Midsummer Eve, also called the Summer Solstice, and St. John’s Eve, can take place anytime between June 19th and June 25th. It is the longest day of the year and signals the coming of winter when the days grow shorter until the Winter Solstice.
Cultures all over the world have celebrated the Summer Solstice in years past. In our modern world, however, most people don’t even know the holiday exists or what it symbolizes.
Bonfires
On the night of Midsummer Eve, bonfires were lit all across Europe in the hopes that the flames would aid the dying sun. People would carry torches from the bonfires, through the fields to bless the summer crops and to protect them from any natural and supernatural disasters.
Invisibility
Fern “seeds” gathered on Midsummer Eve was believed to make a person invisible. For thieves, this powder was invaluable. Just a light sprinkle in each shoe would render the walker invisible to those he planned to steal from.
Treasure
In Germany, where water witching was once popular, it was believed that a branch cut from the hazel tree on the night of Midsummer Eve could find hidden treasures. The trick was to go out that night, walk towards the tree backwards, put a hazel branch between the legs, and cut it off using both hands. The branch could then be used for finding buried treasures.
Yarrow
On the night of Midsummer Eve, young women in parts of Europe would gather yarrow from the graves of young men. The yarrow would then be placed under their pillows before going to sleep. The next morning, they would carefully lift their pillows and see the image of their future husbands in the crumbled flowers.
Bath Time
In centuries past, when bathing was seldom done, Midsummer Eve was bath time for some people in Europe. Bonfires were lit to burn away the evil, smoke from the fires would purge the land of disease, and a simple water bath would purify the bodies of the bath takers. In Morocco, this bath time was a ceremonial occasion.
Midsummer Rose
Young women, wanting to know who their husbands would be, would walk backwards, in silence, in their garden and pick a rose on the night of Midsummer Eve. This rose would then be wrapped in white paper and put away until Christmas day when it would be taken out, placed in the bosom and the future husbands would come and remove the bloom.
St. John’s Wort
In France and Germany, people would gather the blooms of St. John’s Wort and place them by their windows to protect their homes against storms.
Fire Wheels
Wheels were crafted out of wood and straw and then lit from the fires of the sacred bonfires. The flaming wheels would then be rolled down hills, purifying the air and the fields.
Herb Gathering
Among the Slavs, gathering herbs for the year was best done on Midsummer Eve. It was believed that on this day, herbs were at their strongest. Medical plants and flowers were gathered and dried to be used in teas, potions, and poultices.
Blue Flames
In Bulgaria it was believed that on the night of Midsummer Eve a blue flame would appear over the areas where treasures were buried. Treasure hunters would keep watch for the flames on this night.
Sources:
Brand, J., & Ellis, H. (1849). Observations on the popular antiquities of Great Britain : Chiefly illustrating the origin of our vulgar and provincial customs, ceremonies, and superstitions (A new ed.). London: Bohn.
Hastings, J. (1908). Encyclopædia of religion and ethics. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark;.
Timbs, J. (1861). Something for everybody; and a garland for the year. London: Lockwood and.
