Ivan Kupala
On a beautiful mid summer evening we celebrated the ancient festival of Ivan Kupala.
We were together as one family, eating good food from Ukraine and resting in the heart of nature.
A spring flowed into a crystal clear lake, a small fire burnt fallen logs and the sun shone from a bright blue sky.
Wendy and Anne taught us how to make floral crowns.
Starting with the ivy, olive branches and vines they had brought, we then wove garden flowers into each wreath.
There were flowers for all from Anne and the kind donations of Sorelle in Motcombe and Waitrose, in Gillingham.
The barbecue was lit to serve hot food.
Everyone looked fabulous in Kupala wreaths of greenery and flowers.
The children, who had dispersed into the grass clearings and trails, were brought together at the Kupala tree and organised into teams for games.
The evening united us in dance and song.
As the shadows grew longer and the children tired, they turned to toasting marshmallows.
And the adults sought good fortune and lasting friendship by leaping the bonfire.
We made our wishes and floated the wreaths into the lake…
…watched the glowing candles and thought of family.
A wonderful evening arranged by Anna and the Ukrainian community, a memory to treasure.
Grateful thanks to Sara, who shared her lovely home, to Derek and Ness who did the groundwork to make the space safe, to Anne and Wendy, and to everyone who brought food and drinks to share, but especially to Anna.
A few days later:
Nadia wrote,
‘Дуже гарне було свято Івана Купала. Це дуже важливо для нас, українців. Бо ми маємо дуже мало можливостей зустрічатися. Та дуже мало позитивних емоції. Нашим дітям вкрай необхідні такі зустрічі, де є згадка про культуру України та багато українців. Англія це прекрасна країна з дуже позитивними та добрими мешканцями. Але ми все одно сумуємо за домівкою, і в нас війна. У всіх на фронті, або в окупації є друзі, знайомі, рідні, тому ми дуже хвилюємося постійно. Такі зустрічі нам допомогають зняти емоційну напругу. На останній зустрічі ми були насправді щасливі. Дуже дякую за таку допомогу вам. Я дуже вражена вашим щірим добрим ставленням до нас.’
Translation:
‘The feast of Ivan Kupala was very good. This is very important for us, Ukrainians. Because we have very few opportunities to meet. But there are very few positive emotions. Our children desperately need such meetings where there is a mention of the culture of Ukraine and many Ukrainians. England is a beautiful country with very positive and kind people. But we still miss home, and we have a war. Everyone at the front or in the occupation has friends, acquaintances, and relatives, so we are very worried all the time. Such meetings help us relieve emotional tension. At the last meeting, we were really happy. Thank you very much for your help. I am very impressed by your sincere good attitude towards us.’
Jenya wrote:
‘I want to say a big thank you for organizing such a holiday as Ivan Kupala, everyone was delighted with the communication we had together, the wreaths, the atmosphere, especially the children had fun’
