Editing Jurģi (section)

==Jurģi Day's traditions and beliefs==

When leaving the old place of residence, people did not say goodbyes, so they would not become unhappy in new place of residence. When moving to the new house on Jurģi day, the straw from the old site is taken along and scattered them in the barn, so that the leaving person would not get cursed with any kind of spell. Others also took along stones from the old house and threw them into a new home's barn, to prevent themselves from any strange magic.

Since summer is approaching, Jurģi is also about preserving beauty and health, although it's mostly focuses on how not to get burned. If it snows on Jurģi's morning, people washed their mouth; otherwise - you do not need to wash it, it is in order to not get burned. Before Jurģi, you need to wash with frog tadpoles. Likewise was done with birch juice, before drinking it, use it to wash your mouth. People spitted on anthill, so that ants could shoot acid onto their face; believing it was a remedy from burn down and freckles. People also believed if before Jurģi you walk barefoot and whistle, it would protect you from the fever. When people heard roaring thunder for the first time before Jurģi, they took a stone from the ground, dragged it over the forehead 3 times and put it back. It was done so that the head wouldn't hurt. Jurģi is considered to be one of the warmest days, and it was believed that God threw 3 cold stones on Jacob, Miķeļi and Mārtiņi days, but took them away once they got warm on Jurģi, Pentecost and Jāņi. Time fore-tellers watched, how many days had dew before Jurģi: that way they counted how many days is going to be spent on harvesting rye before Jacob's day. Wind is checked on Jurģi morning; if it's windy on Jurģi, then it meant that it will be windy all year. If it rains on Jurģi, it meant a wet summer, and believed that forest meadows will not have medical herbs because of that. If Jurģi falls on Friday, it meant a miserable year, if on Monday - it meant an unhappy summer. People did not weave on Jurģi day, believing there will be a lot of thunder if they did. They also believed that you should not make wishes or mad dogs will come to their homes. If the fields were light on fire, it meant their home will burn. On Jurģi morning, in front of the sun, people crossed over the field on foot to furrow, so that not a single burdock would grow up. On early Jurģi morning, an oven was built and light, for a smoke to dash out up the chimney. Whoever makes it first, that person will be happy.<ref>Karl Straubergs (1944). Latvian folk traditions I. Riga: Latvian Book. Pg. 1304</ref>