Свято Купала / Ivan Kupala Falkiv

Herbs, flowers and vegetation played an essential role in the performance of the rites. From the early hours of dawn people were searching for them, to decorate their homes, defeat evil spirits, and receive luck and prosperity: The bravest waited for nightfall to venture into the forests in search of a particular plant, the fern flower: it was believed that this flower was the most powerful to neutralize the evils; this activity was mainly for men. The women instead, with the herbs, plants, flowers and branches that they had collected during the day; they were building a wreath and then let it flow on the water before the sun sets. Depending on the direction of the wreath it was possible to predict some elements of their future.