Location: Country or school health camp.
Participants: Schoolchildren of junior and middle age.
Goals: Acquaintance with the traditions and customs of the Russian people in the celebration of Ivan-Kupala. Development of physical activity, prevention of hypodynamia in schoolchildren.
Event progress
(If possible, the holiday is held by the pool, if this is not possible, you can use inflatable pool or another wide, but shallow container, but you can do without it)
Girls come out (there may be 8 - 12 people) in Russian folk costumes... An obligatory detail is the wreaths on the heads. They sing a song in chorus and walk in a circle.
On Ivan, on Kupala
The girl's song sounded ...
I won't be until the morning
Have fun by the fire!
I'll sit, I'll sit under the bush
And I will weave myself a wreath.
You float, float the wreath
To a distant shore
Where there is pure water
Where my falcon is spinning ...
In the hands of the fellow, my friend,
Swim my wreath
On last words girls take off their wreaths and let them float on the water. If there is no reservoir, the wreaths are not removed. At the end of the song, they line up in a semicircle opposite the audience and begin to talk about the traditions of the holiday.
1st A and hello, you dear guests!
And the girls are all young here,
And the guys are all daring here!
2nd A and today is not an easy day,
And the day is July, the seventh.
And a special time has come,
We celebrate Ivan-Kupalo.
3rd And once upon a time, guys.
Kupala had a different date.
4th Subtract two weeks from today,
Yes, get that old date.
5th Guys, who could get the original date of Ivan Kupala? Right. This is June 24, or rather, the night of June 23-24. On these dates, the nights are the shortest, and the days are the longest of the year. These days are called the summer solstice.
6th In the old days, it was believed that on this day every year the fate of the world is decided: whether there will be Light or the world will be swallowed up by an evil Darkness. Every year the battle is won by the forces of Good, but this victory does not come by itself.
3rd. So we will now "light" a fire, but jump over it. If you want to jump, go out here. Of course, we will not make a real fire, it is dangerous. But let's jump from the heart!
A fire can be simply a high pile of brushwood (of course, unlit). Boys and girls who want to jump over the fire pair up, join hands, run and jump.
4th. Here is another interesting old game "Tails". Play in pairs. Each player receives a rope of the same length as his opponent. The rope is tucked into the waistband of the trousers so that 2/3 hang down from the back like a tail. Each of the players must take away the tail from the enemy, at the same time not giving up his own. During the game, you cannot push, fight, grab everything except the tail with your hands, and put footboards. The winner is the one who took the tail from the enemy, but saved his own. You can play 4-5 people at a time, the goal is to save your tail and collect more tails of opponents
5th A will play a game "Water" with you.
The driver sits in a circle with his eyes closed. The players move in a circle with the words:
Water, Water,
Why are you sitting underwater?
Come on out
Sit with us.
The circle stops. The merman gets up and, without opening his eyes, approaches one of the players. His task is to determine who is in front of him. The merman can touch the player in front of him, but his eyes cannot be opened.
If the Water One guessed right, he changes his role, and now the one whose name was named becomes the leader.
6th. With the day of Ivan Kupala, people associated ideas of miracles. On the night of Kupala, it was impossible to sleep, as all the evil spirits came to life and became active: witches, werewolves, ghouls, mermaids ... their attacks. It is necessary to lock up the horses so that the witches do not steal them and ride them to Bald Mountain: the horse will never return alive from there!
The game "Disenchant me, black horse!"
The participants in the game choose a presenter. The facilitator's task is to "tarnish" all the players. To do this, all participants scatter in different directions, and the leader, catching up, touches the shoulders of the players with a light touch. The one who was "stained" freezes in place, spreads his arms to the sides and shouts: "Disenchant me, black horse!" You can only "crucify" your friends with a warm hug. So, the task of the leader is to "stain" all the players, the task of the players is to help each other out.
7th. Fern blooms at midnight on Kupala. A wonderful fire flower can indicate to the lucky person the location of all the treasures, no matter how deeply they are buried. Around midnight, a bud appears on the wide leaves of the fern, which rises higher and higher, then staggers, turns over and begins to "jump". Exactly at midnight, a ripe bud opens with a crash and a fiery red flower emerges from it. A person cannot rip it off, but if he sees, all his wishes will be fulfilled. We, too, will now "pluck" a wonderful fern flower, only they will replace it for us ... your caps.
2 players come out. On command, they begin to tear off the caps from the heads of the seated spectators and put them on their heads. Stop at the command "Stop". The winner is the one with the most flowers. The game is played 3-4 times. “Stop” is better to say in 30-40 seconds. After all the games, one winner is revealed.
