Wianki Festival of Wreaths

Wianki Festival of Wreaths

June 23

On St. John's Eve in Poland, young girls traditionally perform a ritual that can be traced back to pagan times. They weave garlands out of wild flowers, put a lit candle in the center, and set them afloat in the nearest stream. If the wreath drifts to shore, it means that the girl will never marry, but if it floats downstream, she will find a husband. If the wreath should sink, it means that the girl will die before the year is out. Since the boy who finds a wreath, according to the superstition, is destined to marry the girl who made it, boys hide in boats along the riverbanks and try to catch their girlfriends' wreaths as they float by.
A variation on this custom, known as the Wianki Festival of Wreaths ( wianki means "wreath" in Polish), is observed by Polish Americans in Washington, D.C., on this same day every year. The wreaths are made out of fresh greens, the candles are lit at twilight, and they're set afloat in the reflecting pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Because there is no current, the wreaths don't drift much at all. But young men gather around the pool anyway, in the hope that the wind will blow their girlfriends' wreaths toward them.
See also Midsummer Day and Semik

CONTACTS:
City of Krakow
ul. Szpitalna 25
Krakow, Poland
48-12-432-0110; fax: 48-12-432-0062
www.krakow.pl/en/?chl=EN
Polish-American Arts Association
P.O. Box 9442
Washington, DC 20016
www.paaa.us

SOURCES:
BkFest-1937, p. 263

Celebration day: Jun 23