Ivan bathed holiday rituals and traditions history. Ivan Kupala: ceremonies, traditions, rituals

Every year on July 7, one of the most beloved folk holidays is celebrated - Ivan Kupala, whose history goes back to pagan times. There are many myths and beliefs associated with this holiday. The celebration is dedicated to the blossoming of nature and the summer solstice. With the advent of Christianity, the holiday acquired a new meaning, but even today, the customs and traditions of the ancient Slavs are visible in it.

History of the holiday of Ivan Kupala

One of the main deities among the ancient Slavs was the Sun God. He was revered on the day of the summer solstice, which fell on July 24 according to the old style, or July 7 according to the new one. Our ancestors believed that on this day water enters into an alliance with fire. That is why many holiday rituals are associated with these two elements.

The holiday of Ivan Kupala combines two elements: Christian and pagan. Already with the advent of Christianity, the celebration received the name Ivan Kupala, which was a Slavic version of the name John the Baptist.

On the day of the summer solstice, the ancient Slavs praised the longest day of the year and rejoiced at the victory of light over darkness. The first written mentions of the holiday were found in the Laurentian Chronicle (1068).

Active preparations for the Kupala night took place on the eve of the holiday - July 6 according to the new style. This day in the calendar of the ancient Slavs was called Agrafena Bathing. On Agrafena they always washed and steamed in the bathhouse, and prepared bath brooms for the whole year. After lunch, girls and women harnessed their horses and went into the forest, where they broke young branches of birch, linden, alder, bird cherry, currant, viburnum, rowan and other deciduous plants and trees.

The guys collected muddy water from the river in buckets and walked around the village, pouring dirty water on everyone they met. It was especially hard on the girls who, wanting revenge, also filled buckets with dirty water and doused the guys with it. After which the youth went to the river to swim.

On the night of Ivan Kupala it was customary to light bonfires. According to legend, water at this time acquires healing powers. In order to be healthy and not get sick all year, you had to swim in the river, then burn your old clothes in a fire and jump high over the flames to recharge yourself with the energy of the fire.

On the morning of Ivan Kupala, it was customary to collect herbs and weave wreaths. It is believed that at this time the plants gain full strength. The girls collected field herbs and flowers, wove wreaths from them, which they put on their heads and walked like this all day. If in the evening the wreath remained on the girl’s head and was not stolen during the games, then it, along with a lit torch or candle, was sent to float along the river, while making a cherished wish. The faster and further the wreath floats, the sooner the wish will come true.

On this day, witch doctors and healers collected medicinal herbs and dried them for the winter. At night they collected dew, which was also considered healing. It was used in many rites and rituals. For example, girls washed their faces with it so that the skin was smooth and beautiful, and they also washed the sick with dew so that they would get better sooner.

At night it was customary to collect “moon plants”, the most popular of which is fern. The youth went in search of a fern flower. According to legend, the fern blooms literally for a moment on the night of Ivan Kupala. It is very difficult to pluck it, because it is guarded by evil spirits. But the one who can do this will acquire unusual capabilities. A person will begin to have the gift of clairvoyance, will be able to understand the language of animals and easily find treasures buried deep in the ground. With the help of a flower you can open any locks and constipations, just apply it to them.

To pick a fern, you need to spread a sacred tablecloth near the plant, draw a circle around yourself with a sacred knife and, reading a special spell, wait until midnight. Evil spirits try in every possible way to distract a person, calling out to him with the voices of loved ones. If you turn around and respond to the response, you could lose your life. Having picked a flower, you need to hide it in your bosom and run home without looking back.

Ivan Kupala - a Christian or pagan holiday?

In the church calendar, July 7th marks the celebration of the birth of John the Baptist, the Baptist of the Lord. There is nothing in common between Ivan Kupala and John the Baptist. In pagan Rus', the day of the summer solstice was called Kupala, but with the advent of Christianity the holiday received the name Ivan (from John) Kupala. Despite the fact that the church separates these two holidays and recognizes only the Christian one - the birth of John the Baptist, Ivan Kupala is still very popular today. On July 7, people continue to worship the forces of nature and ask them for a good harvest. In many places in our country it is customary to light fires and jump over them, weave wreaths and collect medicinal herbs.

