Celebration of Ivan Kupala. Ivan Kupala: traditions of the main Slavic holiday in July

Traditions, rituals and features of the celebration of Ivan Kupala.

Ivan Kupala - fun party, during which the girls put wreaths into the water to find out from which shore the betrothed will come. On this day, young people jump over the fire and have fun.

When did they start celebrating Ivan Kupala? history of the holiday

Initially, this is a pagan holiday that the church did not recognize. On this day, people glorified the God of the Sun. They believed that it was on June 24, according to the old style, that the meeting of fire and water took place. It's actually a holiday summer solstice. This is a holiday of the two deities of Mary and Kupala. Mara is considered feminine.

Of course, the church did not recognize pagan traditions, but in its own way it decided to eradicate the celebration. Instead of the God of the Sun on this day, they began to glorify John the Baptist. But the traditions of jumping over fire and making wreaths have survived.

The main tradition is jumping over the fire. The meaning of the rite

It is believed that by jumping over the fire, on the night of July 6-7, the body will be cleansed of diseases and evil thoughts. But for this to happen, it is worthwhile to properly prepare for the ceremony. You need to collect branches of male and female trees, such as beech, oak, maple, mountain ash, alder and pine. The branches are laid out in the form of a pyramid and set on fire. Before the jump, you need to ask the fire to take away illnesses and problems.

In the past, divination was carried out with the help of a fire. To do this, a couple in love must jump over the fire, holding hands. If in a jump the lovers do not separate their palms, then they will live together until the end of their lives. They dance around the fire, sing songs and have fun.

What herbs are harvested for Ivan Kupala?

There is a tradition to collect 12 herbs and weave wreaths from them. With help flower bouquets divination takes place. Girls collect different herbs, because each plant helps in some way.

• Loosestrife- helps with a hangover and exorcise evil spirits. Amulets were made from it.
• Balsam and elecampane used to attract love. If a girl could not get married for a long time, then she collected these herbs first of all
• Water lily- helps to overcome all obstacles. Take some of this herb with you if you are going to court, or if you want to get the girl's consent.
• Rosehip, nettle and other thorny plants are collected and burned. It is believed that with the help of such a rite, you can get rid of troubles and problems.
• Under Chernobyl collected charcoal. This remedy was considered the best for stomach pains and ailments.
• Often the girls collected periwinkle he helped attract a lot of suitors
• Enjoyed great popularity trilic. Decoctions were prepared from this herb and washed. It was believed that this plant gives beauty
• fern and thistle along with other 10 herbs were collected and placed under the pillow. At the same time, they asked the betrothed-mummers to come in a dream

For fortune-telling, plantain leaves were placed under the pillow on the groom, while saying: “A travel companion, you live by the road, you see the young and the old, point out my betrothed!”

Fern legends: what is the fern famous for?

There are many legends around this plant.

• According to the first legend, the Sun God Yarilo brought fire to the earth. He gave it to those he loved. And now, once a year, the fern flower lights up with magical fire. It was believed that with the help of this bush you can open any door. It is on the night of July 7 that the witches are looking for the color of the fern to penetrate any castles.
• According to the second legend, it is believed that the fern blooms once a year on Ivan Kupala. The one who is lucky enough to pluck the flower will become the master of all. He will be able to understand the language of animals and birds, as well as read minds.

When should I swim on Ivan Kupala?

It was believed that before the onset of Ivan Kupala, all evil spirits lived in the water. And exactly at 12 o'clock at night, all the witches and ghouls leave the water, and it becomes healing.

• It is after midnight that you can safely go into the water. And this should be done not in the bathroom, but in nature. It must be a lake or a river
• In addition, there is a ritual to go to the bath. In the same way, after midnight, you need to heat the bath and go for a swim with a herbal wreath.
• Herbs are pre-harvested. This broom should not be thrown away, it is dried and it becomes a kind of amulet

Dousing with water is another tradition of Ivan Kupala

It is believed that after midnight, when July 7 comes, the water in rivers and reservoirs is saturated with useful power.

• It is advisable to swim in the lake before sunrise. There is a tradition of pouring water on each other. It adds health and cures all ailments
• Couples who cannot conceive a child for a long time should strip naked on the Kupala night and bathe in the dew. This must be done after midnight and before the first bird sings. After that, the spouses must pour water from the river on each other.

Girlish wreaths: a beautiful decoration and another rite

Weaving wreaths can be considered another painting ceremony. The girls that night collected healing herbs and wove them beautiful jewelry on the head. Each unmarried girl made their own product. Further, a candle was placed in the center, it had to be set on fire.

• If the fire went out, it promised trouble or illness.
• If the wreath swam rapidly, then this meant an imminent marriage.
• If this amulet was spinning in place, then for a long time to walk in the girls
• It was believed that if the wreath sails to some shore, then on the other side you need to wait for matchmakers
• The most interesting thing is that couples in love also launched wreaths. By the way they swim, one can judge the future of lovers.
• If the wreaths disperse, then the couple will not be together.

