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The Midsummer Day

On the 24^th of June, we celebrate the Midsummer day or St. John’s Day (called in Romanian Sanzienele), the largest and the most spectacular pagan holiday of the year and the only one allowed with its original name in the Christian Orthodox calendar. The Orthodox Church celebrates the birth of St. John the Baptist. It marks the beginning of summer, as June 21^st is the "Summer Solstice" or the "astronomical summer."

In the Romanian flora, the goldenrod (or sanziana as we call it) is a plant that grows by meadows, orchards and roadsides, in woods and near fences. The plant is called goldenrod in some places and Lady’s bedstraw in others. It is used in medicine and cosmetics, as well as in magic acts and in traditions related to its flowering during the summer solstice.

According to the popular outlook, goldenrods (or sanzienele) are good and extremely beautiful fairies, that have power over the earth and especially over the crops and they are said to protect the later only if they are properly honored on their birthday. The people believe that during this magic night, these creatures walk or float in the air, yielding fruit to crops or to married women, multiplying birds and animals, healing people from diseases and protecting crops from hail.

On Midsummer Day’s Eve the girls who want to marry meet the boys who also want to get married. The boys light up pyres, which they spin in the sense of the Sun’s motion, while making special shouts meant to speed up the weddings. The Girls go and pick goldenrods from which they twine garlands.

Holding them, the girls come back in the village and throw these garlands over the houses and it is said that if the garland remains hung up the chimneys that girl will marry on the same year.

The next day, at dawn, groups of young men pass through the villages wearing flowers of goldenrods on their hats as a sign that the garlands of the desired girl fell on the chimney. That’s why they show their happiness by yelling and singing.

After they hove carried out the bedstraw’s tradition, the girls come back running from the field and waving their head dresses .The boys wait for them at the entrance of the village, carrying pots with water with which they sprinkle the girls. Afterwards, only the girls who have taken part in this tradition, dance the bedstraw’s Hora, remembering the hore of the Sun’ s priestesses.

On the Midsummer’s night, the fern (whose bright flowers are kept for spells, charms and remedies) is said to flower. At the same time, at midnight, another flower, the milkweed also blossoms. Since it is believed to unlock all the locks it is especially sought by all the thieves.

Mocanu Georgiana - Romanian team