June 21, the day of the summer solstice. A day when miracles happen, when fairies dance in forest clearings and fairy creatures appear from their hiding places, and with a pinch of magic and a fern seed in your pocket, you can understand the language of animals.

Our ancient ancestors revered this turning point in the year as a symbolic marriage of the Earth and the Sun, as a time followed by abundance and fertility. In the Metta association, we celebrated it this year as part of the international youth exchange Back to Nature, Back to Yourself, which brought together 30 young Europeans who are close to a simple life connected to nature. Participants from Italy, Romania, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovenia explored the traditional customs of our ancestors and the ancient beliefs of the celebration of Midsummer in our culture. From the intertwining elements of several different traditions, we wove our common, wonderful and unforgettable celebration of the summer solstice, to which we also invited our neighbors, friends and acquaintances.

Good mood and wonderful energy accompanied us from early morning. The girls gathered flowers and wove wreaths, the boys built the fire. Traditional masterpieces from each of the participating countries were created in the kitchen under skilled hands.

The evening began with a sound bath with gongs, which took us on a wonderful journey into the world of the soul. After the ceremonial lighting of the fire, we performed a short ceremony, followed by music, celebration and dancing.