When is Summer Day?
Summer Day (Albanian: Dita e Veres) is an annual public holiday in Albania and is always held on March 14th.
The holiday marks the rebirth of nature following the end of winter.
History of Summer Day
Summer Day is a pagan festival whose observation and traditions originated in the region around Elbasan, in central Albania.
On the outskirts of the city, a shrine was built to Zana, the goddess of hunting, forests, and nature. The tradition was that Zana would come out of the shrine after her winter hibernation on March 14th.
At the time when the traditions of Summer Day became established, March was the first month of the year. In Romania and some other countries in Eastern Europe, the first day of Spring is celebrated on March 14th. In the sixteenth century, the adoption of the Gregorian calendar added 13 days, moving Summer Day away from March 1st.
A traditional food to eat on Summer day is Ballokume, an Albanian biscuit, originating from the city of Elbasan. It is made from cornflour, eggs, sugar, and sugar mixed in a copper bowl.
Summer Day has been a public holiday in Albania since 2004.
