kurbala. "On the Night of Ivan Kupala". Triptych.

From Agrafena to Ivan, he collected grass in the night.
Tomorrow you will swim.
Weave a wreath for me...
Strawberries are ripening, red girls are calling to the forest.

Tomorrow you will swim.
Will you come to the fire tomorrow?
Blossomed "fire-color" playing with lights in the dark.
Tomorrow you will swim.
Tomorrow I will come to the river!
Sergey Sofer.

Boris Olshansky. Night at Ivan Kupala.

The ancient pagan holiday Kupalo is a great day of purification with water and fire that takes place on the summer solstice. The word "kupalo" means a hot, ardent, boiling creature, which means the sun. This day of the pagan deity coincided with the Christian holiday - the Nativity of John the Baptist - St. John the Baptist. This coincidence and merging of holidays led to a change in the name of the holiday - Ivan Kupala.

Nicholas Speransky. Kupala round dance 1992

A love legend is associated with the image of the deity.

Separated in childhood from his own sister, Kupalo, not knowing that this was his own blood, subsequently married her. And it ended tragically: brother and sister committed suicide by drowning themselves. Hence the erotic nature of the holiday. It was believed that after going through all this, a person is cleansed. To bring themselves into the right state, the pagan Slavs drank special decoctions of herbs. On this day, the day of harvest, a fire of sacrificial herbs was lit, and everyone, without exception, regardless of gender and age, danced around this fire with songs. It is interesting that a kind of sacrifice was made to the god Kupala: bathing.

Semyon Kozhin. Fortune telling on wreaths.

There is an opinion that witches celebrate their holiday on Ivan Kupala. It consists in intensifying the infliction of evil on people. It was believed that the witches kept water boiled with the ashes of the Kupala fire, splashing herself with it on Ivan Kupala, the witch could easily fly wherever she wanted. According to the beliefs of the peasants, on the Kupala, the shortest night, you can’t sleep, as all evil spirits come to life and become especially active - witches, werewolves, mermaids, snakes, sorcerers, brownies, water spirits, goblin.

Kupala night: customs

From the Carpathians to the north of Rus', on the night of July 6-7, everyone celebrated this mystical, mysterious,
but at the same time, the wild and cheerful day of Ivan Kupala. Ivan's day is filled with rituals associated with water. Swimming on Ivan's Day is a nationwide custom, but in some regions the peasants considered such bathing dangerous, since on this day the birthday man is a water man himself, who cannot stand it when people climb into his kingdom, and takes revenge on them by drowning any careless.

V. Korolkov.

The main feature of the Kupala night is the cleansing bonfires. They danced around them, jumped over them: whoever is more successful and taller will be happier. In some places, livestock was driven through the Kupala fire to protect it from pestilence. In Kupala bonfires, mothers burned shirts taken from sick children so that diseases would burn along with this linen. Young people and children, jumping over the fires, arranged noisy fun games and races. Be sure to play in the burners.

Vsevolod Ivanov. The night before the Kupala holiday.

On this day, they throw a wreath of birch into the river: if it drowns - death, if it swims - to get married, if it is washed ashore - to be unmarried. There is also a custom to take a steam bath with Ivan da Marya flowers and eat kutya, which was boiled from barley and seasoned with oil. In pre-revolutionary Russia, Ivan Kupala was one of the most revered and important holidays of the year, the entire population took part in it, and the tradition required the active inclusion of each participant in the celebration in all rituals and the obligatory implementation of a number of rules, prohibitions and customs.

Heinrich Semiradsky. Night at Ivan Kupala.

Even Simeon of Polotsk in the 17th century. wrote about the faith of the people that the sun jumps and plays on the days of Kupala. Ethnographers recorded many beliefs that on the day of Ivan Kupala and on Peter's Day "the sun plays at sunrise, shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow, jumps, plunges into the water and reappears." The same ideas are expressed in the Kupala songs: “The sun played early on Ivan ...”; "The sun is going down grae ...".

