For the past few days I’ve been partaking in a special midsummer solstice holiday, Ligo, that signifies the shortest night and the longest day of the year. It is a tradition that dates back many centuries; even today people in Latvia get official time off work and partake in a two-day celebration. It is customary to head out to the country side and set up picnics by the camp fire. Most people stay up through this shortest night of the year, drinking beer, singing folk songs and dancing by the fire. I gladly participated in the festivities and lasted almost till midnight—wow! Some brave souls even jump over the camp fire, which is believed to bring good luck (I suppose it’s important to make it over the fire first, ha ha!). Here is our camp fire that we set up by the largest river in Latvia, the Daugava.
The tradition that I love the most is for girls and women to make wreaths from wild flowers and then wear them throughout the night. Men wear wreaths too, but those are made from oak branches. All the grasses are believed to hold special healing powers on this night; they rid the owner from all the illnesses. Here are a few shots of me and my family members wearing the wreaths; I made several of them for all the girls.
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Here is a traditional wild flower bouquet that usually decorates the table; this was our centerpiece
After the holiday, the wreaths and bouquets are put to dry and saved until the next summer—these are believed to wade off bad spirits from homes.
Big table with food and drinks is also customary, some items, like beer and farmer’s cheese, are must-haves. And, of course, traditional folk songs accompany every get together; they still ring in my head. Here's a shot of the longest day of the year coming to an end...and what a day!
