Rus Halk Kültüründe İvan Kupala Kutlamalari
Celebration of Ivan Kupala Day in the Russian Folk Culture

Summary/Abstract: Some holidays that had great significance among Slavic people before the advent of Christianity, were able to endure to the present and protect their existance, despite heavy influence of religion and pressure from the church after the adoption of Christianity. Holidays with elements of paganism in time were blended with religions and today they continue to be celebrated as a very old folk traditions rather than religious beliefs. Ivan Kupala, celebrated as a summer solistice holiday amog Slavic peoples is one of them. Ivan Kupala which is celebrated the moment when the sun reaches zenith was one of the holidays which the church waged war against the most, because of its pagan element. In time it lost its meaning under the intense influence of religion, and came to be celebrated as the birthday of John the Baptist. Despite this, Ivan Kupala has not been erased from the memory of the people, it was even the subject of a work by the famous Russian writer Nikolai Gogol entitled “Night before Ivan Kupala Day”. This study will address the definition of the holiday, its celebration, its connection with the past and the present and show the part of the culture of the Russian people, their beliefs and traditions which are ingrained in Russian folk culture.

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