Kupala Night and fern flower|Extended Practice

Kupala Night takes place during Summer Soltice, when nights are short (and that related to many Pagan rituals). Kupala Night is celebrated in many Eastern Europe countries, like Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Poland on 23/24 of June (Julian calendar). It's an opposite celebration to Koliada- a winter holiday. 
As for rituals - along with the myth of the fern flower (according to tales it only blooms during that night), young people are also testing their bravery and faith by jumping over flames of bonfire. If a couple, who is in love, fails to complete jump while holding hands, is at the risk of separation. Girl also might make wreaths from flowers and float them on the river to see how their future relationships will work.


There are also stories that happens during that time. For example, Kasia Gazdowna released a Kupala comic recently. St. John's Eve by Nikolai Gogol is a short story from Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka. Also fern flower appears in one of the J.I. Kraszewski fairy tales - Kwiat Paproci is a tale about fight between good and bad.

As for the fern flower - it's a mythical plant that appears in Slavic mytholodgy. According to tales, fern flower is yellow but changes its colour to red during Kupala Night. It's also worth noting that ferns are not flowering plants. Nevertheless the origins of the tale can be explain as some of the fern-like plants produce sporangia in tight clusters which looks like flowers.