In the case of a joint crossing of the river with wreaths, lovers will go hand in hand all their lives.

Is it possible to sleep on Ivan Kupala? Popular beliefs

You can't sleep on Bathing Night. Old people say that evil spirits come to life at this time, which seeks to cause a lot of harm to people and animals. It is recommended not to go to bed so that evil spirits do not take possession of the body and soul. To evil spirits did not penetrate into the house and the barn, nettle leaves are laid near the doorway. This plant is believed to ward off demons.

Witches, ghouls, mermaids - characters on the holiday of Ivan Kupala

It is believed that witches, ghouls and evil spirits come to life on a bathing night. They strive to get to Bald Mountain, where they arrange orgies and holidays. This place in Kyiv differs from most hills in the absence of vegetation. According to the legends, the main Sabbath of the year was held on Bald Mountain among mermaids, witches and devils.

Accordingly, this place cannot be visited on Kupala night. To avoid evil spirits, it is worth carrying a sprig of fern with you. This plant has super strength and is a kind of amulet.

Ask about how grandmothers celebrated Ivan Kupala. They are the keepers of traditions. There is no need to organize entertainment program. The main thing is not to sit at home, but to spend time among friends.

• Light a fire and dance
• Be sure to take a bath after midnight
• Weave a wreath and throw it into the river
• Make amulets from evil spirits
• Fortune telling on the betrothed

Of course, modern youth does not believe that evil spirits come to life on Ivan Kupala. First of all, it is a national holiday and an opportunity to have fun from the heart.

VIDEO: Celebration of Ivan Kupala

Feast of Ivan Kupala among the Slavs

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 Russia, many pagan holidays preserved but 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 there appeared new holiday- 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 Ivanov's day, everything around becomes alive: trees can move from place to place, and animals begin to speak human language ... Grasses 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 would soak 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.

Slavic holiday Ivan Kupala is old tradition Western and Eastern Slavs, which has not been forgotten to this day. The holiday is celebrated in almost all countries of modern Europe. In some of them, it is not only religious, but also national. It was originally part of pagan rituals cleansing and washing, and later got its name in honor of John the Baptist. His name means "bather" in Greek.

It is interesting that many of the customs of this holiday known to us originally came from the pagans. According to the old style of the calendar, it was celebrated on June 24, and now on July 7.

Holiday Ivan Kupala: the history of occurrence

Pagans have always celebrated Ivan Kupala, because they believed that on this day, thanks to washing, one can rid the body of diseases. The celebration itself was dedicated to the god of the Sun and the deity Kupala, who was also worshiped at that time.

Before Christianity was adopted in Russia, Kupala was celebrated on the day of the summer solstice (June 22). But after this day was dedicated to John the Baptist, the celebration was moved to June 24, and many peasants began to call it Ivan's Day.

We celebrate Ivan Kupala on July 7, due to the transition to Gregorian calendar. That is why we can say that the primary meaning of the holiday is almost completely lost, because it no longer falls on the day of the summer solstice. Although in some European countries Ivan Kupala is celebrated precisely in the period from June 20 to 24.

The mystical holiday of Ivan Kupala is considered best time for divination and beliefs, it was at this time that herbalists collect medicinal plants for treatment various diseases. There is a legend that the herbs collected on this night have miraculous properties and can be used to cure even the most serious disease.

In many villages, to this day, the holiday is called "fun", "love", "clean", because there are many signs and traditions that are obligatory on this evening. It is already known that the celebration itself is dedicated to the pagan deity Kupala, in whose honor they jumped over the fire, sang songs and performed various rituals.

Traditions of Ivan Kupala: pagan and modern

On the day of Ivan Kupala, all people wove wreaths and capes of flowers, danced round dances, sang funny songs and lit fires. Of course, each rite had its own secret meaning and carried out for a specific purpose. The burning wheel mounted on a pole in the middle of the fire symbolized the sun and fertility.

During the day, unmarried girls wove various wreaths of wildflowers to release them into the water in the evening. And to this day, many believe that a wreath floating on the water will show where he lives future husband. The sinking wreath symbolized that the betrothed no longer loves the girl and will marry another.

It was also previously customary to pour water on everyone you meet to help him purify his soul. It was believed that the more often you bathe on this day, the easier it will be to get rid of all sins. Of course, now this tradition has been preserved only in some villages, so not everyone will accept such an action with understanding.

On that night, everyone sought to cleanse their bodies from diseases, and their souls from sins. For this, people not only poured water on each other, they often bathed and danced. An equally important part of the celebration was the kindling of bonfires. They believed that by jumping over a fire, you can get rid of any disease. Therefore, young and old jumped over the fires, mothers with children in their arms, as well as all those who wanted to become happier and more successful.

