Other popular names for this day are “bonfire” (Polish: sobótka), a name possibly derived from the day on which these festivities used to be held (sobota is Polish for “Saturday”) or from the ritual name given St. John’s fires, and “kupała”, which is probably derived from a word for ritual bathing. The traditions associated with this night go back to pagan times and are known all over Europe. St. John’s Eve falls just after the summer solstice and climaxes when the sun reaches its zenith to signify the longest day and shortest night. Strange things were believed to have occurred at that precise moment and strange powers were attributed to fire, water and plants. That evening, people would stray far from home and cultivated fields to gather around fires (where suitable kinds of trees were being burned), by lakes, along rivers or on hills. Herbs like artemisia and burdock would be thrown onto the fire in the belief that they had cleansing powers. Girls would dance around the fires singing love songs. Boys, and sometimes girls, would jump through the fire. Water also acquired peculiar properties on that night. It was said to “blossom” and that only St. John could make it safe to bathe in rivers and lakes. 24 June has been a critical day ever since. It used to be believed that bathing on Ivan Kupala Day washed away evil forces, endued with health and strength, and ensured good luck. Bodies, especially those of young people, became healthier and more beautiful and alluring. Such a bath guaranteed requited love, successful marriage and happy parenthood. Marriageable girls wove garlands (a symbol of virginity) of field and garden flowers, tied them to slats to which they fixed candles, and then floated them in the water and observed closely. Floating evenly or being fished out by a boy they liked was a much desired omen as it signified love, impending marriage and long life. Becoming entangled in vegetation, however, meant remaining unmarried for at least another year. The worst possible omen was the candle going out or the garland sinking or capsizing. This foreshadowed trouble in love and life, unrequited love, spinsterhood, sadness and single-handedly having to raise a child born out of wedlock. Several customs associated with this day still survive. The magical aspect might have disappeared but the belief that bathing is only possible after St. John’s day is still with us.
Staged events organised by various institutions in conjunction with folkloric groups and other people interested in cultivating and reviving this tradition are becoming increasingly popular. These are held on the nearest Saturday to the evening. “Noc Kupała” (Kupala Night) is held in the surreal setting of Lake Lednica in Dziekanowice every year. This could become an interesting counterpoint to Valentine’s Day – an extraordinarily popular day in English-speaking countries and one that is gaining popularity in Poland, despite having only reached these shores in the early 1990s. But Ivan Kupla Day has always been a day for Europeans who fancy each other – whether their cultural background is or was Slavic, Celtic or Germanic – to fall in love.
