Holiday Ivan Kupala. Beliefs, folk signs, rituals

This is the East Slavic name of an ancient holiday celebrated by most peoples of Europe. In pagan times, it was associated with the summer solstice and marked the middle of summer, but after the spread of Christianity, all rituals began to be associated with the birthday of John the Baptist, which is traditionally celebrated on June 24. However, Russian Orthodox Church lives by Julian calendar, and the Nativity of John the Baptist is celebrated on July 7. In this regard, in Rus' the holiday completely lost its ancient astronomical meaning, but despite this, it still retained many pagan rituals. The name itself - Ivan Kupala - is a Slavic interpretation of the name of the Baptist. Since baptism is performed with water, the name of John for all Christians has always been inseparably associated with swimming in rivers and lakes.

Customs and rituals for the holiday of Ivan Kupala

The main rites of the holiday, most of which are performed at night, are associated with water, fire and herbs.

According to popular beliefs, on the eve of Ivan Kupala, all evil spirits come out of the water, and therefore mass bathing was an indispensable attribute of the holiday. Water on this day was considered healing and was endowed magical properties.

At the end of swimming, huge fires were lit on the banks of the reservoirs. People believed that on this night water unites with fire into a single powerful natural force, giving all living beings good health and the will to live.

The fire for the Kupala bonfire must be “live”, that is, produced by friction, often after the end of the holiday, it was taken home and stored in the hearths of the home. Life was in full swing around the fire all night - people sang songs, played various games and danced in circles, and the most common entertainment was jumping over the fire. This was a kind of cleansing rite; it was believed that by jumping over the fire, a person would get rid of illnesses and become inaccessible to evil spirits for the entire next year.

Numerous rituals on this day are also associated with the healing power of plants. One of the main symbols of the day of Ivan Kupala was the Ivan da Marya flower, symbolizing the union of water and fire. All herbs collected on this day had the strongest magical powers; they were dried, carefully stored and used throughout the year.

But perhaps the most famous plant associated with the holiday is the fern. According to popular belief, it blooms only once a year - precisely on the night of Ivan Kupala. Anyone who finds the color of a fern will have secret magical knowledge revealed - he begins to understand the language of animals, see all the treasures buried in the ground, and open all the locks and bolts. He also gains the ability to take on any form at will, become invisible, and even command evil spirits.

However, picking a flower is not so easy; all the devils and mermaids become especially dangerous on this night, and try in every possible way to prevent a person from gaining power over them.

Fortune telling for Ivan Kupala

Just like on Christmastide in winter, on the night of Ivan Kupala, girls told fortunes about their betrothed. The most popular was fortune telling on a wreath- a wreath woven from herbs and flowers was floated on the water - if it floats, the girl will get married soon, and if she drowns, she will have to wait another year. The one whose wreath lasts the longest on the surface of the water will live the longest life.

At midnight it was necessary to pick a bunch of grass and put it under the pillow. In the morning, the herbs were taken out and carefully examined; if there were twelve different plants in the bunch, marriage was imminent.

Conspiracies on Ivan Kupala

There were very strong conspiracies, which were customary to read on Kupala night. Most often these were love spells. It was believed that this magical time was simply created to fulfill all the deepest desires, and many unhappy lovers hoped that their sorrows would soon end. To bewitch a loved one, it was necessary to say the necessary words while looking at the fire of the Kupala fire:

“The fire burns hot, the night will light up brightly,
It will help me discover the secret of love, (name) to bewitch me.
As soon as we hold hands with him, we will be filled with passionate love.
Fire will cement our love, unite our hearts forever.”

For the love spell to finally take effect, the one to whom it was directed had to jump over the fire.

For help in love affairs one could also turn to another great element - water. In order to find happiness in love, it was necessary to persuade your chosen one to swim, and before he entered the water, to say certain magic words.

“Water, water! Wash our bodies and souls, open our heart (name) to love.
So that as soon as he plunges into you, he immediately turns to me in body and soul.
As we enter into you together, we will go through life together.”

