Kupala Night in Belarus

FORM 8
 Plan
1. Kupala Night in Belarus.General information

2. Kupala traditions and symbolic rites

3. Present-day celebration

4. Symbols and Souvenirs of Kupalle

1. Kupala Night in Belarus.General information

When summer is in full swing, Belarus celebrates Kupala Night (or Kupalle), one
of the oldest folk holidays dedicated to the sun and efflorescence.

Many nations across the globe have holidays related to the summer solstice: St.
John Day in Western Europe, Jani (or Ligo) in Latvia, Ivan Kupala in eastern
Slavic countries. However, it is Belarus where Kupala Night traditions have
survived virtually intact and where this holiday is celebrated very enthusiastically.
How do Belarusians celebrate the kupalle?
Kupalle celebrate on June 21. It is a traditional and the most
loved holiday in Belarus.

Kupalle is a pagan summer celebration of fertility in the name of

a female God - Kupala. Lately it was renamed into a Christian
celebration of male saint-Ivan Kupala.

Kupalle usually involves youth going into a forests and the

meadows, wearing flowers and grass garlands, dancing in
karagods (circles around fires), jumping through fires.

A popular kind of Kupalle was fortune-telling – putting wreaths

on water. People believed that on Kupalle night the fern has a
very special flower-"paparats-kvetka"- glowing in the dark. If you
find the flower, you'll be happy. But no one has found
"paparats-kvetka" yet.
 2.Kupala traditions and symbolic rites

Kupala night is associated with numerous legends and myths.

Our ancestors believed that this night the rivers begin to glow
and mermaids bathe in the water. That night, witches, wizards,
and ghosts roamed the earth, trying to harm people; plants and
animals began to talk, and the sun "played" at dawn.

But to see these wonders and understand the language of plants

and animals was possible only with the help of a fern flower..
Only a very brave person could get this elusive flower. The
search for the fern flower was one of the most mysterious rituals
of the Kupala night.
Kupala traditions

On Kupala Night Belarusians held many more symbolic rites:

-belarusian girls make beautiful wreaths from flowers of the field
before Kupalle;;
-conducted a ritual of purification by fire;
-did fortune telling;
-had a ritual dinner;
-performed ritual songs and dances;
-did ritual cleansing with water at dawn, washed with dew;
From ancient times all villagers took part in Kupala Night
festivities as only the joint performance of the rituals ensured
the well-being.
 4. Symbols and Souvenirs of Kupalle
Yanka Kupala Park in Minsk is one of the youngest, however,
it is one of the favorite vacation spots of citizens. Perhaps the
main decoration of the park was the fountain-monument
"Wreath" dedicated to the old Belarusian holiday Kupalye, or
as it is also called Ivan Kupala.
Monument-fountain "Wreath" shows the audience the moment of
fortune-telling fortune telling: two bronze figures of girls throw
wreaths on the water, bending over a round bowl of the fountain.
The Golden Shamrock Fountain with a sculptural group called
Paparas Kvetka, which in Russian stands for Fern Flower. It is a
symbol of youth and love, the search for good luck, as young people
look for a fern flower on Kupal night. The sculpture is set in a French
park in front of the central square of the city. Vladimir Dozhanov, a
famous Belarusian sculptor, made a gift to the townspeople
● In 2013,Belarus hosted the first competition for the best souvenirs
,symbols of the Kupalle festival.Winners ideas began to be found for
souvenirs made of straw,clay,leather,birch bark and other natural
materials .They can be seen and purchased at the Alexandria festival
:straw paramotch,Kupalla wreaths,basket “Paparaz - kvetka”.
3.Present-day celebration
Every year with the onset of
the longest summer days
and short nights
Belarusians start
celebrating Kupala Night on
the banks of rivers and
lakes. Today, these
festivities are a mix of
ancient traditions and
rituals, theatrical concerts
and fun games.
 3.Alexandria Gathers Friends
Kupala Night festivals are held in
different part of Belarus, but there are
some well-established traditions.

The largest Kupala Night holiday,

Alexandria Gathers Friends, is held in
Shklov District, Mogilev
Oblast.Numerous guests from Belarus
and Russia, Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania
and other countries come here to join in
the celebrations.
Original Kupala Night celebrations are also held in big ethnographic museums of
Belarus:

Sontsavarot and Kupala Night folk festivals (Belarusian Vernacular Architecture

and Ethnic Heritage Museum)

Open-air Kupala Night festival (Dudutki)

Kupala and Rusalia (Zyuzya Poozerski Estate)