Evening star., 1936-06-14
EUROPE RETAINS
PAGAN TRADITIONS
Longest Day of Year In
spires Celebrations Hon.
orinq Sun.

LONDON, June 13-The longest
day of the year in America, June %,
is the occasion of one of Europe's
greatest celebrations. Once a pagan
festival in honor of the sun, today
1t is celebrated in England, Hungary,
Poland, Germany, France, Norway,
Sweden and other lands as Midsum-
mer eve, or st. Johns eve, and even
though since Christian times 1T has
been a saints day, it is observed
everywhere with ceremonies reminls-
cent of pagan eras.
In Poland, for example, st. johns
eve is marked by the lighting of bon
fires and the throwing OF wreaths
Into rivers and streams. For the oc-
casion girls weave flowers and herbs
into crowns and, placing light IN the
center Of the leaves, toss them into
brooks or rivers. Youthful Swains
either stand on the bank or boat out
Into the water and attempt to catch
the wreaths on poles. II a girls lover
succeeds in rescuing her wreath, the
Poles believe that the love affair will
have happy ending; If he fails to,
an unfortunate one. In Warsaw this
festival has been turned into a gay
water fete, with fireworks over the
Vistula and many boat loads of people
celebrating the evening on the water.
Dance Arond May Poles.
May poles and birch boughs play
a large part in the Swedish observ-
AF &c
of the tree frame every door and in
the province Of Dalecarlia, where the
most colorful ceremonies are held,
peasants turn out in their traditional
costumes and spend the night dancing
and singing about the May poles or
bonfires.
Norway, too, has celebrations that
last the entire night. Fires seem un-
necessary there, for as far south as
oslo there are only two hours of
darkness at this time of year, and
even those two are scarcely more than
twilight Nevertheless, the people
Of Oslo light bonf1res on hillsides and
the islands of the Oslo F'jord, and the
whole capital joins in the merry
making.
In Cornwall the custom Of cele-
brating Midsummer eve died out with
the coming of the World War, but in
1929 the lighting of bonfres on June
% was revived. Formerly the people
had many superstitionS about the
fires. They believed that any one
going on long journey had merely
to jump backward and forward three
times through the bonfire in order to
have success in his undertaking. AS
cording to another belief, if cattle
were driven into the heat of the fire
they would be free of disease during
the year. The ashes of the bonfire
were even taken home and placed
In the nest of hens to make them lay
more eggs.
Flaming Wheels Roll.
Certain sections Of Germany still
observe Midsummer eve with the roll
ing of lighted wheels down mountain
sides. The wheel, bound with straw
and set aflame, was undoubtedly once
a symbol of the sun, and its roll down
the hill presaged the coming of shorter
days.
In pagan times Germany celebrated
the festival of Midsummer, or Son
nenwendfest," as the occasion when
day triumphed over night, light over
dark, the forces of good over evil, and
today many superstitions are still
observed on June %. A young couple
expecting to be married soon must
either jump through the wheel Of fire
or over bonfire, so that their union
will be a happy one. In some sections,
a few handfuls of grain are thrown
into the flames, souvenir Of the
old custom Of offering sacrifice to
the sun.
Midsummer eve or the feast of st.