Dita e Verës or Verëza (English "Summer Day") is an Albanian spring festival and pagan holiday celebrated (also officially in Albania) on March 14 of the Gregorian calendar (March 1 of the Julian calendar), for the beginning of the spring-summer period.
In the old Albanian calendar, Verëza corresponds to the first three days of the new year (Albanian: Kryeviti, Kryet e Motmotit, Motmoti i Ri, Nata e Mojit) and marks the end of the winter season (the second half of the year) and the beginning of the "summer" season (the first half of the year) on the spring equinox (Albanian: sadita-nata), the period of the year when daylight is longer than night. Dita e Verës is a chief festivity in traditional Albanian religion, celebrating the strengthening of the Sun (Dielli) and the renewal of nature, also respecting the vegetation and the Earth (Dheu).
Dita e Verës is celebrated on March 1 of the Julian calendar, the first day of the new year (which is March 14 in the Gregorian calendar). It is celebrated both in the Northern and Southern regions, but with regional differences. On the eve or before sunrise, bonfires (zjarre) are traditionally lit in yards throughout Abanian-inhabited territories with the function to drive away the darkness of the winter season and for the strengthening of the Sun, as well as for purification and apotropaic purposes. The ritual is performed with people dancing and singing around the fire or jumping across it.
The shrine of Diana of Cermenika, located in the Albanian city of Elbasan, celebrates Diana the goddess of forests, greenery and nature. The distinctive sign of this holiday is baking ballokume, a sugar cookie made with Albanian corn. In Lezha, Dita e Verës fires are lit to signify the sun's purity and strength. Although the holiday continues to be highlighted in the ancient city of Elbasan, it is celebrated by all Albanians.
A Red and White wool bracelet called "Verore" is worn to celebrate the beginning of summer. This along with other March Summer Balkan traditions is a UNESCO recognized "intangible cultural heritage".
The holiday maintains a family and traditional atmosphere, in which parents, children and families celebrate together. On this day Albanians congratulate each other on living long and happy lives. Families would jump over a small fire, signifying a full cleansing going into a new year.
Thanas Meksi, a renowned researcher and musicologist, divided the festival into four phases:
Preparatory Phase: This begins with the collection of necessary items for the Summer Day.
Summer Night: Starting on the evening of March 13, this phase is marked by fire.
Morning of Summer Day: Commences on March 14, bringing joy and festivity.
Summer Day Picnic: Held at noon on March 14, this phase embodies communal celebration.
Rituals of the Summer Day include washing eyes with summer flowers, drinking water from "the pig's trough" (a wild spring found underground in forested areas), symbolizing a healthy and prosperous year. Another tradition is the boiling of eggs on the night of March 13th and washing the eyes with this water on the morning of March 14th.
The morning of March 14 begins with visits to relatives, where the youngest son delivers shared goods. The picnic starts at 10:00 am, although in recent years activities have begun an hour earlier. Albanians head to scenic spots for this celebration. Each year, the festival evolves, reflecting the spirit of its people. Elbasan becomes a pilgrimage center on March 14, with the entire city dressing up in vibrant decorations. The local government allocates special funds for the festival, planning concerts, traditional games, and comedic performances in tourist spots and parks, enhancing the festive atmosphere and community bonding.
Edith Durham – who collected Albanian ethnographic material from northern Albania and Montenegro – reported that Albanian traditional tattooing of girls was practiced on March 19, which falls in the days of the Albanian spring celebrations.
Ballokume is a dessert unique to Elbasan and is synonymous with the Summer Day celebration. It's widely enjoyed across Albania and in Albanian communities around the world. This cookie is especially associated with Dita e Verës. The name Ballokume is believed to have originated from a 15th-century Ottoman ruler's exclamation, "Është ba si llokume!" which means "It’s as good as a lokum!" after tasting a small cake made from corn flour cooked in a wood fire. This term, over time, evolved into Ballokume.
The primary ingredients of Ballokume include butter, sugar, eggs, and cornflour. Traditionally, it is kneaded in a copper bowl to enhance the texture of the dough, a process that involves vigorous kneading, often done by men in the household due to the strength required. The cookie sometimes contains finj, a mixture of ashes from a wood stove boiled in water, adding a unique flavor to the cookie.
Flia is an Albanian dish typical of northern Albania and of the cuisine of Kosovo. It consists of multiple crêpe-like layers brushed with cream and served with sour cream and butter. The name translates to "sacrifice" (see fli). Flia is prepared in the shape of the Sun (Albanian Dielli) also featuring sunbeams. March 17, which falls within the traditional Albanian festivities of Verëza, is recognized as "Flia Day" in which families invite their relatives for preparing and eating flia. It is assumed that flia began to be prepared by Albanians for Verëza as a sacrifice to the Sun-god.
In Tropojë, this season gathers many people in the village of Luzhë, where they seek help and prosperity from tombs that have now been turned into idols. Adults and children travel for kilometers across mountainous terrains to reach these tombs.