Media: Ivan Kupala is now celebrated on a new calendar in Ukraine

Ivan Kupala festivities. Photo: UNIAN

Ukrainian media outlets have unanimously reported the alleged rescheduling of the ancient pagan holiday of Ivan Kupala from July 7 to June 24, attributing the shift to the adoption of the Revised Julian calendar by the OCU (Orthodox Church of Ukraine) and the UGCC (Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church).

UNIAN writes: “After the transition to the Revised Julian calendar, Ukrainians are celebrating Ivan Kupala 2025 on the night of June 23 to 24,” directly associating the pagan holiday with the ecclesiastical calendar.

RBC-Ukraine reports: “On September 1, 2023, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) and the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) switched to the Revised Julian calendar. As a result, the dates of all fixed feasts shifted.” The outlet concludes that “in 2025, Ukrainians will celebrate Ivan Kupala on the night of June 24.”

TSN states: “With the introduction of the Revised Julian calendar, the day of honoring Ivan Kupala acquired a new date in the church calendar... In September 2023, both the UGCC and the OCU officially transitioned to the Revised Julian calendar. As a result of this calendar reform, the dates of many traditional religious holidays were revised and moved.”

NV claims: “Ivan Kupala is officially celebrated in Ukraine on June 24, 2025. This is a new date that appeared following the Orthodox Church of Ukraine’s switch to the Revised Julian calendar.”

UKR.NET echoes: “This year, we’ll celebrate Ivan Kupala on the night of June 23 to 24. Due to the OCU’s transition to the Revised Julian calendar, the date has shifted.”

However, these same outlets also acknowledge that Kupala is an ancient pagan deity, not a Christian saint.

It should be noted that Ivan Kupala is an ancient Slavic holiday of the summer solstice, dedicated to the pagan deity Kupala.

The Nativity of John the Baptist is a Christian feast that is indeed celebrated on June 24 according to the Revised Julian calendar.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that the Ministry of Culture had encouraged Kyiv residents to celebrate Ivan Kupala with gods and spirits of the princes.

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