Lucky spells were also very powerful. Most often they were pronounced during round dances around the fire and were addressed to the powerful power of Fire. However, one could ask the Sun for good luck in all matters. For this purpose, a special conspiracy was read at sunrise, at the moment of the appearance of its first morning rays.

“The clear sun, the red sun, will rise in the sky and will bring me great luck.
I was the first to see its rays, and now I have become the luckiest.
Everything will work out for me, my happiness will increase.”

The power of water and fire on the holiday of Ivan Kupala could also help in financial matters. The simplest, but very effective ritual is to fill a container with water from the nearest body of water on the eve of Kupala night and put a handful of coins there. In the morning you need to wash your face with this water, saying strictly certain words, and then the next few months will be very successful in all financial affairs. You could throw a handful of coins into the fire, also accompanying your actions with a special conspiracy.

“Mighty fire, take away my gift, give me good luck in business.
So that my wealth increases, so that any business succeeds.
So that money flows into my hands, so that my plans are successful.
If you do everything as I say, I will thank you generously.”

Popular beliefs, superstitions and signs of Ivan Kupala

Associated with the holiday of Ivan Kupala large number accepts and beliefs, here are just a few of them:

Early in the morning the women collected dew. It was believed that Kupala dew had healing powers; people washed their faces with it to get rid of eye diseases, and they sprayed all the furniture in the house with it so that its inhabitants would not be bothered by bedbugs for a whole year.

Soaked in Ivan's dew medicinal herbs, and after some time they were taken out and thoroughly dried. It was believed that after such a ritual, plants acquired magical properties and were used to fight all kinds of evil spirits, diseases, and sometimes even for love spells and kindling love.

Oil collected on ant heaps on Kupala night was considered another powerful remedy against a variety of diseases.

The symbol of the holiday, the Ivan da Marya flower, also had magical properties, and placed in the corners of the house, reliably protected it from thieves.

Like many holidays that have survived from pagan times, the holiday of Ivan Kupala also had some erotic overtones. Freedom in intimate relationships was allowed exclusively on the night before the holiday. People believed that a casual relationship at this time was not sinful, but, on the contrary, could cleanse a person of filth.

But the main symbol of purification, nevertheless, was considered the Kupala fire. A successful jump over the fire foreshadowed happiness, good health and a quick wedding. Clothes taken from sick children were burned in a cleansing fire; it was believed that all their ailments would be burned along with it. And in some cases, cattle were led past the Kupala bonfires in order to protect the entire livestock from pestilence.

There were also very funny beliefs, for example, in order for a cherished wish to come true, on a holiday it was necessary to climb over twelve fences of other people's gardens.

In general, it was believed that anyone who takes part in the rites and rituals of the Ivan Kupala holiday next year will have good luck, and he will definitely find his happiness and find true love.

Ivan Kupala holiday today

An ancient holiday, filled with symbols and strange rituals, has survived to this day, and today it is celebrated not only by the Slavs. Ivan Kupala Day is celebrated by residents of the Baltic and Scandinavian countries, as well as the Spaniards, Portuguese and British.

And despite the fact that in the vast majority of countries, the pagan rituals of Kupala Night are condemned by the official church, people really love this holiday. Even now, many believe in the cleansing power of fire and water, and everyone secretly dreams of finding the treasured fern flower in the dark.

Classmates

On what date is the holiday of Ivan Kupala celebrated - with the arrival of summer, this question worries an increasing number of girls who want not to miss the magical Kupala night - best time for fortune telling and love magic. Nowadays, Ivan Kupala Day is usually celebrated on July 7th. However, some consider this date not entirely correct, since among our ancestors the holiday of Ivan Kupala was timed to coincide with the “midsummer”, the summer solstice, which will occur in 2017 on June 21.

People a long time ago attached special significance to this holiday, and considered it mystical - filled with magic. What is special about Midsummer Day (this is another name for the holiday of Ivan Kupala)? So, in this article we want to introduce you to the history, traditions, customs, rituals, fortune telling and signs of this wonderful holiday.

