July 7 is one of the most famous holidays among the Slavic peoples – Ivan Kupala. We will tell you what signs are associated with this day.
Traditions of the holiday
The main festivities on Ivan Kupala took place from July 6 to 7. On this night, it was customary to light fires and dance in circles. On July 7 itself, people visited, rejoiced, and believed that the whole year would be prosperous.
Ivan Kupala Day is a holiday of unity with nature, turning to ancient sources. In the old days, it was celebrated far from villages: in an open field, on the edge of a forest, on the bank of a river. Folk festivities lasted all night and all day, and many traditions were associated with plants.
The most famous ritual is the search for a fern flower, which, according to legend, blooms only for a moment at midnight before the holiday. According to beliefs, the one who finds this mythical flower gains eternal happiness, countless treasures and secret knowledge. However, evil spirits hinder its search, depriving the seeker of sight, memory and reason. To this day, no one has managed to find the coveted flower; its descriptions in folklore vary.
Girls wove wreaths of wild flowers and plants, decorated their heads with them during the day, and in the evening they set them afloat, lighting candles in them. Whose wreath floated the farthest was considered the happiest, and whose candle burned longer would have the longest life. If the wreath fell apart, it meant no marriage, and if it sank, it meant trouble and illness.
On this day, plants were considered especially healing. Women prepared medicinal herbs, drying them for future use. There was also a custom of collecting bath brooms, believing that branches cut on the holiday of Ivan Kupala retained their healing properties throughout the year.
Weather signs
Observations of nature on Ivanov’s Day helped the Slavs predict the weather for the following months:
- The rain on July 7 foreshadowed a hot summer.
- The abundant dew promised a good cucumber harvest.
- The clear, starry sky promised a rich mushroom season in the fall.
- The cuckoo’s call indicated a cold autumn.
- The cricket’s singing predicted a mild winter.
- A thunderstorm on Ivan Kupala meant that there would be few nuts this year.
Based on materials from Internet resources.
Photo from open sources
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