On the evening of July 6, hundreds of Kyivans celebrated the pagan holiday of Ivana Kupala.
The original pagan name of the holiday was Kupala, and it was celebrated to mark the summer solstice, when nights are the shortest. After the arrival of Christianity, the name Ivan, Ukrainian for John, was added to the holiday to connect it to the Saint John’s Day. Now it is celebrated on the eve of the St. John’s Day.
The celebration included music performances by folk bands, as well as the most important part of the holiday tradition: jumping over the flames of bonfires as a sign of bravery. It was believed that if a couple fails to jump over the fire holding hands, they will separate.
