July 7 marks Ivan Kupala - one of the oldest and most mystical Slavic holidays. According to beliefs, it symbolizes the union of water and fire, giving rise to life and the blossoming of nature.
What is the history of the holiday's origin?
The holiday of Ivan Kupala has its roots from the time of paganism. Among our ancestors, the word 'kupala' had many meanings, but it was usually used as a general term for purification rituals and ceremonies that were performed in open water bodies.
There is a version that the Ivan Kupala holiday is connected with a pagan deity - Kupalo, however, there was actually no such deity in the pagan pantheon. Kupalo appeared as a result of a misunderstanding: a chronicler from the Gustyn Monastery, knowing about the Kupala games, mistook the holiday's name for the name of a pagan god. Therefore, Kupalo, as a pagan deity, first appeared only in the 17th century in the Gustyn Chronicle, and later this mistake was copied by other researchers of Slavic mythology.
Until the adoption of Christianity, the Kupala holiday represented ritual folk gatherings during the summer solstice and was dedicated to solar gods (Yarilo, Dazhdbog, Svarog, etc.). The main ritual actions included mass bathing (ritual cleansing), jumping over the fire, and courtship among the youth.
However, after the adoption of Christianity in Rus' (988 AD), the church began to actively oppose pagan holidays and replace them with Christian ones. And considering that our ancestors, despite the church's condemnation, continued to adhere to pagan customs, it was decided to imbue some folk traditions with new meaningful content.
The Kupala holiday was no exception, with its ritual aspect being linked to the birthday (Nativity) of John the Baptist, who baptized people in the waters of the Jordan.
It is worth noting that the baptism of John was also a symbol of purification: just as the body is washed and cleansed with water, so too will the soul of a repentant person be cleansed by the Savior from all sinful defilement.
Thus, the Kupala holiday transformed into the day of Ivan Kupala, which is celebrated annually on July 7 (June 24 in the old style).
By the way, the celebration on this day takes place not only in Ukraine but also in Poland, Belarus, Russia, and the Baltic States.
What traditions and rituals existed on this day?
Since ancient times, the day of Ivan Kupala has been accompanied by various rituals, ceremonies, traditions, and beliefs.
In the morning on this day, it was customary to bathe in rivers and lakes to cleanse the soul and body from all evil, to heal, and to acquire good health. According to popular beliefs, the sun also bathes in the morning of this day. At the same time, many believed that it was better not to enter the water on such a mystical day, as it could pull one down to the bottom.
On the eve of the holiday, young men would set up a ritual tree in the pasture, while girls decorated it with wreaths, ribbons, and flowers.
For the ritual tree, they most often chose willow and called it Marena, Kupaylo, Kupaylitsa, and the little tree.
At the ritual tree, they would lay a fire - a mandatory attribute of the Kupala night, associated with the sun cult. By the way, jumping over the fire is one of the most famous traditions of this holiday that has survived to this day. Such fires were considered purifying: people danced around the fire and jumped over it, believing that it endowed a person with health and strength. Later, young people began to jump over the fire in pairs, holding hands and making a wish: if their hands did not part, the young man and woman would get married.
It is important to note that sometimes livestock was driven through Kupala fires to protect the animals from diseases. People also believed that if a sick child's shirt was burned in the fire on the night of Ivan Kupala, they would recover faster.
Sometimes, they would send a burning wheel into the water from the hills - a symbol of the sun, its earthly embodiment.
Young girls who had not yet met their betrothed would tell fortunes on love during the Ivan Kupala holiday. They wove wreaths from field flowers and herbs, placed lit candles on them, and set them afloat, wishing for their suitor: from which direction he would come and whether he would come at all this year.
It was believed that if a wreath immediately sank to the bottom, unfortunately, the beloved no longer loved the girl. If the wreath stuck to the shore and did not move, the girl should not expect a wedding this year. But if the wreath floated far away and the candle on it did not go out, the girl was expected to meet her suitor and have a happy long life.
According to beliefs, one should not sleep on Kupala night, as all evil spirits (forest spirits, mermaids, household spirits, water spirits, etc.) emerge from their 'dark' places on this night.
By the way, the customs of Ivan Kupala are associated not only with fire and water but also with herbs. Flowers and herbs gathered for this holiday were dried and stored. Such herbs were considered medicinal; they were used to purify the sick, drive away evil spirits, and for other rituals.
But our ancestors believed that only herbs and flowers gathered before dawn on Kupala night could have magical power.
The main Kupala herb was considered to be fern, the mysterious flower of which on the night of Ivan Kupala was sought after by the bravest young men. It was believed that only once a year, on Kupala night, this fiery flower appeared for a second, and whoever possessed it would be granted the magical power to understand the language of birds and beasts, heal the sick, and find treasures.
The holiday ended with the ceremonial burning of Kupaylitsa accompanied by songs and joyful exclamations.
