What is the holiday of Ivan Kupala? Ivan Kupala: history, traditions, everything you need to know about the celebration. Traditions of Kupala night

The holiday of Ivan Kupala arose in pre-Christian times, when our ancestors worshiped various pagan gods. Their life was filled with various customs and beliefs; their life was closely connected with nature, with the land that fed them. According to the old style, the day of Ivan Kupala fell on June 23 - the day of the summer solstice. Subsequently, with the advent of Christianity, the original meaning associated with the Sun was lost, but most other traditions were preserved. The holiday of Ivan Kupala has several other names:
*yarilo;
* Yarilin's day;
*bathed;
*celebration of the summer solstice.

• History of Ivan Kupala Day
• Beliefs and signs
• Conclusion

History of Ivan Kupala Day

The modern name of the holiday remains well-known and generally accepted - Ivan Kupala Day. After the baptism of Rus', the holiday coincided with the Nativity of John the Baptist, hence the first part. Opinions about the origin of the second part are divided: either Kupala is the pagan God of fertility, or the pagans did not have such a God, and the word itself is associated with the tradition of bathing. Be that as it may, the holiday is still revered by many urban and rural residents. It is celebrated in the forest, in nature, at various festivals, and an integral part of it is the observance of various traditions that have been accepted for a long time.

Traditions and customs on the day of Ivan Kupala. Water, grass, fire

The celebration began on June 23, old style (July 6) from sunset until dawn. According to legends, on this night the water was healing, rejuvenating, and great attention was paid to it. In the mornings, girls and boys washed their faces with dew. The girls were rejuvenated, they wanted to become more beautiful, and the guys hoped to gain strength.

Interesting! After swimming, no one dried off, taking all the energy from the healing Kupala water.

They said that if you sprinkle dew on a house, all the small insects will disappear. On this day we loved to go to the bathhouse. They steamed and washed with wreaths of herbs collected with Kupala dew. Herbalists and healers went out of their houses into the forest at dawn to get various medicinal herbs.

A well-known myth of Ivan Kupala is the blooming fern. It is believed that anyone who sees the mysterious flowering of this plant will be endowed with a magical gift, will be able to talk with forest dwellers, and understand nature. Young boys and girls went out in search of the flower.

Along with healing water and various herbs, people also revered fire. “Madder” - winter, fading strength and “Kupala” - spring, the revival of nature, were burned, and round dances were held around. Bonfires were lit everywhere, things of the sick were burned in them (this is how they got rid of illness), things associated with bad memories. They jumped over a burnt-out fire; if a girl could not jump over, then she was called a witch; if a couple holding hands could jump over the fire, then their union promised to be strong.

Beliefs and signs

* Until July 7, it was forbidden to swim in open water. And on the festive night, everyone swam except the sick, children and old people, onto whose bodies evil spirits could spread;
* girls were required to go through the Kupala fire;
* sleeping during Kupala was dangerous. Evil spirits (mermaids, witches) did not sleep and could cause trouble;
* it was impossible to lift anything from the road so as not to fall into the clutches of evil monsters;
* table treats were endowed with magical powers. The girl, treating the guy, strengthened their relationship.

Conclusion

The celebration of Ivan Kupala is an interesting and fascinating spectacle, a memory of the traditions of our ancestors, an excellent reason to spend a weekend in nature and get involved in culture.

A fabulous time, filled with magic and mystery - the night of Ivan Kupala. Perhaps one of the most mystical folk holidays that we readily celebrate these days.

Ivan Kupala is a holiday that exists only among East Slavic peoples, and has no analogues in either Western European or American traditions. In the ritual calendar, this holiday “opposes” Christmas, or more precisely, Kolyada. Initially, Kupala Night was celebrated on the day of the summer solstice, but over the centuries, for many reasons, its date shifted slightly. Today Ivan Kupala is celebrated on the seventh of July.

Ancient holiday

Ivan Kupala, or more precisely, the night before the holiday can safely be called one of the oldest ritual days in history. The holiday originated long before the advent of Christianity to the Slavic lands, in those dark times when our ancestors deified nature and natural phenomena. The Church “adopted” the holiday, changing and assimilating it, and today we celebrate Ivan Kupala as the Nativity of John the Baptist. However, some of the rituals performed on Kupala Night have remained unchanged for many centuries.

