The days round St. Enyo's Day (Midsummer Day) mark the middle of the year when the sun reaches its zenith. From this day on the sun energy stars going down and the time "turns to winter", or as the people say "Enyo puts his fur coat on and sets off for snow. According to a popular belief on this day the sun flickers "plays" and whoever sees the sun at this moment will be healthy all the year round. That is why in the past old and young people met the sunrise on the hills outside the settlement.
      In the night before St. Enyo's Day the herbs have the greatest power. This is the night of all herb-gatherers, witches and wheat-deceivers, the most inscrutable and mysterious night in the year. Then every herb achieves healing power, every spell catches and every fortune-telling comes true. It is believed that after St. Enyo's Day the herbs lose their power and they have not to be picked up.
      According to the folk beliefs the diseases are 77 and a half in number. There is a remedy for 77 diseases only for the next half disease there isn't. Actually there is half a herb and for it but only certain herb-gatherers can find it in the dead of St. Enyo's night…People weave a big wreath out of the picked herbs and everyone passes through it to be healthy through the year. It is made of 77 and a half curative, charming, love and separation herbs, as many as the diseases are. The Enyo's Day wreath is kept till the next year and all sick people and animals are cured with its herbs.


      Besides the herb-gatherers and the unmarried women pick up herbs during this night. It's known that a lassie's bunch has grand love power. Made out of 7, 9 or 12 herbs in this night, it has the power to attract and charm her sweetheart. It is obligatory the lassie's herbs -peony, rue, primrose, marigold, basil, hollyhock, wild geranium to be present in the bunch, and they also add harefoot to be loved by the bachelors.
      If a dragon falls in love with a lassie, or a fairy -with a lad, they are cured again with herbs, but with an infusion of herbs for separation. Therefore the folks believe that the dragon can set fire to everything but not to the cart with the hay-stack because there are various herbs in it.
      In the night herb-gatherers and witches prepare their remedies as they boil them in a new, earthenware vessel, not used till then. According to the folk belief the herbs for love and separation are boiled in a deserted house at the end of the village. The water has o boil up gradually on a slow fire, made of dry stalks of white elecampane that adds its power to the boiling herbs.
      To have the herbal drink a good effect, the sick person has to believe in the curative power of the herbs and to treat them with respect.
      This special night is also the time of the wheat-deceivers. These are women who steal the fertility out of other people's fields and transfer it into their own meadows. The stolen field languishes and the other-grows luxuriant. That's why in this night the farmers go to the field to prevent it out of such women. If one of them is caught, she is driven naked across the village and is held up to public censure.
      In this night the water has healing power. Just before starting its way to winter, the sun bathes in it, and so do all of the diseases. So if a man bathes with them, they won't harm him. For this reason before dawn everybody has to wash in running water or to roll in the dew. This is one of the ritual baths in the year.
      St. Enyo's Day is the longest day in the year, a day-full of hope and faith in the good power of nature, a day for insights and balance. A man is part of the Universe and like everything in this world he is subjected to the cosmic laws. This time of the year is the highest point and for many human activities, as half of the year has passed during which hard work is put in and great energy is used up. And as the Sun stops in the sky to look around the Earth on this day, so a man has to stop his rush to look round and mostly in himself. And to make a balance what good and bad he has done till this time, and to decide which way to follow further. On this day he is with half a year behind him and with half a year full of hope ahead. On St. Enyo's Day-the most vital day in the year-let all of us stop our race with time, pick up a dewy herb, smile to the Sun and lived with energy continue our way till the end of the year.