I. I. Sokolov. Night at Ivan Kupala. 1856.

Observations of the "playing" sun continued until St. Peter's Day (Kupala), which should obviously be considered as the day of farewell to the sun, gradually decreasing after the summer solstice. There was a custom to "guard the sun." In the evening, capturing food, youth, and in the first half of the 19th century. and elderly peasants, went to the hill, where they walked all night, lit fires and waited for the sunrise to see the play of the sun.

Vsevolod Ivanov. Senich. June.

And in other countries...

The holiday of Ivan Kupala is inherent in many Slavic peoples. In Poland it is known as Sobotki, in Ukraine - Kupalo or Kupailo, in Lithuania - as Lado. Some peoples celebrate the so-called Dew Day, others dress up willows and dance round dances around it, others climb a high mountain and arrange a grand witch's rally there.

In Lithuania, Midsummer Day is celebrated as the summer solstice and falls on June 24th. There is a belief that on this shortest night of the year, plants and water acquire the miraculous ability to cure all diseases and increase the fertility of the earth. People burn bonfires, float wreaths along the river and go into the forest in search of a fern flower.

Vera Donskaya - Khilko. Night of Ivan Kupala. 2005

The Japanese believe that the Great River (Milky Way) flows around the firmament, on the opposite banks of which stand a loving man and woman. They strive for each other, but only once a year, on July 7, when the Great River becomes shallow, they can ford it and meet. This day the Japanese revere as a big holiday - the holiday of the Star.

The end of June for the Spaniards is the time of the fight against witches. The night of sacred fires, magic and omens begins in Spain from 23 to 24 June. Bonfires are lit all over Spain, hostesses bake a festive coca cake and cava champagne flows like a river.

Peder Severin Kroyer. Bonfire of St. John on the beach of Skagen.1903.

An unforgettable celebration takes place in the mountain village of Isil. On the night of San Juan, almost half of Spain and France come there (the rest of the time, 30 people live in the village of Isil). Men build a fire on a big mountain, dance around it, and then go downstairs, where they have fun until the morning: they drink, sing songs, dance and play.

By the way, mermaids are also found in foreign reservoirs, but their name is somewhat different. In Greece, these are sirens, in Serbia - pitchforks (winged beauties that can kill with a glance), in Germany - undines, in Ireland - merrows, sometimes coming ashore in the form of small horses.

Ivan Kupala: signs

beauty recipe.
You need a clean tablecloth, with which you need to go to the meadow early in the morning. In the meadow, a tablecloth is dragged over wet grass, and then squeezed into a prepared container, the face and hands are washed with dew in order to drive away any disease and so that there are no blackheads or pimples on the face. Dew serves not only for health, but also for cleanliness in the house: Kupala dew is sprinkled on beds and walls of the house so that bugs and cockroaches are not found.

Checking the spouse.
On the night before Ivan Kupala, the girls lower wreaths with lighted splinter or candles on the river waves, curl wreaths of Ivan da Marya, burdock, Mother of God herb and bear's ear. If the wreath sinks immediately, it means that the betrothed has fallen out of love and cannot marry him. Whoever's wreath floats the longest will be the happier of all, and whoever's splinter burns out the longest, she will live a long, long life!

Attack defense.
On Midsummer Night, witches become more dangerous, and therefore nettles should be placed on the threshold and on the windowsills to protect yourself from their attacks.

Burglary protection.
If that night you pick a flower of Ivan da Marya and put it in the corners of the hut, the thief will not come to the house: brother and sister (yellow and purple flowers of the plant) will talk to each other, and it will seem to the thief that the owners are talking in the house.

The first mention of the celebration of the so-called Ivanov's day are found in the sources of the XII century. This holiday was allegedly celebrated in honor of the deity Kupala, who personified the flowering of nature and was "responsible" for the harvest.

According to another version, there was no deity: the ancient Russian pagans simply celebrated the days of the summer solstice, which was accompanied by merrymaking and bathing. And the chronicler, who compiled the Gustyn Chronicle in the 17th century, took the name of the holiday for the name of a pagan deity.

