This Sunday - Slavic Appreciation Society Kickoff: Kupala Celebration Picnic (Belle Isle)

[Elle]

Excited to share that our first event is coming up on Sunday. (We had to reschedule because we thought the weather would spoil our fun.)  Same location as the GU potluck.  I'll be bringing cevapci, slivovitz, shopska salata, and ajvar. We also have some sarma on the menu.. Come as you are, bring a dish or beverage to share - slavic or not. Hope to see you there!

Details here and below: https://www.facebook.com/events/214365178712333/

"Kupala is upon us friends, and it's time to party. What's Kupala? We're glad you asked! Kupala is a an old Slavic pagan holiday celebrating the summer solstice. In the good old days there was feasting, dancing, singing songs, fortune telling, bathing in the river, playing games, and all manner of Slavic shenanigans. It was also a celebration of fire and water, and a way to pay tribute to the holiness of rivers and streams. There were even sacrifices, burning of huge bonfires and drowning a maiden in the river to appease the river god.

For our kickoff event, the Detroit Slavic Appreciation Society would like to invite you all to come to Belle Isle to celebrate Kupala with us. There will be food, music, slivovitz, dancing, and a performance by the Detroit Party Marching Band. There will not be any human sacrifice however, since that fell out of fashion a looooooooooooooooooong time ago. Instead, we'll bake a loaf of bread into the form of a doll and send that down the river to appease the river god. Feel free to bring a Slavic or central/eastern European dish or beverage to pass (on non-Slavic if you prefer), along with your loved ones, chairs, blankets, and everything else needed to have a good time on Belle Isle. 

We'll be holding the event at the intersection of Riverbank Rd and Inselruhe, under the willows, slightly west of the North fishing pier. We'll eat around 4:00, but feel free to come as early as you can and stay as long as you want.

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