In Saulkrasti, marking the night of the ancient fire is already a tradition. With songs, the fires are lit immediately before sunset. Our ancestors built fires on the seaside to give a message to their neighbors and sailors. The tradition was relaunched in the early 90s.
In Saulkrasti, the night of the Ancient Fire is mingling with the folklore festival “Pa Saulei.”
“We can conclude the season, the season of cultural life of Saulkrasti. To bring all visitors back to the fire and good thoughts,” said Antra Deniškāne, music teacher, and author of the folklore festival “Pa Saulei.”
In clear weather, fires on the coast can be seen up to five kilometers away. In Latvian folklore, fire has different meanings: hazard, family symbol, and strength.
“I came to find some strength at this event. I came to the fire as if it were a symbol of strength. Find some kind of strong moment, maybe find motivation for the long run until the end of the year,” said the event visitor Annija.
“I'll say that fire is a symbol of transformations, changes. When something transforms, it creates energy. As we often say – burn out in the workplace to create something. That's exactly the same. By doing something, you can be like a fire and maybe heat a lot more people around you at other timese,” said Arnis, a visitor to the event.
The night continued with music and dancing.
