Kupala Night – Slavic Celebration of Summer Solstice

People in Poland (Noc Kupały in Polish), Russia and Ukraine celebrate a festival known as the Kupala Night. This is summer solstice celebration involves joyful outdoor celebrations with bonfires, dancing and singing. It’s custom that young women make beautiful crowns from herbs and wild flowers.

The jump over fire ritual for Lada, Goddess of beauty, love, harmony and order is still practiced.

In Russia and Ukraine this holiday combines "Ivan" (John, in this case John the Baptist). In Poland the holiday “was incorporated into the Christian calendar as St. John’s Eve. As a result, the conventional Polish celebrations of midsummer are an interesting mix of pagan and Christian influences.”