Rituals of Kupala Night

It’s not for nothing that the name of the holiday includes the word “bathed” - traditions dictated that one must take a swim before the magical night. Someone swam in a natural body of water - a lake, river, stream, someone in a bathhouse or even a large wooden barrel. But failure to fulfill the main requirement of the holiday meant incurring many troubles and misfortunes. Water, according to beliefs, was supposed to wash away everything that was alluvial, nasty, dirty, and rituals had to be performed with a clean body and soul.

Wreaths

The day before the holiday, the girls wove wreaths - for themselves and for their betrothed. You could give a wreath to any guy you liked, and the birch branches and wormwood shoots woven into it were supposed to protect your loved one from evil spirits - mermaids, mavoks, Navi.

At night, the wreaths had a different role - they were floated along the river, telling fortunes. The wreath floated away with a burning candle stub stuck into it - a long and happy life awaited the girl, even and smooth, like the waters of a river. A wave splashed and extinguished the timid flame - expect trouble: illness, hunger, a quarrel with your loved one. Well, if the wreath sank right next to the shore, it’s completely bad: death will come to the yard, taking away the disease either from the fortuneteller herself or from someone close to her.

According to legends, further, beyond the bend, where neither the water nor the shore was visible, the mermaids collected the floating wreaths, and then danced in them all night, led round dances, sang sad songs. After all, mermaids are the same girls, but drowned in heavy, muddy waters. On the night of Ivan Kupala, they remember their earthly life, go ashore, call boys and girls to them, and drag them to the bottom.

Bonfire

In many regions of our country, to this day it is customary to jump over the fire on the night of Ivan Kupala. But they must not jump from the edge, where there is no heat and the fire is not strong, but through the very middle - fly through the tongues of fire, let the flame embrace you, so that all sorrows and troubles, all the evil eyes and slander will burn in the hot cleansing fire.

Kupala night is the only time of the year when water is friendly with fire, when these opposing forces unite to protect a person.

Fern

Well, what would Kupala night be without a search for blooming ferns! Finding a flowering fern in the darkest thicket meant providing yourself with prosperity for the rest of your life. After all, the fern opened up ancient treasures in no small way - bring the color above the ground and you will be able to see “deeply,” into the thickness of the earth. Well, the fern itself can “call” to the treasure, pull the hand holding it into the buried treasure. But it’s not easy to get a flower, because the color is needed not only by treasure hunters: all the evil spirits and undead in the area gather in advance for the bush that is preparing to bloom. A blooming fern beckons, attracts evil spirits, and only the bravest, bravest guy is able to get the coveted flower.

Ivan Kupala (Midsummer Night, Midsummer Day) is one of the main holidays of the Slavic calendar, coinciding with the Nativity of John the Baptist. After the transition to the new style, the holiday falls on July 7, or more precisely, on the night of July 7. Some European countries celebrate Midsummer's Day or St. Ivan's Day (similar to Ivan Kupala) according to the old style, on the days of the summer solstice - from June 20 to 26.

Since ancient times, the Kupala holiday has been one of the most vibrant and revered among the Eastern Slavs. Its pagan character persisted throughout the centuries. The significance of the holiday was determined by the fact that it was celebrated at the turn of two periods of the solar annual cycle, which formed the basis of the ancient agricultural calendar. This was the time of the highest solar activity with a subsequent change in the movement of the sun across the sky, which, as people believed, turned or “shifted” towards winter. As a result of this “shift,” the light gradually “faded” in the subsequent months of the calendar year: the days became shorter and the nights longer.

In the Christian worldview, the image of the “outgoing” sun began to be perceived as a symbol of John the Baptist, whose date of birth coincided with the summer solstice. In the Eastern and Western traditions, the saint was endowed with such epithets as light, a torch preceding the Sun, correlated with the image of Jesus Christ.

Within the framework of the folk calendar, Ivan Kupala formed a single holiday cycle together with the days of Agrafena the Bathing Lady (July 6) and the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul (Peter's Day, July 12).

