Signs of Ivan Kupala. Ivan Kupala holiday: history, traditions and customs

Ivan Kupala Day has been celebrated since pagan times. The Slavs believed that on the night of the holiday they could bring prosperity into life and also get rid of troubles.

Celebrating the holiday begins on the evening of July 6, immediately after the Sun disappears below the horizon. Our ancestors did not close their eyes all night, performing various rituals and observing the changes around them. The night from July 6 to July 7 was considered unusual, because, according to legend, it was at this time that one could encounter evil spirits: mermaids, merman and goblin. On the night of Ivan Kupala, the rarest fern flower blooms, capable of bringing good luck to the one who finds it for life. Initially, this holiday was dedicated to the day summer solstice, but the date was shifted several times, and with the advent of Christianity, the final date was set at July 6. In 2018, as always, Kupala will be celebrated on the night of July 6-7. Festive festivities will begin on Friday evening.

History of the holiday

In the pre-Christian era, the day of Ivan Kupala was equated with the cult of sun worship. The day was timed to coincide with the summer solstice, as evidenced by many traditions, signs and rituals. The name of the holiday follows from the rituals performed by our ancestors. In former times, bathing in open reservoirs was a mandatory part of rituals that helped to gain health and beauty. According to other sources, “Kupala” is named after the god of fertility, who protected crops. The prefix “Ivan” appeared with the advent of the Orthodox religion and is associated with the name of John the Baptist. The church could not force people to completely abandon ancient customs, so the holiday absorbed both pagan and Christian traditions.

Features of Ivan Kupala Day

Every year Ivan Kupala brings together people who want to celebrate the holiday according to the behests of our ancestors. On the night of July 6-7, a mandatory ablution procedure takes place, which can be carried out both in open springs and in a bathhouse. An indispensable attribute of the festive night are bonfires that burn until dawn and scare away evil spirits. At the moment of ignition and until the flame gains strength, lovers jump over the fires, holding hands. This ritual helps strengthen relationships.

Young girls sought to get rid of loneliness and wove wreaths of wildflowers. They were lowered into reservoirs to say goodbye to girlhood and quickly meet their betrothed. Those lucky women whose wreaths did not wash back on the shore could begin to collect their dowries.

Many beliefs were associated with mermaids and other evil spirits, from which they tried to protect not only people, but also livestock. In Rus', blessed willow branches were stuck in the fields, and nettles were hung near the doors. It was believed that plants ward off any evil and help neutralize the effects of negative rituals.

On the night of Ivan Kupala, experts from the website dailyhoro.ru recommend collecting medicinal herbs. Our ancestors believed that it was on the day of the holiday that plants gained strength that could heal any ailment. In addition, herbs are used as components for various rituals. Spend the holiday with your loved ones and try to find a magical fern flower so that luck does not leave you. We wish you happiness, and do not forget to press the buttons and

Question: “What date is Ivan Kupala?” - ask those who want to get to know the cultural heritage of the Slavic peoples better. This holiday was dedicated to the Sun, Fire and was held in the midst of mowing. Rituals on this day personified the strength and flourishing of nature, and also drew people’s attention to the mystery and beauty of the world around them. On the festive night, everyone swam in nearby ponds and jumped over large and small fires, thereby undergoing a purification ritual.

What date is Ivan Kupala

Before the change in the temporary style, the date of this holiday coincided with the date and was celebrated in the period from June 20 to 22. With the advent of Christianity, the answer to the question: “What date is Ivan Kupala?” has undergone changes. This holiday was timed to coincide with the date of birth and began to be celebrated on June 24. After changing the style of the calendar, the day of John the Baptist moved to July. Today, to the question: “What date is Ivan Kupala?” you can give a definite answer - July 7th. Although many believe that this holiday should be celebrated not during the day, but at night. By the way, many traditions associated with this date can only be implemented in the dark. Therefore, this holiday is one of the most mystical and mysterious.

Traditional rituals

At this time, unique properties were attributed to plants; it was believed that trees could move and talk, and animals could help people. Many peoples had fairly free morals on this holiday, and traditional moral prohibitions were lifted. Many rituals and fortune telling are associated with this day.

The blooming fern is the most famous attribute of the Kupala night. A large number of legends are associated with him. The most common one is that whoever finds scarlet will be able to understand the language of animals and will also acquire magical powers. People have always been in awe of this unusual plant due to the fact that it grows in dark and swampy places. Botanists cannot agree that the fern blooms, but this has not affected people's belief that such a flower exists.

