As the Sun reaches its northernmost position in the sky, Slovakia welcomes the first day of the summer

Pagans celebrated the Summer Solstice with bonfires. After Christianity spread in Europe and other parts of the world, many pagan customs were incorporated into the Christian religion. In Slovakia, the Midsummer celebration continued, but was observed around the time of St John’s Day, on June 24, to honor St John the Baptist instead of the pagan gods. Zuzana Kovacicova spoke with ethnologist Katarina Nadaska about June traditions. And because the month of June is also dedicated to East Slavic Ethnicity called The RUSYNS, which has a long and rich tradition, which many Slovaks admire, they also talk about The Rusyn people of Slovakia.

Katarína Nádaská Source: foto J. Liška