Happy Ivan Kupala Holiday: funny pictures and postcards
Every year on July 7, Russia celebrates the national holiday of Ivan Kupala, which has absorbed the traditions and customs of pre-Christian Russia. Celebrations are held annually in different cities, bringing together lovers of ancient Slavic culture. Izvestia has prepared beautiful postcards and congratulations on Ivan Kupala, which you can share with your loved ones.
From Ivan Kupala: beautiful pictures and postcards with inscriptions
Ivan Kupala is a legacy of ancient pagan rituals associated with the summer solstice. This holiday, like its winter counterpart, served as an important point in the calendar of the Eastern Slavs, personifying abundance, the flowering of nature and fertility.
The name Kupala appeared after the adoption of Christianity in Russia, when the church associated this day with the celebration of the birth of John the Baptist, which in Greek means "the baptizer." Since then, people began to call him Ivanov's Day or Ivan Kupala. However, the true ancient name of this holiday is still unknown.
In ancient times, this day was closely associated with the purification rituals that the Slavs performed in natural reservoirs — rivers and lakes. In the northern regions, where the climate was more severe, such rituals were replaced by visits to the baths. Bonfires were also lit on this holiday, because it was believed that the elements of water and fire have special magical powers. Our ancestors believed that it was at this moment that one could attract good luck and change one's fate by using the power of natural elements.
Many beliefs and fortune-telling related to Kupala night have come down to our days. For example, it was believed that the one who jumps over the campfire above everyone else will be happy all year round. If the lovers jumped over the fire without separating their hands, their union promised to become strong and durable. The girls made predictions from wreaths lowered onto the water: if the wreath remained on the surface, marriage would come soon, if it sailed far away, a long and happy life awaited.
Another popular tradition was the search for a fern flower — according to legend, it bloomed only on the night of Bathing and brought good luck to whoever found it. Ivan da Maria's flowers were also collected. They served as a talisman, protecting them from evil spirits.
Most of these traditions are still alive today. You can join them at folklore festivals and other events dedicated to Ivan Kupala Day. To better feel the spirit of the holiday, you can wash your face with dew early in the morning and walk barefoot on the grass, swim in the river in the afternoon, wash off your fatigue, and spend the evening by the campfire.
And, of course, it is important not to forget to share the joy of the holiday with friends and family. Previously, it was customary to congratulate each other by sprinkling water. In the modern world, postcards and greetings are exchanged more often.
You can create postcards yourself in special applications or download ready-made ones by selecting a suitable plot. For example, fern flowers, wreaths floating on the water, dances of girls in Slavic clothes, burning bonfires on the banks of reservoirs and any images that convey all the power and beauty of native nature.
Happy Ivan Kupala Day: short congratulations in your own words and poems
The pictures are often complemented with good wishes and congratulations. Here are examples of how you can wish Ivan Kupala Day in poetry or in prose in your own words:
"I wish that on Kupala
Everything that was dreamed of came true.
To make a magnificent girlish wreath
He could sail away as soon as possible for luck,
To Kupalinskaya rossa
She shone like your beauty,
And a burning clockwork bonfire
I've erased all the sorrows from my life."
"On Ivan, on Kupala, you believe in your destiny,
Wash away your melancholy, fatigue, and light a bonfire on the shore.
Let them burn in the fire of sorrow and bypass your need.,
And Kupala water will give you health for years."
"Happy Ivan Kupala Day! On this glorious holiday, as never before, one feels a close connection with nature and the traditions of the past, which becomes a source of strength and inspiration. May fate be generous this day and always, may the soul be pure, and may the fire in the heart be bright."
"I heartily congratulate you on the national holiday of Ivan Kupala. I wish you to find your flower of happiness, which will fulfill all desires. May miracles happen in life and faith in magic not fade away, but the light of hope burns like a bright bonfire in the soul."
Earlier, Izvestia told about the history and traditions of the national holiday Agrafena Kupalnitsa.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