Men and women in love rolled naked in the grass and washed themselves with dew. Such a ritual was supposed to bewitch a person dear to the heart and promote the woman’s fertility.

It was believed that all herbs on this night were filled with magical power, so they were kept all year and used as amulets.

On this day, lovers could enter into their union without parental blessing. To create a strong family, many couples specifically waited. What date to conclude such an unbreakable union now is unclear to many.

On this magical night one could not go to bed, since the “evil spirit” was very active, and one could become an easy prey for dark forces.

Conclusion

Perhaps it is precisely because this holiday is the most enigmatic and mysterious that many people want to know what date is Ivan Kupala Day? And, despite the fact that few people recognize the effectiveness of ancient rituals, more and more people are bathing and jumping over fires - precisely on this night.

The holiday of Ivan Kupala is shrouded in magical legends and amazing rituals. On this day, our ancestors looked for fern flowers, lit fires and jumped over them, wove wreaths from wildflowers and collected medicinal herbs.

History of the holiday

Ivan Kupala Day is a favorite holiday among the people. Initially it was celebrated on June 24th. But due to the transition to the Gregorian calendar, the date shifted to July 7. IN folk calendar the opposite of the feast of the Nativity of Christ.

Many people mistakenly believe that Kupala is some kind of pagan deity who is honored on this day. However, this is a mistake. In fact, people call Ivan Kupala John the Baptist. The word “Kupala” means something like immersion in water, bathing, ablution.

The history of the holiday is very old, pagan. But after the advent of Christianity, many pagan traditions were lost. However, the holiday survived, connecting with Midsummer's Day.

When is it celebrated in 2020?

Ivan Kupala in 2020 is celebrated on July 7th. This date repeats from year to year. It is this date, as well as the evening and night before - July 6 - that are festive.

Customs, traditions, rituals

There are a wide variety of customs and traditions for the holiday of Ivan Kupala. They are all associated with fire, water and herbs. Most customs and rituals must be performed the night before the holiday - from July 6 to July 7.

Cleansing fire

They lit it late in the evening and kept it burning until the morning. It is necessary to light a fire only with “live” fire, that is, produced by friction.

To light a fire, young people brought a large amount of brushwood. A pyramid was made from it, and a pole rose in its center. For example, they put on this pole:

• tar barrel;
• cow or horse skull.

All women of the village were obliged to come to the Kupala bonfire. And whoever didn’t come was called a witch. Also, all the girls jumped over the fire, thereby they:

1. cleansed from damage, spells, illnesses;
2. defended themselves from attacks by mermaids while swimming.

If the girl did not agree to jump, then she was again called a witch. And in order to cleanse such a girl from filth, they doused her with water and whipped her with nettles.

They always danced around the fire. The children played with burners. The youth made noisy fun games. In many regions there was a custom - a guy and a girl took hands and jumped over the fire.

If their hands remain clenched during the jump, then this is an indication of impending marriage. The sparks that fly after the young were also considered a good sign.

In addition to bonfires, there was a tradition of setting fire to tar barrels or wheels and rolling them down the mountains or carrying them on poles. This symbolized the solstice - that is, the change in the annual movement of the sun.

Wreath

The Kupala wreath was woven in advance from wild flowers and herbs. According to custom, each plant in the wreath adds additional properties to it. Typically used:

• fern;
• periwinkle;
• oak branches;
• birch branches;
• geranium;
• basil;
• blackberries.

The symbol of the wreath is associated with its ring-shaped shape, which echoes other similar objects: a hoop, a ring. People often filtered milk through the wreath, poured water for washing, drank, and even crawled through.

During the celebration of Ivan Kupala, the wreath was often burned or thrown onto the roof of the house. In other regions, the dried wreath was preserved and then used for healing, as well as to protect fields from hail.

There was a curious custom. At the dawn of Midsummer, the peasant women chose the most beautiful girl among themselves. She was completely undressed and then decorated from head to toe with flower garlands.

They called that girl “Dzevko-Kupalo.” She had to distribute the wreaths prepared ahead of time to the rest of the girls. The distribution took place with eyes closed.

