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Kupała
(Midsummer Night) is the night when Sun
is the strongest in the yearcycle. The power of life fulfills every
particle of Nature. Taking a bath or jumping over bonfires for
fertility, purity and happiness
can thenceforth be frequently observed.
At the end of June, at the time of
Summer Solstice, when night is shortest and Nature bursts with blossoms
and growth, we celebrate the Holiday of Fire and Water, also called Noc
Kupały, Sobótka or Kres. The name Kupała is an ancient
notion which derives most probably from either: 1. taking a puryfing
bath at that time, 2. crowds of people
coming and feasting together, or 3. the green high pole,
similar in its symbolic meaning to Maypole.
'Sobótka' meaned a festivity
celebrated on Saturday (it used to be a holiday a
couple of centuries ago) or, later in the past, a bonfire
lighted on top of hills and balks all over indoeuropean Europe. The name
'Kres' stands most probably for an activity of kindling
a bonfire by rubbing oak timber (male) with a piece of linden or birch
timber (female). In English speaking countries, the magical night is
commonly known as Midsummer Night.
The Holiday of Fire and
Water (with fire regarded as male element
and water concerned as female one) was and still is regarded as
fundamental manifestation of life force. During that magical night
people go to rivers and lakes to bathe in order to become young,
healthy and fertile. There is no happier holiday than Kupała,
because, as they say, on that morning the sun dances and the power of
life fills every particle of Nature.
Wreaths
symbolize maiden virginity. It is a part of Slavonic culture that during
Kupala (Midsummer Night) women put their garland gays on water and let
them go with waterflow. Men are supposed to catch them and guess who had
weaved the wreath he has picked up. If he is successful, he may ask the
girl to spend the night or.. life together.
The power of this custom would make
it quite much facilitated.
It is a deeply rooted feature
of Slavonic culture to presume that
water evil spirits and drowned women inhabit waters until Summer Solstice.
Indeed, up till today (in some households), children from Great Poland
region would sometimes hear from their parents to wait with taking a bath
till Kupala
The first (or only) full moon in
June is called the Honey Moon. Tradition
holds that this is the best time to harvest honey from the hives.
