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Paper short abstract

This paper explores the symbolism of plants and water in Midsummer’s Eve (St. John’s) celebrations in Lithuania Minor. It analyses ritual practices of the Lietuvininkai, tracing transformations from pre-Christian times to modern festival models.

Paper long abstract

This paper examines the role of plants and water in the ritual narratives of Midsummer’s Eve (St. John’s) celebrations in Lithuania Minor, an ethnographic region with a distinct cultural identity. Based on historical sources, ethnographic records, and folklore, the study highlights how natural elements - herbs, flowers, dew, rivers, lakes, and ritual fires - functioned as central symbolic agents in practices of healing, fertility, divination, and protection. Particular attention is given to the ,,Lietuvininkai", an ethnic Lithuanian group, whose calendrical traditions combined pre-Christian solstice rites with Christian influences and later underwent transformations shaped by urban culture, political change, and commercialization. The paper outlines three models of festive practice: archaic (15th–19th centuries), transitional (late 19th–20th century), and contemporary (post-1990), showing how rituals such as wreath-floating, dew-bathing, and herbal gathering were reinterpreted or reinvented. By comparing regional practices in Lithuania Minor with wider European Midsummer traditions, the analysis reveals both shared cultural archetypes and unique local expressions. Ultimately, the study demonstrates how natural elements serve as carriers of memory, continuity, and identity within ritual contexts, while also reflecting processes of cultural adaptation in modern society.