From rolling around in the dew to the search of the famed 'fern blossom', here are some popular Midsummer beliefs on what you should and should not do to be happy, prosperous and rich.
Disclaimer: LSM does not claim any success rate for any of the proposed activities.
- Do not sweep the floors on Midsummer; doing so will wipe away luck.
- Light the Midsummer bonfires on hilltops, and you will find money in the ashes.
- Grass will grow greener on fields you walk across on Midsummer night.
- Around midnight, wade through water; in the morning, there will be money in your shoes.
- Jump over the bonfire so mosquitoes don't bite in the summer. Editor's note: be careful with the jumping or not a single mosquito might ever have the luck to bite you again.
- Collect the dew of the Midsummer morning before the sun is up; it will heal rashes and other ailments.
- Bathe in a spring before dawn, and you will be beautiful.
Perhaps the most prominent of the beliefs is that you should seek the fern blossom, a symbol of love and fertility, which only appears on Midsummer night; it is unclear what happens when you do find it. Some sources say one wish will be granted, some say everything you wish for will come true, and others claim you can 'do what you want and nobody will notice it.' For better chances, you should wear your shoes backward and wrap yourself in a white sheet, and take a silk sheet with you to lay under the fern. In any case, if someone invites you to go look for the blossom, you might be in for a surprise.
You can also check out weather-related Midsummer beliefs in our other story.