The night of Ivan Kupala is the time when all evil spirits came to life. Nobody slept until morning to protect themselves from the spell. Also, the owners carefully monitored their horses, since there was a belief that witches steal them on Kupala Night for a trip to Bald Mountain.

Modern holiday Ivan Kupala

To this day, many of us continue the tradition of celebrating Ivan Kupala. Most of the customs have remained unchanged since the times of the pagans. People still dance, jump over fires and collect herbs for healing. serious illnesses. Of course, for the majority, this is an opportunity to have fun and enjoy communication. Although the girls continue to guess and float flower wreaths in the hope of quickly finding out who will become her betrothed.

Ivan Kupala can be a great occasion to gather the whole family and have fun together, but everyone decides for themselves whether to celebrate it or not.

July 7th is one of my favorites folk holidays- Ivan Kupala Day. This ancient holiday is shrouded in myths, rituals and beliefs. Its history goes back to pagan times, when people worshiped several deities at once. With the advent of Christianity, the holiday acquired a new meaning, but so far it continues to be viewed Slavic customs and traditions. What is this holiday and why has it remained important for centuries?

Kupalo - an ancient pagan holiday

The ancient Slavs saw God in nature, and one of the main deities for them was the God of the Sun. It is not surprising that the worship of the Sun God was started on the day of the summer solstice, which fell on June 24, according to the old style. According to pagan beliefs, on this day, water entered into an alliance with fire, so many holiday ceremonies closely related to these two elements.

One of the main customs of the Kupalo holiday is dancing around a ritual fire. The most desperate jumped over the fire, wishing themselves happiness and health for the whole year. believing in miraculous power fire, the Slavs brought animals to him and threw the clothes of sick children into the flames. At the very short night in the year it was impossible to go to bed - the ancient people believed that evil spirits descended to the earth, and therefore they escaped from it near the fire.

On the eve of the summer solstice, the girls wove wreaths of special herbs, inserted a burning candle into them and lowered them into the river. It was believed that the happiest in marriage would be the girl whose wreath would last the longest on the water. Early in the morning, the peasants went out barefoot into the street and walked on the dew, washed themselves with it and collected it in order to give it to the sick and infirm, it was believed that on the holiday of the Sun, dew has healing powers.

Healers at all times have been waiting for this day to go for medicinal herbs- they believed that medicinal plants collected on the Kupalo holiday are endowed with special properties. They were not only treated for bodily diseases, but also used to expel evil spirits and remove witchcraft spells.

Another well-known belief says that on the night of Ivan Kupala, a fern blooms. The daredevils went in search of beautiful flower, believing that those who happen to see the fiery red inflorescence will receive the gift of seeing treasures. Also, looking at the flowering, one could make any wish that had to come true.

How Ivan Kupala Day became a Christian holiday

It is known that Christian church negatively treated everything that was connected with paganism, and tried to eradicate the ancient Slavic holidays. However, Christians had their own methods of dealing with pagan traditions- they simply adjusted their events to them, thereby leaving the people the opportunity to have fun on their usual days, but for a different reason. This is exactly what happened with sunny holiday Kupalo - instead of him, the church introduced the celebration of the Nativity of the prophet John the Baptist, known as John the Baptist. Thus, a new popular name was gradually born. summer holiday- Ivan Kupala Day. Part of the name is due to the fact that John baptized Jesus in the Jordan, that is, he bathed him in water.

However religious holiday could not completely eradicate folk traditions. On the day of the summer solstice, people continued to worship the forces of nature and ask her good harvest. Christians did not forget the rites of distant ancestors and adopted from the pagans many customs associated with water and fire. After switching to new calendar the holiday began to be celebrated not on the shortest night, but on July 7, so it ceased to symbolize the longest sunny day.

You should know that the Christian church does not associate the ancient Slavic holiday with the Nativity of John the Baptist in any way and does not approve of making fires and dousing with water. July 7th at church calendar- Birthday of John the Baptist - the second most important saint after the Virgin.

History of John the Baptist

John the Baptist was the late and long-awaited son of the priest and righteous Elizabeth, who was related by family ties to the family of Jesus Christ. Many trials fell on the lot of John - as a baby, he miraculously managed to escape from mass murder in Bethlehem, and the saint spent his childhood and youth in the Judean Desert. Until the age of 30, the young man lived as a hermit in a cave and observed strict post, so he prepared for that responsible mission that was prepared for him by the Lord.

According to the biblical writings, John, in obedience to the will of the Lord, appeared on the banks of the Jordan and baptized people, preparing them for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. One day he was destined to baptize Jesus Christ and become a witness to the appearance on earth of the Holy Spirit and the Lord God. Immediately after this, the prophet was imprisoned, where he finished his short life martyrdom.