Ivan Kupala Day is originally a pagan holiday, it is dedicated to the Sun and the Slavic deity Kupala. Even before the baptism of Rus', this holiday was celebrated on June 22, the day of the summer solstice. But already in Christian Rus' this holiday was timed to coincide with the birthday of John the Baptist, and now it was celebrated on June 24. In many villages, the holiday of Ivan Kupala began to be called Midsummer Day.

Since the transition to Gregorian calendar Ivan Kupala Day has moved a little further forward and is still celebrated on July 7th. Therefore, as we can see, the original meaning of this holiday has already lost all meaning, because it no longer falls on the summer solstice. But in some European countries, Ivan Kupala Day is still celebrated from June 20 to June 24.

Midsummer's Day, as it was also called in the old days, is full of traditions, rites and rituals. Moreover, it should be noted that despite the specificity of customs, many of them can be found in our time.

A special role on the day of Ivan Kupala was given to the forces of nature. So, the symbol of this holiday was the Sun. The peasants noted that this was the period of the most high level activity of the Sun, after which it moved towards winter. After the baptism of Rus', the sun began to symbolize John, and the holiday acquired its second name - Midsummer's Day.

Early in the morning all the people could be seen on the rivers and lakes. It was believed that swimming in a pond cleanses a person both physically, driving away all diseases, and spiritually. Those who did not have bodies of water nearby went to the bathhouse. But not everyone was in a hurry to swim on this holiday. After all, a certain number of people believed that a huge amount of evil spirits were hiding in reservoirs, which could destroy.

Fire, among other things, had a special magic on this holiday, so the whole village lit bonfires and jumped over them. IN mandatory fires were lit near ponds. They were believed to have magical powers that could purify and bring good luck for the whole year. Therefore, there is a belief that the one who jumps over and does not touch the flame for a whole year will be lucky and will probably be able to find real happiness. The tradition of jumping over a fire has survived to this day; nowadays you can also find villages where this tradition is observed on this day.

Since nature had special power and magic on this day, most women wanted to preserve this magical piece in case of illness or trouble. Therefore, after swimming, everyone went to get herbs. Some collected herbs for fortune telling, others for rituals, some in order to subsequently treat themselves and their relatives with these herbs. Special attention was given to ferns on this holiday. It was believed that if you find a fern flower, then it is good sign, such a person has special kindness and with him you can find any treasure. The peculiarity of this plant was considered to be that on Kupala night it blooms for a few seconds and then disappears, so it is not so easy to find.

Long before the holiday of Ivan Kupala, the entire village elected a so-called constable, who was in charge of holding the celebration. His main task was to prepare for this day and celebrate the holiday. Undoubtedly, this person must have known all the traditions and customs. On this holiday, residents sang songs and cast spells.

While the women were collecting herbs, the men had to cut down a tree, the height of which should have been about 1.5 or 2 times the height of an average person. Then it is installed at the place where it is agreed to carry out the actions. When the tree was installed in place, the girls decorated it with flowers and ribbons. Among the people, such a tree was called “madder” or “kupala”.

All ceremonial actions took place only near the fire. There they held a feast, played burners, boys and girls chose a mate, and a large number of rituals were performed. With the advent of the Orthodox Church, all these rituals were condemned, since their roots lead to paganism. But people could not refuse them and still continued to follow them. As a result, everything got mixed up - folk beliefs with religion.

Also on this holiday, stories and stories were traditionally told that described the special magic associated with plants. So, with the help of plants, it was possible to find treasures, money, heal from illnesses, and so on. Ancient legend says that on the night of Ivan Kupala, a fern blooms and whoever finds this wonderful flower will be able to see treasures hidden underground and learn to understand the language of animals.

In addition to the traditions that were honored on this holiday, Ivan Kupala is also literally imbued with various pagan rituals.

Most did not sleep on the night of Ivan Kupala. This was done in order to be the very first to wash with clean morning dew. It was believed that this kind of dew could give health and beauty.

If on this holiday someone was doused with unclean water, then no one was angry, but on the contrary, they were happy. Because the more often you swim on this holiday, the better. The person will live the coming year happily, and will also become more purified as a result.

