Emma Miller
On July 7, Orthodox believers celebrate the Nativity of John the Baptist, but people call this holiday the day of Ivan Kupala. From ancient times to this date, girls performed many rituals, the chief among which was the weaving of wreaths.
What to intertwine in a wreath for Ivan Kupala – a list of plants
In Slavic tradition, there is a belief that flowers and plants on Kupala night gain healing power. Girls wove them into wreaths and swore over them to find good health, marry well, or have a good harvest. There were several flowers that were most often used in wreaths:
- Immortelle – a symbol of health and longevity;
- Velvetveteen – a symbol of fidelity and beauty;
- Yarrow – a symbol of freedom and rebellion;
- periwinkle – a symbol of life and eternal love;
- guilder- a symbol of virgin beauty;
- amaranth – a symbol of devotion and love;
- Chamomile – a symbol of the Sun, purity, and faithfulness;
- mallow – a symbol of faith, hope, and love;
- Cornflower – a symbol of beauty and tenderness;
- hop tendrils – a symbol of a sharp and flexible mind;
- poppy – a symbol of fertility;
- The forget-me-not – a symbol of fidelity and constancy.
If a girl wanted to ask the Higher Powers for health and prosperity, she wove a healing herb into the wreath, and if a good harvest was important, she could add wheat, barley, or rye to the traditional wreath.
Nowadays, traditions are not as strictly observed as before, so Kupal wreaths can be decorated with any other colors – depending on your personal preferences and aesthetic taste. The main thing is not to weave wolfberries, ferns, and datura into the wreath, otherwise, you risk attracting evil forces in your life.
How to make a wreath on St. John’s Eve – technique and tips
- Collect or buy flowers should be in a good mood and, preferably, alone;
- While braiding the wreath, think only about pleasant events, not passing your fears and troubles to the ritual element.
The traditional Kupala wreath is braided as follows:
- take a thin and sturdy stem;
- Put a flower on top of it, which should be tightly tightened with an overlapping stem;
- Put another flower on top and repeat the action several times.
To finish weaving the wreath, you need to connect the ends of the wreath by the ring, and then continue to weave some more time, so that the wreath does not disintegrate.
An alternative variant of weaving is in the braid technique, when a girl takes three beautiful stems, weaves them like a braid, and after every two weaves adds new flowers. At the end of such a wreath can be secured with a thread or another, denser, stem.
