[ad_1]
As the ethnologist Eglė Valentė told the tv3.lt news portal, this day was very important for the ancestors: they cut flowers, gathered grasslands, in addition, the harvest was already harvested and the continent had to be thanked.
“Herbal is a party that means that the end of the plant is really there and everything is ripe. Here, the end of the period of our mature plant, the grasslands, all the plants and symbolizes this celebration. And that is why all the attention here in ancient times was directed to the goddess Continent, because she raised everything from the earth, cultivated it, matured it and at the end of that harvest, and this is the celebration ”, explained E. Valentė .
He expressed gratitude to the goddess Continent.
The most important thing on this day was to thank Mother Earth for the harvest, as a result of which kvass or beer was made from the freshly harvested harvest and a piece of land was poured:
“Since ancient times, the most important thing that can be done during Grasslands is to thank the Earth, the Continent, for the cultivated and ripened harvest. Again, there are rites that are called descent. It is the pouring of a fresh beer or kvass, now made, in the end, no matter what other drink to Mother Earth, as a tribute to her for all the beautiful harvest that has been given to her ”.
On this day, girls and women cut nine wreaths from different plants and these wreaths of herbs were a symbol of protection, and later, when diseases struck, tea was made from them for treatment. They also helped raise animals.
After the introduction of Christianity in Lithuania, on August 15, people brought flowers, vegetables and harvested grains to the church, where they were consecrated. In the old days the harvest was probably sanctified somewhat differently, but you can see the connections.
“Flowers and herbs, both herbs and herbs, as well as vegetables, fruits and grains, grown both by time and by oneself, are brought to the church so that everything is consecrated. Well, in the old days, I think ordination was done differently, but now we take it to church, we consecrate it and then everything comes home, to start winter, to keep it all, to feed it and to sustain it. our lives, ”said the ethnologist.
The consecrated meadows were filled in by people in the most sacred and important place in the house, such as behind the sacred paintings or in any other important place.
“The grasslands are stuck in the most sacred place, well, where we say, we concentrate, we meditate, we pray and things like that. And again, this is so that the grasslands, in case of problems, even when there is a thunderstorm and they can throw lightning in our houses, just to protect us from all evil ”, explained E. Valentė.
It also finds connections in Christianity
However, the ethnologist also finds more connections between Herbal and St. Feasts of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary:
“We know that today our church celebrates the Feast of the Assumption of Mary and again, if we identify it with our Continent, we also say goodbye to the Continent, as the Christian world says goodbye to Mary the Mother of God, because that plant and maturity already It’s not necesary. As a result, everything in the smoke or in our thoughts rises to the sky, so that the next season, in the spring, everything will come back again, growth will begin ”.
Lithuanians are not the only nation that has mentioned this day. The ancient Romans worshiped the goddess Diana on August 15, the Greeks, Artemis, and they are known to be guardians of plants and animals.
“We can also remember that some 500 years before Christ, on August 15, the temple of the goddess Diana was inaugurated in Rome. This day is significant and important, apparently for all parts of the world, “said the interlocutor.
Don’t miss this day alone
During Žolinė, it is important not only to thank the goddess Continent, but also to be together: with family, relatives or even neighbors, all gathered for fun and spending the day together.
“It is bad not to go, not communicate and not sit at the same table with your family, relatives, loved ones, after all with your neighbors, your community, because to believe that whoever sits at the common table and eats together that day, have fun, it will be a successful and happy year. Well, whoever does not do that feels lonely, the success of it probably could not visit so much; it will probably be poorer and poorer, ”said E. Valentė.
Interestingly, during the Herbal, as well as during Christmas, 12 dishes made with fresh and freshly harvested products were served.
One of the strangest and most interesting customs, which may not have survived, is baking buns by throwing them into the fire:
“Another interesting custom that I’ve been struggling with or surviving now, well, unless I’m on ethnographic farms or remembering our old ways, is making buns out of flour that has been ground with freshly baked grains at this time. and bake those buns by tossing them over a fire. toll until those buns are baked.
This is one of the most interesting customs that existed during the Herbal. Now of course it can also be used as a playful element of the celebration, why not? ”.
[ad_2]