Mysterious, cheerful and freedom-loving - all this is about Ivan Kupala. The night of Ivan Kupala is one of the most interesting and at the same time, mystical, when many signs come true and miracles can come to life. We will tell you about one of the most interesting summer holidays in our article.

Ivan Kupala: history and name of the holiday

The holiday of Ivan Kupala is one of the most ancient on Slavic lands, so it is impossible to trace its entire history. The fact is that initially Ivan Kupala was a holiday with a pagan bias - on this day they called upon spirits for a good harvest and weather, and also told fortunes about their betrothed. In addition, the Christian holiday is closely associated with the pagan one due to the procedure of washing and purification in water, which took place in rivers.

But the pagan “version” was met on the day of the Solstice - June 20-22.
However, the holiday has survived to this day as the story of the baptism of Rus'. Ivana Kupala is a folk version of the name John the Baptist, who played an important role in the baptism of Rus'.

It was the Christian version of the holiday that included various entertainments on the water and wreaths thrown downstream. It was believed that in this way the girl would attract her betrothed and with him happiness into her future family.

It is also known that the people called Ivan Kupala Midsummer's Day, Kupala, Kolosok, Yarilin's Day, Kokuy, Ivan the Herbalist, Sontsekres, Kupailo, Kupalle, Ivan Kaldunski.

The date, by the way, was changed for good reason - after all, celebrating it on the night of July 6-7, the celebration was brought closer to one of the largest Christian holidays - the Nativity of John the Baptist.

Why jump over a fire?

One of the main attributes of the celebration of Ivan Kupala is jumping over a fire, as well as searching for blooming ferns. But, for the sake of order, we will deal with the first “entertainment” first.

In paganism, fire is a symbol of warmth and light; it is believed that it can bring both happiness and joy. But in Christianity, fire is purification, fire is salvation for the soul. That is why jumping over a fire calmly passed from a pagan holiday into a Christian one.

Today, jumping over a fire means not only to cleanse yourself, but also to show your “prowess” and attract good luck, because luck, as you know, loves the brave!

It is also interesting that in the villages all women were required to come out to the fire; it was believed that if you did not come out, you could be caught in witchcraft. Indeed, on this clear night, only mystical and evil creatures hide in the shadows and water.

Both boys and girls jumped over the fire alone, as well as couples holding hands. It was believed that if young people crossed the fire without letting go of each other’s hands, it meant that they were destined to be together. If the hands opened, it meant that the couple would soon separate.

The main traditions of the holiday of Ivan Kupala

Mandatory attribute number one is swimming at sunrise. It is believed that in this way a person undergoes a kind of purification procedure - it washes away diseases and strengthens the immune system. Bathing took place in various places - someone cleansed himself in the rivers, someone prepared a bath for this.

By the way, even before sunrise or after sunset, cattle were also brought to the river. It was believed that on this night the water has healing properties and can protect livestock from death and disease.

Then came the fire's turn. Bonfires were lit on hills or near rivers. Sometimes fire was produced in an ancient way - by rubbing wood against wood. Bonfires were lit late in the evening and often burned until the morning.

In addition, that evening and night, young boys and girls went to look for flowering ferns near the water and in the forest. It was believed that the one who finds the mythical plant will be happy all year and lucky in life, because finding a fern was considered to catch luck by the tail.

In our poster we told how they will celebrate in Kyiv.

The holiday of Ivan Kupala is shrouded in magical legends and amazing rituals. Our ancestors on this day looked for a fern flower, lit fires and jumped over them, wove wreaths of wild flowers and collected healing 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 the folk calendar it is the opposite 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. All of them are 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

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

To kindle a fire, young people brought a large amount of brushwood. A pyramid was built from it, and a pole towered 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:

cleansed from damage, spells, illnesses;
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 staged 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 that time, it was possible to swim in open water without fear, as various evil spirits left the 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. Different tree species were used in different regions, but young trees were always used:

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

Ivan da Marya is considered another magical flower of the holiday. 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 turned into a flower, two parts of which are painted in 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.

