A double happiness day in Legedzine: Paolo arrives after two weeks of rambling in Dublin, Italy and Istanbul, just in time for Ivana Kupala! An ancient pagan summer solstice/fertility rite later reworked by the Orthodox Christian Church as the Feast of Saint John The Baptist, Ivana Kupala entails the young women of the village weaving garlands of flowers that they later add candles to and set adrift on the lake to foretell who their future husband may be. There’s also lots of traditional dancing, singing, storytelling and music (the Here & Now & Varsava contributes a rousing Ukrainian-lyrics rendition of You Are My Sunshine and are presented with sunflowers by the audience at the end of the set) plus bonfires, giant cauldrons of delicious borscht, and an antique canon that an intense guy in a Cossack outfit sets off periodically, just to scare the pickles out of everybody. A fine time is had by all!