8th And here are some more examples and beliefs of Midsummer's Day. On Midsummer's night, on the ant heaps, they collect oil in a vessel, which is recognized as a healing agent against various ailments.
1st On Kupala night, trees move from place to place and talk to each other through the rustle of leaves; animals and even herbs talk among themselves, which are filled with a special, miraculous power this night.
2nd If that night you pick Ivan da Marya's flower and put it in the corners of the hut, the thief will not come to the house: the brother and sister (yellow and purple flowers of the plant) will talk to each other, and the thief will think that the owner is talking with the mistress ...
3rd At midnight, you need, without looking, to pick flowers and put them under the pillow, and in the morning check if there are twelve different herbs. If you have enough, you will get married this year. A tripwalker (plantain) is placed under the head, saying: "Tripwalker-fellow traveler, you live by the road, you see the old and the small, tell my betrothed!"
4th If you climb twelve gardens on Midsummer's day, any wish will come true.
The game "12 fences" is held
At different places of the playground, barriers are erected or ready-made safe hedges and fences are designated by fences. Better to put them at different distances. There is a serial number on each fence. The player starts and climbs over the specified fences in order, and then returns to the start. Time is recorded for each player. The winner is the one whose time is minimal.
The girls again stand in a circle and pronounce the call
Rain, lay! Rain, lay!
On me and on people!
A spoon on me
On people on a bowl,
And on the goblin in the forest - Lei a whole bucket!
Ivan Kupala pour it over anyone!
The fun begins - pouring water over each other from sprinklers, because usually July 7 is a hot day. You can arrange a competition for the most interesting sprinkler, for the range of the jet, etc. You can have a lot of water games that day.
"Get an apple"
A basin of clean water is placed on a stool, apples are floating in it. The participant has no hands, only with his teeth must get an apple. The one who does it the fastest will win. It is better to take apples of medium size.
"Russian shower"
A container with water is suspended from the horizontal bar. It can be a small plastic bucket with a rope tied to it, hanging down. You need to hang it so that when you pull on the rope, the bucket turns over, and the water pours out. The driver holds the end of the rope. The player runs under the horizontal bar, trying to dodge the shower, while the driver tries to prevent this. The winner is the one who remains dry at the end of the game. Since water will pour out all the time, it must be periodically poured into the bucket, so it is better to choose a horizontal bar not the highest, but one that an adult can reach.
Summer holiday scenario "Ivan Kupala"
for children of grades 1-4 of the city health camp
Target:Introducing children to the origins of Russian folk culture.
Tasks:1. Develop locomotor activity, promote health and promote normal physical development.
2. To foster interest in Russian folk games, traditions, customs.
3. To foster a sense of responsibility, solidarity, benevolence.
The course of the holiday.
In the Assembly hall. Theatrical performance with competitions and dances.
Leading:This is a beautiful holiday, an ancient holiday, we will celebrate today. We have a lot in Russia folk holidays, traditions, rituals. And today I will introduce you to the holiday of Ivan Kupala.The ancient Slavsthis day was dedicated to the pagan god Kupala, but after the baptism of Russia, they began to associate it with the feast of the Nativity of John the Baptist (translated from Greek, as a diver, a swimmer). So the day of Kupala turned into the day of Ivan Kupala. Now this beloved, ancient holiday is celebrated on the night of July 6-7.Ivan Kupala - since ancient times is known among the Slavs as a holiday of the Sun, the maturity of summer and green mowing.
( Video clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnatAZR2u2s )
Ivan Kupala Day is a mystical, mysterious, but at the same time riotous and cheerful holiday, full of sentences, all kinds of signs, fortune-telling, legends, beliefs andthey were all associated with water, fire and herbs.On the mysterious Kupala night, they collect medicinal herbs, jump over a fire, arrange games and dances, wash themselves with dew, swim in a reservoir, look for a fern flower and always wonder, trying to find out their fate. There was It is believed that a fern blooms at midnight on Kupala. Around midnight, a bud appears on the wide leaves of the fern, which rises higher and higher, then staggers, turns over and begins to "jump". Exactly at midnight, a ripe bud opens with a crash and a fiery red flower emerges from it. A person cannot rip it off, but if he sees, all his wishes will be fulfilled.
This is how the holiday of Ivan Kupala passed - in riotous rituals, fortune-telling and other funny and cute pranks ...
Leading: Well, everyone has gathered, but the host of the holiday is not there. ( Peers into the distance)
Kupalenko has arrived!
On seventy carts.
Brought us Kupalenko
Goodness, health, wealth, honor!
Music sounds, Ivan Kupala appears. His clothes and hat are adorned with herbs and wildflowers. In his hand is a burning candle and birch twigs, decorated with ribbons. Bypasses all children.
