Kupala Day

Kupala Day is the feast of the summer solstice. It’s one of the major pagan festivals of the Slavs. It’s the feast of the sun, summer and the green meadow. On Kupala eve people make up a complex set of ritual. In the morning the girls gather herbs and flowers, weave wreaths and store herbs, amulets (wormwood, St. John's wort, stinging nettle) for all participants in the festival. Herbs for the amulet are usually attached to a belt.

In good time the boys should cut down a tree (birch, willow, maple) in one and a half or two human heights. It should be set on the place chosen for the festivities (clean and flat field along the river or lake). The girls should decorate the tree with flowers and colored scraps of fabric. The tree symbolizes Mother Earth. Then they put doll size of half a man under the tree. This doll symbolizes Yarilo. Yarilo is deity of sun.

The doll is knitted straw or made of molded clay. And then the doll is dressed and decorated with wreath, flowers and ribbons. The doll should have big penis that symbolizes fertility. The boys prepared firewood and piled up near the tree two fires. One huge bonfire is for the night festivities. And another lesser bonfire is for the funeral pyre to burn idol of Yarilo. The main action begins in the late afternoon, close to sunset
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To be continued…