Nativity of the honest, glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist of the Lord John

The Nativity of John the Baptist is celebrated by Orthodox Christians on July 7. In some countries this day is an official holiday. This great celebration for Christians coincides with the Slavic pagan holiday of the summer solstice - the day of Ivan Kupala. In the era of dual faith, there was an interweaving of pagan and Christian rituals. In the popular consciousness, Ivan Kupala became Ivan the Baptist (Buyer, Forerunner, Submersible). For the Slavs, Ivan Kupala Day is a holiday of youth, fun, and the coming summer. However, the church opposes public festivities and riotous games, because they fall on Peter’s Fast. And fortune-telling, so beloved by girls on Ivan Kupala, is generally considered a terrible sin. The birth of John the Baptist can be considered a miracle. Christians learned its exact date from the Gospel source, which claims that exactly six months passed between the birth of John and the birth of Jesus (January 7). John appeared to a couple who no longer dreamed of becoming parents. Archangel Gabriel came down to Zechariah and brought good news about the imminent birth of a son. The priest Zachary did not believe him, for which he was punished by muteness. The gift of speech returned to him only during the naming of the baby. John was the forerunner of Jesus, and it was he who baptized him in the Jordan. Christ himself considered him a man with a great spirit. Christian believers on this day abstain from a rich meal, because John lived in the desert, eating honey and locusts. In the morning they attend services that do not contain funeral and memorial prayers. On this day you need to listen to troparia and akathists. On the Nativity of John the Baptist, they try not to participate in the festivities, because the Baptist led an ascetic lifestyle. People pray to John for deliverance from ailments, especially headaches. Mothers pray for the health of their children. On this day you need to repent of your sins and enjoy life. People who adhere to pagan rituals wash in the bathhouse and in rivers, burn fires, jump over them, and collect medicinal roots and herbs. The girls tell fortunes about their betrothed, exchange wreaths, and cook a special ritual porridge. In the morning, it is customary to wash your face with dew, washing away all bad thoughts and illnesses.