Other girls danced around the chosen one in a round dance. Each of them received a wreath. It was possible to determine fate by it. If you received a fresh and beautiful wreath, it meant happiness and wealth. And if faded, it means trouble and poverty.

Bathing

An indispensable tradition of Midsummer's Day was universal bathing. Starting from this time, it was possible to swim in open bodies of water without fear, since various evil spirits left lakes and rivers: mermaids, etc. Swimming was allowed until Ilya's day.

In the northern regions, baths were heated and steamed there. And after the bathhouse they drank freshly brewed herbs collected on this magical day.

They often took water, considering it miraculous. By analogy with Epiphany water.

Kupala tree

Another attribute of the Kupala holiday is a tree. Used in different regions various breeds trees, but they always took young trees:

• maple;
• birch;
• willow;
• apple tree

Local girls decorated the tree with ribbons, veins, fruits, and wildflowers. After which they were taken outside the village and stuck into the ground in a clearing.

They sang and danced around the Kupala tree and danced in circles.

A little later the boys joined in the fun. They pretended to want to steal or set fire to the tree. But the girls did not allow this.

As a result, everyone headed together to the river, where they drowned the tree, or to the fire to burn it. They threw the burnt trunk into the river and ran away to hide from the witch (who supposedly could have pursued them).

Magic herbs

The holiday of Ivan Kupala is inextricably linked with beliefs about herbs. Our ancestors believed that lush summer greenery protected from damage and the evil eye, witches and sorcerers, fires and hurricanes.

Greenery was a symbol of fertility and fertility. Contact with fresh leaves and herbs, according to legend, contributed to the fertility of livestock and a rich harvest in the fields and gardens.

On this day, it was customary to collect all kinds of medicinal herbs, as they received special power from the Sun and the earth. It was customary to collect some herbs during the day, others at night, and others in the morning dew.

While collecting herbs, a special prayer or spell was required. In some regions, herbs collected by children and old people were called the most healing. That is, those who do not have romantic contacts and who do not have periods. Such people were considered the purest.

fern flower

There is a belief that once a year, on the night of Ivan Kupala, a fern blooms. In reality, this plant does not bloom, it reproduces by spores.

But let's return to belief. Closer to midnight, a flower bud appears behind a fern bush, moving and swaying as it pleases. This is because evil spirits are doing their best to hide the flower from people.

Every minute the magic flower increases in size, grows higher and higher. As if at midnight, a cracking sound is heard and the flower opens, illuminating everything around with a bright light.

Picking this flower is not at all easy.

• In advance, you need to spread a magic tablecloth near the bush, draw a circle around yourself with a knife and read a special spell.
• Evil spirits will distract a person from the fern. She either makes noise in the wind or seems to hear the voices of relatives calling to her.
• Evil spirits are looking for this flower, using it to decorate hell. They can tear off the head of a person who dares to appropriate a magic flower, sending him to hell for eternal torment.
• After the daredevil picks a fern flower, he must hide it in his bosom and then run away without looking back.

Ivan-da-Marya

To others magic flower The holiday is considered to be Ivan da Marya. Where does it get such an amazing name? It's all about a curious legend.

The guy fell deeply in love with the girl, and she reciprocated. The young people got married. But they did not know that they were actually brother and sister to each other.

When the truth came out, they should have separated.

Not wanting to leave each other, the young people turned into a flower, two parts of which were colored different colors: yellow and purple. Since then, Ivan da Marya has been considered a symbol of fidelity.

This flower was often plucked on the holiday of Ivan Kupala. It was believed that it received magical properties. Allows you to gallop away from any pursuit, even on an old nag.

And if you drink the squeezed juice from the flower, you can restore lost hearing or intelligence.

Kupala songs

Most songs on Midsummer's Day are related to love or family themes. A lot of humorous poems and jokes about the relationships between guys and girls.

The songs are distinguished by special beginnings or endings, for example, the repetition of the word Kupala or Kupalalyo.

Songs often repeat the motif about brother and sister – Ivan and Marya. I have already talked about them in the previous section.

Fortune telling

On the night of Ivan Kupala, fortune telling is widespread. Especially young people - on love and marriage. But they also guessed for luck and wealth. Below are a few fortune telling, but there are a great many of them.

For marriage

Here is one of the most popular fortune telling for marriage.

