#9 Līgo at Dimzēni
I'm back!
As everything in life, all good things end. But I've spent such an amazing time this last week in Dimzēni, an ecological farm based on principles of sustainability and traditional Latvian lifestyle. On 19th of Jun Tadej, Madalin, Stas, the kids and me, we went to the farm in the Stas van (wich was very full of stuff and people), so it ended being very funny and messy adventure. We arrived in the evening, and spent the day after installing a cupola were we set an improvised projection area for the next days. We were working in the different daily activities they usually do in the farm, but finding all the time the moment to relax.
Dimzēni is just gorgeous. All the nature around, the table under the big oak, the black sauna, the garden, the old/new barn with the goats, the horse, the river to swim, the big fields with hay rolls... Working in the garden kept me away from my thoughts and milking the goats or riding the horse fed my animal lover soul. Swimming in the river time to time when it was too hot, or in the night, or in the early morning! Ah, such an amazing countryside experience...
But the most special part of the week was for sure Līgo.
I wanted to explain you what this celebration is, so I googled it and I found that Līgo is the largest and most traditional festival of Latvian people, celebrated by all generations and all groups of society. It happens in midsummer holidays, celebrated during the summer solstice, when the night is the shortest and the day is the longest. With pagan roots but mixed with christianity (as they also celebrate Jānis –John Baptist–), one of the most important Midsummer traditions is to weave wreaths. For women, wreaths are made of flowers and for men, wreaths are usually made of oak leaves. This celebration is often associated with fertility cults and disaster prevention.
In Dimzēni they were doing such a beautiful festival for this magic night. After all the preparations (making flower and oak crowns included), we went up to the hill to make the first fire right after the sunset, this symbolizes that the sun leaves the sky but continues in the bonfire.
On that wonderful sunset we had a snack of black bread, Līgo traditional cheese and homemade Kvass, and after jumping over the small coals of the fire, we went again in the farm and we lit the second bonfire with the embers of the first. The sky did not become completely dark in the whole night, and afterwards we were eating, drinking, singing and dancing until dawn, which was at 4:30!!! We were on our way to meet the sun and all this adventure was such a magical moment that I will never forget.
It's crazy how everything has changed in the past two months. Before it seemed like everything was wrong here and now midsummer has come. All the celebrations are still going on and I'm such a lucky Spanish since I'm really experiencing how wonderful this Baltic country can be.