With the introduction of Christianity in Rus', many pagan holidays survived, but were transformed. So it happened with the day of Kupala. The fact is that on the same day the Nativity of John the Baptist was celebrated. Their names were simply connected, and a new holiday appeared - in honor of "Ivan Kupala".

The rituals that accompanied the festival were called so - bathing. The main role in them was played by water, fire and herbs. For example, girls on this day threw wreaths into the water, and then guessed from them whether they would soon have a betrothed.

The night on Ivan Kupala was considered especially important. The youth lit bonfires that night and then danced around them. It was also customary to jump over a fire: it was believed that the higher you jump, the happier you will be. Shortly before dawn, an effigy of wood and straw was burned - it personified the dark beginning. Women whose children were ill took off their shirts, brought them to the Kupala fire and threw them into the flames in order to "burn" the disease. It was also customary to throw bunches of nettles into the fire - according to legend, this warded off evil spirits.

There was a belief among Russian peasants that on the night of Ivan's Day everything around becomes alive: trees can move from place to place, and animals begin to speak human language ... Herbs are filled with a special, miraculous power - healing and protective. Herbs and flowers collected on the Kupala night were taken out of the house in the morning so that they were saturated with morning dew. After that, they were dried and stored at home. If someone fell ill in the house, he was fumigated with Kupala grass. During a thunderstorm, Kupala herbs were thrown into a burning stove so that lightning would not strike the house.

The holiday of Ivan Kupala has been known to us since childhood. The celebration is dedicated to the dawn of nature, the victory of light over darkness and the summer solstice. This day is accompanied by a huge number of traditions and folk rituals.

The history of the holiday

The history of the origin of the holiday goes back to the time when the Slavs worshiped idols and pagan gods. According to some historians, the name "Kupala" comes from the name of a pagan deity, while others argue that there was no such name, and the name is associated with the rites performed on this day.

Before the advent of the Gregorian calendar, mass festivities were held just on the day of the summer solstice on June 20–22. When the modern calendar was adopted, the holiday began to fall on July 7 (June 24, according to the old style).

With the advent of Christianity, the church tried to replace the pagan holiday with an Orthodox one. On this day they began to celebrate the Nativity of John the Baptist. Nevertheless, folk traditions and rituals could not be eradicated, but the name has changed. Since that time, the holiday began to be called the day of Ivan Kupala.

Who is John the Baptist

John the Baptist was born into the family of a Jewish priest on July 7 (June 24, old style). He is considered a prophet who predicted the coming of the Messiah. He was called the Baptist due to the fact that it was he who baptized Jesus Christ in the Jordan River.

Whose national holiday

Traditionally, the holiday was celebrated by Eastern and Western Slavs. Now in many countries the customs of evening festivities on the night of Ivan Kupala have been preserved. This celebration is celebrated by Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Balts and residents of a number of European countries. In many powers, the holiday is considered both national and church and is called differently.

How the holiday of Ivan Kupala was celebrated in Rus'

Initially, the holiday was celebrated as a day of admiration for the sun and nature. It was a time of washing and cleansing. It was customary to bathe in ponds to get rid of diseases. In addition to bathing, the celebration was accompanied by folk rituals and traditions.

How is the holiday

Folk festivities began in the evening, on the eve of the holiday, and continued all night. It was believed that at this time nature acquires unique magical properties, and evil spirits walk and mischief.

It was customary to collect herbs and flowers and weave wreaths from them, and then put them into the water. The celebration was necessarily accompanied by a large Kupala fire, around which they danced and sang ritual songs.

What not to do on this day

Prohibitions and restrictions are mostly associated with popular beliefs. So, it was believed that it was impossible to sleep on a Kupala night, so as not to fall into the hands of forest and water evil spirits. On the day of the holiday, it is forbidden to sell or lend anything for a while, otherwise you can invite trouble. Also, misfortune awaits everyone who finds and picks up money on the road.

