Jāņi

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Jāņi

A latvian girl creating a flower crown during the midsummer festival
Also called Zāļu diena
Observed by Latvia
Type National; Ethnic;
Significance Celebration of summer solstice
Observances staying up all night, making bonfires, singing, dancing, eating cheese, drinking beer
Begins 23 June
Ends 24 June
Caraway cheese is traditionally served on Jāņi

Jāņi (pronounced [jaːɲi]) is a Latvian festival held in the night from 23 June to 24 June to celebrate the summer solstice (Midsummer), the shortest night and longest day of the year.[1] The day of Līgo ([liːɡu͡o]) (23 June) and the day of Jāņi (24 June) are public holidays, and people usually spend them in the countryside. The festival's eve Jāņu vakars ([jaːɲu vakars]) is held in the evening of 23 June and goes on all through the night Jāņu nakts ([jaːɲu nakts]), where people Līgo (sway) into the following day.

Jānis is traditionally the most common male name. Everybody of the name Jānis holds a special honor on this day (Jāņi is a plural form of Jānis) and wears an oak wreath.[2] Besides John, the name of Jānis is also etymologically linked with other names of various nations, such as Aeneas, Dionysus, Jonash, Jan, Jean, Johan, João, Ian, Ivan, Huan, and Han.[3]

Jāņi was an ancient festival originally celebrated in honour of a Latvian pagan deity Jānis, who is mentioned in Latvian folksongs of antiquity. The festival's current date has shifted a few days from 21 June/22 June when the summer solstice actually takes place, due to the Christianisation of the holiday, which led to the day's christening as Saint John the Baptist's feast day, which falls on 24 June. Today, Jāņi incorporates some of the former folk traditions with Christian elements.[4]

Jāņi is thought to be the time when the forces of nature are at their most powerful, and the boundaries between the physical and spiritual worlds are thinnest. In the past, evil witches were believed to be riding around, so people decorated their houses and lands with rowan branches and thorns in order to protect themselves from evil. In modern days other traditional decorations are more popular, including birch or sometimes oak branches and flowers as well as leaves, especially ferns. Women wear wreaths made from flowers; in rural areas livestock is also decorated.

Jāņi also is thought to be the perfect time to gather herbs, because it is believed that they then have magical powers on this day. Other practices of magic in Jāņi vary from fortune-telling to ensuring productivity of crops, as well as livestock fertility. A well-known part of this celebration is searching for the mythical fern flower, though some suggest that the fern flower is a symbol of secret knowledge; today it is almost always synonymous with having sexual relationships. Young couples traditionally search for the flower and many believe there is an increase in births nine months later. (In the past, this timing was ideal for farmers.)

Another important detail is fire: A festival fire must be kept from sunset till sunrise, and various kinds of flaming light sources are used; usually these are bonfires, which traditionally people jump over to ensure prosperity and fertility. Traditional food during Jāņi is a special type of cheese with caraway seeds, made out of curd, and the traditional drink is beer. Many people make the cheese of Jāņi themselves; a few also make their own beer.

Representatives of Latvian emergency services often warn that Jāņi can be harmful to health because of the amounts of food and alcoholic beverages consumed, as well as maltreated fires. Additionally, incidents of drinking and driving are higher on this day than of any other in the year.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Mellēna, Māra (2000), Latvian Seasonal Holidays, The Latvian Institute, retrieved October 4, 2013 
  2. ↑ "Events & Festivals, Holiday in Latvia". Retrieved 2011-04-28. 
  3. ↑ "The Death of the Latvian Jānis (Yahnis)". Retrieved 2008-11-15. 
  4. ↑ Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, published by Lonely Planet, 2009. pg. 182 ISBN 1741047706

External links

Seasonal Mythological holidays of Latvia

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