By . Rosie Taylor . PUBLISHED: . 13:57 EST, 7 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:57 EST, 7 July 2013 . In a field outside Kiev, Ukrainians have spent the evening leaping over campfires as they celebrate a traditional Slavic holiday. People of all ages wore wreaths made from flowers and herbs as they leapt over the fire as part of an ancient rite which is supposed to help cleanse away evil spirits. Ivan Kupala Day was originally a pagan festival held on the summer solstice, but since the spread of Christianity it has officially become a celebration of John the Baptist - although it still involves pagan activities linked to water, fire and herbs. Revellers leap over the campfire in a field outside Kiev, Ukraine . A man holding his son takes a leap of faith over the fire - an action which is traditionally thought to cleanse away evil spirits . Ivan Kupala Day was a pagan solstice holiday but has since become a celebration of John the Baptist . The holiday is celebrated in Ukraine and other Slavic countries including Russia and Belarus (pictured) Ukrainians celebrate the day by . wearing flowers, swimming in open water and dancing around the fire, . with girls making wreaths from herbs and floating them on rivers - a . traditional way of telling their fortunes. The name of the holiday is made up of . Ivan, the Slavic name for John the Baptist, and Kupala, which is . derived from the word for bathing. It is believed water is cleansed of evil and those who swim in it on this day will have good health for a year. There is also an ancient belief that . the day is the only time ferns grow flowers and it is traditional to . hunt for a fern flower, which is thought to bring knowledge, luck and . wealth. It is traditional for girls to wear wreaths made of herbs and flowers and to dance by the fire . Some plants take on a special meaning during the holiday, particularly the fern which is supposed to bloom for a few moments during the night . Those celebrating the festival spend time searching for the fern flower which is meant to bring limitless knowledge, luck and wealth . Hundreds of people gather together in fields to celebrate the holiday which falls on July 7 each year . Ivan Kupala Day is celebrated in Russia, Belarus, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Ukraine and Finland. Initially, before the spread of Christianity the holiday was associated with the summer solstice around June 21. But after the adoption of Christianity . it was moved to the birthday of John the Baptist, which is June 24 in . the Old Style calendar still used by some Orthodox churches, but is July . 7 on the widely-used Gregorian calendar. Although the date has removed the . holiday from its solstice origins people continue to carry out pagan . rituals associated with water and fire on the day. Children watch nervously as a man leaps through the flames in an ancient pagan ritual . It is tradition for girls to weave wreaths and float them in the river in order to tell their fortunes . Some brave revellers even attempted to jump over the fire barefoot . People come together to dance in the open during the pagan-based festival . As well as leaping over the fire many swim in open water on Ivan Kupala Day as it is thought to bring good health . The holiday was moved from the summer solstice to John the Baptist's birthday with the rise of Christianity .
Ukrainians gathered in fields for Ivan Kupala Day which has pagan origins .
Now traditional solstice festival is celebration of St John the Baptist .
By . Rosie Taylor . PUBLISHED: . 13:57 EST, 7 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 13:57 EST, 7 July 2013 . In a field outside Kiev, Ukrainians have spent the evening leaping over campfires as they celebrate a traditional Slavic holiday. People of all ages wore wreaths made from flowers and herbs as they leapt over the fire as part of an ancient rite which is supposed to help cleanse away evil spirits. Ivan Kupala Day was originally a pagan festival held on the summer solstice, but since the spread of Christianity it has officially become a celebration of John the Baptist - although it still involves pagan activities linked to water, fire and herbs. Revellers leap over the campfire in a field outside Kiev, Ukraine . A man holding his son takes a leap of faith over the fire - an action which is traditionally thought to cleanse away evil spirits . Ivan Kupala Day was a pagan solstice holiday but has since become a celebration of John the Baptist . The holiday is celebrated in Ukraine and other Slavic countries including Russia and Belarus (pictured) Ukrainians celebrate the day by . wearing flowers, swimming in open water and dancing around the fire, . with girls making wreaths from herbs and floating them on rivers - a . traditional way of telling their fortunes. The name of the holiday is made up of . Ivan, the Slavic name for John the Baptist, and Kupala, which is . derived from the word for bathing. It is believed water is cleansed of evil and those who swim in it on this day will have good health for a year. There is also an ancient belief that . the day is the only time ferns grow flowers and it is traditional to . hunt for a fern flower, which is thought to bring knowledge, luck and . wealth. It is traditional for girls to wear wreaths made of herbs and flowers and to dance by the fire . Some plants take on a special meaning during the holiday, particularly the fern which is supposed to bloom for a few moments during the night . Those celebrating the festival spend time searching for the fern flower which is meant to bring limitless knowledge, luck and wealth . Hundreds of people gather together in fields to celebrate the holiday which falls on July 7 each year . Ivan Kupala Day is celebrated in Russia, Belarus, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Ukraine and Finland. Initially, before the spread of Christianity the holiday was associated with the summer solstice around June 21. But after the adoption of Christianity . it was moved to the birthday of John the Baptist, which is June 24 in . the Old Style calendar still used by some Orthodox churches, but is July . 7 on the widely-used Gregorian calendar. Although the date has removed the . holiday from its solstice origins people continue to carry out pagan . rituals associated with water and fire on the day. Children watch nervously as a man leaps through the flames in an ancient pagan ritual . It is tradition for girls to weave wreaths and float them in the river in order to tell their fortunes . Some brave revellers even attempted to jump over the fire barefoot . People come together to dance in the open during the pagan-based festival . As well as leaping over the fire many swim in open water on Ivan Kupala Day as it is thought to bring good health . The holiday was moved from the summer solstice to John the Baptist's birthday with the rise of Christianity .
become a celebration of John the Baptist - spirits . Ivan Kupala Day was a pagan solstice Kupala, which is . derived from the word for