According to church canons, July 7th falls on the period of Peter's Lent, so if you decide to cleanse yourself spiritually, keep festivities to a minimum and observe fasting. Since the Nativity of John the Baptist is a church holiday, it is permissible to diversify the diet with fish and a glass of red wine.

Traditions and rituals of the holiday

In everyday folk life, the holiday of Ivan Kupala was of great importance, so it was held, observing many traditions and rituals.

Swimming in lakes and rivers

The holiday of Ivan Kupala is associated with water, so many regions supported the custom of bathing in reservoirs. It was believed that the water was endowed with a special healing power and could wash away illnesses, drive away bad thoughts from the head.

However, swimming in water bodies was not considered safe in all regions. On this day, mermaids and mermen left the lakes and rivers and held a Sabbath. People were afraid of evil spirits and did not dare to swim. However, the magic power of the water persisted. It was necessary to walk barefoot in the dew, visit a bathhouse with 12 herbs collected the day before, drink water from a spring.

Today, the tradition of dousing with water has been preserved, which washes away all diseases, sorrows and misfortunes.

Cleansing fire (why jump over a fire)

The fire on the night of Ivan Kupala took on a special cleansing power. It was identified with the sun, so the fire was made very large and high. Round dances were danced around him, they danced and sang. When the dark flame subsided, girls and young men jumped over the fire to cleanse their souls and bodies from the evil eye, illness and misfortune. You need to jump three times, otherwise the rite will not work.

• if a girl could not jump over the fire or did not come to the festivities at all, she was called a witch, they could unfasten her with nettles, pour water over or sprinkle with feathers;
• if a couple in love managed to jump over the flame holding hands, then their union promised to be strong and long;
• in order to cure the child, the mother burned his shirt at the stake, believing that the illness would also burn with the clothes;
• it was possible to get rid of the troubles of family life by burning old rubbish and unnecessary things on the Kupala fire;
• so that animals and livestock do not get sick, they were also driven over the fire.

What herbs are harvested on this holiday

It was believed that herbs and flowers acquire miraculous power on the night of Ivan Kupala, so from dawn to sunrise, herbalists and healers went in search of healing herbs. It is especially good if they were with morning "bathing" dew. According to beliefs, plants collected by children and old people - people with a pure soul, had the best magical properties.

The collected herbs were used to smoke out evil spirits and conduct rituals. Usually herbalists collected:

• nettle;
• sagebrush;
• stepmother;
• bogus;
• oregano.

It was considered good luck to find a flight-grass capable of moving a person to distant lands or an overpowering grass that saves from enemies.

Fern flower

One of the most interesting beliefs associated with the day of Ivan Kupala is about a fern flower. It was believed that the fern is able to bloom only once a year - at midnight on Ivan Kupala. The flowering was carefully hidden and guarded by evil spirits. However, the person who finds the flower will receive incredible magical power. He will be able to understand the language of plants and animals, see through the earth, talk with spirits.

Kupala wreath

Most of the rituals for the holiday, the girls performed with a wreath on their heads. It was woven from pre-collected flowers, herbs and branches. It was believed that if you put a wreath in water and scoop water from it, the skin will be light, cheeks ruddy, and eyes shining.

Usually, at the end of the festivities, the wreath was released into the water or burned at the stake. Sometimes, the decoration was saved in order to use the herbs included in its composition throughout the next year.

Beliefs

It was believed that on the night of Ivan Kupala:

• plants and animals acquired the gift of communication with each other;
• the spirits of the ancestors descended to earth, in the form of fireflies fluttering in the dark forest;
• you need to lay out nettles on the threshold and windowsill so that evil spirits do not get into the house;
• it is necessary to lock up the horses, as they could be stolen by witches for a trip to Bald Mountain;
• found ant oil in an anthill had healing properties;
• the Ivan da Marya flower plucked and laid out in the house will protect it from thieves.