During the festivities, boys and girls made a doll from hay, which was a symbol of the god Kupala. During the round dance and singing of the song, according to the script, one of the participants had to hook the doll so that it would fall. After this, everyone came running to see if “Kupala” had died. When it was announced that he was dead, the girls began to mourn him with songs. While the girls are singing, the boys take the doll and carry it to the funeral pyre prepared in advance, where they burn it. After this ritual, the real feast began.

To literally burn all the illnesses and misfortunes of their children, women collected the things of their sons and daughters, in which they had been ill, and burned them in the fire. Thus, according to their beliefs, children will grow up healthy and strong.

On this day, young people looked closely at each other and tried to find a mate. When the choice was made, the girl and the guy jumped over the fire together, holding hands at the same time. In this way they wanted to test their feelings and look into the future. If the couple jumped over and were able not to unclench their hands, then their marriage will be strong and happy, but if on the contrary, then it is better for them not to get together.

Also on this day, housewives used to lay nettles on the threshold of the house. They believed that in this way they could be saved from evil spirits and witches.

On the night of Ivan Kupala, when the girls danced around the found tree, the guys raided, thus trying to steal Marena. The lucky one who was able to do this ran away to the river, and everyone else ran after him. Everyone plucked one branch from the tree, which is considered to bring fertility. Then the tree was floated down the river.

To protect their livestock from diseases, the owners kept their animals near the Kupala bonfires.

Our ancestors, as on any other holiday, very carefully watched the weather on this day. If it rains on the day of Ivan Kupala, it means that the whole summer will be hot and the weather will be dry.

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

On Kupala Day, they tried to avoid meeting snakes, because if you see one on this day, then trouble cannot be avoided and heavy losses are soon expected.

After the herbs were collected, all the women counted them very carefully. If there are 12 types of plants, then the family will definitely have a wedding in the coming year.

Most people believed that horses were especially dangerous, evil spirits can be used for its own purposes. In this case, they will not be able to get out alive. Accordingly, they were securely locked.

One of the most popular fortune telling on the day of Ivan Kupala was fortune telling on a wreath. The girls lit candles and inserted them into the wreath, then lowered them into the river. If the wreath does not drown and the candle does not go out, then the girl must get married in this current year. If the wreath nevertheless sank or floated far away, it means that she will not be a bride this year.

The girls, among other things, used daisies to tell fortunes. To do this, they took 2 flowers, one of them symbolized a certain guy, and the other the girl herself. The interpretation of this fortune telling is very simple - if the flowers are drawn to each other, it means this is her betrothed and they will soon get married, if not, then it is not her destiny to be with this young man and it is better to forget him.

On the night of July 6-7, go out to the pond and whisper your deepest wish near the water. Then throw a small pebble into the water. An even number of circles formed will indicate that the wish will come true, and an odd number indicates that it is not destined to come true. If there is no pond nearby, then find a white dandelion. Gently whisper to him about your dream. Then blow on the crown. I managed to blow off the entire cap - the dream will undoubtedly come true, it has flown away; only half - the wish will not come true soon. And if most of the parachutes remain in place, think about whether it would be wiser to dream about something more realistic?

In order to find out the answer to a question of interest, the girls asked it right next to the ritual fire. Then they carefully watched the flame - if it is even, calm and bright, then the wish will come true, if it is intermittent, then not.

Ivan Kupala is one of the oldest Slavic festivals, directly associated with the summer solstice, the day when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky. Accordingly, this event is celebrated on June 23-24. After this significant date, the days begin to decrease, the Sun loses its power.

Ivan Kupala, also Midsummer's Day, is a pagan folk holiday celebrated in Russia, Belarus, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Ukraine. Midsummer's Day has an ancient tradition of celebration throughout almost all of Europe. Before baptism, the holiday of Ivan Kupala was timed to coincide with the summer solstice (June 20-22, old style). With the adoption of Christianity, the holiday began to be celebrated on the birthday of John the Baptist - June 24, old style. With the transition to a new style, the date of birth of John the Baptist moved to July 7 (in the 20th-21st centuries). In this regard, the holiday lost its astronomical correspondence with the solstice.

