What do you know about Ivan Kupala's Day?

Answer 1

Ivan Kupala Day is a holiday that has existed since pagan times. Originally, it was known as “Solntsevorot Day,” which refers to the day of the Summer Solstice, the longest day and the shortest night of the year. This year, Ivan Kupala Day was celebrated on 23-24 June (according to the old calendar). The ancient belief was that the sun is forced down from his way and the girl with beautiful eyes, Zarya (Daybreak), helps him on his way again. She washes him with the early-morning dew from the grassy fields. People believed that water on this day had a specific cleansing force. That’s why many rites of this holiday are connected with water. The word “Kupala” has the same root as the Russian word kupat’sya, meaning “to bathe.” Originally, the holiday was called just “Kupala,” in the name of the pagan goddess. But also on this day the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the birth of St. John the Baptist (whose name is pronounced in Russian as “Ioann” or “Ivan”). This is the origin of the first part of the holiday’s name. Two holidays – the birthday of St. John and Kupala’s Day – merged into one, but the celebrations remained mostly pagan in nature.

According to the modern calendar, Ivan Kupala Day is celebrated on 7 July, but the festivities start during the night, from 6-7 July. The holiday was especially loved by young people – it was a time for wild fun. Young men often used this occasion to gain the attention of beautiful young ladies. One of the most important attributes of this holiday is Kupala’s bonfires. These fires, prepared by rubbing wood together, were named “living fire.” The fire was the symbolic representation of the sun’s power and the ritual worship based on the increasing reproductive activity of both humans and Nature (fertility of the land and fruiting of the trees). People gathered around bonfires, sang songs, danced, played noisy games, and jumped through the fire, believing that it cleansed them from all sin. Couples jumped through the fire holding their hands. If they managed not to unclasp their hands when they jumped, it was thought to be a sign that they would stay together for a long time.

As mentioned above, most rites of this holiday has something to do with water. Young guys and girls used to bathe in the rivers and lakes together in the night. Girls made beautiful diadems from flowers and then threw them in the water, which they used to guess their fate. Whichever direction the diadem drifted, that is where their fiancé would be from. Young men would try to take the diadems from the water. If a man managed to retrieve a diadem, the girl who made the diadem was to spend an evening with him. Another custom related to water was to wash one’s face with morning dew. Young people tried to dunk or splash each other with a pail of water. They ran after each other with buckets filled with water, got wet, laughed, and had fun.

It was believed that on Kupala’s Day, many grasses and plants acquired specific health-care powers. People went out into the fields to collect such herbs as kupalenka, medvezhye ushko (meaning “bear’s little ear”), bogatenka (meaning “the grass of rich men”), and razryv-trava (meaning “love-breaking grass”). Some of those herbs were then placed under the head of the bed to stimulate dreams that were considered to be prophetic. People believed that certain herbs collected on this day were magical, that they could make a young man fall in love with a girl or, conversely, turn away from her.

Many spooky tales and legends are connected with Kupala Night, tales concerning witches, good and bad omens, spirits of the forests and rivers, and snakes. One of these stories tells about the fern flower, which allegedly appears exactly at midnight and is so fiery and bright that it hurts the eyes to look at it. A human who is lucky enough to find this mythical flower can use it as a key to all hidden treasures. The riches, however, bring trouble as well as joy, for they are guarded by evil spirits. They chirp and twitter in the human’s ears as he hunts for the treasures and lure him away from the simple and righteous life.

Ivan Kupala Night is one of the most expressive and wild Russian folk holidays. Many rites and traditions connected with it, but the most important meaning of all those celebrations is to get in harmony with nature and to feel happy, healthy, and young.

Answer 2

There's Flame Day.

Answer 3

I never knew there was a such thing about that but well i guess it is because its brought up by you well im not sure but ill check on that question later on tommorrow