Ivan Kupala

Ivan Kupala is a well-known holiday traditionally celebrated in summer in Ukraine and Slavic countries.

When the OCU and the UGCC switched to the Revised Julian calendar in 2023, the popular date also shifted from the night of July 7 to the night of June 24. 

However, this holiday is not Christian and originates from paganism. At this time, Orthodox Christians celebrate the Nativity of John the Forerunner – a holiday in honor of the birth of John the Baptist.

At the same time, pagans in their time worshipped the sun, which is why the holiday was celebrated on the day of the summer solstice. 

According to various hypotheses, Kupalo for them was a deity called the patron of water bodies, the pagan god of the fruits of the earth, or even the divine continuation of the family line. It is still not known exactly who Kupalo was for them. It is assumed that people added the word "Ivan" to it in order to change the pagan holiday after the arrival of Christianity. This is probably how Ivan Kupala came about. 

Today, it is a mysterious holiday that reminds us of our ancestors and their traditions, such as jumping over a bonfire, weaving wreaths and floating them on the water, fortune-telling about one's future spouse and much more.