The name of the holiday arose as a result of the gradual imposition (in the process of Christianization) of the name church day in memory of John (Ivan) the Baptist (John the Baptist) on the ancient pre-Christian (Slavic) holiday of Kupala, dedicated to the pagan god Kupala, which is calendar, and is dedicated to the shortest night (June 21-22).

Midsummer's day is filled with rituals associated with water, fire and herbs.
Swimming on Midsummer's Day is a national custom, but in some areas peasants considered such swimming dangerous, since on this day the birthday boy is a merman himself, who cannot stand it when people interfere in his kingdom, and takes revenge on them by drowning anyone unwary. On this holiday, according to popular belief, water can be “friends” with fire, and their union is considered a natural force.

The main feature of the Kupala night is the cleansing bonfires. People danced around them and jumped over them: whoever jumps more successfully and higher will be happier. In some places, livestock was driven through the Kupala fire to protect it from pestilence. In the Kupala bonfires, mothers burned the shirts taken from their sick children, so that illnesses would be burned along with this linen. Young people and children, jumping over the fires, made noisy fun games and running a race.

We definitely played burners. According to peasant beliefs, in Kupala, the most short night, you can’t sleep, because all kinds of evil spirits come to life and become especially active - witches, werewolves, mermaids, sorcerers, brownies, merman, goblin.

Characteristic sign Ivan Kupala - numerous customs and legends associated with the plant world. Herbs and flowers collected on Midsummer's Day are placed under Midsummer's dew, dried and preserved, considering such herbs to be more healing. They fumigate the sick, fight evil spirits, throw them into a flooded oven during a thunderstorm to protect the house from a lightning strike, and use them to kindle love or to “dry it out.”

The main hero of the plant world on Midsummer's Day was the fern, with which legends about treasures were universally associated. With a fern flower opening for just a few moments at midnight on Midsummer, you can see all the treasures, no matter how deep in the ground they are. 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 tradition required the active inclusion of each participant in the celebration in all rituals and mandatory implementation a number of rules, prohibitions and customs.


Popular beliefs and customs
-On the night before Ivan Kupala, girls lower wreaths with lit splinters or candles onto the river waves, making wreaths from Ivan da Marya, burdock, Bogorodskaya grass and bear's ear. If the wreath sinks immediately, it means that the betrothed has fallen out of love and cannot marry him. The one whose wreath floats the longest will be the happiest, and the one whose wreath burns the longest will live a long, long life.

On Midsummer night, witches become more dangerous, and therefore you should place nettles on the threshold and on the windowsills to protect yourself from their attacks. It is necessary to lock the horses so that the witches do not steal them and ride them to Bald Mountain: the horse will not return from there alive.
-On Kupala night, trees move from place to place and talk to each other through the rustling of leaves; Animals and even herbs talk to each other, which are filled with special, miraculous power that night.

If on this night you pick an Ivan da Marya flower and put it in the corners of the hut, the thief will not approach the house: the brother and sister (yellow and purple flowers of the plant) will talk to each other, and the thief will think that the owner and the mistress are talking.
-At midnight, without looking, you need to pick flowers and put them under your pillow, and in the morning check whether you have collected twelve different herbs. If you have enough, you will get married this year. They place a triputnik (plantain) under the head, saying: “Triputnik-fellow traveler, you live along the road, you see young and old, say my betrothed!”
-If you climb over the fences of twelve vegetable gardens on Midsummer Day, any wish will come true.

Signs on Ivan Kupala

On the night before Ivan Kupala, girls lower wreaths with lit splinters or candles onto the river waves, curl wreaths from Ivan da Marya, burdock, Virgin Mary grass and bear's ear. If the wreath sinks immediately, it means that the betrothed has fallen out of love and cannot marry him. The one whose wreath floats the longest will be the happiest, and the one whose wreath burns the longest will live a long, long life! (Girls, before performing this ritual, you should experiment with different flammable materials and choose something that burns the longest :).

On Midsummer night, witches become more dangerous, and therefore you should place nettles on the threshold and on the windowsills to protect yourself from their attacks. It is necessary to lock the horses so that the witches do not steal them and ride them to Bald Mountain: the horse will not return from there alive! (Where are our horses and where is that Bald Mountain:).

