The cycle of the traditional calendar
Kupala is the main summer festival in a calendar that
follows the turning of the seasons and the order of the
farming year. The most intense periods of ritual activity
are around midwinter, the darkest phase of the year, and
in spring, when the light returns and the land comes back
to life. They are dominated by Christmas and Easter, but
like Kupala, they have other currents running through them
too.

Winter
A Christmas
message from Vladyslava Bondar in Poltava oblast
(region), central Ukraine, December 2024.

Spring
will be coming soon.Spring in Poltava oblast, central Ukraine. Photo: Vladyslava Bondar