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Kupalle in Belarus
Here is our photo reportage from the funny and joyful holiday named "The Day of Ivana Kupala" or
"Kupalle" in Belorussian. This is a magic holiday with deep pagan roots. People believe that dark
magic power walks across the earth this night. The fern is blossoming this night and the person who finds this
flower can get a magic power to see all the gold hidden in the ground regardless of how deep it is. Many people used to
walk across the forest trying to find this flower. However it's as difficult as to find the gold under the ground.
Anyway this is a holiday of funny games, swimming, jumps over the fire, beautiful songs and dances. Nowadays
people still celebrate this holiday and it is not less funny than it was some time ago.
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Entrance to the holiday area. The pile welcomes everybody to take part in the holiday. The drawwell
appears as a symbol of the deep folk roots of this holiday.
Armrestling between two Russian women is always a great entertainment.
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Three kinds of Belorussian National Dresses.
The main concert goes on the river.
Participants of the concert.
The captain bridge of the holiday.
This deltaplaine throws down a lot of peaces of paper with "fern-flower" on it. However only one of them
is a lucky one.
Happy, happy people! Everyone can become an owner of "the magic power of the fern-flower".
Happy owner or his majestic Pagan Wizard.
The girls are always ready to treat you with a cup of clear and cold water.
Special show for children.
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On the left there is a doll which will be burned and thrown down to the water. On the right photo there is a special grass-hat
which girls put on the water to capture the grooms.
Continuation of the show.
The bravest guys burn the fire which they will later need to jump over.
Just fun...
A girl is putting her lucky grass-hat down on the water. There is a burning candle in the middle of it. If it snuffs
down she won't find a groom this year.
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