March 1st, Summer Day for the Orthodox!

If in Albania Summer Day has turned into a massive national celebration and is marked on March 14, for Orthodox believers Summer Day remains March 1, the first day of the month.

This is considered the sacred day to celebrate the arrival of the warm season and the departure of winter. Summer Day was the first day of the year according to the very ancient Albanian calendar, a day that was celebrated many centuries before Christianity was born.

Orthodox believers place the verore on March 1 and remove it when they see the first swallow, hanging it on the branches of rose bushes or nearby trees.

On the evening before March 1, Orthodox communities light fires throughout city neighborhoods, while at home sweet kulaç bread is prepared, accompanied by dried figs.

This is an annual tradition that gathers Orthodox believers around the fires, which they jump over as a way to drive away evil and bring good fortune for the months ahead.

That same evening, the red and white verore bracelet is also put on. The red thread symbolizes strength, blood, the sun, and warmth. The white thread represents a good beginning and light. We wish all Orthodox believers a Happy Summer Day.

“KORÇA BOOM”