Ivana Kupala, 7 July 2021

A good Kupala night to everyone marking it.

Last year most of the gatherings did not happen. This year they largely have, and the mood I have seen is noticeably more energetic than usual — a year off appears to have concentrated the enthusiasm rather than dissipated it.

It helps that this is a holiday requiring almost no infrastructure. A river, a field, some wood, herbs picked that morning and people willing to stay up. Nothing about it needs a venue, a budget or a committee, which is precisely why it comes back so easily after an interruption.

The most durable traditions are the ones that can be assembled from what is already lying around.

A good night to you, and dry clothes afterwards for those who will need them.