Leading: Hello, Kupala, our cheerful! Our good summer prince!
Ivan Kupala:Hello, good people!Hello little kids!
And here I am - Ivan Kupala himself. They also call me - colored, sorcerer, herbalist, cheerful, swimsuit, clean. I love fire, water and earth - our mother. And today is a holiday of all these elements! Today we need to have fun, sing songs, frolic. I came to you with fire - the earthly likeness of the sun. With him I will cleanse you. Live in health, be cheerful and rich ( bypasses children with fire).
“Now I’ll sprinkle water on you.” The water is healing today, the sun bathed in it.
Girls in wreaths carry out water in bowls. Ivan Kupala sprinkles everyone with this water with the help of birch twigs.
To be healthy, live for many years!
Leading:Thank you, Ivan Kupala! Our holiday is dedicated to water and everything connected with it.In the old days, people believed that starting from the day of Ivan Kupala, until Ilyin's day, all the evil spirits left the waters of lakes, rivers and reservoirs, so it was allowed to swim during this period of time.
QUESTION: Guys, according to popular belief, who used to live in the water?
ANSWER: Mermaids, mermaids and kikimors.
Today we will select the mermaids, girls who have the most long hair... Exit to the middle of the hall.
Soundsmusic and words of the group "Ivan Kupala". The competition "The Longest Braid" is being held.
Leading: The holiday of Ivan Kupala is personified not only with water.There is another name for this holiday among the people - Ivan herbalist, or Ivan is colored. On Midsummer's Day, flowers and herbs were collected, which had healing powers. And from that day, haymaking began.
QUESTION: Guys, what is haymaking? (hay harvesting). And what was the hay for? (for pets).
In the morning of this day, the owner began to mow the grass, and his wife helped him. The first mowing is the largest, people tried to mow as much hay as possible even before the sun rose, there was such a saying: “go two mows before the sun - you won’t walk barefoot”. On the day of Ivan Kupala, the girls wove wreaths of herbs and wildflowers. They danced in circles, sang songs. The Kupala flower is not just a decoration, but a talisman against evil spirits and the evil eye. In the evening, at sunset, having made a wish, a wreath was thrown onto the surface of a lake or river, observing how and where they would swim. If he floats into the distance, the wish will come true.
Our girls also did their best today, weaved beautiful wreaths of wildflowers for themselves. Let's see who has the most beautiful wreath. Come out girls, get up in the circle!
Music sounds. There will be a competition for the most beautiful and original wreath of herbs and wildflowers. ( "Ivan Kupala" isp. group "Street Magic").
Leading:Fire, like water, had a cleansing power. The old men, with the help of rubbing dry sticks, produced "live fire" and campfires were lit on the bathing night , in the middle of which a pole was placed with a burning wheel fixed on it - the symbol of the sun.They danced around them, sang songs and danced around them, jumped over them.
Ivan Kupala, look what dance our girls have prepared for you!
The song "Oh to Ivan and to Kupala", isp. Theater of Song "Dzherela", a group of girls performing a dance.
Ivan Kupala:Today is a day full of magic. On my day, trees whisper, plants talk. And the most important miracle is the fern flower. It blooms only once a year. And whoever finds it will be happy and will find the treasure. To find a flower you need to overcome many obstacles. I will go with you and I will help you.
Leading:Guys, today, on the Day of Ivan Kupala, we will go on a fun journey. We will learn about medicinal herbs, undergo purification with water and fire, play with burners, and if we are lucky, we will also find a fern flower. And at the same time, we will get acquainted with the customs and traditions of the ancient Slavs, our ancestors.
Ivan Kupala: Guys, I give you a forest map, it will lead you to the flower.
Music sounds. Each squad receives a forest map (route sheet with the names of the stations) and goes on a journey through the stations (school area).
After the travel game, everyone gathers in the assembly hall. Summing up and awarding in nominations:
- the longest braid
- the most beautiful and original wreath of herbs and wildflowers
- winners and prize-winners in the travel game "On a visit to Ivan Kupala"
The circle stops. The merman gets up and, without opening his eyes, approaches one of the players. His task is to determine who is in front of him. The merman can touch the player in front of him, but his eyes cannot be opened. If the Water One guessed right, he changes his role, and now the one whose name was named becomes the leader.
BOYARE.
The game takes place on a level ground. The players are divided into two teams, which line up against each other in a chain at a distance of 10-15 meters.
The first team goes forward with the words: - Boyars, and we have come to you!
And it returns to its original place: - Dear ones, we have come to you!
Another repeats this maneuver with the words: - Boyars, why did they come? Dear ones, why did they come?
