Next: 6 to 7 Jul 2027
Ivan Kupala Night
The Slavic midsummer night, when girls float wreaths on rivers, couples leap fires, and a fern is said to flower for a moment with a treasure.
About Ivan Kupala Night
Kupala Night is the East Slavic midsummer, kept on the night of 6 to 7 July in the Gregorian calendar, the Orthodox equivalent of the eve of St John. Young people jump over bonfires in pairs, a couple that holds hands through the jump being believed to be fated for one another. Girls make flower wreaths and float them on the river, reading the future from their path. Folk tradition held that a fern blooms for one moment at midnight, and whoever finds the flower will find buried treasure and understand the speech of animals; the plant does not really flower, and the tale is a stock motif. Water is sacred that night, and bathing is a ritual, sometimes said to be a protection from witches and mermaids. In Poland, the equivalent is Noc Kupały or Sobótki.
Also part of it, and being written: Kupala Night (The Slavic midsummer.), Fern flower (The legendary bloom of the night.), Rusalka (The water spirit of Slavic folklore.).
Written by the EveryJaadu desk with AI assistance. Background: "Kupala Night" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family, and are described as belief and practice. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.