Friday until Tuesday there have Jani, Midsummer, celebrations. We went to two one in a Riga park and another at the Turaida Museum preserve in the small town of Sigulda. Both had singing, dancing and Jani food which is pirags, caraway cheese, dark rye bread with honey and beer. The typical Jani flowers are daisies, clover and blue cornflowers woven into head wreaths for the women and oak leaf wreaths for the men. We heard somewhere that only men named Janis wear the oak leave wreaths. If that is true there are many men named Janis in Latvia.
There were bonfires and more singing and music. Of course the tradition is to stay up through the night, from about midnight to 3 am on the 23 to the 24. We walked back to our guest house in Sigulda about 11:30 and it was still light in that after sunset twilight. A great celebration.
There were bonfires and more singing and music. Of course the tradition is to stay up through the night, from about midnight to 3 am on the 23 to the 24. We walked back to our guest house in Sigulda about 11:30 and it was still light in that after sunset twilight. A great celebration.
No comments:
Post a Comment