Dialogue begins: - Boyars, we need a bride. Dear ones, we need a bride.
- Boyars, and what is sweet to you? Dear, and what is sweet to you?
The first team confers and chooses someone: - Boyars, this is sweet to us (they point to the chosen one).
- Dear to us, this is sweet.
The selected player turns in a circle and now walks and stands in the chain, looking the other way. The dialogue continues:
- Boyars, she's a fool with us. Dear ones, she is a fool with us.
- Boyars, and we whip her. Dear ones, and we whip her.
- Boyars, she is afraid of a whip. Dear ones, she is afraid of the whip.
- Boyars, and we will give gingerbread. Dear ones, we will give you a gingerbread.
- Boyars, her teeth hurt. Dear ones, her teeth hurt.
- Boyars, and we will take you to the doctor. Dear ones, we will take you to the doctor.
- Boyars, she will bite the doctor. Dear ones, she will bite the doctor.
The first command completes: - Boyars, do not play the fool, give us the bride forever!
The guy who chose the bride must scatter and break the chain of the other team. If he succeeds, then he returns to his team, taking with him the bride from the first team. If the chain is not broken, then the bride remains in the first team, that is, she does not marry. In any case, the losing team starts the second round. The task of the teams is to keep more players.
In fact, each village had different words, and sometimes the rules of the game. There are different versions of the text. And every option is correct. The same is with round dances and songs. Collectors on expeditions themselves wondered how the words for the same round dance differ in neighboring villages, or vice versa, the words are the same, but the drawings of the round dances are different.
Here is another version of the words of this game.
BOYARE-PRINCESS... Guys and girls stand in two lines opposite each other. In ranks, they interlock with elbows (as in shackles). On the first phrase, the line moves forward, on the second back. He who is silent is standing.
Boyars (B): Princess, we came before you. Young, yes we came before you.
Princess (C): Boyars, why did you come? Young, why did you come?
B: Princess, yes we watch brides. Young, yes we are brides to watch.
TO: Boyars, we have no brides. Young, we have no brides.
B: Princess, is there an age? Young, yes there is an age? ("Perestarki", those who do not get married already).
TO: Boyars, but little ones. Young, but undersized. (Those who are not allowed yet).
B: Princess, yes, overgrown. Young, but overgrown. (Like, just).
TO: Boyars, show the groom. Young, show the groom.
B: Princess, this is perhaps a groom. Young, yes, this is perhaps not a groom (it turns out that the one who was chosen to be the groom, then joins his line).
B: Princess, is this something (word). Young, and this is perhaps not (word). The guys show the required word by any means and prove the worthiness of the groom.
TO: Boyars, show me your boots. Young, show your boots.
B: Princess, are these boots for you? Young, and these are not boots for you?
TO: Boyars, boots without soles. Young, boots without soles.
B: Princess, pay for the embarrassment. Young ones, pay for the embarrassment.
TO: Boyars, who is sweet to you? Young, which one is sweet to you?
B: Princess, yes, (name) is lovely to us. Young, yes, (name) is lovely to us.
TO: Boyars, but we will not give her (and she is a fool with us). Young, but we will not give her away (and she is a fool with us).
B: Princess, yes we will come and take it. Young, yes we will come and take it.
The guys are trying to take the named girl, and the Princess protect her. If taken, then put in their line with the groom. Then the motive changes.
B: Our regiment has arrived, it has arrived. Oh, did-fret, arrived, arrived.
TO: In our regiment, it went away, it went down. Oh, did-fret, departed, departed.
B: In our regiment pl I am sali, pl I am sali. Oh, did-fret, pl I am sali, pl I am sali.
TO: In our regiment they cried, cried. Oh, did-fret, cried, cried.
B: In our shelf poppy blooms, poppy blooms. Oh, did-fret, the poppy is blooming, the poppy is blooming.
TO: In our regiment, the dirt is black, the dirt is black. Oh, did the fret, the dirt is black, the dirt is black.
B: In our shelf they drink beer, drink beer. Oh, did-fret, they drink beer, drink beer.
TO: Tears are pouring in our shelf, tears are pouring. Oh, did-fret, tears are pouring, tears are pouring.
STAND Dawn.
Men and women are playing. Women - Zorka, men - they are being watched. Everyone is in a circle. Each man stands behind his girlfriend. Hands are freely lowered. The women exchange glances with each other, their task is to swap places with the one with whom they blinked. And the man's task is not to let the girl run away. He must catch her by the shoulders and hold her.
Games for children and adolescents.
Tails .
