When an American thinks of summer holidays, their senses immediately flock to the smell of barbeque, sounds of classic country tunes, and bright explosions in the sky set to the tune ‘God Bless America.’ As a multi-ethnic American, my Fourth of July includes these fundamental staples but with a dash of Mexican and German elements. Hot dogs are switched with carnitas and homemade tortillas, and Costco potato salad is replaced with Oma’s secret recipe from Germany.
When a Lithuanian thinks of summer holidays, their traditions and festivities could not be any more different. Tailgating in parking-lots waiting for fireworks shows is replaced with steep walks and hikes up hills to former pagan spots. Catchy Hank Williams songs are swapped with traditional folk music and ballads, preserving centuries of Baltic oral traditions. Flashy fireworks are replaced with massive bonfires where people of all ages link arms and dance until sunrise.
People celebrating Joninės by participating in traditional folk dancing around a bonfire.
Lithuania’s midsummer celebration, also known as Joninės, or Rasos, is the first of many Lithuanian summer holidays. While the holiday is now also referred to as St. John’s Day, Lithuania’s strong pagan origins and pride in being the last European country to convert to Christianity shines through during this festival. Throughout the evening, summer is welcomed through the donning of traditional Lithuanian dress, folk dancing, and singing until sunrise. This year I participated in Lithuania’s midsummer celebration on the evening of June 23rd, 2023. As a historian and anthropologist with an endless curiosity towards cultural festivities, I was eager to spend the evening under the stars partaking in communal pagan rituals.
Wooden structure decorated with runes and dried wildflowers that you walk under to enter the midsummer celebrations at the top of the hill.
When I arrived, the energy of centuries of tradition and ancient beliefs was palpable. Hundreds of people were enthusiastically climbing up countless steps to reach the top of the hill where the bonfire was being prepared. At the top of the hill, many were dancing around maypoles, weaving flower crowns, and having picnics with their friends and family. The area was decorated with totems, adorned with runes and dried wildflowers. Strings of delicately bundled flowers and herbs hung from branches while people in traditional Lithuanian clothing explained their symbolic meaning and healing properties in Lithuanian and English. In the center of the festivities was a massive pile of wood meticulously stacked for the bonfire once the sun had set. Across from the bonfire sat a stage that was buzzing with different melodies and rhythms played by local folk performers. People interlinked hands and swung one another in dizzying circles into the fading sunlight.
One of the many runes on the hill-top. This rune was tied to a wooden post that held up strings of dried flowers and herbs.
Throughout the evening I could not stop smiling or giggling – the communal cheer and excitement of Joninės was contagious. I was so desperate to join in on the flower crown weaving and dancing that I eventually asked multiple people for guidance on the rituals occurring around me. Thanks to their patience and help I quickly understood the basic rituals for Joninės:
- Go into the forest and intuitively collect any flowers, branches, and leaves that you are drawn to.
Bundles of dried flowers and herbs that hold specific meanings and symbolism for Midsummer celebrations.
2. Make your flower crown, weaving your intentions and desires for the new year into your braids and knots in the crown.
The flower crown I made with different flowers, leaves, and branches collected in the forest.
3. Once you have finished making and are wearing your crown, join in on the festivities. For instance, explore the herb gardens on display, try to toss and catch your flower crown on the maypole for good luck, or listen to the beautiful ballads being sung.
People celebrating and dancing at the hill-top before the bonfire was lit.
4. Once the sun has almost set, gather around the bonfire. After it is lit, spend the rest of the evening singing and dancing around the fire.
Folk dancing and singing around the bonfire.
5. At midnight, go to the nearby river and place your crown in the water with a candle in the center. Push your crown deeper into the water as a token and gift to nature for the blessings you hope to receive throughout the year.
My flower crown that I placed into the river. Despite being near midnight, it was still quite light outside as the sun sets very late in the Baltic region.
I continue to reflect on this evening with the fondest of memories. How was it possible for an American thousands of miles away from home to feel so connected and at peace celebrating a holiday that she had never experienced before? I could not help but be swept up in the magic of the evening. Instead of being a shy American, that evening I became one of hundreds entranced in the superstitions and folklore of such a celestial night.
Local band playing traditional Lithuanian folk music.
Before coming to Lithuania to pursue the Overseas Professional and Intercultural training program, I did not know that this holiday existed. But now it remains a formative experience of my time in Vilnius, Lithuania. In addition to the communal atmosphere, it was so meaningful to witness and partake in cultural traditions that were deeply representative of Lithuanian culture and history. To witness such a bright and expressive evening knowing how much suppression Lithuanian culture has had to overcome, especially throughout the occupations during the twentieth-century, makes me even more indebted to have been allowed to witness this symbolic holiday.
By Joslyn Jasmine-Maria Felicijan
Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship Recipient
Overseas Professional and Intercultural Training Program
Vilnius, Lithuania, Summer 2023
AC Study Abroad 