How to guess on Ivan Kupala

One of the most popular is fortune-telling on wreaths. Late at night, unmarried girls attached a candle to their wreath and let it into the water. You have to be careful how it floats.

If wreath:

• sailed away - marriage will be quick and happy;
• spinning in place - this year there will be no wedding;
• drowned - the bride will never find the groom.

The young man who caught the wreath of the chosen one from the river could demand a kiss in return.

The girls also watched their candle on the wreath, because the longer it burns, the longer the life will be.

You can tell fortunes about marriage in another way. At night, without looking, pick a bunch of field herbs and put it under your pillow. If in the morning it turns out that there are more than 12 types of plants in the bouquet, wait for the wedding this year.

You can also put a plantain leaf under the pillow and say: “Tribute companion, you live on the road, you see the young and the old, tell me my betrothed.” The groom will surely appear to you in a dream.

You can make a secret wish. If you climb through 12 gardens, it will definitely come true.

You can see the future with the help of a church candle. Break it into several pieces and melt. Pour liquid wax into a container with cold water. What figure he will take - such events can be expected in the near future.

Symbols of the sun in Kupala rites

It is known that on Ivan Kupala people worshiped the sun and its light. An indispensable attribute of the holiday is a wreath of flowers and grass, symbolizing the sun. The rituals of worshiping the solar luminary were accompanied by round dances around the fire, the burning of an effigy. The young men lowered fired wheels and barrels from the hills, identifying the solar cycle.

Signs on Ivan Kupala

If on the day of Ivan Kupala

• strong dew - to the harvest of cucumbers;
• if the night before the holiday is starry, there will be a lot of mushrooms;
• it is raining - the child will be hot and dry;
• meet a snake - wait for trouble or loss.

Wedding on Ivan Kupala

People say that if you get married on the day of Ivan Kupala, you can swim in luxury all your life.

Nevertheless, since the holiday always falls on Petrovsky Lent, the church does not accept such marriages and does not crown in the temple. If you are believers, it is better to postpone the marriage to the date when the post ends, after July 12th.

Ivana bathed in 2019 what date and month

What date is Ivan Kupala in 2020, 2021, 2022

So the holiday has a clearly defined date and does not change from year to year, in 2020, 2021 and 2022 Ivan Kupala will also be on the night of July 6-7.

The night before the holiday of Ivan Kupala

Among the people, the night before the holiday was considered “terrible”. Witches flocked to Bald Mountain and held a Sabbath. Also, this night was identified with the rise of the Skipper-Snake above the world.

The day before the bathing night

According to beliefs, before the holiday, on the afternoon of July 6, you need to clean the house in order to meet the celebration clean. Since early morning people have been cleaning the wells so that the water in them becomes “special”. During the day, wreaths and brooms for the bath were prepared. Herbalists and healers went to the forest for "magical" herbs. In the evening, before the celebration, people washed themselves with evening dew to get health and strength.

In the bathing night

People walked all night long. People lit fires and jumped over them. They led round dances, sang ritual songs, danced and had fun. Girls and boys, according to tradition, guessed, and at midnight they went in search of flowering ferns.

The morning after the Kupala night

After Kupala night, it was customary to collect medicinal herbs and plants for the whole next year.

Ivan Kupala is a unique holiday symbolizing warmth, sunshine and summer. It is better to mark it in nature. Usually festivities take place in a large company on the shore of a reservoir. The indispensable attributes of the holiday are a large Kupala bonfire, a wreath of herbs and flowers, mass rituals and fortune-telling.

Not really

The ancient pagan holiday of Ivan Kupala, dedicated to the day of the summer solstice, is one of the main dates in the Slavic calendar, which is celebrated on July 7th.

Tonight, the Russians celebrated the summer holiday of Ivan Kupala. It was believed that on this special magical night it was impossible to sleep, because various evil spirits woke up that night - witches, mermen, mermaids, werewolves. This bright mystical holiday is rich in interesting traditions and colorful rituals.

The holiday begins to be celebrated on the night of July 7, which is considered special by the people - only on this night you can find a mystical fern flower that will bring happiness and wealth to a person.