Play in pairs. Each player receives a rope of the same length as his opponent. The rope is tucked into the waistband of the trousers so that 2/3 hang down from the back like a tail. Each of the players must take away the tail from the enemy, at the same time not giving up his own. During the game, you can not push, fight, grab onto everything except the tail, put footboards. The winner is the one who took the tail from the enemy, but saved his own. You can play 4-5 people at a time, the goal is to save your tail and collect more tails of opponents.
Burners .
It can be said to be a "classic of the genre". Players are arranged in pairs, holding hands and forming a column. The driver stands in front. All chorus loudly speak or sing:
In any case, with the word "run", those in the last pair open their hands and rush to the beginning of the column, running around it from different sides (one on the left, the other on the right), and the driver tries to catch one of them before the pair , having met, will again join hands. If this works out, then, together with the caught player, the driver gets into the first pair of columns, and the one who was not caught becomes the driver.
From 6 to 7 July, a very ancient, one of the main holidays of the Slavs is celebrated. It is rich in its rituals and traditions: collecting fragrant flowers and herbs, weaving beautiful wreaths, decorating houses with greenery, jumping over bouquets and bonfires, fortune-telling, dousing with water, night outrages and tracking down evil spirits.
The holiday of Ivan Kupala is known as the day of the sun, green mowing and maturity of summer.
Celebration of Ivan Kupala was that people girded themselves with flowers and herbs, put wreaths on their heads, danced in circles, danced and sang songs, lit fires, in the center of which a pole with a burning wheel was fixed - a symbol of warmth and the sun.
The holiday of Ivan Kupala is a revered and riotous holiday among the people.
The celebration of Ivan Kupala is associated with various water procedures and rituals. For example, in the morning on Midsummer's day, you definitely need to swim.
And the main feature of the Kupala night is the cleansing fires. Dances are being conducted around them, and young people are jumping over them. Once upon a time, parents burned the clothes of sick children in these bonfires so that all diseases would burn out with it.
The Kupala dance "Stream" is still known, in which young couples, holding hands, run through special "gates" made from raised hands. This dance is mystical. He depicts how the moon and sun emerge from the heavenly "gates".
Fun and games for the holiday of Ivan Kupala
1. Game "Tails"It needs to be played in pairs. Each participant takes a rope of the same length as the opponent and tuck it into the waist of his trousers so that 2/3 of it hangs down from the back, resembling a tail. Each player must take away the "tail" from the opponent without losing his own. But the interesting thing is that during the game you cannot fight, push and grab anything other than the "tail". The winner is the player who took the "tail" from the opponent, but did not lose his own. This game can be played by 5-6 people. Then you need to collect more "tails" of opponents and save your own.
2. Game "Water"
For her, you need to choose a driver who sits in a circle with closed eyes, and the participants move in a circle with the words:
Water, Water,
Why are you sitting underwater?
Come on out
Sit with us.
At the end of these words, the circle stops, and the water one gets up and approaches one player. He must determine with closed eyes who is in front of him. If you guessed it, it swaps places with the participant you guessed it.
3. Game "Golden Gate" If there are many participants, they should be divided into two teams. One of the teams will form a circle, and the participants will hold hands and lift them up. In a circle, players are located at such a distance from each other that a person can pass between them. The second team, moving like a snake, in turn bypasses each player, finding themselves in the middle of the circle, then outside of it.
The first team speaks the words:
Golden Gate
Not always skipped.
The first one is allowed,
The second time is forbidden
And the third time
We will not let you pass!
At the end of these words, the members of the first team sharply lower their hands. All who remain inside the circle, leave the chain and continue to stand there. The winner is the one who remains in the chain.
Traditions and rituals that accompany the holiday of Ivan Kupala
A very important tradition of the bathing night is jumping over the fire... It is believed that he purifies a person with fire from everything bad. If the jump is successful, when the flame does not touch the jumper, then marriage (marriage) awaits him. Whoever jumps the highest will be happier.
Bathing and dousing on the night of Ivan Kupala - also for cleaning.
A popular tradition is fortune telling. Lonely girls and women are guessing at future husbands. They weave wreaths of flowers and herbs and run them down the river. If you make a wish during this process, then it will certainly come true. If the wreath sinks, it means death. If she swims, the girl will get married soon. If she comes ashore, she will be unmarried.
Another custom associated with this holiday is fern flower search... It was believed that only on the Kupala night does the fern bloom for a moment with a fiery red color and those who manage to see it will be lucky and rich. He will see all the treasures, no matter how deep they are buried in the ground. Such a person will acquire power over everyone.
Kupala night is magical and it was believed that desires and cherished dreams come true on this night. Doubt? Try it, make a wish and find out if it's true or not.
The whole day the children are preparing for the holiday: They decorate the bathing tree with ribbons.
