“When the sun warms the lobster and
the nightingale sings no more, we light
Sobotka fires in our forests and along our
shores.”
This age old Polish couplet refers to sun
shining in the house of Cancer (Crab June 22 to July 22), the fourth sign of the
zodiac, and announces the celebration of
Mid-Summer’s Eve in Poland.
In Poland, this special eve is a blend
of Poland’s Pre-Christian roots and its
Christianized traditions. The feast of the
birth of St. John the Baptist is celebrated
on June 24. The bible mentions that “John
the Baptizer” was born six months before
the birth of Jesus. John the Baptist’s is
the only Saint’s Day that celebrates the
anniversary of birth and not death.