Ivan Kupala is an ancient Slavic holiday that has survived from pagan traditions. It is directly associated with midsummer – the Summer Solstice. On this night in Rus', healing herbs were gathered, ferns were sought, people jumped over purifying bonfires, and bathed.
The holiday, which is traditionally celebrated from July 6 to 7, is over 2,000 years old. But this is perhaps the only ancient pagan ritual that has reached us almost unchanged and was not influenced by Christianity.
Speaking of the celebration of Ivan Kupala, six main and most interesting traditions can be noted that have survived to this day in one form or another:
Girls wove huge wreaths from wild grasses and flowers, and at night they sent them down the river with a lit candle to predict their fate. Traditionally, thin branches of birch and oak, fern and periwinkle, basil and blackberry, geranium and rose were used. The wreath was supposed to contain more than twelve types of herbs, and there were no random ones among them, as each symbolizes something unique. The wreath itself is a continuous ring that portends the future.
After sunset, huge purifying bonfires were laid out in the form of a giant pyramid everywhere on the hills. The branches were gathered by the whole village. In the center, a resin barrel or a pole with a wheel was placed. The Kupala fire was necessarily lit naturally – by friction. All night long, people danced, sang, formed round dances, and jumped through the fire for purification, healing, and protection.
It was believed that all bodies of water became sacred and pure by Ivan Kupala. For on this night, all evil spirits surface, meaning the water acquires mystical properties. This even applied to the dew that people washed their faces with in the mornings. Water and fire are closely related in the cult of sacred elements. It is not in vain that according to legend, on this night, Kupala and Marena – symbols of fire and water, male and female principles – were married.
The main intrigue of Ivan Kupala is the search for the fern that blooms only on this night. The mystical flower promises the lucky one who finds it luck and unseen magical abilities. For example, to see treasures beneath the earth, to become invisible, to command water, or to understand the speech of birds and beasts. On the same night, herbalists and healers collected their harvest. This had to be done secretly, at night, and without a cross.
On this mystical holiday, divinations flourished. For example, after sunset, a stone was thrown into a basin of water while making a wish. If the number of circles was even, it meant the wish would come true. It was believed that the direction in which the wreath floated down the river indicated where the girl should expect her suitor. Divination on the fern helped choose a contender. Several branches were used for several suitors. After that, the branches were lowered to the bottom, and the one that floated up first was the one to choose.
The Slavic ancestors did not forget the practical side of the question. On Ivan Kupala, sacred willow was used to protect pastures, nettles were used to guard milk yields and harvests, and needles and coals from the Kupala fire were used to defend against evil spirits.