How did the holiday come about?

The bright folk holiday of Ivan Kupala takes its origins from paganism, although its origin has not been precisely established. Ivan Kupala, presumably, originated from pagan rituals of purification, washing, which took place in rivers and lakes on the day of the summer solstice.

The ancient Slavs Ivan Kupala had a holiday of the Sun, the maturity of summer and green mowing. Therefore, it was associated with the summer solstice, which, according to the old style, fell on June 20-22.

Traditions of the holiday of Ivan Kupala

On the night of Ivan Kupala, it is not customary to sleep. It is believed that by arranging noisy festivities and dancing, as well as fervently singing songs, young people scare away evil forces from their native places.

It was believed that it was not necessary to bathe, since the water one could be drawn into the water.

Traditionally, on this holiday, large bonfires were kindled, near which festivities unfolded, they had a common meal, danced round dances, sang songs and danced. At the same time, festivities at the “cleansing” fire begin in the evening.

After midnight and before dawn on July 7, the water in the reservoirs acquires a powerful healing power. Therefore, before sunrise, take a dip in the lake or river. It also adds health and cures all ailments.

Fire jumping

Jumping over the fire on Ivan Kupala was one of the most important rituals for the holiday - to lure good luck, success and health. Whoever jumps the highest will be the luckiest, healthiest and most beautiful.

To cleanse the body and soul from diseases and evil thoughts, you need to jump over the Kupala fire three times. For the ceremony to work, collect branches of male (beech, oak, maple) and female trees (rowan, alder and pine) and lay them out in the shape of a pyramid and set them on fire. Before jumping, ask the fire to take away illnesses and hardships.

Lovers can find out the future of their relationship with the help of a fire. Holding hands, the couple must jump over the Kupala fire. If the lovers do not let go of their hands in a jump, they will live together until the end of their lives, if they open their palms, there will be quarrels.

And women who have not had children for a long time jump in order to recover from infertility.

The Slavs believed that the Kupala fire destroys all evil - illness, misfortune, poverty. That is why they burned old clothes on it. There was a custom to throw a sick child's shirt into the Kupala fire. It was believed that his illness burned with her. Often livestock was driven through the Kupala fire to protect it from pestilence.

Whoever jumps the highest will be the luckiest, healthiest and most beautiful. Photo: vottak.net

Wreaths for Ivan Kupala

On Ivan Kupala, women and men who want to find a mate weave a Kupala wreath. Chamomile, St. John's wort, wormwood, nettle and other medicinal herbs must be woven into it. After Kupala, such a wreath serves as a talisman all year round. It is hung over the door so that no unkind glance can penetrate through it. If one of the household members falls ill, the hostess pinches off some grass from the wreath and throws it into the broth or tea. Often, by the next Kupala holiday, only the rim remains from the wreath, which is burned in the Kupala fire.

On this night, unmarried girls also wove wreaths of herbs and flowers and threw them into the water: if the wreath drowned, they would not be called to marry in the next year, the guy would fall out of love with her, even if he didn’t sail from the shore, the betrothed was somewhere very close, and if he sailed far away - then the guy from afar will woo.

Many traditions on Ivan Kupala are connected with water. Photo: imperia-lna.ru

How to guess on Ivan Kupala

For love. Before going to bed, you need to collect a few plantain leaves and put it under the pillow. When you go to bed, you should say: “Triputnik-fellow, you live by the road, you see the young and the old, tell me my betrothed!”. That night, the girl should dream of her betrothed.

For the groom. Pick as many fern branches as you guess for how many people. Guess at midnight from 6 to 7 July. For each branch, think of the name of the guy you want to marry. Mark them with colored threads so as not to confuse. Dip into the water near the shore of the reservoir and press the branches to the bottom with your hand. Release abruptly. Which branch will pop up before everyone else - that guy conceived for it will become your destiny.

