14 'secrets' of March 14, what you need to know about Summer Day

2024-03-14 07:34:15 / JETË ALFA PRESS

1. The origin of Summer Day comes from antiquity. It is an Arbëresh holiday inherited in particular by the citizens of VALM, Elbasan (ancient Skampa) and is always celebrated on March 14.

2. Summer Day, known as the holiday of the renewal of nature and the continuity of life, is today a national holiday and is celebrated nationally as such.

3. Morning of March 14 – Everyone wakes up with the same prayer: Inshallah it's a good time! The ritual continued with the preparation by the owner of the house of dishes to make daggers (legs) to relatives, etc. This included chicken pilaf, ballokume or rhubarb, boiled eggs, walnuts, fig halves and 2-3 bisques with flowers, usually cornflowers, which bloom early in Elbasan.

4. The cult of this holy day had its own "temple" in the lands of Elbasan, as the shrine of the Fairy of Cermenika (Diana Candaviensis) was located in these parts. In ancient times, the goddess Diana was held as the goddess of hunting, forests and all nature. She was worshiped not only in Illyrian areas, but all over the Mediterranean coast. Her statues have been found not only in Apollonia, but also on the coasts of North Africa and Asia Minor.

5. The fact that a mystical celebration of nature was preserved in the city of Elbasan and was passed down "purely" until today, despite the historical, ideological and religious upheavals, is a national pride and wealth.

6. The distinctive sign of this celebration is the cooking of balls. While in Lezha on Summer Day, purifying fires were lit to give strength to the sun in the yard and gardens. Magical rites were performed by women against other harmful and predatory beings.

7. On March 13, people take a small bunch of wet grass with roots and soil, to have it in the morning of March 14 at home. This ancient custom is preserved and celebrated not only in Elbasan, but also in Dibër, Struga and Prespa, writes Class.

8. Summer's Day was the day of the beginning of the year according to the very ancient Albanian calendar, that is, a day that was celebrated many centuries before Christianity was born. It was celebrated on March 1 according to the Julian calendar, the first day of the new year (according to the Gregorian calendar, March 14).

9. The Iranian people (the founders of this holiday) celebrate it on March 21, because it is on this date that the first season of spring begins, on this date the first astrological sign begins, Aries, which is a fire sign, therefore the symbol of this holiday it's fire

10. Although this celebration takes place in the spring, in ancient times only two seasons were known: Summer, which began in March and ended in September, and winter, which began from September to February. So, from the scientific point of view, this holiday should be celebrated on March 21, because at that time day and night are equal.

11. Many years ago, in Elbasan, the party was big. A month before, but even earlier, the turkey was provided, which, together with ballokumen and revania, make up the most representative moles of the holiday. Turkey has traditionally been part of Summer Day. The rooster was fed with shuka to be big, fat, with shiny feathers and "strong".

12. After this date, the kingdom of the Sun (the ancient pagan god) entered, the day began to lengthen and the Sun appeared more and more.

13. A long time ago, this holiday was also celebrated on March 1, because March was the first month. Today we all use the Gregorian calendar, established by Pope Gregory, this is a calendar based on the Sun.

14. On the morning of Summer's Day, another somewhat unusual rite was performed. Little boys would come out early in the morning and knock on the door (of families, not relatives). If the call was heard from inside: - Who is it? - then the boy started the verses:

Get lice and fleas

Morning sleep

Summer fever

With door knockers

The symbolism of this rite was for the stranger to remove the evil from his door, to leave it at the other door.