| Show Midsummer's Eve is a time for celebration Aimee Baumgartner Contributing Writer MIDSUMMER'S Eve celebrated at the summer solstice June 21 is a holiday Which mixes customs custom of ancient pagan worship worship worship wor wor- ship with medieval Christian lore Midsummer's festivities are centered around the riddle Green is Gold Fire is Wet Futures Told Dragons met The festival honors the earths earth's awakening after the winters winter's sleep The first part of the riddle Green is Gold is representative of the earth creation of the young new leaves and grasses These earliest t greens look golden Therefore natures nature's green is gold Fire is wet finds its it's answer in a custom observed on Midsummer's Eve Water does not burn and fire does n not t flame in the water usually But on Midsummer's Eve it is customary customary customary cus cus- tomary to float lighted candles or tor torches hes on water These practices represent wishes for the future Festival fires on the waters are thought to announce desires and foretell the future The last part of the riddle is found in a play that is enacted on Midsummer's Eve by the celebrants One reveler will play the part of St. St George who must kill a huge dragon This is sometimes represented by a shaped dragon-shaped kite or gigantic pastry dragon This is what is meant by Dragons met Since Midsummer's Eve is celebrated in the warmer weather er months most celebrations are held outdoors Festival fires are one such activity All midsummer's entertainment revolves around a festival fire which is basically basically basically basi basi- cally a huge bonfire Bonfires were originally fueled by animal bones In fact the name for festival fire was bone fire Sometimes the fire is called a fire which refers to the Druid fires honoring the pagan god Bal or Bel Everyone entering the festival fire must al always always always al- al ways circle the fire clockwise This imitates the path of the sun Crowns and boughs are part of the ceremonies and are worn by all the guests Food is also part of the tradition St. St Johns John's is a welcome wassail served to guests Other delicacies include a sweet dried fruit called St. St John bread Others are a carbonated drink spiced with ginger anise and basil called cuckoos cuckoo's ale an with raisins and spices called and destiny destiny destiny des des- tiny cakes which are supposed to help foretell the future The midsummer rose is used to distinguish between true rue love and no love A feaster takes a rose plucks a petal and asks does she he love me or does she he love me not The last petal makes the determination Most Midsummer rituals come from an ancient ent pagan customs which have been passed from century to century Few remember what the original meanings are Therefore they've simply become beautiful traditions In fact fire customs customs customs cus cus- toms which served a pagan sun god have been rededicated rededicate to the Christians Christian's St. St John |