On Midsummer night, oil is collected from ant heaps in a vessel, which is recognized as a healing agent against various ailments. (I wonder what is meant by formic oil? Formic acid, perhaps?).

On the enchanted Kupala night, trees move from place to place and talk to each other through the rustling of leaves; Animals and even herbs talk to each other, which are filled with special, miraculous power that night. (Is it scary to find yourself in a forest where the trees can remember all the evil caused by man?)

At midnight you need to pick flowers without looking and put them under your pillow, and in the morning check if you have collected twelve different herbs. If you have enough, you will get married this year. They place a triputnik (plantain) under the head, saying: “Triputnik-fellow traveler, you live along the road, you see young and old, say my betrothed!” (This sign is suitable for biologists. Who, besides them, will be able to distinguish one blade of grass from another?).

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 livestock. (Perhaps this will happen if the cattle survives safely nervous stress from the sight and smell of a bear's head).

If you climb twelve vegetable gardens on Midsummer Day, any wish will come true. (Everything will come true, especially if you manage to escape from the angry gardeners in time).

Ivan Kupala is considered one of the most important holidays dedicated to the sun, fire, water and nature. Since ancient times, on this day of thanksgiving to the sun, people have organized folk festivals, performed rituals, and lit bonfires. According to legends, it is on Midsummer's Day that the wedding of the goddess of the dawn and the sun god takes place.

Like any other holiday, signs on Ivan Kupala warn, preserve, and predict what fate has in store for you.

Folk fun and festivities were dedicated to the wedding of the gods and one of the main acts of the action was swimming in the water, from which the name “Kupala” came. If you swim at dawn, then the blessing of the Goddess of Dawn will come to you, she will give you longevity, preserve youth and beauty. Therefore, there is another tradition - to wash your face and walk barefoot in the dew. And if you take a swim at sunset, then the brother of the Goddess of the Dawn will take you under his protection and protect you from evil spirits, the evil eye and troubles.

When, while swimming in the river, circles appear around you in the water, it means that the forces of nature are giving you purity and happiness. In general, great importance is attached to the sign of the circle on the holiday of Ivan Kupala: the circle, also known as the bracelet, according to pagan belief, is the chariot of the Sun God and when you see a circle somewhere - in the water, a round trace left after a drop of rain fell in sand or on the road, this is considered a lucky sign.

The majority of signs on Ivan Kupala are associated with the revelry of spirits, who also celebrate the divine wedding and do not always behave well towards people. So, if you hear a voice coming from nowhere, this promises trouble, misfortune. If you have a strange dream and in it you talk to an invisible interlocutor, this is also unlucky.

In some areas of our country, there is a tradition of lighting an ordinary church candle at night, which will help protect you from the fun of the spirits. If the candle burns out completely undisturbed by anything, this promises good luck in business and personal life, but if it suddenly goes out without burning out completely, there will be trouble.

If on the night of Ivan Kupala you hear a cricket song in your house or yard, good news awaits you.

When you are already leaving the holiday, you cannot look back at the fire, otherwise a witch will cling to you and will harm you all year until the next Kupala holiday, feeding on your vitality.

You cannot eat berries on this day, because... It is believed that by doing this you are stealing berries from your deceased relatives and in the next world they will not be able to enjoy them.

If the whole sky is strewn with stars on Kupala night, there will be a rich mushroom harvest, and if a thunderstorm passes during the day, don’t expect nuts.

Abundant dew on Midsummer's Day means a rich harvest of cucumbers.

Children born on Kupala night have witchcraft talents, can command spirits, and from birth are under the protection of the gods - Dazhdbog and Zarya.

Young and unmarried girls You can tell fortunes on Kupala night: go outside the house and, without looking, pick a bouquet of flowers, which you then put under your pillow. If you wake up in the morning and count the flowers and there are 12 or more of them, then you will get married this year; if there are fewer, you will have to wait another year.

If you hear a cuckoo at night, autumn will be cold; if not, it will be warm and lingering.