Kupala holidays were celebrated during pagan times in honor of the Sun God, whose wife was the luminous Charge, Zarya-Zarnitsa, the red maiden.

This time was the period of the highest flowering of nature: the sun was at its zenith, vegetation reached its peak of flowering, fruits began to ripen; the day was considered the longest of the year, and the night the shortest. In the minds of the peasants, the magical power of fire, water, earth, and vegetation was so great during this period that they were credited with protective, cleansing, productive, and healing properties. Connecting with this power ensured good luck for the year.

At the same time, the calendar period in which the Kupala holidays fell was considered the most “dangerous” (along with Christmastide): according to legend, otherworldly forces became active at this time. The Kupala night was especially terrible in the eyes of the peasants; it was also the apogee of the holiday, since it was at this time that the main ritual actions were performed.

The Kupala holiday is associated with natural elements - fire, which usually appears in two forms: earthly and heavenly (sun), and water.

The theme of fire in the Kupala tradition is expressed in the rituals of lighting Kupala bonfires and in the widespread belief that the sun “plays” and “bathes” on this day. The old people, using the friction of dry sticks, produced “live fire”, lit fires, in the middle of which they placed a pole with a burning wheel fixed on it - a symbol of the sun.

Washing with water consisted of mass bathing of people in water sources, washing or washing with water or dew, washing in baths, and dousing with water.

Rituals with water could be performed at night, at dawn, during the break between church services - morning and mass. The idea of ​​the healing effect of Kupala ablution was widespread. A man who refused to bathe was suspected of witchcraft.

Beliefs and rituals related to the plant world were also popular. People girded themselves with bandages of flowers, and put wreaths of herbs on their heads. They danced in circles and sang songs.

Stories about unusual phenomena that happened to plants at this time and about their miraculous powers were widespread. Knowledgeable and experienced people, and especially village doctors and healers, collected medicinal roots and herbs for the whole year on Midsummer night. The idea that herbs on Midsummer's Day have a special power that has a beneficial effect on people's health is reflected in the custom of preparing bath brooms specifically from Midsummer.

A traditional activity on the night of Ivan Kupala is the search for a blooming fern. Fern was considered one of the most mysterious, witchcraft plants. According to popular beliefs, a blooming fern not only fulfills deepest desires, but also helps to find treasures.

It was believed that not only the fern flower has magic, but also the blossoming migratory grass. Flying grass, according to popular belief, can travel far away. And if on the night of Ivan Kupala you pick the grass, then your enemies will not be afraid of you.

The holiday of Ivan Kupala was universally considered a holiday of youth and young couples. The guys, as a rule, united during the Kupala night in groups that walked around the village, made noise and rowdy, littered the gates and doors with household equipment and firewood stored in the yard, and blocked pipes.

On this day it was noted: heavy dew on Ivan means a harvest of cucumbers; on Midsummer night it is starry - there will be a lot of mushrooms.

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

The summer holiday of Ivan Kupala has a centuries-old history. This day is shrouded in many legends, rituals and traditions, and Kupala night is considered a mystical time in which everyone can fulfill their cherished desire.

It is known that the holiday has folk origin, but there is no exact data. Historians suggest that the holiday was formed from pagan purification rites that took place on the summer solstice. It was on the day of the solstice that Ivan Kupala was celebrated in pre-Christian names. With the advent of the Orthodox religion, the holiday acquired a different meaning and became the day of John the Baptist. However, ancient Slavic rituals and traditions are still popular among the people to this day.

Traditions and customs of the holiday of Ivan Kupala

In the morning of Ivan Kupala, it is customary to wash oneself in natural springs. Our ancestors went to rivers and lakes at dawn to wash away the negativity and gain health and vigor. However, some are of the opinion that you should not approach bodies of water on Midsummer’s Day, otherwise, according to popular beliefs, there is a risk of being dragged away by water evil spirits: mavkas, mermaids, mermans, kikimoras.

The main tradition of the holiday remains jumping over the fire. Our ancestors considered fire to be cleansing, so on Kupala night they jumped over the flaring flames and led cattle between the fires in the hope of ridding them of diseases.