1. The girls collected wildflowers in advance and wove wreaths from them.
2. On the night before Midsummer they met on the shore of a lake or river.
3. The girls attached one candle to the wreaths.
4. The candle was lit and the wreath was released into the water.
5. Whose candle goes out first or whose wreath sinks first, whichever girl gets married first.
6. If the wreath floats to the shore, then marriage is still far away.

For next year

1. On Midsummer's Day, seven small birch branches were plucked. They were hidden in the hand.
2. Next, you had to pull out one of the branches without looking.
3. If the branch is smooth and even, then this year there will be peace and happiness.
4. If the branch has tubercles or breaks, then troubles and troubles await.

On request

A very simple fortune telling. The girl made a wish. Then she picked an overripe white dandelion and blew on it.

If the parachute flies away, then the wish will certainly come true. If half of it scatters, then the wait for execution will be long. And if everyone remains in place, then the desire will not come true.

Video

Thus, Ivan Kupala Day is bright and cheerful summer holiday. It is associated with a burning fire, with a riot of greenery and the magic of herbs. Every person will find something to please themselves on this amazing day filled with the energy of the Sun.

Ivan Kupala Day - Slavic folk holiday, known as the summer solstice festival, the festival of the sun. Other names for the holiday are Midsummer's Day, Kupala, Yarilin's Day, Spikelet, Summer Solstice Festival, Midsummer the Herbalist. This holiday is celebrated on July 7 (June 24, old style). In the calendar cycle, the day of Ivan Kupala is symmetrical to Christmas (Kolyada).

The history of the holiday dates back to pre-Christian Rus'. After the adoption of Christianity, Ivan Kupala was dedicated to the Orthodox holiday - the Day of John the Baptist (John the Baptist) - the prophet who predicted the appearance of Jesus Christ.

Of particular importance is not so much the holiday itself as the night before it. On this night, real miracles begin to happen. The entire space around is permeated with magic and magic. On Kupala night, our ancestors forgot about sleep. They walked until dawn, had fun, swam, danced in circles, sang songs.

Traditionally, all obligatory events on this day were associated with the elements of fire and water, as well as with nature and plants. It was allowed to tell fortunes, make wishes and even show signs of attention to the opposite sex.

What date is Midsummer's Day celebrated? The holiday of Ivan Kupala in 2020 falls on July 7. However, according to tradition, it is usually celebrated after sunset on July 6th until the evening of July 7th. The culmination of the holiday is the night of July 6-7. It is at night that the largest celebrations take place and Kupala rituals are performed.

But it wasn't always like this. Initially, the holiday of Ivan Kupala was celebrated on the day of the summer solstice - June 21. Kupala Night was also the shortest night of the year. Later, with the establishment of Christianity, the celebration of Midsummer's Day was combined with the Day of John the Baptist - June 24. And after the transition to the Gregorian calendar, the holiday of Ivan Kupala shifted to July 7 (that is, June 24 according to the old style).

The history of the holiday

It is believed that this holiday appeared at the intersection of pagan and Christian culture. Even before the baptism of Rus', the ancient Slavs had rituals that were closely related to the Kupala rites known to us, for example, the ritual of ablution during the celebration of the summer solstice.

Meanwhile, it is believed that the name of the holiday - Midsummer's Day, Ivan Kupala - comes from the name of John the Baptist (John the Baptist), whose name is translated from Greek as “baptizer”.

Nevertheless, the word “Kupala,” according to most sources, comes from “bathing, washing.” However, some historians claim that Kupala is an ancient pagan deity - the god of fruits and wildflowers.

It was difficult to completely eradicate pagan customs and traditions after baptism in Rus'. That's why pagan holiday was combined with the Christian day of the prophet John the Baptist. Moreover, the ceremonies and rituals performed on the night of Ivan Kupala are definitely of pagan origin.

The holiday of Ivan Kupala is successfully celebrated to this day - not only in Russia, but throughout Europe. But in every country this holiday has its own name. In Belarus it is called Kupalle, Lado, in Ukraine - Kupailo, Sontsekres, in Latvia - Ligo, in Lithuania - Rasos and Jonines.

Traditions, what they do on the holiday of Ivan Kupala

The night of Ivan Kupala is famous for its various rituals and mass festivities. This holiday allowed young people to escape from the traditional way of life, have fun and have a blast.

This night was considered special, filled with miracles and magic. Nature came to life, water and fire were endowed with magical powers, plants acquired healing properties.