July 7 - The Church Feast of John the Baptist and the Pagan Kupala

In Orthodoxy, there are many holidays, which are remnants and adaptations of earlier pagan festivals. It happened because of two factors. First, the newly converted residents continued to maintain their everyday, customary rituals and kept the memory of the festive dates. But since it was impossible or impossible to honor the old gods, or (if baptism was taken sincerely) in a conscience, the festivals were filled with a new meaning and Christian content. On the other hand, the church missionaries deliberately tried to impose on the primordial pagan days church celebrations, in order to bury the memory of the previous holidays that took place during the time of paganism. Similarly, Christians approached the issue of church construction - temples and monasteries were often erected where there was once a pagan temple or a temple. The holiday, which will be discussed below, is a vivid example of such cultural diffusion. He is called Ivan Kupala and is celebrated on July 7. The Orthodox holiday in honor of John the Baptist was combined here with the ancient Slavic triumph.

history of the holiday

Ivanov's day, celebrated on July 7, is a church festival, having its origins, as already mentioned, in the pagan Old Slavic cult. Other names are known and common, for example, Kolosok, Kupalye, Ivan the Witch, Solntsekres, Ivan Travnik and many others. In pre-Christian antiquity this day was associated with the summer solstice, which falls on different days in the twentieth of June. Today it is celebrated on a strictly certain day - July 7. The church feast in this case in many countries is also a national state, but it is celebrated as a day of memory of St. John the Baptist, and, therefore, astronomically is not tied more to the solstice. The ritual part of the Christian ritual quite successfully blended into the general concept of a pagan festival. If the people devoted to the old gods performed cleansing baths on that day, then the cult of John the Baptist, who in fact was engaged in the same time, was just right, and thus, even the external traditions of that day had to be adjusted not so much.

Festive ceremonies

And in ancient times, and nowadays, there are a lot of rituals performed by people on July 7th. What holiday, for example, does without fun? The dancer-dances are the expression of this joy among the masses, although the purely church tradition treats this critically, as this day always falls on the time of the Peter and Paul fasting. Ceremonial services are used in churches, and as a rule, everything ends there. But the folk festivities complement the ceremonial with various manipulations with fire, water and herbs.

Water rituals

What to do on July 7? Of course, go to the pond, lake or river. There are likely to be people who want to swim. In this night, wishing to climb into the water as much as the day, and maybe more. Water at this time, it is believed, is endowed with special healing and magical properties. Who did not have the opportunity to go to the pond, in the old days bathed in the bath, and the bath broom then remained throughout the year as an important amulet against various evil spirits.

Fire Rituals

The bonfire is an integral attribute on July 7. The church feast is modest at the same time: in its ceremonial there are only traditional candles and lamps. Consecration of fire and jumping over the fire is, again, a pagan reflexion, preserved in the people's memory. However, in the Balkans in all these games, believers and the church generally take a more active part, consecrating them with their prayers. By tradition, however, bonfires are bred along the banks of water bodies, after which they jump through them. It has the nature of the game, although in this action the meaning is also invested - the fire, according to ancient belief, has purifying properties. In addition, on July 7, a church festival in the villages was celebrated by the fact that cattle were spent between bonfires to protect it from evil, but today it is very few people doing. And in the fire it was customary to burn clothes worn by sick people.

Rites associated with herbs

The tradition of weaving wreaths is known on July 7. A church holiday has nothing to do with it - it's a folk tradition. She also tells about the collection of herbs and flowers in the bathing night. Especially characteristic in this respect is the legend of the flower of the fern, which blooms only on Kupala, and to the man who finds it, he will point the way to the treasures. Herbs in the future are considered healing, but wreaths are used to guess. However, this is not a church tradition, and therefore we will not touch it. It should be remembered that with the revival of paganism in Russia today there are actually two holidays, falling on July 7. What holiday you celebrate is your business, but you should not confuse them. If you make a choice in favor of the Christian day of St. John the Baptist, then perhaps the best solution for you will be a simple trip to the temple for service and communion.