Ivan Kupala – 1

Ivan Kupala is an ancient pagan holiday, which is now celebrated on July 7. The first written mention of the Kupala holiday in Ukraine is in the Volyn (1262) chronicle. There are various rituals of this holiday, but the most important of them are cooking and lighting the fire and playing around it; rites and divination by the water. Unmarried girls threw wreaths on the water, watching what was happening to them. After all, if the wreath floats well and the candle does not go out, then wait for the girl at the matchmaker! It was believed that a fern would bloom that night, and whoever found a magical flower would begin to understand the language of animals and plants. Celebrations on the occasion of the summer solstice and in honor of St. John the Baptist are known to many peoples. The holiday reached its greatest scale in Spain, where the San Juan Hearths Festival is held on June 19-24, and in Brazil, the Festa Unina on June 13-29.