Celebrations of Summer!
Jenny Heintz, Returned Peace Corps Volunteer 2007-2009
Ivana Kupala, celebrated on July 6-7 in Ukraine, was originally a pagan festival and has now been adopted into the Christian Orthodox calendar. It is a summer festival that celebrates fertility and the hope for a good harvest. The festival is celebrated the most in the Carpathian mountains with a large feast (often outdoors and over an open fire). On the day of Ivana Kupala each unmarried girl makes a head-wreath from wildflowers and wears it until the end of the night. At the end of the feast all the girls toss their wreaths into the river. Farther downstream the young men await the wreaths. To whomever the wreath caught by a young man belongs is his true love. Among other traditions is the fire-jumping ceremony. It is said that if a young girl and boy jump over the fire together without letting go of eachother’s hand their love will last forever.
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To our Readers: Thank you for noticing the typo in this article. Ivana Kupala is celebrated on JULY 6-7 not June. On the old calendar it was celebrated on June 23-24. Keep up the comments!