Why do Latvians celebrate Jani?
It is a day when cities vacate and every civil servant and bank clerk shows their pagan side. It originated as an ancient fertility festival celebrated after sowing the crops and before gathering harvest. Latvians sing, dance, eat and are merry during Jāņi.
What is Jani in Latvia?
How long until Jāņi? Jāņi marks the summer solstice and the shortest night of the year on St. John’s Day.
What is being celebrated during St John day?
Today, common Saint John’s Eve and Saint John’s Day traditions include processions, church services, Saint John’s bonfires, fireworks, and feasting.
What is LIGO day in Latvia?
23rd June
When is Midsummer Eve? Known as Ligo (meaning ‘Festival’), this Latvian public holiday is celebrated each year on 23rd June. The actual date of midsummer day may vary between the 20th – 21st June. The following day, St John’s Day (Jāņi) is also a public holiday.
What are some Latvian traditions?
The most popular traditions of Līgo are singing Līgo songs, picking different sorts of herbs, making wreaths, bonfires, eating cheese and drinking beer. Ancient Latvians believed that the herbs, which were gathered on Midsummer Day, would conquer evil spirits and bring benediction and health to people.
How do Latvians celebrate the Midsummer?
According to tradition, the shortest night of the year must be spent by staying awake. In fact, if you do go to sleep before sunrise, it is believed that you will sleep throughout the summer. So Latvians spend the midsummer’s night lighting bonfires, eating and drinking, singing and dancing.
What is Jani short for?
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Jani is a male given name, particularly common in Finland and Hungary. It is derived from the Hebrew Yohanan and is hence a cognate of the English John.
What does Jani mean?
Gift from God
Meaning:Gift from God. Jani as a girl’s name is of Hebrew origin meaning “Gift from God”.
What is St John known for?
St. John, wrote sublime epistles for the early Christians, and after years in Palestine and beyond was exiled to the island of Patmos “for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus” where he was honored with the heavenly revelation contained in the Apocalypse.
Why do we celebrate St John’s day?
Always celebrated on June 24th, this holiday celebrates the birthday of St. John the Baptist. In the Gospel of Luke, certain verses imply that John the Baptist was born six months earlier than Jesus.
What is Midsummer Day in Latvia?
Jun 24
Midsummer Day Observances
| Year | Weekday | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Mon | Jun 24 |
| 2020 | Wed | Jun 24 |
| 2021 | Thu | Jun 24 |
| 2022 | Fri | Jun 24 |
What are some traditions in Latvia?
When is St John’s Day?
Observed annually around the world, St. John’s Day is a holiday that falls on June 24th. It celebrates the birthday of St. John the Baptist. Although no one actually knows the birth date of this saint, it is mentioned in the Gospel of Luke that he’s born 6-months before Jesus.
What are the most popular Latvian holidays?
Do not miss the most Latvian holiday of all – Jāņi or “Līgo!”, the night from June 23 to June 24 (in harmony with the summer solstice), when people participate in joyful festivities just as their ancestors did centuries ago.
How do Latvians celebrate the summer solstice?
Be it a sunny day, or raining cats and dogs Latvians always celebrate at their rural homesteads, or go to an open-air party to dance, sing and be together in good company. Wild flowers picked on the summer solstice are believed to have healing powers.
What do Latvians do on Jāņi?
refrain. Jāņi was originally a festival for pagan farmers that existed long before the arrival of Christianity and the traditions of the festival remain immensely popular to this day. Latvians often say “līst kā pa Jāņiem” (it’s raining as if it were Jāņi) since the weather on Jāņi night is usually not the most pleasant.