8 hours agoAlbania celebrates Summer Day
Periskopi(8 years ago)
(8 years ago)14 Mars marks the summer Day celebration. This is an ancient pagan holiday, where the city which has the most tradition is Elbasan, but in recent years and in Tirana has begun to celebrate much. The traditional cooking of this festival is ballacons, while in some areas fires are also lit, and many activities are organized [...]
The traditional cooking of this festival is the ballacums, while in some areas fires are also lit, while many activities have been organised in Tirana and Elbasan, writes the newspaper Shekulli.
On March 13, people receive a small herd of wet grass along with their roots and soil so that they can have it on the morning of March 14 at home.
This ancient custom is preserved and celebrated not only in Elbasan but also in Debar, Struga and Prespa.
Summer Day was the beginning of the year according to the very ancient calendar of Albanians - a day celebrated many centuries before Christianity was born.
It was celebrated on March 1, Julian calendar, the first day of the new year (according to the Gregorian calendar, “14 March”).
It was a nationwide festival, celebrated both in the North and South, with different shades, according to the provinces.