And the main festivities of Kupala are usually held on the banks of a river or lake. Where you could really play with water. One of the fairly common rituals of Ivan Kupala is pouring water over each other. Indeed, on this day, the water is filled with solar energy and is healing.
Today is a swimsuit party - holding hands, the guys share their impressions with us. Festive game program allows you to conduct educational and cognitive work. To the question of what can be made from a turnip, there were answers that Vasilisa the Wise herself did not know about.
You can carol not only in winter, but also in summer. Only a treat for carols, not sweets, but an egg. Hence the kissing game. Where the egg will show, that and kiss, if the girls were idolized, they chose friends who were true to themselves.
The 7th of July is the longest day, after the days of decline. And most of the entertainment, therefore, is devoted to day and night. Popular beliefs were also tested on Ivan Kupala - for good weather, the guys throw coins into an old tub. You get into the water will be a bucket, past to the rain.
In the summer, every blade of grass has medicinal property, adds strength and has a cleansing effect. Jumping over a nettle fire added excitement to the educational program.
Boys and girls decorate a birch with colored ribbons, make a wish.
Girls weave wreaths of wild grasses and flowers. Children on stage make wicker fences and a straw effigy of the Slavic god Kupala for a festive performance. After dinner, everyone decorates each other with greenery, garlands of flowers and leaves.
Did you know that this holiday of Ivan Kupala is called the holiday of lights. It was fire that was the symbolic embodiment of the powerful sun and jumping over the Kupala bonfires, along popular belief, people become healthy and gain new strength.
They make plans of their fate on Ivan Kupala, pour water over him, which on this night has a cleansing power. And the girls also put wreaths with lighted candles on the water and wait to see where the current will carry them. If the wreath floats far away, it means that the darling will not soon call for marriage, but he will beat him to the shore - soon the matchmakers will be in the house.
Activated on the day of Ivan Kupala and all the evil spirits of the forest. Water, goblin, kikimors have fun no less than people. And if you appease them with generous gifts and kind words, then they will not harm people for a whole year. And if you cheer and please with beautiful songs and dances, then maybe they will also help.
Summer health camp on Ivan Kupala Day turns into a grand Sabbath on Lysaya Gora. Girls lead a round dance and sing Kupala songs. They glorify trees, water, wind, sun. After all, the power of man lies in unity with nature. Our ancestors knew this well. That is why so many rituals and holidays were dedicated to nature.
The girls ask the Water permission to put wreaths on the water, find out their fate:
Come ashore, Water, Let us swim, Play over the water, Throw wreaths into the water, Tell fortunes to the people.
The mermaid, having heard such inviting songs, gets out to the shore, but not alone, but with mermaids-girlfriends:
Who dared to disturb me, In the depths of the estuary waters. Why are they making noise and dancing, People are near the shore.
They explained to him that this holiday is wonderful in the camp - Ivan Kupala Day, that girls on this day are guessing at the suitors, he was delighted:
Grooms! It's good! And then in Liman there are a lot of mermaids for marriage. But mermaids are my sisters, my soul hurts for them. Only they don't need any suitors. So, okay, make some noise. It’s very much a hunt for the suitors to have a look, let them show who is what!
Young men dance, sing, demonstrate martial arts - I really want to please the mermaid and the mermaid. The watery disposition is severe:
Tell you love, sister! If not, lead the heating! Mermaids will tickle at once, Kohl does not want to marry!
But as soon as the girls lowered the wreaths into the water, the witch immediately sniffed out that someone was starting a fortune-telling behind his back. She flew in on a broomstick and brought her retinue with her: the devil, the kikimora and other evil spirits.
Who here starts a fortune-telling without me? They completely forgot about me. That's when there is some kind of grass from ailment or to bewitch someone, so you find a path to me, but for the holiday of Ivan Kupala, I was not invited to the Witch.
Indeed, on the Kupala night, many herbs and plants acquire healing and magical powers. And most importantly, only this night, one day a year, a fern blooms on Ivan Kupala. And whoever succeeds in plucking it will receive all earthly treasures.
Well, who is not lucky this year to pluck a fern in order to stay happy and healthy all year round, pour water over them, jump over the Kupala bonfires so that all ailments and sorrows are burnt in this flame. It is not forbidden to just sit by the fire, turning to the spirit of fire with a request to burn out everything bad, heavy, oppressive from life.
And at sunrise you can wash yourself with dew to stay beautiful all year round.
And of course, everyone is waiting for the Kupala loaf, touching which, you need to make a wish. And it will certainly come true!
Games for Ivan Kupala
The game "Aquarius"
On the day of Ivan Kupala, all traditions have a close connection with water. The most common of the rituals that have survived to this day is pouring water on passers-by.
