Night of the Ladybugs: from magical midsummer spells to non-traditional folklore groups

In 2024 June 23 from 9 p.m. Zubovų Park (Aušros av. 50) in Šiauliai will become the center of attraction of the most magical summer night. The organizers of the event reveal: traditional St. John's rites, rituals and spells await visitors, and the glittering park will become the highlight of the evening. During the celebration, non-traditional folklore groups "Electro Folk" and "Dram Bam Burtai" will revive Lithuanian folk songs to a new sound, recreation areas will be open.
The organizer - Šiauliai City Municipality. The organizer - Šiauliai Cultural Center. Informational sponsors: "Owexx", "Miestos niaveinos", "Etaplius", "Saulės radijas". The event is free.

St. John's wort, otherwise known as Dews or Domes, has become an integral decoration of the warm season. This year, the festival returning to the heart of the city of Šiauliai will delight the people of Šiauliai and the guests of the city not only with traditional rituals, but also with modern solutions, changing colors and different emotional scales. This year's celebration, which will combine the customs of the ancients and the need for innovation of today's city people, will actualize the park as a great place for spending free time in the city center.

St. John's Day is a mysterious holiday full of the majesty of nature, magic and summer fun. Her eve in Šiauliai will begin with traditional ceremonies. It will be possible to enter the park after crossing the gate of the transformation of the Sun. It is expected that the first ritual of the holiday will not only symbolically purify the bodies and souls of the townspeople, but will also become a signpost to the festive park. The organizers are intrigued that the foliage and paths of the renovated city park will not only light up, but will also resemble the flashes of light emitted by fireflies.

"In the past, young people, celebrating St. John's Day, used beetles to search for a fern flower. After collecting them and placing them in a transparent container, they went on an adventurous search, where the only source of light at that time was the light emitted by fireflies," the organizers of the festival share their memories.

St. John's Day is unimaginable without the most important symbol of the holiday - a wreath - or a bouquet made of nine grasses. It is believed that on the eve of St. John's Day, all the spells associated with plants can not only predict the future, but also answer the unmarried woman's unsettling question: when will the wedding take place. The organizer of the festival - the Šiauliai Cultural Center - informs that at the event it will be possible to weave a wreath, make domes and cast spells: the real witches will foretell the future and cast spells on St. John's Day.

The celebration of the longest day and the shortest night will be completed by a concert program. This year, the spells and magic of St. John's Day will be accompanied by the performances of non-traditional folklore groups "Electro Folk" and "Dram Bam Burtai". The fusion of folk and electronic music will come to life in the context of various genres, so the listeners will have to accompany the longest day of the year in the background of unique music.

It is hoped that the park full of St. John's Day traditions will not only give visitors unforgettable summer memories, but also inspire them to discover, if not a fern flower, then at least St. John's worts that glow in the dark.

Photo by Roland Parafinavičius, Gintarė Daknytė and Yulia Kotina.

The information is provided by Asta Vaitkienė, Head of the Event Organization Department of the Šiauliai Cultural Center, mobile. +370 671 42 901, e-mail asta.vaitkiene@siauliukc.lt.