Summer, fire and the preparations you need to make today to welcome Summer Day
2025-03-13 12:20:35
TiranaPost
The rites of the Summer Day date back to ancient times. Once dedicated to the goddess Diana and the cult of the sun, but even today they are practiced for a better life filled with joy, love and prosperity. In different cities of the country, the rites are treated and are different, but essentially it is celebrated for the renewal of nature, the lengthening of the day and the prosperity of the crops. Elbasan is the city where the celebrations of this day are most concentrated.
The first phase is the preparatory phase that begins with the gathering of the zairetes that are needed for Summer Day. The second phase is Summer Night that begins on March 13 with the bonfire, the third phase is Summer Day morning that begins on March 14 and finally the Summer Day picnic at noon on March 14.
The gate or door of the house is decorated with flowers and green shoots, which symbolize the introduction of goodness and nature.
Typical foods for celebrating this day are: ballokumja, kabunia, boiled corn, Elbasan's pistil casserole, and generally grain dishes that symbolize prosperity.
The fire that is lit on March 13th has a purifying meaning to give strength to the sun in the yard and gardens. Women performed magical rites against other harmful, predatory beings.
The summer solstice is a symbol of this day that unites many areas of the country. It is set up on the morning of March 14 and removed on March 22. It is hung on a branch of a rose or pomegranate for the swallow to pick up.
In some areas like Berat or Narta, the Summer Day celebrations are also accompanied by carnival performances. In some other areas, the children of the village or neighborhood gather and knock on every house to ask for boiled eggs and sweets. From year to year, many things are removed and added to the celebrations of this day, but essentially the rites that evoke the renewal of nature and the human body, the warming of the weather, prosperity and abundance, remain the same.
