Night of Ivan Kupala

On 6 for July 7 (with 24 for June, 25 on old style) one of the most ancient and important holidays of a Slavic calendar - Ivan Kupala, or Ivanov day is celebrated. The tradition of celebrating of Ivan Kupala has come to us from paganism.

This day - ancient Slavs’ thanked day of Dazhd'bog, the god of the sun. But the name of a holiday occurs from a national variant of a name of John the Baptist. It was a way the Orthodox Church tried to overcome pre-Christian customs. Called Bathed, it is connected to verbs "to bathe”, " to boil", because it was a holiday in honour of solar wedding, and one of the attributes of this wedding was bathing of the sun in water. According to the ancient representations fire and water were a brother and у sister whose symbol was the dark yellow and blue flower known as Ivan-and-Maria, or the flower of Кupala.

On that day young girls collected Kupala’s flowers in woods and fields as grass and flowers during the holiday served as the decoration of the village. Bouquets, wreaths, brooms were used also in guessing. They were put on water and girls guessed about a marriage, about life and death or about the future: if the wreath will sink - to a trouble, will float - fortunately.

At night a huge fire was settled. As soon as its flame inflames, young men and girls, having joined hands, start to jump through him. After cheerful round dances the youth was sent to bathe. Ivan Kupala's celebrating was necessarily accompanied by bathing in the rivers and lakes, washing by water or dew, washing in baths. It was considered, that, washing with dew the face and hands, the person banishes illnesses.

Only at this night, once a year, fern begins to blossom, therefore it is traditional that on the night of Ivan Kupala people searched for a flower of fern. Fern was considered to be one of the most mysterious and magic, magical plants. It was considered, that blossoming fernnot only make all the desires come true and also helps to find a treasure.

Also at this night it is possible to meet mermaids and witches. It is considered, that mermaids receive special force and can withdraw on a riverbed everybody. Therefore the most beautiful girls to those mermaids were kind, did wreaths of field colors and started up them on water. Witches at night of Ivan Kupala gather on the Bald Mountain exactly at midnight. And they fly there on a sweep.

Date: 2015-02-03; view: 1214