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

For next year

On Midsummer's Day, seven small birch branches were plucked. They were hidden in the hand.
Next, you had to pull out one of the branches without looking.
If the branch is smooth and even, then this year there will be peace and happiness.
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 apart, then the wish will certainly come true. If half of it scatters, then it will be a long wait for execution. And if everyone remains in place, then the desire will not come true.

Video

Thus, Ivan Kupala Day is a bright and cheerful summer holiday. It is associated with 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.

The ancient pagan holiday of Ivan Kupala, dedicated to the summer solstice, is one of the main dates in the Slavic calendar, celebrated on July 7th.

Tonight, Russians celebrated the summer holiday of Ivan Kupala. It was believed that on this special magical night it was impossible to sleep, because on this night various evil spirits woke up - witches, mermen, mermaids, werewolves. This bright mystical holiday is rich in interesting traditions and colorful rituals.

The holiday begins to be celebrated on the night of July 7, which is popularly considered special - only on this night can one find the mystical fern flower, which will bring happiness and wealth to a person.

How the holiday came about

The vibrant folk holiday of Ivan Kupala takes its origins from paganism, although its origins have not been precisely established. Ivan Kupala supposedly originated from pagan rituals of cleansing, washing, which took place in rivers and lakes on the day of the summer solstice.

Among the ancient Slavs, Ivan Kupala was a holiday of the Sun, the ripeness of summer and green mowing. Therefore, it was associated with the summer solstice, which according to the old style fell on June 20-22.

Traditions of the holiday of Ivan Kupala

It is not customary to sleep on the night of Ivan Kupala. It is believed that by organizing noisy celebrations and dances, as well as cheerfully singing songs, young people scare away evil forces from their homes.

It was believed that there was no need to swim, since the merman could be pulled into the water.

Traditionally, on this holiday, large bonfires were lit, around which festivities took place, a common meal was held, round dances were performed, songs were sung and danced. At the same time, festivities around the “cleansing” fire begin in the evening.

After midnight and before dawn on July 7, the water in the reservoirs acquires a powerful healing power. Therefore, before sunrise, take a swim in a lake or river. It also adds health and cures all ailments.

Jumping over the fire

Jumping over the fire on Ivan Kupala was one of the most important rituals for the holiday - to lure good luck, success and health. Whoever jumps the highest will be the luckiest, healthiest and most beautiful.

To cleanse the body and soul from diseases and evil thoughts, you need to jump over the Kupala fire three times. For the ceremony to work, collect the branches of male (beech, oak, maple) and female trees (rowan, alder and pine) and lay them out in the shape of a pyramid and set them on fire. Before jumping, ask the fire to take away illnesses and adversities.

Lovers can find out the future of their relationship with the help of a fire. Hand in hand, the couple must jump over the Kupala fire. If the lovers do not let go of their hands in a jump, they will live together until the end of their lives, if they open their palms, there will be quarrels.

And women who have not had children for a long time jump in order to recover from infertility.

The Slavs believed that the Kupala fire destroys all evil - illness, misfortune, poverty. That is why old clothes were burned on it. 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 was often driven through the Kupala fire to protect it from pestilence.

Whoever jumps the highest will be the luckiest, healthiest and most beautiful. Photo: vottak.net

Wreaths for Ivan Kupala

On Ivan Kupala, women and men who want to find a partner weave a Kupala wreath. Chamomile, St. John's wort, wormwood, nettle and other medicinal herbs must be woven into it. After Kupala, such a wreath serves as a talisman all year round. They hang it above the door so that not a single unkind glance can penetrate through it. If one of the household members gets sick, the housewife plucks a little grass from the wreath and throws it into a decoction or tea. Often, by the next Kupala holiday, all that remains of the wreath is the rim, which is burned in the Kupala bonfire.