If you are accidentally doused with water on this day or drops from a tree fall on you, you will be lucky all year.

Do not accept gifts from strangers, especially tasty gifts - sweets, cakes. Signs on Ivan Kupala say that such “gifts” contain a very strong love spell cast by an experienced witch. Also, you should not take any things from the hands of others on this day, which may be damaged, illnesses or misfortunes taken from other people. Do not forget that it is the day of Ivan Kupala that gives power to all witches and it is not a fact that on your life path the good sorceress will meet.

The holiday of Ivan Kupala was previously celebrated on June 24, but due to the transition to a new style, it is now celebrated in July. On July 7, 2017, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates, first of all, the Nativity of the honest, glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John. However, in Russia, many holidays also incorporate non-canonical rituals. Ivan Kupala Day is one of the most mystical folk holidays, and the night before Ivan Kupala surpasses the day itself in terms of ritual content. It should be noted that since the Middle Ages, rituals and games on Ivan Kupala were considered demonic and were prohibited by church authorities. But, despite the unequivocal condemnation of the traditions of Ivan Kupala, some of them are still alive.

Rituals on Ivan Kupala

On Ivan Kupala, the ancient Slavs especially revered two cleansing, protective and healing elements: Fire and Water. The energy of Fire as a symbolic manifestation of the Sun God was combined with the energy of Mother Water, therefore rituals for the day of Ivan Kupala are associated with water, fire and nature.

Folk traditions on Ivan Kupala - bonfires on Ivan Kupala

On Ivan Kupala, large bonfires were lit on the edge of the village, sparks from which were supposed to fly to the very stars. Celebrations took place around the fires: they had a common meal, danced in circles, sang songs and danced.

One of the important rituals on Ivan Kupala was jumping over the Kupala fire. Whoever jumps the highest will be the luckiest, healthiest and most beautiful.

Guys and girls to cement their love jumped over the fire in twos holding hands. And women who have not had children for a long time, jumped through fire to cure infertility.

Jumping over the Kupala bonfire has a whole range of will take place on Ivan Kupala:

• if you jump three times, the year will be healthy, prosperous, happy, successful;
• if you suddenly stumbled, it means illness;
• If you turn the fire with your foot, trouble will ensue in the family.

Then you definitely need to jump over the fire 9 times, mentally forming positive images.

The Slavs believed that Kupala fire destroys all evil - disease, misfortune, poverty. That's why on it burned old, shabby clothes. There was a custom of throwing the shirt of a sick child into the Kupala fire. It was believed that his illness burned away along with her.

Livestock were often driven through the Kupala fire to protect her from pestilence.

Folk traditions on Ivan Kupala - The great power of water

The rituals for Ivan Kupala did not end there. Having jumped over the fire, you had to immediately throw yourself into the water - “ice and fire” give an amazing cleansing effect. The girls tried to jump into the water so that the wreath from their heads floated on the water.. A good sign on Ivan Kupala was when the wreath did not sink, but floated, the direction of its movement indicated where to wait for the matchmakers.

It can be said that mass bathing is one of the main rites of Midsummer's Day. The Slavs believed that on the night before the holiday, water bodies and mermaids left the reservoirs, so you could swim in them without fear until Ilya’s day.

Washing their bodies in Kupala water, the girls chanted the magic words: “The water is clean, Kupaila, I want to be red and sweet. Kupala water, let me wash myself with beauty!” By the way, if a person refused to swim on Midsummer’s Day, he was suspected of witchcraft.

At dawn On Ivan Kupala it was customary to wash with dew. Women always collected Kupala dew in a bottle. It helped get rid of acne, the skin became clean and soft. Ivan's dew was also used for eye diseases. They sprinkled the same dew on the walls of their houses to protect their homes from evil spirits and insects.

On Ivan Kupala, be sure to take a steam bath in the baths. At the same time, they used brooms and water infused with Ivanovo herbs (Ivanovo herbs are called herbs consecrated in churches for John the Baptist). They believed that the bathhouse on the day of Ivan Kupala contributed to the strengthening and restoration vital energy and health.

