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Kupala Day( or in Polish Noc
Świętojańska or Sobótka) is celebrated in Poland, Russia,
Belarus and Ukraine on 7th July in the Gregorian or New Style
calendar, which is June 24th.
Many of the rites related to this holiday within Slavic
religious beliefs are connected with the role of water in
fertility and ritual purification. Youths would jump over the
flames of bonfires. Girls would float wreaths of flowers which
are often lit with candles on rivers and would attempt to gain
foresight into their relationship by telling fortunes from the
flow patterns of the flowers on the river. Men may attempt to
capture the wreaths, in the hope of capturing the interest of
the woman who floated the wreath.
There is an ancient Kupala belief that the eve of Ivan Kupala is
the only time of the year when ferns bloom. Prosperity, luck,
discernment and power would befall on whomever finds a fern
flower. Therefore, on that night village folks would roam
through the forests in search of magical herbs and especially
the elusive fern flower.
Traditionally, unmarried women, signified by their garlands on
their hair, would be the first to enter the forests. They are
followed by young men. Therefore, consequent to the quest in
finding herbs and the fern flower may be the blooming of
relationships between pairs of men and women within the forest.
It is to be noted that biologists have held the persistent
scientific fact that ferns have never and will never bloom.
These days Sobótka is celebrated mainly by lighting fires,
baking potatoes in the fires and roasting sausages over them.
Open-air concerts are held in the main squares of towns and
villages and people have fun until late at night.
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