On Friday, June 28, the museum park on Mickiewicza Street will host jewelry-making workshops, performances of old and contemporary Czech music, and a show presenting the old traditions of Kupala Night.
Midsummer Eve, also known as Sobótka or Kupala Night, has always been a magical, mysterious time. The summer solstice was a moment of the triumph of light, the sun, joy and love. Since the earliest times, regardless of nationality, this night has been associated with many rites and traditions: lighting bonfires and dancing around them, weaving wreaths and using them to divine the identity of future chosen ones, and searching for the magical fern flower, which was believed to bring happiness and prosperity. Seeking to acquaint visitors with the old customs of our own and neighboring communities, the Museum of Ceramics and Krkonošské muzeum Vrchlabí have prepared a series of themed events for Friday afternoon and evening: workshops, demonstrations and concerts under the shared title “Midsummer traditions in the Polish-Czech borderland.”
The celebrations will begin at 2:00 p.m. with the presentation “Life in the Giant Mountains in the 19th century.” Historical work and household activities will be demonstrated by reenactors from the Czech Republic. Everyone interested will be able not only to watch, but also to try mowing with a traditional scythe, weaving wreaths and arranging compositions made from dried plants. At the same time, jewelry-making workshops will be held. Participants will have the opportunity not only to observe a specialist at work, but also to create their own ornaments from various materials.
At 6:00 p.m., the Czech band L’Arrache-Coeur will perform. Its concert will introduce listeners to Czech traditional music, both courtly and folk. Then, at 7:30 p.m., another Czech group, Cémur Šámur, will appear on the park stage. The young musicians will present a different, powerful take on contemporary rock music with folk elements.
The evening’s highlight will be the music-and-dance performance “Maidens and Wreaths,” which will begin at 9:30 p.m. Performed by the “Ziemia Bolesławiecka” Song and Dance Ensemble, the show will naturally acquaint audiences with the customs and traditions of Kupala Night. The events will be accompanied by an outdoor photography exhibition, “Midsummer Traditions of the Czech Republic.” The exhibition can be viewed in the museum park until the end of July this year. Admission to all activities is free. The organizers warmly invite everyone!
The Midsummer Eve celebrations are one element of the project “Gardens of Living Tradition – Protecting the Common Heritage of the Polish-Czech Borderland,” co-financed by the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund under the Czech Republic–Poland Cross-Border Cooperation Operational Programme 2007–2013.
The project “Gardens of Living Tradition – Protecting the Common Heritage of the Polish-Czech Borderland” is co-financed by the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund under the Czech Republic–Poland Cross-Border Cooperation Operational Programme 2007–2013 (project no. PL.3.22/3.2.00/11.02560)
The project “Gardens of Living Culture – Protecting the Common Heritage of the Polish-Czech Borderland” is co-financed by the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund under the Czech Republic–Poland Cross-Border Cooperation Operational Programme 2007–2013 (project no. PL.3.22/3.2.00/11.02560)
(commissioned information: Museum of Ceramics)