Buckets filled with water are usually placed at the beginning of the distance, and empty buckets at the finish line. The first player scoops up water with a ladle and runs to an empty bucket, pours water into it, returns and passes the ladle to the next participant. The team that fills its bucket faster or after the time (3-5 minutes) has more water in its bucket wins.
Campfire game
The game consists in jumping over the fire more successfully and faster, having passed the entire relay race.
Each team has its own "bonfire" - two players with a rope. On a signal, they pull the rope in front of the first player to step over it. "Bonfires" run forward and again pull the rope in front of the player. Thus, they move to the end of the distance, returning back at a run.
Blossoming Fern game
The most famous legend of the Kupala holidays tells of a flower. On the festive night of Ivan Kupala, this flower blooms and seems to glow in the night, pointing to the place where the treasure is buried. The first player on the team, riding on a broomstick, at the signal, runs to the end of the course, where there are cardboard boxes for each team. They contain a large number of cards with the image of a fern, but only a few (according to the number of participants in the team) have blooming ferns painted on.
The player looks for a card with the image of a blooming fern, goes back with it and passes the broom to the next participant. The winner is the team that finishes the relay first.
Jumping over the fire
At night, when the fire reaches the greatest strength and becomes the highest, boys and girls jump over it with a running start in pairs and one at a time. During walks and games, the girl slaps the guy on the shoulder and runs away, and he runs to catch up with her. Catching, leads her to the fire, through which they jump, holding on to a doll on a stick. If the hands do not part during the jump, then the pair is formed. And they disperse, then everyone is looking for a new pair. In case of success, when the fire is not touched, the flame does not spark and the hands of those jumping over the fire are not severed, there will be a couple.
Ivan Kupala holiday: mythology and customs
Ivan Kupala's holiday: mythology
The name "Kupala" means "bright white". Therefore, the white flower is called kupava, and for a special whiteness they chose the word "boil". So they say: boiling white color. Chamomile is a symbol of the Kupala holiday. "On Ivan Kupala I wove a wreath, I wove a wreath, I wondered on a daisy."
Kupaila - since ancient times it is known among the Slavs as a holiday of the Sun, the maturity of summer and green mowing. People girded themselves with sashes of flowers, wreaths of herbs were put on their heads. They took odes, sang songs. With the help of friction of dry sticks, a "living fire" was produced, fires were made, in the middle of which they put a pole with a burning wheel fixed on it - the symbol of the sun.
However, the fern became the main character of the plant world that day, with which legends about treasures and about endowing those who are lucky enough to get a fern flower, magical, supernatural qualities and abilities, were universally associated.
As we remember from the legends, the one who picks a fern flower is endowed with a wonderful gift of perspicacity. True, this is the case when it's easier said than done. According to beliefs, the fern blooms only for a few moments at midnight on Ivan Kupala.
Midsummer is the period of the longest days and the shortest nights. For these people, in the shortness of the night, some concentrated, and therefore especially powerful, magical power is hidden. The baptismal rituals are associated with the forces of nature: with earth, water. Fire occupies a special place in the sacrament. They jump over the fire to get rid of everything bad, and to make the wish come true, they walk over the coals.
Initially, the pagan holiday of Ivan Kupala was associated with the summer solstice. And it was celebrated on the night of June 20-21. Later, the ritual part was timed to the old style on June 24, in the new style - on July 7. So everyone is celebrating in different ways now. Which date is closer to whom? If on the night of Ivan Kupala, no matter what style, you still manage to find a blooming fern, then you were skipping botany. It can bloom only in this way - thanks to the flickering of a candle.
It was said that with a fern flower that opens for just a few moments at Ivano-Kupala midnight, you can see all the treasures, no matter how deep in the ground they are. True, getting such a flower is almost more difficult than the treasure itself. According to the stories, at about midnight, from the wide leaves of the fern “suddenly a bud appears, which, rising higher and higher, then hesitates, then stops - and suddenly staggers, rolls over and jumps. At exactly 12 o'clock in the morning, a ripe bud bursts with a crash, and a bright fiery flower is presented to the eyes, so bright that it is impossible to look at it: an invisible hand picks it off, and a person almost never succeeds in doing it. During the flowering of the fern, it is as if the voice and chirping of evil spirits are heard, which does not want to allow a person to see a wonderful, rare flower that has precious properties. " Whoever finds a fern that has blossomed and is able to take possession of it “acquires the power to command everything. Powerless rulers will be powerless before him, and unclean spirits will be at his complete disposal; he may know where the treasures are hidden; he will enter every treasury, no matter what locks it is locked, as a master, for the doors themselves will dissolve in front of him - one has only to attach a wonderful flower to the castle; invisible, its owner makes his way to any beauty - and there is nothing that would be impossible for him. Such is the strength and power of this flower "
Ivan Kupala holiday: customs
On the night of July 6-7, this mystical, mysterious, but at the same time fun and wild day of Ivan Kupala is celebrated.