On this night, unmarried girls also wove wreaths from herbs and flowers and threw them into the water: if the wreath sank, they won’t invite her to marry in the next year, the guy will stop loving her, even if he hasn’t sailed from the shore, the betrothed is somewhere very close, and if he has sailed far away - then a guy from afar will woo.

Many traditions on Ivan Kupala are associated with water. Photo: imperia-lna.ru

How to tell fortunes on Ivan Kupala

For love. Before going to bed, you need to collect a few plantain leaves and put it under your pillow. When going to bed, you should say: “Triputnik-fellow traveler, you live along the road, you see young and old, say my betrothed!” On this night, the girl should dream about her betrothed.

For the groom. Pluck as many branches of fern as you guess for the number of people. Fortune telling at midnight from July 6 to 7. For each branch, think of the name of the guy you want as your betrothed. Mark them with colored threads to avoid confusion. Dip into the water near the shore of the pond and press the branches to the bottom with your hand. Release quickly. Whichever branch comes up first - the guy planned for it will become your destiny.

For the future. To do this, you need to break the church candle into several pieces and melt the wax. As soon as it melts, pour it into a container of water. What figure he will take is what he expects in the near future. For example, a ring or candle - for a wedding, a wallet - for money, a star - for luck, a heart - for love, a flag - for the visit of an important guest, flowers - for a new admirer, stripes - for travel, waves - for the fulfillment of desires.

The girls were guessing at Ivan Kupala. Photo: vseodetyah.com

Water on Ivan Kupala

Many traditions on Ivan Kupala are connected with water. On July 7, Christians also celebrate the birthday of John the Baptist, who baptized Jesus in the Jordan. Therefore, it is believed that from this day on, swimming in open waters becomes safe - all evil spirits are expelled from rivers and lakes.

Kupala’s protection over those who like to swim and frolic in the water lasts until Ilyin’s Day, which is celebrated on August 2. In addition to healing bathing, morning dew can heal the body and soul, and it will make young girls even more beautiful. After washing in the morning, in the evening, the girls float wreaths on the water, wondering about love.

Signs on Ivan Kupala

Our ancestors, as on any other holiday, carefully monitored the weather on this day. If it rains on Midsummer, the whole summer will be hot and the weather will be dry.

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

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

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

Many believed that horses were especially dangerous, and could be used by evil spirits for their own purposes. In this case, they will not get out alive. Therefore, they tried to lock them up securely.

Fortune telling, beliefs and signs

The most common thing on Ivan Kupala remains fortune telling using wreaths. Wreaths were woven from various herbs - burdock, bear's ear, Bogorodskaya grass (thyme, thyme) or Ivana da Marya, into which lit small splinters or candles were inserted. Then they launched them into the water and watched them carefully.

If the wreath began to quickly float away from the shore, it meant a happy and long life or a good marriage, and if the wreath sank, it meant that the girl would not get married this year or her betrothed would stop loving her.

The happiest person could be the person whose wreath floated the farthest, and who lived the longest - whose candle or splinter in the wreath burned out the longest.

On this night, people used nettles to protect themselves from the attacks of various evil spirits - for this purpose, the plant was laid out on the threshold of the house and on the windowsills.

On Kupala Night, people always locked up their horses, which were especially vulnerable that night, as witches hunted them to go to Bald Mountain, from which horses did not return alive.

On the night of Ivan Kupala, 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 flower, picked on the night of Ivan Kupala, had to be placed in all corners of the house - people believed that this protected it from the attacks of thieves.

According to one legend, the Ivan da Marya flower is a brother and sister who fell in love with each other and were punished for it and turned into a flower. Brother and sister will talk, and this will scare away the thieves.

It is believed that on the night of Ivan Kupala, trees can move from one place to another, 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.

According to one of the signs, at midnight you need to pick flowers without looking and put them under your pillow, and in the morning check whether you have collected twelve different herbs or not. If there is enough, the girl 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!”

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.

And if you climb over twelve vegetable gardens on Midsummer Day, any wish will come true.

Heavy dew on Ivan Kupala means a harvest of cucumbers, if there are a lot of starry mushrooms on Midsummer night.

The material was prepared based on open sources

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.