Fires

As in many other European countries, leaping over bonfires is a highlight of Ukrainian midsummer celebrations. It's said that if a couple manage to keep holding hands during the jump, they will stay together. These two look as though they're going to be OK.
photo: M_malligan, in Ukraine / Wikimedia

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Both fire and water are important elements of the midsummer rituals in Ukraine, a land rich in rivers, streams, pools and swamps.

'Usually in Ukraine we celebrate Ivana Kupala somewhere by the river or somewhere where we can make fire, but we don't have any rivers here, and we can't make fires in Preston Park. But Preston Park has welcomed us with open arms, and it has become a home for us all.'
                                                                       Vladyslava Bondar (click photo for video)

• vladyslava's kupala