The cycle of the traditional calendar
Kupala is the high 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

Spring to Summer
Spring in Poltava oblast, central Ukraine. Photo: Vladyslava Bondar