иван купала

[ammaelis.livejournal.com]

how would you greet someone on Ivan Kupala day?

С днем ивана купалы?

С днем ивана купала?

С иваном купалой?

С иваном купала?

is it common to congratulate someone in this fashion on this day?

Comments

[alex-mashin.livejournal.com]

You greet someone with a bucket of water.

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure that present-day Russians celebrate this day at all - if they are not die-hard neo-Pagans or die-hard folklore fans, or both. Most of the people I know have difficulties even remembering when is that day, except that it's "somewhere in summer." I would choose #3, anyway, because that version is the less formal and the most colloquial, down-home, old-village-style.

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

Well, following the down-home old-times (исконно-посконные) traditions, you then must grab this someone's hand, drag her to the nearest bush, and make love till the sun rises.

[padenko.livejournal.com]

Exactly.

[akherousia.livejournal.com]

never really heard anyone congratulating with this day tbh

[gera.livejournal.com]

С иваном купала?

That's a good one :)
Or better yet - С Иваном купалась.

[licvidator.livejournal.com]

You can simply say - "С Купалой".
Купала (http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Купала)
Иван Купала (http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Иван_Купала)

I don't know, how to say it in english:
Купала - славянский бог лета и плодородия. Празднества его проводились задолго до прихода христианства на Русь. Поскольку люди по привычке праздновали Купалу, священники со временем переименовали праздник в "Ивана Купалу", в честь Иоанна Предтечи, чтобы стереть память о языческих богах.

[the-kot.livejournal.com]

С днем ивана купалы and С иваном купалой.

[spiritrc.livejournal.com]

Versions 1 and 3 are fine, but you must capitalize the words in "Иван Купала".