Midsummer's day was filled with various rituals associated with water. The most widespread custom is to swim on Midsummer's Day, although in some regions peasants considered bathing dangerous, since on this day the birthday man is a water man who should not be disturbed.
Any careless person who climbs into his kingdom will be drowned. Another belief: on this enchanted Kupala night, trees move from one place to another and whisper to each other with the help of leaves. Herbs on this night are filled with special magical power.
The main character of the plant world on the day of Ivan Kupala is a fern; ubiquitous legends about treasures were associated with this plant. On this day, the fern opens up with a fiery red, strong flickering light, which makes it possible for the one who found it to guess the future. Only with the help of a fern flower, which opens only at midnight for a few moments on Midsummer's Day, can you see all the contributions, no matter how deeply they are hidden in the ground.
Cleansing bonfires are the main feature of the Kupala night. They always danced and jumped around them: whoever jumps higher and more successful will be happier. In some places, they even chased cattle through the Kupala fire to protect them from pestilence. In the Kupala fire, it was possible to burn shirts taken from often ill children, so that diseases would burn with them. Children and youth, jumping over the fires, arranged funny noisy games and race. The torch game was also traditional.
Girls, unhappy in love, in order to bewitch the chosen one, at midnight had to run around the rye field several times, preferably naked. It was believed that while the girl was running around naked in circles, the beloved would see her in a dream, and in the morning he would understand that she was his destiny.
On this day, it was customary to throw a wreath of birch branches and leaves into the river: if the wreath floats, you will get married, if it drowns, death awaits, if it hits the shore, you will be unmarried. There is a custom to eat kutya and take a steam bath with ivan-da-marya brooms.
The sun on the day of Ivan Kupala plays and jumps. Ethnographers have recorded many different beliefs that on Peter's Day and on Ivan Kupala's Day "the sun plays at sunrise, shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow, plunges into the water and reappears."
In the Kupala songs, the same ideas are expressed: "Early on Ivan the sun was playing ..."; "The sun goes down ...".
Similar observations of the "playing" sun continued until Peter's day, which should be considered, obviously, as the day of farewell to the sun, gradually decreasing after summer solstice.
Observations of the "playing" sun continued until Peter's day (kupala), which should obviously be regarded as the day of farewell to the sun, which gradually wanes after the summer solstice. There was a custom to “watch the sun”. In the evening, taking food, young people, and in the first half of the 19th century. and elderly peasants, went to the hill, where they walked all night, burned fires and waited for the sunrise to see the play of the sun.
Some celebrate the so-called holiday of the Dew, others decorate the willow and lead round dances around it, and still others arrange a witch's gathering on a high mountain.
There is a belief: in the most short night water and plants show their miraculous ability to heal diseases and increase the fertility of the earth. People kindle fires, put wreaths on the surface of the water and look for wonderful fern flowers in the forest.
According to legend, on opposite banks of the river there are loving woman and a man. They strive for each other, but only once a year, on July 7, they can meet, wading the river.
Men make a huge bonfire, dance around it, and then have fun at the bottom of the fire: they sing songs, dance and play.
Mermaids are another fairytale character of this mysterious night. Mermaids are known for their unearthly beauty. There is a belief that mermaids on the Kupala night are endowed with tremendous strength and are able to drag them to the bottom. In order to appease the river maidens, the most pretty girls weave wreaths of wildflowers and let them float over the water. According to signs, mermaids, having assumed a human form, go out to admire the bathing lights from a distance and, having met a man in the forest, can bewitch him. The enchantment ends when Midsummer's Day passes.
At the festival, everyone must undergo a complete purification, in order to be completely purified to begin collecting field fruits. Complete cleansing consists of three parts:
The first cleansing (Cleansing the Body): Everyone present at the holiday on Kupala Day must wash their bodies in sacred waters (rivers, lakes, ponds, dew, etc., preferably flowing water) at least 9 times to wash off themselves fatigue and dirt.
The second purification (Purification of the Soul): In order for those present at the holiday on Kupala Day to purify their Soul, they light big fires, and everyone who wants to jump over these fires at least 9 times, for Fire burns all negativity and cleans the aura and Soul person.
The third purification (Purification of the Spirit): Everyone present at the holiday on God's Day Kupala walks barefoot over burning coals at least 9 times.
