Ivana Kupala – this is the summer solstice festival, which now coincides with Christian the feast of the Nativity of the Holy Prophet forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John. According to the new style, it is July 7.
In historical sources, Kupalo is characterized as a pagan God of earthly fruits.
A significant role in the celebration of Ivan Kupala fire played. On this holiday, almost always and everywhere, huge fires were lit.
In Transcarpathia, the least preserved common Slavic custom of lighting Kupala lights. Hutsuls. But a peculiar vestige of them – was the custom«beat the fern». On the eve of Kupala day, the Hutsuls collected fern in heaps and burned it.
Kupala bonfires were often lit from the fire produced by friction or drawing, which was also called “alive”.
Strikers and nativelike they called the Kupala fire “subbotka”.
According to B. A. Rybakov, the original meaning of this name is the Assembly of the people on the pagan celebration (“Cathedral”, “Assembly”).
In addition, he believes that the same explains the word “Kupalo”, which comes from the words together, kupno, collectively.
Place for lighting kupalsky the seat was usually chosen on the outskirts of the village.
In Lemkovschina, in particular, the lights were burned behind the village, on the hill of the lower or higher end of the village. The girls carried with them last year’s a bathing potion that was thrown into the fire.
In Transcarpathia, straw and old, unnecessary things were usually used to kindle Kupala fires.
Lemki and strikers, in order to light the “dog”, preferred the branches of coniferous trees tree. They were prepared five days before the holidays, so that they would dry out and burn with a high and clean flame.
In some villages the custom of stealing has been preserved wood for lighting the Kupala fire. This custom goes back to the distant primeval times when people didn’t have private property and everything belonged to the community.
Kupala holiday has always been the same one of the most popular. Almost all the peasants came to it. The absence of someone was strictly condemned. Such people who strayed from the collective were cursed and threatened. Priority women and young girls were the targets of threats. This is due to the belief in fertilizing properties of Kupala fire.
The celebration of Ivan kupal was accompanied by jump over the fire. This tradition is associated with the belief in a purifying power Kupala fire.
There were also customs to carry children over the fire and burn their clothes in it.
Our ancestors believed that the Kupala fire also had a positive effect on animals. These beliefs were particularly strong in mountainareas of Transcarpathia, which was mainly engaged in animal husbandry.
It was believed that magic and magic can they work best on a naked person. Jumping over the Kupala fire naked was considered the most effective way to contact the Kupala fire, in order to take from it maximum life energy.