The custom was widespread pour water on people you meet on Midsummer's Day. This was done in order to cause rain during the hot season.

Folk traditions on Ivan Kupala - collecting herbs on Ivan Kupala

All herbs and plants acquire supernatural power on Kupala night- both evil and good. The fern blooms in marvelous colors on Ivan Kupala. The fern flower is also called “heat flower” because it... According to legend, it seems to burn with a red flame, so bright that at night it becomes clear as during the day, and the eyes cannot stand such a blinding light. Legend has it that everyone who pick a fern flower on Ivan Kupala, will acquire magical powers, be able to predict the future, learn to understand the language of birds, plants and animals, and also gain the ability to become invisible to human eyes. fern flower is able to open any locks, iron bars and doors, and will help discover treasures buried in the ground. It's just not so easy to get it. After all, not only people follow the flower of happiness, but also evil forces that are difficult to fight. They are trying to interfere, to distract attention. If you still managed to find a flower of happiness, you had to hide it on your heart under your clothes. Then it was necessary to take left hand wormwood and draw a circle around you with chalk - then evil forces will not be able to do anything to the lucky person.

Medicinal plants on Ivan Kupala harvested at dawn, away from settlements and roads, always in good mood and with prayer. Besides healing properties, plants have significant magical powers at this time.

The grass tirlich was especially revered by Ivan Kupala.. The decoction was always made from it in a new pot, which was bought without haggling. They washed themselves with this decoction to attract the attention of the chosen one, saying three times: “Tirlich, tirlich! Call my darling!” This ritual was also performed on Ivan Kupala in order for the girl to get married faster.

Another love plant is periwinkle. They used it to make guys “follow” girls. We also prepared lovage, which was popularly called the “love root.” They believed: in order to always remain young, beautiful and attractive to the opposite sex, you need to bathe in water with a decoction of lovage, and to attract love, you can add seven rose buds to the water.

In addition, St. John's wort was collected on Ivan Kupala- All evil spirits are afraid of him as well. as well as sunlight. What if on the night of Ivan Kupala, pick the Ivan da Marya flower and placed in the corners of the house, the thief will not approach this dwelling: the brother and sister (yellow and purple flowers of the plant) will talk to each other, and the thief will think that the owner and the mistress are talking. Before drying herbs from Midsummer, they were blessed in churches, and then they fumigated sick people with them, used them as amulets, and threw them into a melted stove during a thunderstorm so that lightning would not strike the house.

The holiday of Ivan Kupala was special time for pregnant women and those women who were just planning to conceive a child. They collected the following herbs: nettle, chamomile, thyme, string, lovage, wormwood. When the baby is born, the mother will already have Kupala charmed herbs filled with ancestral strength and energy. They made tea from them, infused it and added it to the font. So from the very first days, the mother helped the baby find health. If you continue to bathe a girl using Kupala herbs until she is three years old, she will grow up to be a beauty who will be loved by everyone around her.

Folk traditions on Ivan Kupala - Kupala wreath

On Ivan Kupala not only women, but also men who wanted to find a match after their hearts, weaved a Kupala wreath. Must be woven into it chamomile, St. John's wort, wormwood, nettle and others healing herbs . After Kupala, such a wreath served as a talisman all year. It was hung above the door so that not a single unkind glance could penetrate through it. If one of the household members fell ill, the housewife plucked a little grass from the wreath and threw it into decoctions and teas. Often, by the next Kupala holiday, all that was left of the wreath was headband, which was burned in the Kupala bonfire.

Protective rituals for Ivan Kupala

• On Kupala night happiness walks the earth, but along with it comes evil spirits. Therefore, for protection two days before the holiday, picked burdocks were placed under the roof of the house.
• The owners did not sleep on Kupala night because evil spirits can spoil a horse, a cow or, even worse, live in the house forever.
• To protect yourself from misfortunes, put nettles on the threshold and on the windowsills.
• Girls on Ivan Kupala wore garlic in their belts.
• They locked the horses so that the witches would not steal them and ride them to Bald Mountain: the horse would definitely not return from there alive!

photo by D. Frolov fotograf-frolov.com