For the future. For it, it is necessary to break the church candle into several pieces and melt the wax. As soon as it melts, pour it into a container of water. What figure he will take is what he expects in the near future. For example, a ring or a candle for a wedding, a wallet for money, a star for good luck, a heart for love, a flag for the visit of an important guest, flowers for a new admirer, stripes for travel, waves for fulfillment of desires.

The girls were guessing at Ivan Kupala. Photo: vseodetyah.com

Water on Ivan Kupala

Many traditions on Ivan Kupala are connected with water. On July 7, Christians also celebrate the birthday of John the Baptist, who baptized Jesus in the Jordan. Therefore, it is believed that it is from this day that swimming in open water becomes safe - all evil spirits are expelled from rivers and lakes.

The patronage of Kupala over lovers of swimming and frolic in the water lasts until Ilyin's day, which is celebrated on August 2. In addition to healing bathing, morning dew can heal the body and soul, and it will make young girls even more beautiful. After washing in the morning, in the evening, the girls float wreaths on the water, wondering about love.

Signs on Ivan Kupala

Our ancestors, as on any other holiday, closely followed the weather on this day. If it rains on Midsummer Day, then the whole summer will be hot and the weather will be dry.

But if at night the sky is generously dotted with stars, and in the morning nature gives abundant dew, then there will be a good harvest of cucumbers, mushrooms, and indeed all vegetables.

On this day, they tried to avoid meeting with snakes, because if you see her on this holiday, then trouble cannot be avoided and severe losses are expected soon.

After collecting the herbs, all the women carefully counted them. If there are twelve types of plants, then there will definitely be a wedding in the family next year.

Many believed that a special danger lies in wait for horses, which evil spirits can use for their own purposes. If so, they won't get out alive. Therefore, they tried to lock them securely.

Divination, beliefs and signs

Fortune telling with the help of wreaths remains the most common on Ivan Kupala. Wreaths were woven from various herbs - burdock, bear's ear, Bogorodskaya grass (thyme, thyme) or Ivan da Marya, into which lighted small splinter or candles were inserted. Then they lowered them into the water and watched them closely.

If the wreath began to quickly sail away from the shore, this meant a happy and long life or a good marriage, and if the wreath sank, it meant that the girl would not get married this year or her betrothed would stop loving her.

The happiest person could be the one whose wreath swam further than others, and the longest lived - whose candle or splinter in a wreath burns out longer than others.

Nettle people on this night protected themselves from the encroachments of various evil spirits - for this, the plant was laid out on the threshold of the house and on the windowsills.

On the Kupala night, people always locked up their horses, which were especially vulnerable that night, as the witches hunted them in order to go to Bald Mountain, from which the horses did not return alive.

On the night of Ivan Kupala, people searched for anthills and collected ant oil, which, according to legend, was endowed with great healing properties that night.

The Ivan da Marya flower, plucked on the night of Ivan Kupala, had to be put into all corners of the house - people believed that this was protecting it from the encroachments of thieves.

According to one of the legends, the Ivan da Marya flower is a brother and sister who fell in love with each other, and were punished for this, and turned into a flower. Brother and sister will talk, and this will scare away the thieves.

It is believed that on the night of Ivan Kupala, trees can move from one place to another, talking to each other with the rustle of leaves. This also applied to grass and flowers. Even animals, according to legend, talk to each other on this night.

According to one of the signs, at midnight you need to pick up flowers without looking and put them under your pillow, and in the morning check whether twelve different herbs have accumulated or not. If you have enough, this year the girl will get married.

A tripartite (plantain) is placed under the head, saying: “Triputnik-companion, you live by the road, you see the young and the old, tell me my betrothed!”

On Midsummer's Day, before sunrise, you need to carry a bear's head through your herd and bury it in the middle of the yard, then there will be no death among the cattle.

And if on Midsummer's Day you climb over twelve gardens, any wish will come true.

Strong dew on Ivan Kupala - to the harvest of cucumbers, if there are a lot of star-mushrooms on Ivanov's night.

Material prepared on the basis of open sources