Saint Jonas' Festival

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Saint Jonas' Festival (aka: Rasos (Dew Holiday), Joninės, Kupolė, Midsummer Day or St. John Day) is a midsummer folk festival celebrated on June 23 all around Lithuania. While midsummer day is celebrated throughout Europe, many Lithuanians have a particularly live agenda on this day. The traditions include singing songs and dancing until the sun sets, telling tales, searching to find the magic fern blossom at midnight, jumping over bonfires, greeting the rising midsummer sun and washing the face with a morning dew, young girls float flower wreaths on the water of river or lake. These are customs brought from pagan culture and beliefs. The latter Christian tradition is based on the reverence of Saint John. Lithuanians with the names Jonas, Jonė, Janina receive many greetings from their family, relatives and friends.

[edit] See also

• Kupolė
• Ivan Kupala Day
• Jāņi
• Jaanipäev

[edit] References

• (Lithuanian) Pagan rituals and meaning of Rasos