Are you ready to jump over the fire to find love? Or to look for a fern flower to find treasures? If yes, you can be a participant of the ancient Slavic holiday with a lot of interesting traditions. And maybe you will find your Russian woman at the day of the summer equinox.
Ivana Kupala is the traditional holiday which is celebrated in Ukraine, Russia, Belorussia and Poland. This holiday was dedicated to the summer solstice (June, 20-21), when the night is twice as short as the day. The ancient Slavs honored the Sun and the pagan god Kupala. After having adopted Christianity, they began celebrating it on the birthday of John the Baptist – June 24. The present-day version of Ivan Kupala Day is a mixture of Christian and pagan traditions and it’s celebrated on the night of July 6 – 7.
The main symbols of this holiday are Kupala, Marena(Mara) fire and of course love! Kupala was the god of the summer solstice and the patron of marriage and love. Marena or Mara was the goddess of the dark night, bad dreams, illnesses and death.
There was always something miraculous about the day of Ivana Kupala. No one slept at night because it was believed that all evil became active: witches, mermaids, werewolves, vampires…
According to the legend, once in a year, in the night of Ivana Kupala the fern blooms with flowers, burning like fire. Those who’ll find the flowers will be lucky and find all the treasures including the true love which will last forever. No man could pick up the flower, but if you saw a little red flower, any wish would come true.
The day of Ivana Kupala is very special for the single Slavic girls and this day is perfect for the divinations about love and marriage.
Single Slavic women make special magic wreaths and let them in the water with candles. If a wreath floats on the water well and the candle does not go out, single girl will get married this year. If not – she’ll be single one more year.
Russian woman also like to walk barefoot in the dew and bathed in it. One of the traditions is to swim in the pond and to wash a face to save youth and beauty. Slavic girls used to sing special songs (“kupalni”), with a lot of references to love and marriage.
Traditionally people build the big fire and jump over it. It means to get rid of difficulties and start the new life with happiness and love. If the two lovers will jump over the fire together hand in hand, this would mean that they are connected forever. People are not afraid of fire because this day it has the healing features and there is a tradition to burn some clothes of the sick people to the get rid of diseases!
People save herbs and flowers, collected in Ivana Kupala day, because they are healing and may treat a lot of illnesses.
The celebration of Ivana Kupala is very beautiful and bright and mean a lot for Slavic ladies who want to get married. So maybe the magic of this day will help you to find love and happiness with the special lady!