The document summarizes two summer holidays in Lithuania:
1) The Feast of St. John on June 24th which celebrates the summer solstice and involves lighting bonfires. People would try to collect dew for its magical properties.
2) Herbal Holyday on August 15th which honors the Virgin Mary. People would carry herbs and flowers to church to be blessed for protection against illness. Dried herbs were kept in homes and used when people were sick.
3. FEAST of ST. JOHN – June 24th
From ancient times people marked the time of the
return of the sun, the shortest and longest night. In
olden times it was called the Feast of the DEWS. When
Christianity was established in Lithuania, the name was
changed to Feast of St. John.
Midsummer - one of the most cheerful and most
popular summer festivals. It is the night of witchcraft
and magic, full of mysteries and dangers. Traditionally,
the bonfires are lit on hills and in dales. When
Lithuanians were pagan, bonfires have been burning all
night long to illuminate the fields, where all sorts of evil
spirits and witches were fluttering around. The light of
bonfire scares the scarecrows away.
4. • Lithuanians with the names Jonas, Jonė,
Janina receive many greetings from their
family, relatives and friends.
• On this ritual day, water has got some magical
powers. People washed themselves and their
animals to stay healthy. Maidens tried to
collect the dew and wash their faces with it to
make them bright and beautiful.
5. People danced, sang, ate and drank till sunrise.
On the Feast of St John a special role was
granted to the sun. The young didn’t go to bed
in order not to over sleep the sunrise. It has
been a good sign to see the jumping sun in the
morning – you will stay healthy and happy
through out the year.
6. During the night of the Feast of St. John, the
miraculous fern bursts into bloom. It is
difficult to catch sight of this bloom. Who
finds this bloom he understands the
language of birds and animals and the
languages of all people in the world; he
knows the thoughts of others, where
treasures are hidden and he sees the Grim
Reaper.
7. Some say that the fern bloom is like birch dust,
others describe it as round and white like
carp's scale. If you want to pick this bloom
you have to take a cane made of mountain
ash, draw a circle around you with it, spread
a linen cloth and stop being afraid. The fern
blossom will fall on the cloth.
8. • At midnight, twelve wreaths were dropped
into a river and observed if they were pairing
off. If no pairing off occurred, there was to be
no marriage that year.
• In the seacoast region, all during the night,
young men and women twined wreaths from
ferns, placed candles and set them in streams.
Should both their wreaths swim together,
they believed that they would marry that
year.
9. HERBAL HOLYDAY - August 15th
• This is one of the most esteemed Virgin
Mary's holy days, going to heaven.
Lithuanian names for this holy day are
"Žolinė“ or Herbal Holy Day.
• This day, everyone who goes to church
carries herbs, blooming garden flowers, to be
blessed. It was said that if on this day one did
not hold herbs in church, the devil will give
his tail to hold.
10. Dried herbs were kept in the house,
behind pictures of the saints. When
thunder roared, the house was smoked
with the dried herbs and sick people
drank herbal teas.
