Summer solstice or Jāņi is the celebration of the longest day and shortest night of the year. Jāņi are a somewhat mystic event, as, according to ancient traditions, you have to search for the Legendary fern blossom, wash your face in the grass`s morning dew, and gather herbal plants, which are said to have a special power midsummer. Summer Solstice celebrations date back centuries, when Europeans actively practiced the cult of the Sun. Bonfires and other rituals are not only part of annual traditional celebrations, but also manifest the unity of Cosmic and Earth order.

19:00 – 21.00 GRASS EVENING WISDOM OF WOMEN making wreaths / making cheese  /  latvian bath tradition / power of herbs WISDOM OF MEN lighting the fire with a flint WISDOM FOR KIDS 19.30 – 20.30 dancing with folklore group MILZKALNIEKI anda CEIRULEITS BLESSING 19.30 – 20.00 field and courtyard ritual 20.00 – 20.30 household ritual of Janis 20.30 – 21.00 echoing 21:00  SOLSTICE FIRE LIGHTING THE FIRE horn is calling to gather at Janis hillside  /carrying oak garland up the hill  / lighting the sun and couple bonfires /  sunpath with "Nodibinājums Mārs loks" and folklore group URGAS RITUAL OF OAK 22.30 burning of big Janis fire  / games with folklore groups CIELAVA and SUDMALIŅAS LIGHT IN THE DARK 23.00 singing next to the Sun fireplace 00:00  MIDNIGHT FIREWHEEL 00.00 ritual in middle of the night  /  burning of the old crowns 00.30 horn is inviting  / firewheel BONFIRE OF DANCE 01.00 – 03.00 dancing with folklore groups CEIRULEITS, SUDMALIŅAS and DANDARI NIGHT SINGING 01.00 – 02.30 singing together with Inese Kozuliņa next to the JĀNIS fireplace and with ethnographic ensembles from Šķilbēni un Rucava and folklore gruops NAKTINEICA,PŪRLĀDE, PŪRS, CEIRULEITS, PUTNI, LEIMAŅI, CEIDARI and DZIETI 02.30 jumping over the fireplace 03:00  THE PATH OF LIGHT IN FRONT OF THE LIGHT horn is inviting up in Janis hill FOUNT RITUALS going to founts MORNING DEW 03.30 mornign dew rituals up in Dainu hill and at the end of Mara path with folklore group ORE MEETING THE SUN 04.00 meeting the sun next to the scupture “Don’t sleep, the Sun!” with folklore group DZIETI FAREWELL 05.00 puttiing the raft in the Gauja river

PARTICIPANTS Making wreaths – Indra Čekstere and Margita Poriete, making cheese – Marija Andina and folk group ŪZUĻEŅI, latvian bath tradition – Kaija Brisone and Juris Kraucis, making torches – “Roķi”, power of herbs – Zeltite Kaviere. Mens of fire – Eduards and Audars Klints, Sun fire makers – folk groups SILAVOTI, URGAS and PUTNI,   Janis father and Janis mother – Uģis Mitrevics and Anna Jurkāne. Night concert – INESE KOZULIŅA, dances – folklore groups CEIRULEITS, SUDMALIŅAS and DANDARI. Fount ritual – – folk group SILAVOTI, morning dew ritual and meeting the sun – folklore groups ORE and DZIETI. FOLKLORE GROUPS:  DANDARI and CEIDARI from Riga, SENLEJA from Sigulda, ŪZUĻEŅI  from Ozolmuiža, MEŽĀBELE from Jērcēni, PUTNI form Lēdurga, Lubānas folklore group, Daugmales folklore group, SUDMALIŅAS from Valka, ABRENĪTE from Viļaka, EGLE from Medņeva, NAKTINEICA from Sauna, URGAS from Koknese, SILAVOTI from Riga, DVĪGA from Saulkrasti, LEIMAŅI from Dobele, ZEMTURI from Druva, CIELAVA from Salacgrīva, MILZKALNIEKI from Smārde, PŪRLĀDE from Pūre, PŪRS from Slampe, VĀCELĪTE from Zante, CEIRULEITS and TURKI from Līvāni, DZIETI from Cēsis, MADAVA from Barkava, RITAM from Bebrene, ORE from Amata, VESETNIEKI from Kalsnava, LIEPU LAIPA from Jumprava, folklore groups from Daugmale and Ziemeri, ethnographic ensembles from Medņeva, Šķilbēni, Rucava and Nīca.

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