We didn't sleep on the shortest night of the year. At this time, evil spirits were activated, which could bring illness and adversity to the sleeping person, as well as take the soul to the other world.

On the day of the holiday, it was customary to collect medicinal herbs, which were carefully dried and used as a preventive measure for diseases and to protect the home from negativity. Herbs were also prepared for various rituals.

One of the most interesting traditions is the search for a fern flower on the night of Ivan Kupala. According to legend, this mystical flower appears at midnight, blooms for only a few seconds and is carefully guarded by evil spirits. The bravest ones went into the thickets to find the treasured plant. It, according to legend, showed treasures, endowed its owner with unprecedented power and allowed him to see things inaccessible to ordinary people.

On the day of the holiday, the Sun was revered and rituals associated with obtaining a rich harvest were performed. Girls and boys spent time in the fields to saturate the earth with the energy of love and happiness.

On the night before the holiday, unmarried girls wove wreaths of 12 herbs and flowers, dipped them in water and told fortunes about their betrothed. The wreaths that lasted the longest on the water promised a happy family life. Drowned people foreshadowed trouble and meant that the betrothed had stopped loving his bride and the wedding would not happen.

On the threshold on the day of celebration, bunches of nettles were placed so that rampant evil spirits could not enter the house and harm the most defenseless family members: the elderly, pregnant women and babies.

The inflorescences of Ivan da Marya, picked on the night of Ivan Kupala, were placed in the corners of the home to protect against thieves. According to legend, these flowers were an enchanted brother and sister who fell in love with each other and were punished for this by being turned into flowers. Thieves will hear the voices of lovers talking to each other and will be afraid to commit theft.

On the night of Ivan Kupala, everyone can look into their future and find out what awaits them on the path of life. The magic of these days allows you to perform all kinds of rituals to gain wealth, love and well-being. We wish you good luck and don't forget to press the buttons and

29.06.2017 02:16

On the night of Ivan Kupala, many rituals and fortune telling have been performed since ancient times. They all help...

Everyone's favorite summer folk holiday, Ivan Kupala, takes its origins from paganism. It is believed that we owe the origin of the Ivan Kupala holiday to the Eastern and Western Slavs. According to the ancient tradition, as in our days, the holiday of Ivan Kupala is celebrated by almost all of Europe, including Russia (in Old Russian: Kolosok, Kres, Kupala), Belarus (Kupala, Ivan Vedmatsky, Ivan Koldunsky, the Holiday of the Sun and Love), Ukraine (Solntsekres , First mowing, Bartholomew and Varvara, Ivan the herbalist), the Baltics (Dew Festival - lit., Jan's Day, Voditsa Day, Spirits Day - Bulgarian), etc., even despite the fact that the holiday comes from paganism. Although currently in many countries the holiday of Ivan Kupala is both a church holiday and a national one. In the old days, even before the advent of Christianity, people associated the holiday of Ivan Kupala with the summer solstice, which, according to the old calendar style, fell on June 20-21. With the adoption of Christianity, people did not reject the holiday of Ivan Kupala, but, on the contrary, timed this day to coincide with the day of John the Baptist, which according to the old style falls on June 24. But according to the new calendar style, the day of John the Baptist falls on July 7th. Having undergone changes over the years, the holiday of Ivan Kupala has lost its true astronomical time, which originally falls on the summer solstice. The very origin of the Ivan Kupala holiday is still unknown; it is known that the holiday has a folk origin. Presumably, Ivan Kupala originated from pagan rituals of cleansing, washing, which took place in rivers and lakes on the day of the summer solstice. Later, with the advent of Christianity, the celebration of Ivan Kupala was symbolized with the day of John the Baptist (translated from Greek as immerser, bather) -.

Rituals for the holiday of Ivan Kupala

On the night of Ivan Kupala, in the old days people performed many different ceremonies and rituals. Kupala night to this day is one of the most “powerful” nights, which is filled with healing and magical properties. The main forces on this night are: water, fire and herbs. Also on the night of Ivan Kupala, fortune telling with wreaths was common.

