Mittsommer - HahnAirport Magazin

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Travel
meisten ist es der wichtigste Sommertag.
Hotels und Pensionen sind dann nicht nur
auf der Kurischen Nehrung oft ausgebucht.
Besonders gern wird am Strand oder
Flussufer gefeiert. Noch mehr Zulauf aber
haben die großen mystische Orte wie der
Johanneshügel in Klaipeda (Litauen), die
Bischofsburg in Saaremaa (Estland) oder der
Renka-Garten in Ventspils (Lettland). Hier
lässt es sich gut sein und orakeln, mischen
sich für ein paar Stunden Realität und Phantasie.
Verschwindet der oft graue Alltag hinter
einer bunten Festfassade.
Anreise:
Ryanair fliegt Montags, Mittwochs, Freitags
und Sonntags nach Litauen (Kaunas).
Lettland wird täglich via Riga angeflogen.
Danzig steht Sonntags, Montags,
Mittwochs und Freitags auf dem Flugplan.
I NFORMATIONEN
Literatur:
Baltikum
Baedeker Allianz Reiseführer
Baedeker Verlag
Ostfildern
Baltische Länder
Lettland, Litauen, Estland
Michael Müller Verlag
Erlangen
Baltikum
DuMont Richtig Reisen
DuMont Reiseverlag
IIn Lithuania it’s called „Jonines“,
„Jaani päev“ in Estonia and
„Jani“ in Latvia. Three names for
the same celebration. From Vilnius
to Tallinn it is one of the most
important ones. When celebrating the
midsummer night the people in the Baltic
nations celebrate the shortest night
of the year, light’s victory over darkness.
Christian and pagan traditions and
beliefs and superstitions have formed a
unique mixture and many local customs
concerning midsummer night have
developed in the Baltic region.
Dozens of people kneel in the grass, collecting
plants and herbs. And so is Vida who is
helping us to find the right ones. During centuries
these plants were considered by the
Baltic people to have magic powers, as a lukky
charm or as a blessing. They are especially
sought after during the night between the
23rd and the 24th of June. The most appreciated
is the fern who is said to blossom magically
a little bit before midnight.
„Welcome“. Vida, mother of three children
greets us. She wear a traditional dress and a
garland of woven flowers in her hair. She is a
tourist guide in Lithuania’s most beautiful
open air museum. Rumsiskes is a museum village
in the outskirts of the city of Kaunas.
Today she’s working the night shift as the
locals gather here on the Eve of St. John to
celebrate this night the traditional way. Traditions
that date back several generations. The
first time the Eve of St. John has been mentioned
in written form was in the 14th century.
Back than the people considered this day
to be a magic day, in the agricultural calen-
HahnAirport Magazin · Frühjahr/Sommer 2007
dar this day marked the beginning of the hay
harvest. But today the grass has not been
cut yet and Vida weaves a magic bouquet.
Every visitor passed through a symbolic
door. A green gate surrounded by garlands
of flowers that can be found everywhere in
the balitc region for the Eve of St. John.
Everybody passing through this gate is sprinkled
with water. Because according to
ancient beliefs the water has healing powers
on the longest day of the year.
Vida shows us some leaves from the ash
tree. “In ancient times people decorated
their fences with this. To ban witches and
evil spirits.” But the fern she holds up next is
supposed to have even more magic power.
“Tonight he will be in full bloom.” Hildegard
of Bingen, the famous medieval homeopath
believed that the devil fears the fern as
much as he fears holy water. A superstition
condemnded by the church in the early 17th
century. The collection of fern and fern seeds
was strictly forbidden during the Eve of St.
John. The Baltic people were not impressed
and continued to believe in the powers of
the plant. Whoever would find and pick the
flower, they believed, would be able to speak
the language of the animals, could read
the minds of others and foresee death. And
we will have a lucky hand when gambling or
be happy in love.
A young couple sneaks away looking for
the fern. Midnight approaches slowly. It is
now time to stir up the St. Johns bonfire. But
before the women and girls have to throw
their rings of woven flowers into the leafless
branches of a trees.
“If they stick to a branch, marriage is not
far away.”, Vida explains. She has kept her
| Mittsommerumzug auf der Kurischen Nehrung | Feststraußbinden
Fotos: Edition Narrhalla