Ivan Kupala rituals related to water

In the old days, people believed that starting from the day of Ivan Kupala, until the day of Ilyin, all evil spirits left the waters of lakes, rivers and reservoirs, so swimming was allowed during this period of time. The most important custom on Kupala night is mandatory swimming in the water. In addition, on this night, it was water that was considered healing and had magical powers that helped to cleanse oneself of all evil, heal and acquire good health. If there was no open reservoir near the village, then people built baths, in which they steamed heartily and washed off evil spirits, and used Kupala brooms until the next day of Ivan Kupala. Also very popular in ancient times was bathing in holy springs on the night of Ivan Kupala. According to popular belief, it was at this time that water entered into a sacred union with fire, and this was considered a huge natural force, symbolized by the Kupala bonfires, which to this day are kindled along the banks of lakes, rivers and reservoirs.

Ivan Kupala rituals associated with fire

Fire on Kupala night, like water, also has great magical power. A fire lit on the night of Ivan Kupala has a cleansing property, and it is fire that has these magical powers. According to ancient tradition, bonfires were made on the banks of rivers and lakes, and the bonfires should not be small. People danced in circles, danced, and of course, the favorite pastime of young boys and girls on Kupala night was jumping over the fire of the fire. It was believed that whoever jumps higher and does not touch the flame will be happy. When the youth finished their festivities with bonfires, the older generation led their livestock between the Kupala bonfires so that they would not suffer death and illness. Mothers burned underwear, shirts and clothes that were taken from sick children in bonfires so that illnesses would no longer bother the child. According to the beliefs of ancient people, one could not sleep on Kupala night, since it was on this night that all evil spirits come out of their “dark” places (werewolves, mermen, etc.). The most active on this night are the witches, who could steal milk from a cow and ruin the harvest in the fields. And only the Kupala bonfires that night could protect people from all evil spirits. It was also very popular to set fire to wooden wheels or tar barrels, which were subsequently rolled down the mountain or carried on long poles, symbolizing the solstice.

Rituals for Ivan Kupala associated with herbs

There are many rituals associated with collecting herbs and flowers on Ivan Kupala; it is on this night that the herbs and flowers are filled with magic, i.e. healing and healing power. Only herbs and flowers collected before dawn on Bathing Night can have magical powers. Herbs and flowers collected on Midsummer's Day were placed under Bathing dew, then dried and stored until necessary. Such dried herbs were used to fumigate rooms and sick people, help fight evil spirits, and were used in various magical rituals and simply for everyday needs. But the main flower on Ivan Kupala was and remains to this day the Fern. According to legend, treasures were associated with this flower, which could be seen if on the night of Ivan Kupala a person could find a fern flower, which blooms for only a short time on Bathing Night.

One of the most common was and will remain fortune telling with the help of wreaths that curled from burdock, bear's ear, Bogorodsk grass or Ivan da Marya. Lighted small splinters or candles were inserted into woven wreaths of herbs, after which the wreaths were lowered into the water. Everyone carefully watches their wreath:

• if the wreath began to quickly float away from the shore, then this meant a happy and long life, or a good marriage;
• if the wreath floated further than others, then this meant that that person would be happier than others;
• if a candle or a splinter in a wreath burns out longer than others, it meant that the person will live a very long life;
• if the wreath sank, it meant that the girl would not get married this year, or the betrothed would stop loving her.

Popular beliefs on Ivan Kupala

On Bathing Night, witches became very active, and therefore caused a lot of harm to people, livestock, and crops in the fields. On the night of Midsummer, people protected themselves from witch attacks with nettles, which were laid out on the threshold of the house and on the windowsills.

Horses were especially vulnerable that night; the witches hunted for them in order to ride them to Bald Mountain, but to which the horses never returned alive. People always locked up their horses on Kupala night.

On Bathing Night, people looked for anthills and collected ant oil, which, according to legend, was endowed with great healing properties on this night.

The Ivan-da-Marya flowers, picked at night, had to be placed in all corners of the hut; it was believed that a thief would never break in, as he would hear voices in the house. According to legend, the Ivan da Marya flower is a brother and sister who fell in love with themselves and were punished for it and turned into a flower. Brother and sister will talk, and this will scare away the thieves.

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